I'd like to call to order the Executive Committee meeting for MetroLink and ask the Secretary
to do our housekeeping.
Certainly.
Before you do, Madam Chair, if I could ask the audience to please find your seats.
There really actually isn't any housekeeping because all the members will be participating
in the chambers.
Dr. Trembly will be absent so he's not participating by his name today so business as usual.
We don't have to clean the house.
Very good.
Next we'll go on to our safety briefing and it will be given by BJ Takushi, Senior Manager
of Compliance, to conduct safety briefing.
Hi, good morning everyone.
So to start off our safety briefing we'll talk about our evacuation route.
If we do need to evacuate the building, we'll go out these double doors to my left.
We'll go down a set of stairs, that'll leave it out into the plaza level, and we'll muster
on the right side of the building.
In case there is an earthquake, we will drop, cover, and hold until shaking has stopped.
In case we have first aid or CPR, I have Deputy Rivas that has joined us, as well as we have
some AEDs out in the lobby, if we need to utilize those.
In case there's an active shooter, again, Deputy Rivas will help us out with that, but
our mantra is run, hide, and fight in case of that.
I guess no one's joining us online so that's good for everyone and I would
also like to close it out by inviting everyone as I did with the last
committee meeting to join us between 10 and 3. We have tours for our first
responders are learning about our trains but if you would like to take a tour of
of some of the Amtrak or Metro Link trains
we have that includes everything.
Very good, thank you so much.
Next we'll have our CEO lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Do y'all please stand?
Thank you.
Madam Secretary, would you call the roll?
Vice Chair Chafee.
Second Vice Chair Burksen.
Here.
Director Tremblay.
Director Najarian.
Here.
Chair McCallin.
Here.
We do have a quorum present.
Thank you very much.
Do we have any public comment?
We've not received any written public comment or any request to speak.
Very good.
Next we'll go on to our regular calendar.
First item is approval of the meeting minutes of July 14th.
Is there a motion on the...
Move the item.
We have a motion and a second.
All those in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
That motion passes.
Thank you very much.
Next we have changes to the life, A.D. and D.
and the disability insurance benefits presented by Roxanne Randolph, our Senior Manager of Human Resources.
Roxanne, good morning.
Good morning, Chair and members of the committee.
I'm reporting on item 6B, changes to life, A, D and D, and disability insurance benefits.
The authority provides basic life and A, D and D insurance to eligible employees equal to
one times their annual salary up to a maximum of 250,000 per year.
Currently, there are approximately six employees who have an annual salary of more than that maximum.
Therefore, their life in A, D, and D benefit amount is less than one times their annual salary.
Additionally, the authority provides LTD insurance to eligible employees,
which provides income replacement of 60% of monthly earnings up to a maximum of 7,500 per month.
And with the LTD, there are currently approximately 58 employees who earn more than $150,000 a year.
And that means that their benefit amount is actually less than 60% of their monthly earnings.
Next slide, please.
Therefore, staff is making the following recommendations.
Number one, increase the basic life in AD&D maximum benefit from 250,000 to 350,000.
With this proposed change, all eligible employees will have a benefit of one times their annual salary.
This is an estimated annual cost increase of approximately $2,508.
Number two, increase the LTD maximum benefit from 7,500 to 10,000 per month.
With this proposed change, employees earning more than 150,000,
which is currently 42 employees will have a benefit amount of 60%
of monthly earnings for an estimated annual cost increase of approximately $10,428.
Third recommendation is to enter into an agreement with UNAM to provide
individual disability insurance for employees earning more than $200,000 a year.
With this proposed change, employees earning more than $200,000, which is currently about 16 employees,
as well as the CEO, will have a benefit of 60% of monthly earnings for
an estimated annual cost of approximately $23,890.
Next slide, please.
These proposed changes will help ensure that the authority's benefit plans are equitable to all eligible employees.
The estimated total annual cost is approximately $37,000,
is a total increase for supplemental benefits for 2024 due to our other plans being under
a rate guarantee. The amount for which contract authority is requested is included in the
adopted operating budget for FY23-24. Next slide please. Thank you. I'm happy to answer
any questions you have about this item? Thank you, Roxanne. Any questions? J.F.
No, I just want to move the item. Thank you.
Go ahead. Well, I wasn't going to second it, but I was hoping that all these employees
might just, you know, be willing to take a nice big pay cut so that they'd fall into
understand the fairness that they're getting one thing I asked at the board
briefing was which employees were these and to verify they weren't union
employees because we have separate contracts and then things aren't
necessarily fair with everybody else because they're separately contracted
these are non-union folks and we pay salary based on their net worth and
value to Metrolin. So why should they be gypped if they go on disability or have an accident.
You should still get the same percentage. It's not like a benefit of let's say we gave
everybody a thousand dollars a month for medical, whatever, that would be the same no matter
who you are, but this is directly based on the salary and their net worth here at Metrolin.
Thank you. We have a motion and second all in favor. Do you want us, Mr. Adyarain, do
you have your mic on? I was going to second it before it got upped. No, I have no comments.
I'm prepared to support the item. Okay. Then we have a motion and a second. All in favor?
Aye. Any opposed? Seeing none. It's unanimous. One thing, comment I would like to make though
It would be interesting to see a comparison between the benefits at Metrolinx compared
to the benefits for non-union employees for the member agencies.
If we could get that data put together and provided to us.
Appreciate it.
Thank you, Roxanne.
This has been approved, so we'll move on to the quarterly compensation report, and that
will be also by Roxanne.
Thank you.
Okay.
I'm reporting on item number 6C, quarterly compensation report for fourth quarter FY
23 from April 1st, 2023 through June 30th, 2023.
This is a receive and file report.
Next slide, please.
In accordance with the HR policy 2.1, wage and salary administration, salary program
administration the board requires human resources to report all salary
placements for new hires promotions demotions reclassifications and other
changes in employee compensation on a quarterly basis next slide please during
the fourth quarter FY 23 there were 25 compensation transactions which include
7 new hires, 5 promotions, 1 acting pay, 1 temporary additional pay, excuse me, 5 temporary
additional pay, 2 permanent additional pay, 1 board decision, and 4 return from acting
or additional pay.
This concludes my report and I'm happy to answer any questions you have about this item.
Any questions?
A question that I think because it deals with employees, and so maybe what I'll ask is if
what I'm really getting at, there's a couple of motions at 40% concerned when I see that.
That's the only thing that's done.
If you would provide that to each of the committee members.
Very good.
This is a receive and file without objection.
That's what the committee will order.
Thank you, Roxanne. I appreciate your presentation.
Next, we have a customer experience quarterly update
presented by Scott Johnson, our Director of Communications.
Good morning, Scott.
Good morning, Chair and committee members.
This is a customer experience quarterly update for FY23,
which will span the months of April, May and June of this year.
Next slide, please.
Obviously, it's an agency-wide effort
to provide outstanding customer experience
and ultimately increase ridership.
We are excited to report that in the fourth quarter,
we had 1.3 million boardings,
which was actually an increase of 13.1%
compared to the previous calendar year.
It reflects a 17.1% increase in weekday boardings,
along with a 12.5% decrease in weekend ridership.
That decrease in weekend ridership is largely attributable
to the San Clemente track closures
that essentially was throughout those entire 90 days.
of the 90 days that we operated service.
We had only reached Oceanside for about 18 of those.
Also, during the fourth quarter,
we completed a potential rider study.
The study included responses
from approximately 3,500 potential riders,
which identified barriers in ridership.
We wanted to identify the issues
that essentially prevent people from riding or wanting to ride
so that we can adjust our efforts or initiate some
of those efforts to make certain people want to ride.
As you can see, security on board our trains
and at stations is the highest concern.
We recognize that some of our riders are considering public transportation
as a whole and not necessarily Metrolink only.
But despite that, we are stepping up our efforts with our system safety
and compliance team along with our local law enforcement agencies to make certain
that not only people see an increased presence of security and law enforcement
our respective stations and on board our trains, then we're subsequently communicating that.
Also, the customer experience team is leveraging the research from this study and others to deliver
marketing and communications campaigns to ultimately drive ridership.
During the fourth quarter, we promoted a pair of our free ride campaigns.
In April, we launched our annual Earth Day campaign on April 22nd on Earth Day. We saw
a post-pandemic daily ridership record of 20,846 riders in a single day and also during the fourth
quarter as a part of our summer travel campaign we celebrated bike to work week where individuals
who had a bicycle can ride for free. We saw that an 11% increase from the previous year.
Also as a part of the board item we referenced as part of the summer travel campaign the launch of
of our $15 summer day pass.
During the committee briefings, Director Dutre had asked
whether or not we could determine if individuals
who took advantage of the $15 summer day pass
were subsequent riders.
Obviously, this year's campaign just ended this past Friday,
so we looked at 2022, where we only had the option
on our mobile app, and what we discovered was that
in 2022, there were 4,440, I'm sorry,
4,450 mobile accounts that ultimately purchased the $15 summer day pass, with more than 2300
of those being first time accounts and riders.
Since September 5, 2022, the completion of the 2022 effort for the $15 summer day pass,
we've actually seen 30% of those individuals become return riders.
So we are excited, the fact that 50% of the people who took the advantage of the $15 summer
day pass last year were first-time riders, this year we had 40% were first-time, so oftentimes
what we're seeing is people saw it last year as an option, and then saw it again this year
as another opportunity and took advantage of it again.
Those are encouraging, hopefully that kind of return ridership is for all of the promotions
we do like Earth Day and, you know, bicycling and so forth.
Yes, sir.
Comments, questions from the, go ahead.
Mr. Chair, if I could.
Also on the summer day, summer day pass,
this is hot off the presses.
We have Henning Eichler in the room today
who does our marketing analytics work,
and we do have this data that this year,
through the summer day pass,
we had a increase of 56.6% over last year.
year on the day pass. So yeah, it was another successful campaign. People are
definitely using that option. And to Mr. Johnson's point, the fact that then
they're returning back for other purposes. So it is it's working as
designed. Very encouraging. Thank you. Any other comments, questions? Seeing none,
this is a receive and file and without objection that's what the committee will
thank you Scott appreciate it next our September legislative update presented
by Jeffrey Dunn our director of government and community relations Jeff
good morning morning chair McCallan members of the committee if I get just
real quickly one quick interruption before mr. Dunn get started
unfortunately we we have had someone a departure in our government relations
program. Alex Davis, who everybody will recall with some type substitute for Jeff, has moved
on to a new role serving as the lead consultant for the State Senate Transportation Subcommittee
on the Los Ann Corridor that is chaired by Senator Catherine Blakespear. It's a committee
that's sort of gotten its legs in the last year, and Alex took advantage of the opportunity
to broaden his horizons, but staying in the rail sector.
So I would have loved to have been able to call him out
and embarrass him in person,
but he's unfortunately moved already on.
And so just wanted to let the committee know
that Alex has moved on.
But he's actually, in serving in that capacity,
we're gonna continue to be able to work with him regularly.
And with that, Mr. Dunn, go right ahead.
Well, that's good that we have someone like him
on working with that committee.
Also, he knows where all the skeletons
buried here right go ahead Jeff thank you very much mr. Kettle I would affirm
his support and and it's a big loss for our agency I've been doing this for 25
years never had a staff member to eclipse the fine work that Alex did with
this agency so looking forward to working with him in that capacity
reporting on the September legislative update receipt and file starting with
the local section dates for the Venturi kind of byline outreach meetings
referencing your report are tentatively set. The meetings with city staff of the
VCL station cities and station adjacent cities is tentatively scheduled for
October 17 followed by an elected officials meeting whose jurisdictions
include the VCL in both Ventura and LA counties tentatively scheduled for
October 24th. Invitations to participants will be sent out soon including to
Metrolink board members who represent areas served by the VCL. As with the San
Bernardino byline outreach meetings earlier this year, these meetings will
focus on issues our communities indicate are important to them. These include
planned and ongoing capital improvements to the line, quiet zone
information and assistance, maintenance of way issues such as graffiti,
homelessness, trespass and safety, and efforts that Metrolinx has undertaken
to expand its service and ridership. Among these, Metrolinx will share the
message of its Mobility for All Fair program that provides deeply discounted
fares for qualifying low-income riders. We will also overview the student
adventure pass Metrolink intends to offer this fall that will provide free
passes to students, including high school, trade school, community college, and
university students, which are paid for by state grant funds. We will ask VCL
communities to spread the message of these Metrolink programs with
appropriate materials and toolkits that we will provide through their respective
communications and social media platforms as part of our broader
strategy to inform the public about these exciting fair products. The effort
of course seeks to continue to expand our passenger base among these important
and underserved constituencies. We will also use these meetings which are
attended by our CEO executive and professional staff to listen to our
communities and to take action to address community concerns wherever it
is possible. We have found from the byline effort in San Bernardino County
that this outreach is a catalyst for better communication and reciprocal
action with our communities and it strengthens our partnerships. We will
report back to the board any significant follow-up we undertake from these
meetings. Next slide please. As included in your report, this year's state budget
includes a generous 5.1 billion dollars for transit capital and operations
funding. There has been an ongoing process of communication between CalSTA
and operators culminating with recently released CalSTA guidelines to govern
allocation, reporting, and accountability provisions in order for these transit and
operations funds to be released. CTA has represented transit agencies
statewide in the development of these guidelines to ensure that they are fair
and safeguard the appropriate use of funds for the intended purposes, both
capital and operating, without giving the state authority to pick and choose
projects and agency-level use of funds. Again, I remind as we have previously
That any potential funding available to Metrolink through this process would be distributed directly to the member agencies and then pass through to Metrolink based upon the existing allocation provisions in law.
Metrolink is not a direct recipient of these funds.
In other state matters, I would like to mention our CEO's appearance before two state legislative committees last month.
The Senate Transportation Subcommittee on Loosand Rail Corridor Resiliency on October 15th.
This is the same subcommittee that our CEO referenced that our staff member Alex Davis
will now be the principal consultant of, as well as the Assembly Select Committee on Regional
Transportation Solutions at a field hearing in Lancaster on August 25th.
CEO Mr. Kevel gave timely updates to both legislative bodies before the Senate Subcommittee
on the coordinated efforts of Metrolink, OCTA, and Losin to ensure the integrity of
the line in San Clemente and to plan and prepare for future needs at this critical juncture
of our service.
And before the assembly select committee on the efforts underway to enhance our service
to the Antelope Valley in the context of Metrolink's broader agency efforts to expand capacity,
expand and enhance the network, and recover and grow ridership.
Finally, in state matters, the big news regarding the California Air Resources Board in use
locomotive regulation that we have reported on to you frequently in recent
months is that implementation has been put on hold for a couple of years due to
a lawsuit filed by freight railroads challenging the legality of various
aspects of the regulation. As you will recall Metrolink has been working with
CARB staff on its alternative compliance plan to comply with the
regulation and will continue its good faith dialogue with staff that any formal
action, consideration, or adoption of measures related to the IUL will be delayed until there
is further resolution and clarification from the pending lawsuit.
We will keep you apprised as this process is ongoing.
In federal matters, as we previously reported to you and as covered in the report, there
are significant funding differences between the House and Senate T-Hud appropriations
bills that will fund transportation, including passenger rail, in fiscal year 24.
The Senate bill currently is significantly more generous than the House bill, though
both are funded well below authorized levels of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
There very likely will be a continuing resolution to continue status quo funding beyond the
September 30 end of the federal fiscal year, to allow time for Congress to reconcile differences
between this and the other appropriations bills.
MetroLink is sharing and affirming the American Public Transportation Association's message
to fully fund the bipartisan infrastructure law
authorized amounts for transportation
in the appropriations bill.
We will continue that effort
in two specific ways upcoming.
First, we are attending the national conference
of the Commuter Rail Coalition,
of which our CEO is a board member in Chicago this month,
where coordinated strategy sessions and action
to further fund the BIL in approps will be undertaken,
including advocacy of full eligibility of Commuter Rail
within the Chrissy Grant Program,
a long-time Metrolink top priority of its legislative platform.
These messages will be carried by CRC to the Hill throughout the appropriations process.
Metrolink will also participate in the California Transit Association federal advocacy trip
to Washington, D.C., also in mid-September, where full BIL funding will be a top advocacy
message of all CTA-participating agencies to the California Congressional Delegation
to appropriating committees and the administration.
efforts are well timed in advance of conference committee action taking place later in the
fall that will determine the final funding levels of the transportation appropriations
bill eventually passing. This concludes my report, thank you for your time and I'm happy
to answer any questions. Thank you. Any questions of Jeff? As usual, a very comprehensive
report and we appreciate it very much. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. That's a receive-and-file
without objection, that's what this committee will order. Next to the highlight
of any of our meetings, the CEO's report. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just briefly, as I
shared in the earlier committee, this week marks the start of what will be my
third year as your CEO at Metrolink. We started a tradition on my very first day,
I took a picture with a conductor on the train ride in that morning, did the same
thing last year, did the same thing this year and we're going to keep doing that, making
it a point to recognize the fact that we work in a large team in this organization.
If you follow Metrolink on LinkedIn, you'll see some pretty cool pictures that show that
little bit of an adventure.
I will be back here tomorrow for Train Fest, an event being hosted by Los Angeles County
Metro.
We will have our equipment on site here on the platforms that include an F125 locomotive,
one of our newly refurbished Bombardier cars, as well as one of the cab cars that operate
in our fleet, as well as equipment that we use to maintain the right of way.
Amtrak is also participating, as is LA Metro, so if you're a train fan, the next couple
of days. It's actually Saturday and Sunday. It's an event you will not want to miss.
And then lastly, we are in September, and September is Rail Safety Month, so you will
hear more about that at our board meeting in September. But just know that you will
be seeing a lot about Metrolink as we do everything we can to emphasize the importance of safety
on our railroad and throughout Southern California. Thank you, Mr. Chair. That concludes my report.
Thank you very much, any questions of the CEO?
Seeing none, we'll move on to committee member comments.
None.
Well then, Chair's comments.
I just wanted to let you know that I had an opportunity
to meet with Pete Aguilar, the number three guy
in the Democratic Party in the House.
He represents Highland.
And at that discussion meeting, I also discussed with him
our Metroland needs in terms of operation and maintenance
funding and other things.
So I try to keep him aware of that.
And obviously, he's in the leadership in the minority
party, but he has influence over his delegation.
So also because we have this ongoing issue apparently with SIR and so on controversy,
I'd like to have on the next committee, executive committee agenda an item that we'll talk
about how we can eventually maybe fund the SIR for the future so it doesn't come
up as a surprise in the budget so I'd ask you to work with Don Dale or you and
come up with an item so that we can discuss that at our next meeting and
that's all I have so we stand adjourned early. Thank you all for coming.