Good morning I'd like to call to order the Metrolink board meeting for the
month of July and ask for a safety briefing from Cody Nelson our assistant
director system safety Cody. Good morning morning chair good morning mr.
Kettle and members of the board I'll start us off with our safety briefing
this morning so we're at one Gateway Plaza LA Metro building in the board
room if we need to evacuate in the for event of a fire we'll exit out this
This building here, or this door here,
this will be our primary exit.
And we'll meet out near the customer service
down on the bottom floor.
In the event of an earthquake,
we'd want to huddle under the tables
until the shaking stops and then we'll exit the building.
If there's any other hazards, tripping hazards,
chairs, bags, things of that nature,
please make sure that you're aware of your surroundings
as we're exiting.
In the event of a first aid type situation,
we have first responders in the room,
we have our LA sheriffs that could administer CPR
as well as will notify the security Metro desk
and they'll notify 911.
In the event of an active attacker,
the procedure to follow would be run, hide, fight.
With that said, are there any questions on the briefing?
Any questions?
Seeing none, thank you very much, Cody.
Mr. Chair, real quick,
Cody has one other announcement, real quick.
Oh, okay.
Thank you, Mr. Kettle.
And so per Director Burksen's request,
MetroLink has put together some additional phone numbers,
contact information for employees and customers,
and so some of those, you guys, excuse me,
all of you should have a copy of that in front of you,
and some of those numbers are customer service number,
our number to our security operations center,
our emergency notification system,
that's the blue and white signs
that you see at every road crossing,
as well as our Uber voucher request information.
So if there's any questions on that, I can.
And just to follow up on Cody's comments,
again, Director Bergson has certainly been regular
in his request that how do, if we have,
if we observe things happening on the train,
whether it's our staff or our board members,
what do we do?
We've developed a training program for our staff
that we'll be sharing.
We're gonna actually go into more detail at an opportunity
when we have the full board back together
about sort of the comprehensive nature of things.
But in the meantime, what we wanted to make sure
that the board had and all of our staff had
are those critical phone numbers.
We also have them posted throughout
all of our passenger cars.
But what I personally did is on my personal phone,
which is almost always on my person,
I have Metrolink SOC.
It's a Security Operations Center.
So if I see anything, that is the number,
whether you're a board member, a staff member,
the CEO, or a customer, that's the number you call
because they are the ones that are most quickly able
to connect with various security,
law enforcement dispatch based on where our train is
because given the vast network that we operate in,
they're the ones when you're able to say,
I'm on the riverside line,
I'm just past the Ontario station,
they're able to contact local law enforcement.
So that's what we've done,
but we also have other information
that we'll share with the board in due course.
But the most important thing was I think
We cared about, I see something, who do I call?
That's what I heard, Director Bergson,
be one of those things that you certainly raised.
And then also, we have, as part of the training,
we have an ability to communicate directly
with the engineer and the conductor on our train.
So that's part of our training
that will be shared with all of our staff.
But in the meantime, this was,
we wanted to make sure that board members
and the like had that information.
Dr. Bergson?
Yes, thank you.
I appreciate you bringing the card with the phone numbers.
And as I've mentioned a few times in the past
in regards to this, it's not just the phone numbers,
but what action item does any Metrolink employee
or board member take in the event you're in a train
and something happens?
maybe the conductor and engineer are out of commission,
how do you open the door?
What if the train's on its side?
You know, just simple things that we as representatives
of Metrolink and all our employees need to know.
And yet, I didn't see a policy or procedure for that.
So that kind of started this process.
So this is great that we're getting to this step
and we look forward to seeing
some additional information as it comes.
There will be more.
Director Wapner.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I think one thing I have to do better
is we need to put the texting number in the car
so people can see it.
That's really important.
When you go to a football game,
the guy next to you is drunk.
You don't wanna get on the phone and tell him.
You just send a text and they get it.
I think the same thing on the train.
If I have someone next to me that I'm kinda scared of,
I'm not gonna get on the phone.
So I think you have to really post the numbers up there
to text so people understand that.
Thank you, Director Wapner.
We just have to bring more attention.
In almost all cases, we have at least four different locations
in every passenger car with a QR code
that allows you to text.
It's there, but we have to do a better job
of making sure people know about it,
because clearly, I mean, you wrote our
San Bernardino Line train this morning,
you wrote our San Bernardino,
and if we, for whatever reason,
if it doesn't quickly come to people's attention,
then we're missing that opportunity.
So, we had just updated that, but clearly we have some work to do because within the
last year we updated all of our signage inside our passenger cars that show that information.
So, on your trips home, just take a look and see if it does now that you know it stand
out, but clearly it shouldn't just because now that you know it, it should be something
that stands out.
So, we'll take another bite at that apple.
So I'm probably the most computer illiterate here or techie.
When you say there's a QR code, I finally learned what those are.
But if you're, is there a text number?
So if I'm sitting there, I don't have to put my phone up for the QR code.
There's also a text number.
Okay, you say QR code and underneath it will be the text number.
Correct.
That's what's important is because, just like Mr. Wapner said,
Mr. Wapner said is that we need to make sure that we're not inhibiting their ability to
share their nervous about something or to report something that we have to make sure
we encourage it.
Absolutely.
Any other comments or questions?
Seeing none, thank you very much for all of that information.
Now we'll go on to our Pledge of Allegiance.
I've asked Director Bergson to lead us.
Clerk, would you call for the roll?
Certainly.
Director Wapner?
Director Dutray? Here. Director Marquez? Here. Vice Chair Chaffee? Director Nguyen?
Director Murphy? Here. Director Dumitrou? Second Vice Chair Bergson? Here.
Director Spiegel? Here. Director Middleton? Present. Director Vargas? Here. Director
Tremblay? Here. Director Engler? Director Barger? Director Kirkhorian? Director
Adarian director Solis director Hughes Leslie
director O'Connor
director Allen
director presciato
Chair McCallan. Yeah, we do have a quorum present. Thank you very much
Now is the time for public comment. I don't have any comment cards in front of me. I know there is one
Email comment which we will forward to every board member
With that we'll go on to approval of our consent calendar items 12a through 12 l
or I
It's I
Is there a motion on that?
Second we have a second would you call for the role? Oh, that's right. We don't we're not
We're not in TV land today
Are there any objections of the motion any abstentions saying none?
I am passes
onto our regular calendar
7a is
finance
9.2 collections escalation policy presented by a Vivian Avia our assistant director of finance
Next slide please
There's two items for your consideration approval in this brief agenda item 7a the first is
approval of a new collections escalation policy financial policy
9.2 this policy is intended to be an umbrella or a structure for a set of
Standard operating procedures staff will follow to ensure pass-through accounts are managed for maximum recovery
The policy specifically relates to accounts that have reached 90 days past due and it is separate from
procedures
encompassed in financial policy
9.3 that provide processes to manage overall collections and more current receivable matters
The second item requests the board's approval to write off one dated receivable
pursuant to financial policy
Any individual that are receivable exceeding $10,000 has to be taken to the board.
Thank you very much.
I want to thank our staff for relooking at this and making it more of a policy than a procedure
as it was presented to the committees.
So thank you very much.
Any comments or questions on this item?
Seeing none, this is an action item.
Is there a motion?
motion second would you call for the vote oh I'm sorry I'm so used to that
any objection the motion any objection any abstention seeing none item passes
unto 7b internal audit proposed fiscal year 2025 annual audit plan presented by
by Elizabeth Lazarardi, our audit director.
Good morning, Elizabeth.
As required by the internal audit charter,
a risk-based annual audit plan is to be submitted
for review and approval to the board of directors.
The development of the audit plan includes five key steps
as detailed on the slide.
The audit plan will serve as a roadmap for our department
to conduct future internal audits in the next fiscal.
Next slide, please.
proposed fiscal 25 on annual audit plan is presented on this slide and there are
four new audits and next slide please and these are the carried forwards audits
from fiscal 24 staff recommends the board approved of proposed fiscal 25
annual audit plan happy to answer if you have any questions any comments or
questions we're good thank you Elizabeth this is an action item is there a motion
we have a motion and second any objection to the motion any abstention
seeing none is unanimous under item 7c or financial results for 24 presented
by Christine Wilson our assistant director of finance Christine morning
you have a hat today I do a new one very good thank you so good good morning
I'm presenting Chairman McCallum and members of the Board.
I'm presenting item 6C, the report of ridership
and financial information through the 11 months ended,
May of 2024.
Next slide, please.
This chart shows a Metrolink ridership by month for FY24.
The columns are actual ridership.
The red line is the ridership forecast.
As you can see, we are over budget.
The blue part of the column represents the regular ridership
while the orange portion represents the student adventure pass ridership.
Next slide, please.
This chart displays the farebox revenue by month for 24.
Once again, we are over budget.
Next slide, please.
We see here the farebox revenue amounts by month through May of FY24.
Fiscal year to date, through May,
farebox revenue was budgeted at 32.2 million or 46% recovery,
While the actual Fairbox revenue is 36.2 million, a 51% recovery, and 3.9 million over budget.
This revenue does include the student adventure pass in an amount of $1 million for the month of May and $6.7 million year to date.
Next slide, please.
This slide shows the FY24 ridership by month.
Next slide.
You see here the ridership amounts for each month in FY24.
Year to date through May, ridership was forecast at 4.9 million or a 45% recovery,
while the actual ridership is 5.6 million or a 51% recovery,
661,000 over the forecast.
These numbers include the student adventure pass, which represents 142,000 riders in the month
of May and 959,000 riders year to date.
Next slide, please.
As to the operating statement, for the 11 months ended May 2024,
revenue is 58.6 million or 9.2 million over plan.
Expenses are 257.1 million or 22.3 million under budget.
Major categories which are under budget are shown here in the slide.
Before St. Clemente expense, we are under budget by 22.3 million.
And overall member agency support is currently in surplus by $31.7 million.
I remind you that this data is based on accruals, not actuals.
And we will not have the actual numbers until we finish our outside audit this year.
Next slide please.
This is the revenue section of the operating statement.
You see here that the farebox revenue is under forecast.
It is probable that a considerable number of riders now using the student adventure pass would have been in this number.
However, even if all of the short fall is a result of that movement,
the data indicates that we have an additional benefit of almost $4 million.
In other operating revenues, we also see an increase of approximately 4 million.
This is a result of improved investing tactics and better performance of rates.
Next slide.
This is the train operation section, categories most under budget are train operators and
fuel.
Next slide.
You see here maintenance way is under budget by 2.2 million and all admin categories are
under by 9.4.
Insurance is under by 1.8.
In total, expenses as I said are under by 22.3 million or 8%.
Next slide.
This slide shows the result of special unbudgeted trains which have earned $115,000.
Thus the net loss through 11 months ended through May is 198.4 million or 31.7 million under budget.
Real confidence will occur with your end closing.
Next slide.
This slide shows a detail of past due amounts.
Next slide.
These are the details of those amounts.
Next slide, arrow service, oh sorry this is the cast position of MetroLink as of May and
as you see we are at 71.1 million which is within our threshold of 50 million.
Next slide please, arrow service, fare box revenue through May is 223,000 of which 43,000
student adventure pass. Ridership through May is 10.7 thousand which is 38
thousand is student adventure pass. Next slide. Operating revenue is $472,000.
Expenses are 11.6 million which is 2.4 million under the continuing
resolution and support required is 11.2 million or 2.9 million
and under the continuing resolution.
You will note that a new revenue category
has been added to arrow for MOW revenue from BNSF.
Because arrow is charged for cost of track maintenance
on the arrow system, they will receive the funds paid
by BNSF for its section of that.
That concludes my report.
May I answer any questions?
Thank you Chris, any questions or comments?
Seeing none, this is a receiving file
and without objection that's what the board will order.
Going on to our 7D which is our
Service Growth Development Plan.
Also a receiving file presented by Brian Jacob,
our Planning Manager too.
Brian.
Good morning Chair, members of the board.
You're usually used to seeing Roy Wong
present these updates but today he's unavailable
so I'm gonna be presenting on its behalf.
So I'll be providing an update
on the Service Growth Development Plan,
which the authority has been developing over the last year.
With me is Seth Torma, who's our lead consultant
on this initiative from Jacobs,
who will help me answer any questions that you might have.
Next slide, please.
So as a quick refresher,
the Service Growth Development Plan continues
the evolution started by SCORE
and the Authority Strategic Business Plan
to build a consensus around passenger service growth
and transformation over the next decade.
Ultimately, our goal is to seek board adoption
of a living, actionable, multi-year service growth plan
that can also help support other downstream activities
such as grant pursuits, fiscal planning,
in addition to service planning.
Next slide, please.
So we've been coming to the board periodically
over the last year with some updates.
For example, we presented market findings last summer.
We also presented some proposed
growth strategies last fall including serving more markets by offering more
regular service throughout the day and with time transfers, an idea that's
commonly referred to as pulsing. Another strategy that was presented was making
it easier to write Metrolink by implementing consistent easy to remember
clock facing schedules. The general service transformation approaches
though are not totally novel. In fact our peer railroad in Boston, the
of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority,
or known as MBTA, actually adopted these strategies
and have seen more riders now
than actually before the pandemic.
MBTA offered flatter services across the day
and targeted new rider markets,
which has been really successful.
We're actually working out some case studies for MBTA
as well as a few other railroads
that have implemented similar strategies
that we hope to share with you in the near future.
But anecdotally, MBTA's experience is a very positive sign
that the strategies we're envisioning for ourselves
has been proven to be successful in the real world.
Getting back to where we are now,
during the January board workshop,
we proposed to the board service optimizations
that would be implemented this fiscal year.
I do wanna acknowledge our colleagues
in the operations department,
because they deserve the credit for taking the lead
on rolling out the new optimized schedule.
Because we're all excited for what they have underway
and we're looking forward to seeing those results.
Now with the optimized service changes underway,
the service growth development team
turns its attention to assessing
and planning future schedules, including for weekends.
Not necessarily for immediate adoption or implementation,
but to kind of better understand what opportunities exist
and to take steps to pursue these opportunities
based in part on what we hope are successful results
from the optimized schedule changes this year.
Next slide, please.
So in terms of achieving the work on the service growth plan,
we've undertaken additional market analysis
that I'd like to share some highlights with you now.
First, we did go back and update
travel pattern assumptions based on 2023 data
to see how things have changed.
We're happy to report that projected weekday trends
continue to hold, which strongly suggests
that the service strategies that we envision
are still sound and are supported by data.
We also pulled regional growth data from SCAG
over the next decade, which showed that most of the growth
will occur in the outer parts of our system,
especially in the Inland Empire region,
reinforcing the need for bidirectionality
in Metrolink services,
and potentially more reverse peak service in the future.
But the data also shows that the central parts
of our system will continue to be our service anchors
for Metrolink's network by volume,
again, reinforcing the need for bidirectional service.
Finally, we took our first look at week in demand
and have some interesting findings.
First, it turns out that week in demand
looks very similar to weekday demand,
but with two key differences.
First, not surprisingly,
there are no commuter peaks on the weekends.
In other words, we don't see much
work-related commuting on weekends.
Also, there is a later start to the day.
Most of the demand is from the late morning
to the mid-evening, and in some cases, late evening,
which, again, is not all that surprising.
So these two key differences
essentially account for the demand volume differences
between weekdays and weekends.
Next slide, please.
So this in the next slide illustrates these findings.
Firstly, what you see here is travel demand
by day to and from Union Station.
The blue line represents weekday trips
and orange line weekend trips.
You'll notice that the midday and evening ridership
is basically the same between weekdays and weekends.
The key difference is really the lack of a commuter peak
and a later start to the day.
Next slide, please.
This slide shows slimmer demand curves
for four other sample stations along our system,
including Chatsworth, Irvine, Riverside Downtown,
and Rancho Cucamonga.
Again, as reinforced by what you see in these graphs,
the demand patterns generally looks the same
across our network, with some localized differences
in the details.
But again, the trends are essentially the same.
So, these are our findings
that we wanted to share with you today.
We'll be coming back to you in the fall
with some more concrete recommendations
on how to proceed based on these findings,
as well as some additional service growth analysis
that is currently under way.
But with that, Seth and I are happy to answer
any questions you might have.
Thank you very much, Brian.
Any questions?
Director?
I'd like to, I like that.
Easy to remember clock, face, and schedules.
Yep, that's it.
Can you just kind of explain that a little bit?
Yeah, so I mean, I think the idea is to like,
essentially have like a time schedule
or it's always like the same hour of the day,
or like every like the top of the hour, for example,
or bottom of the hour, or you know,
five minutes past the hour, something like that,
something like ease that you can always remember,
like there'll always be a train at the top of the hour,
or bottom of the hour, however it kind of shakes out,
so that you don't necessarily have to refer
to like a timetable, you just kind of know
that it's always started consistently throughout the day.
The consistency, yeah.
Yeah, consistently, that's the key.
So it's not like 707 and then 918.
Exactly. Yeah, yeah, that is confusing. Okay. My second question is when you talked about the growth, you know
obviously Orange County in LA the larger
you called of anchors
with IE growth the challenge that we have in the IE is
the
tracks
We have to share. Mm-hmm
And if we're the growth that we were looking at how we're going to be able to expand
If we're going to have to grow and yet we don't own the tracks and we have to negotiate and I know that the freight
Is looking at expanding and they're looking at more. How are we going to mitigate that?
That I say oh
Go ahead Brian. You wanna answer that question? I'll defer to you first. Okay
so currently
Metro link and our member agencies have
Shared use agreements with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe the owner of the corridor
Under those shared use agreements for once improvements are made it opens up additional slots
So right now we are not using all the slots that are available to us between Fullerton and Riverside
We actually have extra slots as we build out and under these agreements. That's the condition
Generally making Fullerton to Riverside a triple-track railroad the whole way through we open up more slots
At some point wouldn't it be great if we got to all that capacity and it's a it's in a significant number of additional slots
I want to say it's additional
Someone the order of additional 24 26 slots so a lot of capacity by making it a triple-track railroad
Now saying triple-track railroad and actually building triple-track railroad are two very different things to the cost
We have estimates
Director Spiegel for the segment from
Beginning your district to the end of your district so from from the Riverside County line
to two riversides downtown in the range of three to four hundred million dollars
of to cost is the cost for triple-track so but we do have that that's in
long-standing agreements gives us the ability to do it and provide us with the
capacity that you know we could probably never ever have envisioned and wouldn't
it be great if we got to all of those slots after we were able to make it a
triple-track railroad. So it certainly meets the demand that it falls into this the strategic
growth development plan. Thank you. Other questions or comments? I have a couple questions as
well. So commuter versus regional rail, it's just a coin, a term. Is this really, it doesn't
affect anything other than psyche of somebody that's looking at it?
The idea, yes, Director Bergson. I mean, not that there's a negative in commuter rail,
but that is what we've always gone by, but it's the commute is very different. It's not
about the commute. It's using it for other purposes. And so it is more semantics than
anything technical. And under the Federal Railroad Administration, under federal law,
still fall under the category of commuter railroads. So it's a term of art more than
anything.
It doesn't have any negative effect on grant funding or state or federal funding?
Correct. It does not.
I wanted to ensure that. And then the other thing is, as we talk about surface growth,
a couple months ago when I took the Dodger Express from Union Station up to the game,
it was a day game and the sheer number of people getting off Metrolink trains coming
to that game amazed me. I was really shocked at how many people used it. And knowing that
MSRC who supports the bus ride over there, I think it was 20 something million over
Since 2010 something like that number of people that have used that service back and forth
so you think about all the night games where we don't offer service and
All those people could be getting on a Metrolink train and we could have additional service and additional usage
So as we talk about service growth
We should look at things such as that where you have we have real stats
It tell us the number of people coming into those day games and leaving versus on any other period of time on a same sort
of you know similar
period you know on a Tuesday or
huge number of surplus so maybe as we talk about service growth and we look at the
Opportunities of adding trains at different times that that
accommodate things of that nature
And to your to your point director Bergson we see this today with the new schedule we have for the Antelope Valley line
uh... where we have midday service
that goes all the way to Lancaster
long after the last pitch at Dodger Stadium
uh... and and so in fact right now if you were to
at least on the Dodger Express train a bus that I wrote on Wednesday when
my Dodgers lost to Mr. Trembly's Giants
that uh... on the bus
it says, the Metro bus says,
Metrolink Connection, LA Union Station.
So they're actually advertising those connections
between ourselves and the Dodger Express.
So this is where service growth,
this is where I hope after the optimized schedule
gets put in play, I've said that's phase one for us,
we've got more opportunity that is just waiting out there.
And your example of people taking the train
and then taking Dodger Express
is exactly the markets we're searching for.
Our Dodgers did take three of the four games
against Trembley's Giants, though.
Mr. Trembley said I should have gone to all four games
so that the Giants would have had better chance of winning.
Mr. Chair, I didn't realize that the efficacy
of the Dodgers-Giants' relationship was on the agenda.
That sounds like a lawyer speaking.
Any other comments or questions?
We do have one public comment, which is an email
which we will forward to all of the board members.
This is a receive and file and without objection,
that's what the board will order.
Bring on to our chief executive officer's report.
Great, thank you Mr. Chair.
So I have a handful of items.
I've got our usual slide deck,
so let me go through that real quick
and then I have a couple of other items
just to bring to the board's attention.
So, Director Wapner during committees
asked some questions related to quiet zones
and sort of how do they function,
what's the nature of the rules around it,
that kind of thing.
So we quickly did some research on that
through both our safety security team
and our operations team.
And what it boils down to is that
there are very prescribed reasons for a quiet zone
and how, when a horn is to be sounded
when going through a quiet zone.
It's established in the Code of Federal Regulation.
When things are malfunctioned,
when it's known that wayside equipment is malfunctioning,
an active crossing warning device is malfunctioned,
things that are kind of, I would call it no-brainers.
But what is also in the Code of Federal Regulation
is that in the sole discretion and judgment
of the engineer operating a locomotive,
if they see something that may be of a safety concern
at their sole discretion, they can sound a horn.
So very prescribed reasons that are known.
Typically, if we have something that's malfunctioned
that has been called into our disc bath center,
the engineer is informed this is the situation,
so you need to sound your horn.
Then there's this other part of I see a person, an animal,
a car, whatever, fouling the right away
or fouling a crossing, then an engineer will, again,
at their sole judgment, be able to sound a horn.
So that has been, and as Director Wapper,
I appreciate you asking that question
because it comes up quite a bit.
Well, I'm in a quiet zone.
Why is the horn blaring?
So there's the explanation on that.
Next slide.
This is always nice to celebrate good news.
Our Cracker Jack finance team, once again, eight years running,
received the government finance officer's association
certificate of achievement for an excellence
in financial reporting.
So Arnold, the entire finance team that puts that together.
Once again, congratulations on that.
Great work.
And I know all of you come from agencies
that have an opportunity to also get this recognition.
And so I very much appreciate our team's efforts to have us be eight years running.
All right.
Next slide.
An introduction.
I promised this during committees because you are all here in person.
I want our new chief people officer.
I want to introduce you to Alberto Lara.
Alberto's here in the audience today.
As we mill around before we go into our next portion of the meeting, if you have a chance
to say hello to Alberto, Alberto's been with us now for a few weeks.
spent time in the transit sector, he has spent time in general-purpose local
government, and at the state level in human resources. Most recently he was
with the County of Inyo, excuse me, County of Yolo, two very different parts of the
state, and different sides of the Sierra and everything. So again, Alberto,
So welcome, glad you're on board, and he's rebuilding the HR team as we speak, as we
have some other recruitments, but it's great to have Alberto on board, so I just want to
recognize Alberto.
So that's one good news story.
The next, well it's not necessarily good news for us, but it's good news for the individual.
You all have met Arun Chakladar in the past.
He is our Senior Director of Information Technology.
He's been with us for 13 years.
As you can see, he still looks happy in both of these pictures.
One is a metronomical rune on the job, but then there's a retirement rune where he's
out riding his bike.
So Arun Shaklodar, who's now standing in our audience today, he is retiring after 13 years
of service in IT.
And so just want to recognize and acknowledge Arun's fine work for us for those years.
All right.
So I think those are the items that are on the slide deck.
So just a couple other quick announcements
of recognition for Metrolink.
I think the board is aware a few months ago
we shared a video or I think we emailed it to you,
made it available to you.
We did a short, one minute short video
recognizing the 81st year celebration
of Los Angeles Union Station.
It was a spoof off of a Nicole Kidman thing
that was done at AMC Theaters.
Well, that short has been selected as a finalist
for the Moorpark Film Festival.
So it's a tribute, which is not insignificant,
but it was recognized.
So our T.J. Martin, Brett Hawkins
were the folks behind the scenes.
Yours truly, it has clearly gonna keep his day job.
Not going into going into the acting profession,
but it was a really cool thing to be a part of.
So just wanted to recognize that.
And then our association, the American, excuse me, ACEC,
it's the Association of Consulting Engineers,
American Council of Engineering Consultants.
It's the private sector engineering group, there we go.
And it's a national organization,
there's a Southern California chapter,
and much, just like we were a couple of months ago
by the Construction Management Association of America,
We were renamed the owner of the year by that association.
The ACEC has recognized Metrolink as owner of the year.
So effectively, that public agency
that has that level of working relationship
with the private sector engineering firms,
we've been recognized by that.
So again, tip of the cap to Justin Fournelli
and all of the team on the program delivery side
because they're the ones that have that regular interaction.
So again, positive news there.
so congratulations to Justin.
And then the last two things is a little bit about,
I'm gonna call it Metrolink Heroes.
Last night we had a member of our communications team
who happened to be out in the Fontana area
between Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana
and spotted an individual who was laying on the tracks.
They called the SOC, the number that I just all shared
with you about what you're supposed to do
when something is not right.
we were able to protect those tracks,
have first responders come out to that situation,
and was able to take the person,
remove them from tracks and get them the care they needed.
So, individuals name is Denise Herrera,
and we will make sure,
hopefully sometime in another future board meeting,
we can come in and recognize the alertness of Denise
and making sure that we protect an individual's life,
as well as our system.
And on a slightly different note,
but also under the heroes,
and this is not MetroLink related,
and I just mentioned Justin Fornelli.
But last weekend, Justin Fornelli had the opportunity.
He was up at Big Bear Lake, on the lake,
and spotted an individual who was drowning.
Justin swam about 50 yards to this late teenager,
a late age teenager, who had gone under the surface.
At that point, five or six feet, Justin dove down,
was able to pull him up, and saved a life.
So, we got good people ready.
And on that note, Mr. Chair, that concludes my remarks.
Thank you very much.
Any comments or questions of the CEO?
Seeing none, any board member comments?
Seeing none, I want to express my appreciation
to the Finance Department also
all the good work you've been doing. It really shows up compared to the way we've
been operating a few years back and we want you to keep up the good work. Thank
you so much. Also want to personally welcome Alberto on board and Aaron into
retirement you've got to stay busy you know you know you've got to find
something to do rather than just sit home, right? So you're going to be riding bicycles, I guess?
Well, we wish you luck and we certainly miss you here. Thank you. With that,
we have a closed session. Mr. Attorney, would you read us in a closed session?
The board will now go into closed session on item 11A as described in today's agenda. Thank you,
Thank you. We will now adjourn into our closed session. Thank you.
I'd like to reconvene into open session and ask our attorney if there's any
reportable action from closed session. Nothing to report out then we're
adjourned. Thank you very much.