Good morning everyone. It's my pleasure to call this meeting to order.
Begin with our safety briefing. Chief safety security and compliance officer Hillary Consul.
Will you please conduct the safety briefing? Good morning Chairman Shafee, board members,
committee members. In the event of a fire alarm of active evacuation, I apologize,
We will exit the boardroom collectively,
go downstairs, out, and we'll congregate
in front of the Metro customer service office,
which is to the right as we exit the building.
In the event of an earthquake, we'll drop,
take some cover under the desks,
and wait for the rumbling to stop.
If we need further evacuation,
we'll be notified to do so.
Just be just reminded that there are some tripping hazards
and cords, chairs, when you're exiting the boardroom.
And for first aid, we do have emergency responders
in the room to handle that.
We also have predetermined staff that will dial 911
and provide aid if necessary.
And then in the event of an active shooter,
we will deploy the run, hide and fight tactic.
Thank you.
You would all rise if you're able to.
I've asked Chief of Staff earlier Rodriguez to lead us
Now we come to roll call madam clerk, would you call the roll, please
Vice chair Burksen
second vice chair Tremblay
Director Najarian here. Dr. McCallen here chair chiefy
We do have a quorum present. Thank you
Do we have any public commenters?
We have not received any written public comment or any requests to speak
We come up
Now to our regular calendar
The first item is an action item, which is approval of our minutes. There'll be a roll call vote any correction additions from anyone, please
Seeing none may have a motion
Second
Would you please call the roll?
Is chair Bergson?
Director Najarian. Yes, dr. McCallin. Yes
I
motion carried
We come to a
presentation of 2025
Title six program and update please led by Brian Jacob our planning manager
Good reading chair members of committee
next slide, please
As a recipient of federal funds the authorities required to protect writers against discriminate
discrimination based on race color and national origin in compliance with title six of the civil rights act of
1964 the FTA also requires transit agencies to protect against discrimination of minority populations
low-income populations. To this end, the FDA requires grantees to maintain an
update on a triennial basis a Title VI program. Next slide please. The Title VI
program update that is before you covers the period from April 1st, 2022 through
March 31st, 2025. In this period, the authority received four Title VI
complaints, one of which was rejected, two of which were resolved, and one of which
is still under review. The Authority received no Title VI lawsuits in the reporting period.
Additionally, in this reporting period, the Authority performed three Title VI analyses
and associated public outreach for the Arrow service launch in April of 2022, the low-income
FAIR implementation in July of 2023, and the AVL schedule expansion in May of 2024. We're
happy to report that in all three Title VI analyses demonstrated that their respective
changes did not have desperate impacts on minority populations or opposed disproportionate
burden on low-income populations.
As a recent recipient of FHWA funds, we are required to meet FHWA-specific Title VI requirements.
Staff is investigating what exactly these specific requirements are and will incorporate
them into the Title VI program most probably as an addendum within a year.
Next slide, please.
With the Board's approval, staff will transmit the 2025 Title VI program update to the FTA
by the June 1st deadline.
Finally, staff will incorporate FHWA specific Title VI requirements as an addendum to the
program within a year.
Next slide, please.
This concludes my presentation, but I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.
Board members, any questions?
I don't see any.
This is an action item.
I have a motion.
I'll move it.
Najarian?
McCallin seconded, moved and seconded. Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll?
Yes, Vice Chair Burksen. Yes. Director Najarian. Yes. Director McCallin. Yes.
Chair Chiefy. That motion carried. Thank you. Alright, now we have our quarterly
report for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025. This is a receive and follow
Item import will be given by
Sorry, Govini like to Sarian our senior human resources analyst. It's like you've got some help, too. So
Agabne just yeah under the mic. Thank you
early compensation report for third quarter a fight 25 from January 1st to March 31st 25 and this is a receiving
In accordance with the Human Resources Policy 2.1, Wage and Salary Administration and Salary
Program Administration, the Board requires human resources to report all salary placements
for new hires, promotions, demotions, classifications, and other changes in employee compensation
to the Board on a quarterly basis.
Next slide, please.
During the quarter fee, FY25, from January 1st to March 31st, 2025, there were 24 compensation
transactions, and our attrition rate was less than 1%, which came down to 0.7%.
The following are the transactions that occur during the quarter fee.
12 new hires, one promotion, one acting pay, one additional pay temporary, two ATU salary
increases to job reclassifications,
five return from acting pay,
and two voluntary resignations.
This concludes my report,
and I'm happy to answer any questions.
Directors, any questions?
I don't see any hands raised on the screen and none here.
It's a receive and file item, no objection.
It is deemed received and filed.
Thank you for the report.
Now we've all been waiting for the May legislative update.
Jeffrey Dunn, please come forward.
Good morning, Chair Chafee.
I hope I don't disappoint you with the report.
Next slide, please.
Local Matters, as noted in your report, Metrolink has submitted to LA Metro actually
and is securing letters of support for its Antelope Valley capacity and improvement projects.
These are specifically the Balboa Double Track Extension Project,
The Brighton to McKinley project, which is actually led by L.A. Metro, and the Canyon
Siding Extension projects all on the AVL, as well as additionally the Dana Point VCH
Bridge project, which qualify for federal congestion mitigation air quality funding
and will be considered and submitted by Metro with other projects from the area for consideration
by SCAG for funding.
CMAQ funds are provided by the federal government to help regions which have not attained federal
air quality goals under the Clean Air Act to reduce congestion and thus harmful air
emissions from mobile sources.
These funds will be apportioned by the Metropolitan Planning Organization, for us that is SCAG,
to each county transportation commission and to projects within each commission jurisdiction
as considered by the MPO utilizing CMAQ program criteria.
Funding is also seeking letters of support from federal and state elected officials in
whose districts these projects are located.
Final award decision will be made by the SCAG regional council in November or December of
this year and we will keep you apprised as this process moves forward.
The amount of CMAC funding sought for these projects in total is $211.5 million and we
close the funding gap for all.
Next slide please.
Turning to state matters.
In addition to items noted in your report, Metrolink's Strategy and Government Relations
staff, including Chief Strategy Officer Paul Hubler, myself, Government Relations Senior
Manager Anna Denneke, and Management Analyst Julie Nieto, just returned from Sacramento
where yesterday and the day before we advocated for Metrolink board adopted priorities that
include enhanced operational and capital funding to regional rail from the reauthorization of
the state's lucrative cap and trade program.
Cap and trade reauthorization promises to be one of the most competitive and intensive
legislative advocacy efforts of the session.
We also shared our Olympics needs request that we've been advocating for in Washington,
D.C., noting that the state senate just constituted a special committee on international sporting
events to look at how state resources may be allocated to support such events.
Senators from southern California and the MentorLink network area include the committee
chair Ben Allen of Santa Monica and Senators Bob Archuleta of Pico Rivera, Maria Elena
Durazo from Los Angeles, Lina Gonzalez from Long Beach, Susan Rubio from Pomona in Ontario,
Tom Unberg from Orange County and Suzette Martinez Valladares from the Antelope Valley,
Santa Clarita Valley area.
We met with the offices of Senators Archuleta, Durazo and Unberg this week and we'll meet
with the others as their calendars allow.
All of this, as should be noted, is occurring against the backdrop of the soon-to-be-released
May revise to the Governor's budget, originally dropped in January and at that time projecting
a modest surplus, but following the wildfires, stock market performance, which impacts capital
gains tax and other revenues that the state depends upon, as well as other economic uncertainties
together have led to speculation in Sacramento that the projected surplus will in fact be
a deficit, perhaps running into tens of billions of dollars when the May revise is released
next week.
This would obviously have significant implications to the amounts that might be available from
the cap-and-trade program as well as any funding that might be available to support large multi-jurisdictional
sporting events such as the Olympics.
Nevertheless, the right members and staff know our needs and we will continue this advocacy
as the state budget process unfolds and keep you updated regularly as there are any developments.
So we participate in the California Transportation Association's spring legislative conference
yesterday where there was robust discussion about possible cap and trade reauthorization
and funding allocations there from including not only for high speed rail but also for
projects and needs in southern California that connect to it aligning with our request
for C and T funding for regional rail and specifically MetroLink projects providing
direct nexus to the high speed rail system.
Again, we'll keep your prizes as these discussions continue.
Next slide, please.
In federal matters, I wish to report that staff has followed up with the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee in submitting Metrolink requests for the Surface Transportation
Authorization Bill to be considered this year, the directives mentioned in your report.
Namely, expanding full eligibility for regional commuter rail projects to the Chrissy Competitive
grant program. Currently only available to inner-city rail projects or those with direct
nexus to inner-city. Second, a broader, more expansive definition of regional rail in statute
that reflects the true nature of the evolving level of service beyond just commute riders
and as such potential expansion of future funding sources. Last but not least, codifying
in statute a mandatory FTA waiver on the repayment of the federal interest in locomotives
purchased with federal dollars when retired prior to the end of their useful life and
when being replaced by cleaner locomotives.
Metrolinx submitted legislative language effectuating each of the proposals to the TNI committee
in addition to policy rationale for each.
We have shared these with the Commuter Rail Coalition, a national association dedicated
to federal advocacy exclusively for regional and commuter rail operators on whose board
our CEO sets.
These priorities benefit all of commuter rail nationally, and we will seek their coordinator
of support for these in concert with other CRC priorities that MetroLink has participated
in developing and supports.
All of this will form a cornerstone of MetroLink's federal advocacy as the Surface Transportation
Authorization Bill, the successor to the IIHA, is written this year.
We will advocate for this in addition to MetroLink's Olympics needs in Washington, D.C., later
this month in conjunction with the American Public Transportation Association National
Legislative Conference held May 18 through 20. We are pleased to share that circumstances
have aligned to allow Metrolink Board Director Tony Tremblay to join us in this advocacy.
We are very grateful and encouraged to have his direct participation in support. We will
of course provide a comprehensive report to this committee and the board following the
trip as we progress through the congressional session. This concludes my report, Mr. Chair.
Thank you board members any questions?
Seeing any hands raised there none here. Well. Thank you for the report
Now the real thing we're waiting for is our ceos report mr. Cattle. Thank you mr. Chair. I'll keep it brief
I'm just a very a quick update
I think the committee's fully aware of the emergency work that is occurring right now in San Clemente
I just want to report that things are going very smoothly knocking on wood as I say that
Herzog is our contractor performing the work.
It's a partnership, of course, between ourselves, OCTA.
We're working closely with BNSF in the provision of the rock,
and of course, Herzog is doing the work to place rock on,
we'll call, the sand side of the beach.
For those of you that will recall a bit from prior discussions,
There was a pedestrian bridge or pedestrian walkway
right along the bluffs in San Clemente
that has been fully removed at this point.
So again, progress is going well.
We still are operating under a permit through June 9,
an emergency permit from the California Coastal Commission.
But also more recently, on Wednesday of this week,
OCTA secured another emergency permit
from the California Coastal Commission for another project
associated with these, the landslide risks in San Clemente.
So that's my update, again, stay tuned,
but generally positive news so far,
and we'll just hope that it continues that way.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, that's all I have to report.
Thank you, Mr. Cattle.
I am looking forward to the weekend,
even though it will be hot,
and you shouldn't be discouraged to riding our cars
because they are air conditioned.
And so enjoy the weekend.
It's gonna be warm, but it'll be beautiful the same.
Any members, do you have any comments?
Not at all.
Okay, I'm sorry, I skipped you guys by.
All right, then we are adjourned.
Thank you all.
Have a great weekend.
Thank you.