HomeMy WebLinkAboutTBMinutes_2008_04_15Transportation Board
Brookings, South Dakota
April 15, 2008
OFFICIAL MINUTES
The Brookings Transportation Board was called to order by Chairperson Jeff
Weldon on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 2:00 in the City Hall meeting room. Members
present were Art Conners, Dennis Falken, Michael Forgy, Rob Jones, Dean
Kattelmann, Andrew Natzel, Robb Rasmussen, Terrell Spence, Teresa McKnight, Jerry
Raabe, Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks, and Weldon. Roger DeGroot was absent. Others
present were Brooks Behrend - Brookings Taxi, Hazel Hoff - Volunteer Service Bank,
Brenda Schweitzer and Mike Mullaney - BATA, SDSU Student Association President
Chris Daugaard, State and Local Government Chair Tyler Luckhurst, SDSU Student
Association member Kate Wegehaupt, Park, Recreation, and Forestry Director Allyn
Frerichs, City Engineer Jackie Lanning, and Asst. City Engineer Thad Drietz. City Clerk
Shari Thornes was also absent.
Item #2 – (Kattelmann/Jones) Motion to approve the minutes from the March 25,
2008 meeting. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
Item #3 – (Forgy/Jones) Motion to approve the agenda. All present voted aye.
MOTION CARRIED.
Item #4 – Introduction of new member Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks – Crooks replaces
former member Kurt Cogswell.
Item #5 – Discussion on transit depots (McKnight) – A handout was included in the
packet on depot information. Discussion followed on the history of the Logan, Utah
Transit District, an outline of how their bus depot was funded, and their short range
transit plan.
Item #6 – Update of Safe-Route to School grant application – City Engineer Jackie
Lanning stated that the subcommittee has met with Angie Olson from the SD
Department of Transportation. She said the subcommittee is getting started and
looking at the application. Falken asked if only certain schools were eligible
depending on the grades in that school. Robb Rasmussen said schools up to the 8th
grade or any area within two miles of an elementary school, which in Brookings,
includes the town. Falken asked if the SDSU campus qualified. Rasmussen said no.
Weldon added that the application is very time intensive and must be completed
and submitted by June 6, 2008. Rasmussen said the schools were very willing to help
and asked if he could accept help from outside the subcommittee. Weldon said
yes, anyone that wants to help should be recruited.
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Item #7 – Presentation on transit reports (David Ripplinger) – Weldon introduced
David Ripplinger. He is from NDSU and conducted the two studies on transportation
that each committee member has previously received. Ripplinger said a key issue in
the SDSU study is to meet the needs of the students. He said that funding is always
an issue. Federal funds are available with an 80/20 split. Funding could also be
provided by SDSU, city, county or a benefactor. He added that the State sees a
need in Brookings to provide transportation not just the students but for the public
also. Brookings has an advantage on funding if work starts immediately. Falken
asked if other transportation organizations would lose funding if money were given
to a different transportation entity in Brookings. Schweitzer said no as all funding is
coordinated under one roof. Falken asked Schweitzer how much federal or state
funding she received per year. She answered $350,000, and it is matched.
Schweitzer asked Ripplinger to explain how he felt campus transportation should
work. Ripplinger said unlimited flexibility is very important to make a program
efficient. Natzel said it must meet the needs of the students as well as the city’s
residents. Rasmussen asked Ripplinger what percentage of the population he felt
would ride and if it would be above the 8% average. Ripplinger answered that 50%
will ride and to expect more in bad weather. Kattelmann said that the students are
pro-active, and he said they will use the public transportation. He felt a 30 minute
route would be successful, but no longer than 30 minutes. Ripplinger said Brookings
needed to work toward an action plan. Weldon said the plan must be multifaceted
to accomplish the goal.
Item #8 – Discussion on recommendations from each report into an action plan –
Ripplinger presented 6 main transportation topics and asked the members to
support which ones they thought were the most important to this committee. Each
voting member had seven (7) votes). The results were
Fixed Route (University) - 39 votes
Commuter/Van Pool - 19 votes
Large Events - 21 votes
Emergency Planning - 2 votes
Demand Response (taxi type) - 16 votes
Weldon asked the committee how they felt they should proceed. Ripplinger
said the key issue is funding. Weldon felt that most of the funding would come from
the city and the county. Conners suggested looking at the BATA program and
planning for the future. Weldon asked Schweitzer what she would do next if she had
the dollars, or what routes she would expand next. Schweitzer said social services,
the University, and phase in the programs catering to the students. She said she
would also provide ways to other places like downtown, Wal-Mart, the clinic, the
Student Union building. Ripplinger added that the buses are needed first, and there
are places where they can be purchased.
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Item #9 – Scheduling next meeting – The next meeting will be held on May 20th at
2:00 PM in the Meeting Room at City Hall.
Item #10 – Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned.
____________________________ ____________________________
Diane M. Spencer, Secretary Jeffrey Weldon, Chairperson