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Transportation Board
Brookings, South Dakota
November 16, 2010
OFFICIAL MINUTES
The Brookings Transportation Board was called to order by Chairperson Terrell
Spence on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 2:00 PM in the City Hall Meeting Room.
Members present were Art Conners, Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks, Rob Jones, Dean
Kattelmann, Teresa McKnight, Jerry Raabe, Robb Rasmussen, Deanna Santema, Jeff
Weldon, and Spence. Jared Ellefson, Roger DeGroot, and Michael Forgy were
absent. Also present were Brenda Schweitzer and Mike Mulaney – BATA and Don
Boone – Volunteer Service Bank.
Item #2 – (Conners/Weldon) Motion to approve the minutes from the October 19,
2010, meeting. All present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
Item #3 – (Kattelmann/Hartenhoff-Crooks) Motion to approve the agenda. All
present voted aye. MOTION CARRIED.
Item #4 – Transportation Provider Updates –
• BATA – Schweitzer said that as of Oct. 1, 2010, BATA has taken prescheduled
rides only after 6PM. Ridership during those times is low, but the weather has
been nice. Rasmussen asked why they had not previously been operating at
that time. Schweitzer said because the taxi service is available. Spence asked
if being available at those times has been cost effective. Schweitzer said no,
but they are providing a service. Santema asked if Schweitzer had been
successful at trying to meet with the taxi companies. She said she had met with
Boji Rides, but she is not sure if they are still operating as they had a
management change. She said she had talked on the phone twice with Tom
Aulner from Brookings Taxi, but he did not show up for any of their scheduled
meetings. Spence asked about the availability of the taxi service. Schweitzer
said BATA will take a ride if the caller can not reach the taxi service. She
added that BATA always refers callers to the taxi service first if they call after
6:00 PM. Schweitzer said BATA will be giving rides for the concert this weekend.
Weldon asked about the handicapped. Schweitzer said BATA will transport if
they schedule ahead of time for a ride after 6:00 PM. Weldon asked how
BATA’s fares compare to those in other cities. Schweitzer said Mitchell, Huron,
and Aberdeen are very comparable. Pierre transportation is subsidized to a
greater level than Brookings. Rasmussen asked about the Safe Ride program.
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Schweitzer said that program is collaboration with the SDSU Student
Association.
Rasmussen asked Schweitzer about her recent trip. She said she went
to Turkey, Egypt, and South Africa and toured public transit systems. The Board
asked Schweitzer if she would do a presentation for them. She said she would
do it when she got her information together.
• Don Boone reported on the Volunteer Service Bank. He asked the Board if they
had any questions. He said the VSB is the only service in Brookings that offers
free rides anytime or any day for services not available in Brookings. His drivers
receive 40 cents per mile. Most of his clients are elderly and do not drive in
Sioux Falls. Spence asked if any coordination is being done with BATA. Boone
said he always calls them for accessible rides or Medicaid patients.
Item #5 – Meeting Schedule for the Transportation Board – Spence asked the
Board to look at the purpose of the Board. He felt the Board was “floating” and
maybe needed to regroup or have fewer meetings. Santema felt that if there
were fewer meetings, members would tend to forget about them and fail to
attend. Rasmussen and Raabe agreed that monthly meetings were the best.
Kattelmann felt it may be worthwhile to skip a meeting during the month of
December. It was a consensus of the Board to continue meeting monthly.
Item #6 – Priorities Assessment and Revisions – Spence had copies of Resolution
90-07 that formed the Transportation Board. He asked the Board to look at Section
2. Purpose/Mandate and Section 8 Duties; powers. Spence asked Schweitzer how
she felt regarding the purpose of this Board. She said she enjoys the meetings and
getting together with the entities in an open forum situation. It gives everyone a
better understanding of the issues. Rasmussen said the resolution states that the
Board shall advise on transportation matters and identify opportunities on
transportation matters. He felt that was being done. Rasmussen asked about the
transportation study being done. Weldon said it is a physical infrastructure study
looking at expanding systems and growth. Raabe asked if a new member were
added to the Transportation Board and would that member need to be selected
from a certain segment of the city. Weldon said resolutions can be changed or a
member could come from an at-large position. Schweitzer suggested a member
from the Chamber or the Convention Visitor’s Bureau. Rasmussen wondered if the
City Council should be advised to appoint another member to the Transportation
Board possibly from the Ministerial Association or the Chamber of Commerce.
Kattelmann suggested asking those groups to attend meetings to see if there was
any value in memberships for them before expanding the Board. Santema felt
those groups should be contacted. Spence said he will do so before the January
meeting.
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Mulaney said he would like to hear from the Board regarding what BATA could
be doing better or what they are already doing that is working – both negative
and positive aspects.
• Hartenhoff-Crooks said she would like to see more promotion from BATA
regarding mobility challenges. She said those with temporary disabilities have
problems and are reluctant to seek help. Schweitzer said she would make
contact with any individuals with temporary disabilities if she could get names
and numbers from Hartenhoff-Crooks.
• Raabe said his company helps people get back to work, and they rely heavily
on BATA. He said the only negative would be that it takes awhile to get a bill!
• Kattelmann said he didn’t like the perception of the Safe Ride bus frequently
referred to as the “drunk bus”. He added that many other, non inebriated
students take the bus to go shopping in the evenings. Schweitzer said they
could talk about a possible name change.
• Conners said the people at the Activity Center use BATA, and they also
carpool. He said he may need additional handicapped parking places.
• McKnight said she would like to see more transportation to and from the
Innovation Campus. She said the companies located there have SDSU
employees and would use the service. Schweitzer said she would be interested
in a trial run to see how it would work.
• Santema said county inmates at the jail use the BATA services. It is also used for
the 24-7 testing program.
• Jones said many BATA riders go to and from the hospital and clinic for dialysis
and emergency room visits. Schweitzer said she could get those figures for
Jones through her computer software. Jones added that the Orthopedic Clinic
from Sioux Falls has set up an office in the hospital. They have increased their
office hours in Brookings bringing in more patients.
• Spence said ADVANCE clients collaborate with BATA, and the service is used
quite frequently.
• Weldon asked about the 16 passenger busses travelling through the city that
don’t appear to be full. Schweitzer said that is a typical comment. Many times
smaller people cannot be seen from the outside. She added that her
preschool passengers have doubled, but the perception of empty busses is
hard to overcome. Schweitzer said BATA has approximately 550 one way rides
a day.
There will be no meeting in December, and the next meeting will be January
18, 2011. The meeting was adjourned.
____________________________ __________________________
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Diane M. Spencer, Secretary Terrell Spence, Chairperson