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Transportation Board
Brookings, South Dakota
May 17, 2011
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
The Brookings Transportation Board met at 2:00 PM on May 17, 2011 in the
City Hall first floor Meeting Room. The Vice-chair Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks
declared a no quorum so official business could not be conducted. Members
present were Art Conners, Dean Kattelmann, Teresa McKnight, Jerry Raabe,
Deanna Santema and Hartenhoff-Crooks. Roger DeGroot, Mike Forgy, Rob
Jones, Jared Ellefson, Robb Rasmussen, Terrell Spence, and Jeff Weldon were
absent. Also present were Brenda Schweitzer – BATA and Don Boone – Volunteer
Service Bank. Discussion followed.
Item #4 - Provider updates.
Don Boone with the Volunteer Service Bank explained that the VSB had
received no subsidy from the City Council the past year. He then went to
the Hospital Board and received a one-time $5,000 subsidy. He said his
volunteers provide many services for the city such as: volunteering in the
waiting room at the hospital and in other areas as well, Meals on Wheels,
Brookview Manor, transporting patients for rehab to the Brookings hospital,
and transporting patient referrals from Brookings doctors to Sioux Falls,
transporting blind adults and children to Sioux Falls to name a few.
McKnight said that those services are applicable mostly to the hospital. She
suggested he return to the Hospital Board and give a presentation as to
the services that the VSB provides to the local hospital so the Hospital
Board is aware of all that the VSB does for the hospital. They may possibly
fund the VSB again. Santema added that many organizations are in the
same situation as the VSB as funding becomes harder to receive. Boone
said their United Way funding is going down from $26,000 to $24,000 and
the VSB needs $40,000 to operate per year. Brenda Schweitzer, BATA,
asked Boone to call her when they have a Sioux Falls transport so rides can
be coordinated. She also suggested the On Track Program that is available
for Sioux Falls transports. She suggested Boone call her on a regular basis to
see what BATA’s schedule is. Their coordination on rides could save the VSB
considerable money. Boone added that the VSB provides a very good
service, but funding for 2012 is needed for the service to continue.
Brenda Schweitzer said she is presently promoting the 1st Annual Radio-a-
thon for BATA. It is scheduled for May 27th. She said her state and federal
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funds are depleted. Several transit agencies in the state are in financial
trouble. Brookings is seeing a $25,000 shortfall. She is hoping the radio-a-
thon will help with the needed funds. Schweitzer said cut backs will have to
be made if funding is not forthcoming. She said cutting back services
makes BATA look inconsistent in the public’s eyes. Public transit in South
Dakota needs a larger percentage of the available funds. She said she has
applied for other funds when BATA can comply with the eligibility rules.
McKnight suggested the Chamber of Commerce and Brookings Economic
Development Center (BEDC). Schweitzer said she has contacted them in
the past and will again.
Item #5 – Continuing update from the subcommittee – McKnight said she is
working with Ryan Brunner and trying to get in touch with the SDSU Student
Association to talk with them about transportation and routes on the SDSU
campus. Kattelmann said students are interested, but he was told by Wes
Tschetter that initiating a transportation fee would be highly unlikely. McKnight
said that, in reality, the board will not accept the student’s recommendation.
Kattelmann agreed. Kattelmann said that the students wanted an extra 50¢ this
past year, and it did not pass. Kattelmann said the students can go to the
federation to get an item to go forward with the Regents, but it gets halted at
the board office level. McKnight said there are 7,000 students available to use a
transportation service so the need is there, but the system prohibits it from moving
forward. Kattelmann said he will ask the Student Senate President to attend the
next Transportation Board meeting. McKnight had a handout regarding the sales
of SDSU parking permits. McKnight asked what could be done to make an
efficient route for the campus. She said the subcommittee was asked to work on
this, and she feels they should move forward with it.
Conners said there are also parking problems at the Senior Center. There
are 260 members that would use the bus if they had tickets for it. He said they
need some information (public relations) regarding the bus service.
McKnight wanted to know what the City Council wanted the Transpor-
tation Board to do next. She said the board has given the Council ideas, but the
Transportation Board has received no feedback as to what the Council wants
next. She felt the board needed direction from the Council . City Manager Jeff
Weldon will be contacted to work with the City Council on this matter and report
back to the Transportation Board.
____________________________
Diane M. Spencer, Secretary