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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-04-23-HATS-min Hanscom Area Towns Committee (HATS) DRAFT MEETING MINUTES April 23, 2015 HATS Board Members. Peter Braun, HATS Chair and Lincoln Selectmen, Michael Rosenberg, Bedford Selectmen; Joe Pato, Lexington Selectmen Concord Selectman Carmin Reiss was unable to attend, but Concord was represented in a nonvoting capacity by Alice Kaufman, Concord Selectmen. Other HATS Representatives. Lisa Mustapich, Bedford Planning Board, Maggie Debbie, Bedford; Margaret Olson, Lincoln Planning Board; John Wilson, Bedford Conservation Commission. Others in attendance. Paul Regan, MBTA Advisory Board Executive Director, Betty Levinson, Lincoln Journal, Scott Sheehan, HAFB van pool representative, Amber Goodspeed and Anthony Trites, MassPort; Nancy Nelson, MMNHP; Andy Friedlich, Lexington; Richard Canale, Lexington Planning Board, Katie Winchell, Save Our Heritage. Mr. Braun opened the meeting at 7.30 p.m. with welcome and introductions at the Lincoln Town Offices Appoint Chair Mr. Rosenberg moved that the Committee name Selectmen Braun for the 2015-16 HATS Chair. Mr Pato seconded the motion There was no discussion on the motion Vote. Approved 3-0-0 Rotation will be discussed at future meetings. Regional Transportation and Other Concerns Paul Regan, MBTA Advisory Board Executive Director- Presentation and Discussion. Mr Braun initiated a discussion about the trains and train schedule He introduced Mr Regan, Executive Director since 1998. Mr. Regan thanked everyone and said he works for the people in the district (membership comprised of 175 cities and towns) Advocating for problem- resolving is his priority, and a significant amount of their funding comes from town assessments. Mr Regan emphasized that anyone with a concern of any kind regarding the MBTA should contact him His contact information will be posted on the HATS web site MBTA funding levels may top $2B this year, for the first time ever, serving 1 3M people There was a brief discussion of revenue, assessments, and the legislative role in this regard as well as a larger discussion on services and the Governor's plan Mr Regan next discussed the continuing scheduling and reliability issues on the Fitchburg line, despite allocation of significant infrastructure funds Mr Regan announced that weekend service on the Fitchburg line would be discontinued from now until nearly the end of 2015, to enable work to continue in the Littleton/Ayer area on signal upgrades and several bridges Mr Regan said that the discontinuation of all service reflects the MBTA's goal to compress the amount of time the public is impacted (i e instead of drawing out a project and prolonging disruption, at greater cost) Parking access to MBTA stations (49,200 spaces), particularly at Alewife, was next discussed, including the difficult issues of acquiring sufficient space in highly priced commercial property areas and the cost of construction and maintenance of garages. Survey results on customer satisfaction and bus operations will hopefully shape how future bus options are managed and allocated The key focus is on the daily commute as this directly impacts the financial underpinnings of the MBTA. Mr Braun mentioned the January HATS roundtable discussion that focused on current efforts to provide commuting alternatives for area employees. Mr. Regan praised the 128 Business Council and Middlesex 3 as well funded, well managed, and technologically advanced commuter resources. The 9 key findings of the Governor's panel were reviewed (see presentation slides on HATS meeting video and web site). Key findings discussed are as follows. 1. unsustainable operating budget deficit-The sales tax base revenue stream failed due to inadequate growth and expenses; the then budget crises precipitated other issues pertaining mainly to fuel, steel and labor costs. 2. chronic capital underinvestment- That they need additional state funding and are unable to spend capital funds is probably overstated. MBTA does have unspent capital dollars and does not necessarily spend funds efficiently but has encumbered all but $100M (which was required to have capital flexibility in eligible projects -- so not all funds are spent but they are encumbered or contracted) Capital projects are not managed transparently or quickly The contract process needs to be streamlined and innovative approaches to infrastructure need to be used. Spending Federal money is a challenging process as prior Federal approval is needed to use an innovative approach. 3 bottlenecked project delivery- This is a function of the fact that the vast majority of positions for the 6,500 employees are designed around operations. Employee salaries were discussed (i e 444 are paid with Federal dollars so interest is being paid on the salaries; highway dept employees are paid for with bond funds as appropriations were cut but the department needed to continue to work) The law allowed for payment of these salaries with bond funds but they are looking at ways to not use capital spending for non-capital costs. Vacancies, employees and positions were discussed (there are 100 vacancies that can be used to address the issue, 200 of the 6,500 employees are not unionized and there are 21 unions on the floor; employees are subject to Federal Medical and Family Leave Act (FMLA) and key employees take an inordinate amount of FMLA time off) 4 ineffective workplace practices- The employee books are currently being reviewed for those who should be removed. One big issue has been pre-approvals for chronic conditions that prompt unscheduled FMLA time off(now at 30% and causes MBTA trips to be dropped due to lack of drivers which has a tremendous disruptive impact at thousands of trips per month, mostly occurring in the AM peak). 5. shortsighted expansion program - There are many things that need expanding but the problem is lack of investment for the needs Some tracking mechanisms used were nationally recognized but then fell to the wayside Future plans and commitments for expansion projects were discussed along with bond funding 6 organizational instability- There is currently no mechanism to provide incentives to retain employees This provides a great risk to operational stability 7 lack of customer focus- Drivers joke that they can keep on schedule if they can keep the doors closed, but it is a hard job and can more closely resemble a factory than a service provider One issue is there is no way to rate drivers However, recently they are working on doing polls from customers through a volunteer program where they travel routes for a few weeks and input direct feedback in real-time. Mr. Braun asked for a link to the feedback program to upload onto the HATS website There was a brief discussion regarding issues that are the result of a lack of communication with MBTA. 8. flawed contracting processes- This has already been discussed. 9. lack of accountability- This has been a challenge due to turnover. there have been 4 boards in the last 5 years, 2 governors, 6 secretaries of transportation, and 3-4 general managers. Mr. Regan was asked what confidence level there is in the MBTA to effectively expand and fulfill plans Mr Regan went over the fiscal & management control board recommendation (page 35 in presentation handout) that includes hands-on external management of operations, more business orientation, and restructuring through a new capital plan to control revenue and implement infrastructure improvements. The Governor submitted a legislative proposal yesterday that creates the control board and a chief administrator, calls for an independent audit of the retirement funds and make funds subject to public record, restructures the Mass DOT board making it an 11 member board with community representation (board structure was discussed), exempts the MBTA from the Pacheco Law, allows MBTA to do design, build and manage at risk, lifts the 5% cap on all fares, and calls for a new fare structure that could also include a new assessment piece. Someone asked where the panel stands with the issue of revenue The State has been assisting to offset and is proposed to do this through 2017 with the final payment projected to be over $200M Plans for reconciling debt and costs were discussed along with other revenue (sharing) options. Margaret Olson, Chair of Lincoln Planning Board and a regular commuter, wanted to discuss the intermittent fare collection process on the commuter rail along with fare rates This is being addressed through required reporting on fare collection and evasion The zone system is being reevaluated within the fare structure. Andy Friedlich, Lexington, asked how the shortsighted expansion problem plays into the 128 issue which is of great interest to the local area They are working to implement other options in the future. The Bedford and Lexington routes were not addressed yet and someone asked if the VA hospital has complained about it impacting their workers Mr Rosenberg said there have been no complaints yet and Bus 62 is a great resource John Wilson, Bedford, asked about time limitations of the 5-person board and legislation will ask for it to exist to 2018 with an extension of 2 years. The board would have the power to transform the T system but the drawback is there will be an end date where it would fall back under the Mass DOT board Scott Sheehan, HAFB, asked if MBTA has the authority to work with employer's to develop flexible rate programs Currently they do not but there is a history of providing special services where necessary and he can be put in touch with someone to set this up. Mr. Regan would be willing to visit HATS next year and was thanked for the presentation and discussion Rt. 2 Updates (Crosby Corner and 1-95 Bndqe Projects). The Crosby Corner project has resumed, as well as regular monthly meetings with DOT. Negotiated landscaping and fence enhancements will be implemented in the Fall Use of the fly-over may begin in the Fall, and project completion is still anticipated in mid-2016. Richard Canale, Lexington Planning Board and designee to the Boston MPO, gave an update on projects. The MPO is in process of voting on a draft transportation improvement program (TIP) and 4 year plan Projects are scored based on particular criteria and adjusted if needed Recommendations were made on TIP as well as long-range plan for projects over$20M or more of addition to road capacity Projects include the Interstate 93/95 intersection in Woburn; Middlesex Turnpike in Bedford, the Rts. 128/4/225 intersection in Lexington (which is being recommended for funding in 2020-2025), and a Rt 2 Concord Rotary flyover (recommended for funding in 2030-2035). Mr. Canale also stated that the MPO continues to weigh project costs vs. impact on congestion and air quality. For example, the 128/4/225 project is estimated at $23M, while the Concord Rotary project is estimated at$100M Mr Canale indicated that timely support from HATS and the HATS towns would be helpful. Mr. Pato distributed a handout of comments after the MPO meeting for projects at the heart of the Lexington corridor-- additional community feedback is needed as this would enhance access to the base. Motion. Mr. Braun moved to authorized Mr. Pato to draft a letter that HATS supports the 128/4/225 project and have the draft circulated for possible approval at the June 4 HATS meeting Mr Rosenberg seconded the motion, which was approved Ms Kaufman said she would ascertain Concord's position on both projects, and the possibility was discussed of including the Concord Rotary project in the HATS letter MassPort/Air Field Community Advisory Committee - Status Report. The Committee still has not had its first meeting but is scheduled for April 30th during the workday hours Hanscom Field Advisory Commission (HFAC) update Mr Rosenberg is now Chair, and he and Mr Braun attended the last meeting An important information data point is the apparent 30-40% reduction in the operation of small aircraft, especially from flight schools, but with no apparent revenue impact due to the size of the airport and fees charged The Jet Aviation project will begin in June with construction of the road A contract has been awarded to replace the sign at Hanscom Drive, to begin in May Air Force Base Military Assets Task Force - Status Report. Mr. Braun reported on his attendance at a meeting at the Base on April 10 arranged by Cong. Niki Tsongas The Sec of the Air Force (Deborah James) was to be in attendance, but could not be there due to a family emergency, so instead Gov. Baker spent several hours being briefed on the Base's mission and the newly renovated collaboration and innovation center. Sec Jay Ash will be briefed at the Base at a future date Mr Braun was able to converse with the Governor's senior aides and is working to arrange a meeting to provide further information about HATS and its concerns to the Governor's staff. Adam Freudberg is now Senior Advisor for Innovation and Collaboration at the Base, reporting to the Chief Technology Officer. One of his first focuses is to increase utilization of the collaboration/innovation center by public and private entities in business and academia, in collaboration with the Air Force A replacement is being sought for Adam's former position as executive director of Task Force. The Vandenberg gate land-swap effort became complicated by federal procurement rules, but the State resolved the issue by donating the land outside the current gate necessary for improvements to be constructed The first phase, to be implemented in 2015, will be to add a new lane and truck search area to the east of Hanscom Drive, which would improve Base security. Acquisition of the land also enables the Air Force to apply for a MILCON appropriation for a new, enlarged gate facility to the west of the current location, which will take several years to be approved Assoc of Defense Communities - Individual Access to Newsletter If anyone wants the emailed newsletter, Mr Braun can update the list Community Partnership (P-4) Initiatives - Status Reports May 12th is the next group meeting. Lincoln is pursuing the ambulance contract. Issues with procurement are being addressed Bedford was approved for the salt brining project and began the service the end of February. Future Meetings and Main Agenda Items There was a discussion regarding the HATS schedule as follows. May - no meeting June 4 - MassPort discussion of 2014 plane crash (NTSB data and interpretation) July 23 - Lt Gov Polito regarding the Community Compact Cabinet initiative (tentative) Sept. 24 - Task Force and Mass High Tech Council (tentative) Oct. 22 - Fall update from Col. Vogel Mr Rosenberg suggested that the Board provide an opportunity at a future HATS meeting for the Superintendent of the Minuteman National Historical Park to discuss its activities Superintendent Nelson stated that she would appreciate the opportunity, and the Board tentatively scheduled it for the November or December meeting Minutes — February 26, 2015 Mr Rosenberg's comment was incorporated Discussed MOU process to appoint and endorse members. Mr Rosenberg moved to approve Mr Pato seconded the motion There was no discussion on the motion. Vote. Approved 3-0-0 Mr. Braun will post the minutes on the HATS website. Adjourn Mr Braun moved to adjourn Mr Pato seconded the motion Vote Approved 3-0-0 The meeting adjourned at 9.33 pm.