JoAnn Baratta

The agenda for the Regular Board Meeting included committee reports from Finance, Operations, HR & Safety, Compliance, Legislative, and Marketing. Key discussions involved the November and December 2025 Financial Reports, the proposed move of the budget summary report to SAGE, the reversal of the $20,000 IRS CNG credit, the delay in receiving new SR buses due to a FORD recall, confirmation that all policies comply with 2026 Certs & Assurances, and the introduction of an online dashboard for strategic meeting progress. New business focused on the Leave Policy for Volunteer First Responders and Statement of Financial Interests Forms for 2025. A resolution concerning signature authority was reviewed and approved. Separately, minutes from the December 18th, 2025, meeting included approving the rejection of all General Contractor bids for the maintenance facility project and authorizing Resolution 2025-7 regarding signature authority, subject to banking institution review. The Special Board Meeting on January 14th, 2026, addressed awarding mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractor bids for the maintenance facility, exploring a relationship with People's Security Bank for project financing, and approving necessary land development and stormwater management agreements. Motions were also passed to change the February 2026 Board meeting date.

The meeting agenda included reports from various committees and discussions on Old and New Business, culminating in an Executive Session. Key discussions during the Financial Report centered on Shared Ride (SR) and Fixed Route (FR) budget and variance reports, noting that SR ridership was down while FR revenue was high due to a Kalahari route guarantee. Capital and Operating Purchase Reports for May and June were reviewed and ratified. Operationally, the completion of the washbay project under budget and the expected arrival of microtransit buses were noted. The Land Development Project is moving forward with PennDOT engineers observing operations. The Marketing Committee is preparing for the West End Fair and noted the success of the NPS hiker shuttle. New Business involved the introduction of a candidate for a vacant Board seat.

The New Business section of the agenda included several critical motions related to a construction project. These motions involved awarding bids for Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing contracts, designating the CEO as the official signatory for these awarded contracts, and approving the terms and conditions for the associated irrevocable letter of credit and revolving commercial bank loan. Furthermore, motions were scheduled to approve key land development documents, subject to solicitor review, and to reschedule the February 2026 Board meeting from February 26th to February 19th, 2026.

The agenda for the Regular Board Meeting included committee reports covering financials for July and August 2018, as well as purchases subject to audit for those periods. The Operations, Human Resources, Compliance, and Marketing Committees were scheduled to report. Key topics for New Business included a reminder about the cancellation of the October meeting. The Board was also scheduled to hold an Executive Session, presumably to discuss an HR matter mentioned in the main meeting minutes.

The meeting included a presentation from auditors regarding the draft FY24-25 audit report, which is delayed due to the government shutdown. The financial report highlighted that QTR 1 FY25-26 revenues and expenses are under budget, though CNG tax credits have been discontinued. A decision was made to present capital expenses separately from operating expenses monthly. The Operations Committee did not meet but anticipates regular meetings once construction begins. The HR & Safety Committee reported on successful annual training and noted delays in SR vehicle delivery due to a recall, with new FR buses scheduled for deployment in early spring 2026. The Compliance Committee is scheduled to review policies against new certifications. The Marketing Committee is preparing for next year's trippers and promoting ridership through commercials. New business included the approval of the 2026 Board meeting schedule and MCTA Holidays.