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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12041990 - IO.10 ` I .O.-10. ' BOARD OF SUPERVISORS M-0-7 Contra Y FROM: Costa o 'S ?NTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE ,; County DATE: November 26; 1990 SUBJECT: STATUS OF COUNTY-OPERATED PARATRANSIT SERVICES SPECIFIC REOUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . Request the Health Services Director and Social Services Director to investigate the possible use of Measure C Transportation Funds to expand existing paratransit services, recognizing that the Board of Supervisors is unable to provide additional County General Fund dollars to expand, or perhaps even to maintain, existing paratransit services. 2. Request the Health Services Director and Social Services Director to recommend that their paratransit service contractors contact the Contra Costa Transportation Authority about the Authority's Paratransit study so that they can insure that their views and concerns are reflected in the study. 3 . Request the Health Services Director and Social Services Director to recommend that their paratransit service contractors contact the Contra Costa Paratransit Coordinating Council and offer to work with the Council in studying ways in which 'paratransit services can be better provided in the County. 4. Request the Health Services Director and Social Services Director to recommend that their paratransit service CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YSYES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF B RD COMMI APPROVE OT ER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: ATTESTED 19C/.L-dX-5A"X4A, 1 090 PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR M382 (10/88)Please see Page 2. BY ,DEPUTY i- contractors contact the Contra Costa Transportation Authority about how they may be able to qualify for Measure C funds to expand their paratransit operations. 5. Refer this subject back to the Transportation Committee and urge the Transportation Committee to do everything in their power to urge discussions among all paratransit operators in Contra Costa County with a view to consolidating their services, in order to make them more accessible, efficient, available and less expensive. 6. Remove this item as a referral to our Committee. BACKGROUND: As is indicated in the two attached reports from the Transportation Planning staff in the Community Development Department, this issue has been on referral to the Transportation and Internal Operations Committee for some time. Our Committee continues to be concerned at the apparent unwillingness or inability of the various paratransit operators in the County to meet with each other and seek ways in which they can consolidate their efforts in order to make their respective operations more efficient and less expensive for the taxpayer and for their own customers. We do not believe it is appropriate for the Board of Supervisors to provide any additional funding for the paratransit agencies or for those. agencies with which the County contracts unless the Board is convinced that the various operators and contractors are making a sincere effort to cooperate fully with the Paratransit Coordinating Council and the Transportation Authority in _ trying to find the most appropriate and least expensive method of providing the most responsive service to all of the customers in need of paratransit services. We have therefore recommended that the Board urge all of the agencies and departments involved to work with each other and try to come up with the best available services at the most reasonable cost. cc: County Administrator Community Development Director County Counsel Steve Goetz, Transportation Planning, CDD Transportation Authority (Via CDD) Paratransit Coordinating Committee (Via CDD) Health. Services Director Social Services Director -2- CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DATE: November 20, 1990 TO: Internal Operations Committee FROM: Steven L. Goetz, Transportation Planning Division SUBJECT: Status of Study of Coordination/Consolidation of Paratransit Services This report describes the status of efforts to coordinate or consolidate the paratransit services operated by the County. Background On July 27, 1989, during the County's budget hearings, the Board referred this issue to the Transportation Committee and the Internal Operations Committee. The four paratransit services of concern are operated by the Social Services Department and the Health Services Department, representing an expenditure of over $200,000 to the County. At that time, the objective was to determine if any other funding sources were available to reduce the demand on the General Fund for these operations. On April 16, 1990, - the department reported to the Internal Operations Committee that no outside funds were available to replace General Fund revenues used by these services, and the only potential opportunity for savings was through coordination or consolidation of services with other paratransit operators. The County's Paratransit Coordinating Council (PCC) , agreed to evaluate opportunities for coordination and consolidation as part of its Measure C Study. Draft findings of this study are not yet available. Current Activities Recent discussions with PCC staff indicate that the Measure C Study is not meeting staff's expectations and that it would be more productive if the PCC were to directly investigate opportunities for coordination and consolidation with the assistance of County staff. During the next several months, County staff will collect specific ridership, routing, and revenue data for the PCC's use. This effort would conclude with a recommendation by the PCC to the .. Board on modifications to the County's paratransit operation that will result in savings to the General Fund. SLG:iorpt.tll cc: T.S. Khanna, CDD R. Serviss, PCC CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT DATE: April 16, 1990 TO: Internal Operations Committee FROM: Steven L. Goetz, Transportation Planning ,Divisi.o� SUBJECT: County-operated Paratransit Services On April 16, 1990, the Transportation Committee directed staff to provide the Internal Operations Committee with this report on ways to reduce County casts for paratransit services. On July 27, 1989 Board referred this issue to the Transportation and Internal Operations Committees. The paratransit services of concern are operated by the Social Services Department and the Health Services Department. Social Services Operations The Social Services Department contracts to transport mentally disabled children between their homes and disability centers throughout the county. In FY 88/89, this service cost $12,000, two thirds of the funding came from federal and state sources. Health Services Operations Various contractors provide fixed-route van service between public and private health facilities for the general public. The County pays the full cost of this service, which in FY 88/89 was $61,790. Various contractors provide patient non-emergency ambulance transportation for mental health patients and indigent patients to get to or from treatment programs. The County pays the full cost of this service, which in FY 88/89 was $123,008. Transportation is provided for the elderly who participate in the department's Congregate Meals for Seniors program. . Federal funds provide 90 percent of the program's funding, fares cover the remaining ten percent. The cost of this service in FY 88/89 was $29,000. Issues Since September, staff has researched the following issues: 1) Are County-operated paratransit services eligible for,, funding from the Transportation Develop Act (TDA) or from Measure C? 2) Is there potential. for improved efficiency and economy through coordination of County operations with other paratransit providers? TDA and Measure C Funds County paratransit services are not eligible for TDA funds. Eligible services must be generally available to the elderly and handicapped population or the general public, and must charge a specified fare. The operation could not be limited to a certain segment of the elderly and handicapped population, or be free. "Handicapped" is defined as a permanent disability or a temporary disability lasting 90 or more days. Even if County paratransit services were eligible for TDA funds, their availability is limited. Contra Costa's annual allocation of $900,000 under the TDA Article - 4.5 Program for elderly and handicapped transportation is fully utilized by other paratransit operations. Using a portion of these funds for County operations would result in a corresponding loss in funds to other operators in the county. There is an unallocated surplus of over $5.8 million in Article 4 TDA funds available to Tri-Delta and County Connection. The County could claim these funds to operate elderly and handicapped transportation services in central and eastern Contra Costa County, but it would take money away from these two operators for future capital improvements. County paratransit services are not eligible for Measure C funds. Measure C funds have the same eligibility requirements as TDA funds, and further require that Measure C revenues only be available for service improvements, not for existing services. Coordination of Operations with Others An opportunity may exist to coordinate County-operated paratransit services with those operated by others. The Contra Costa Paratransit Coordinating Council is conducting a study of paratransit operations in the county. The study will be used as the basis for allocating Measure C funds and to identify opportunities for service coordination and consolidation among various paratransit operators in the county. The PCC has agreed to evaluate the County-operated paratransit services in this study, which will be completed in the later part of 1990. Conclusions There are no funds from the TDA or Measure C programs available to assist County-operated paratransit services. The PCC has agreed to evaluate the potential to coordinate or consolidate the County operations with other paratransit operations as part of it's Measure C study. Community Development staff will report to the Transportation Committee and the Internal Operations Committee when the draft findings of this study become available.