R2011-147 AMENDING THE FY 2011 TRANSIT ASSISTANCE GRANT

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Mass Transit Memorandum No. 081811-1 August 18,2011 TO: Honorable Mayor McElroy and City Council Members FROM: Ryan McCrady, City Manager Paul McChancy, Mass Transit Administrator SUBJECT: Amendment to FTA Operating and Capital Assistance Grant for FY-2011 SUMMARY Staff recommends that Council approve a Resolution to amend the RECOMMENDATION: Federal transit operating and capital assistance grant for FY-2011 from $1,044,859 to $1,362,500. BACKGROUND: The City Council has already approved the filing of a grant application with the Federal Transit Administration(FTA) for $1,044,859 in Federal operating assistance for FY-2011, and Transit staff has already drawn down the full amount. The FTA recently announced the apportionment of additional grant funds for FY-2011 for each metropolitan transit system. Decatur's new apportionment adds $812,001 for FY-2011 that can be used for both operating and capital expenses. Staff recommends that the current grant be amended to increase the grant by$317,641, for an amended total of$1,362,500. The additional $317,641 would be used for both operating and capital expenses. $255,141 would be applied to operating expenses, to bring the total FTA operating assistance for FY-2011 up to the $1,300,000 that was budgeted for the fiscal year. The remaining $62,500 would be applied to two capital projects: • installing security cameras at the Transit Center; and • purchasing new fare boxes for all of the buses. The remaining amount from the latest apportionment($494,360) would be reserved for FY-2012 operating and capital expenses. POTENTIAL A public hearing was held to discuss this grant amendment, and written OBJECTION: comments,by fax, e-mail, etc., were requested. Only two comments were received. One stated that security cameras at the Transit Center were "definitely needed" and the other stated that the funds "would be better spent extending bus service an extra hour in the evenings or having Sunday bus service." (See attached Minutes of Public Hearing.)