Legislative Matter

Miami-Dade Legislative Item
File Number: 182002

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Clerk's Official Copy

File Number: 182002

File Type: Resolution

Status: Adopted

Version: 0

Reference: R-78-19

Control: Board of County Commissioners

File Name: TRANSIT PASSES GREATER MIAMI SERVICE CORP.

Introduced: 8/21/2018

Requester: NONE

Cost:

Final Action: 1/23/2019

Agenda Date: 1/23/2019

Agenda Item Number: 11A7

Notes:

Title:

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR’S DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE UP TO 200 TRANSIT PASSES PER MONTH FOR ONE YEAR RETROACTIVE TO SEPTEMBER, 2018 TO GREATER MIAMI SERVICE CORPS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO ITS VOLUNTEERS SERVING WITHIN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IN EXCHANGE FOR NO LESS THAN 3,500 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES FOR THE MIAMI-DADE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS

Indexes:

TRANSIT PASSES

Sponsors:	Barbara J. Jordan, Prime Sponsor
	Daniella Levine Cava, Co-Sponsor
	Eileen Higgins, Co-Sponsor

Sunset Provision: No

Effective Date:

Expiration Date:

Registered Lobbyist:

None Listed

Legislative History
Acting Body	Date	Agenda Item	Action	Sent To	Due Date	Returned	Pass/Fail

Board of County Commissioners	1/23/2019	11A7	Adopted				P
REPORT:	Chairwoman Edmonson retained the Chair. Commissioner Heyman expressed concern regarding the underfunded Transit Department providing 200 free transit passes per month for one year to the Greater Miami Service Corps, noting this needed to be reflected in the budget as a line item. Responding to Vice Chairwoman Sosa’s inquiry regarding how many passes were given to the Greater Miami Service Corps, Alice Bravo, Director, Transportation and Public Works Department, explained that the Greater Miami Service Corps received up to 200 transit passes monthly; however, they historically did not use them all. Ms. Bravo pointed out that this was a part of the budget and these were passes to use the existing transit services; therefore, no additional costs were incurred. Vice Chairwoman Sosa asked the County Attorney to provide her with a report detailing every non-profit organization that received free transit passes, also who received and used these passes; she noted she wanted these free transit passes periodically monitored. Commissioner Jordan pointed out that every year when this item came up, it was questioned and she suggested that it be made part of the budget. The Board proceeded to vote on the foregoing resolution as presented.

Transportation and Public Works Committee	12/13/2018	2A	Forwarded to BCC with a favorable recommendation				P
REPORT:	Assistant County Attorney Bruce Libhaber read the title of Agenda Items 2A and 2B into the record. Commissioner Sosa inquired whether the provision of passes was part of transit’s budget and commented on the challenges in transportation, construction and infrastructure. She pointed out resolutions regarding transit passes for Greater Miami Service Corps (GMSC) and City Year were previously adopted and expressed concern that Items 2A and 2B would add an approximate cost of $567,000 per year. Ms. Alice Bravo, Director, Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), said the cumulative value of 400 transit passes was $540,000. She noted as an example that GMSC was authorized for 200 passes per month; however, they were receiving 70 to 80 passes monthly. Ms. Bravo advised DTPW was not incurring an additional cost by providing the transit passes and it was basically individuals who were using the transit system as part of their service but were not paying a fare. Commissioner Heyman commented on the County’s partnership with non-profit public service agencies, and DTPW’s allocation of transit passes this year. She pointed out there were other worthy organizations that provided mobility to individuals on a fixed income who did not qualify for the golden passport and expressed concern that only two agencies were receiving almost half a million dollars. She noted she could not support the proposed resolution when she was struggling to maintain a route in Miami Beach, where there was no alternative to the route, or one in North Dade. Commissioner Heyman indicated she would like to include a caveat to state not to touch any more of the transportation, especially from her limited mobility and elderly constituents, when the transit budget took another red line hit. Chairwoman Edmonson spoke in support of Items 2A and 2B, noting she was familiar with GMSC and City Year. She said GMSC was part of the County and the young people who were corps members were being given a second chance and deserved the passes. Chairwoman Edmonson noted the corps members worked with her on the 18th Avenue Corridor and the Liberty Square community and requested this be included in the budget. Chairwoman Edmonson also noted City Year worked with school children who were improving in their grades. Commissioner Jordan, sponsor of Item 2A, thanked Chairwoman Edmonson for advocating transit passes to GMSC be included in the budget. She spoke in support of Item 2A; pointed out that GMSC and City Year had a component of AmeriCorps; and explained the differences between GMSC and City Year, noting City Year members were college graduates who were volunteering to give a year of service while earning income towards a scholarship at the end, while GMSC were young people who may have dropped out of high school but still wanted to turn their lives around. She noted those individuals were not getting bus passes for free and were doing service projects to earn them. Commissioner Jordan said she would not compare them to other programs that DTPW may be providing transit passes to because they were different. Commissioner Higgins noted her support for Items 2A and 2B, and mentioned that she received assistance with public transportation during her tenure as Peace Corps Director in Belize. She said these were community institutions that were serving people in an admirable way and asked if there would be any adverse effects on planned services in DTPW’s budget for this year. Ms. Bravo said DTPW’s expenditure was set and this would not reduce their projected revenue. Commissioner Monestime thanked Chairwoman Edmonson for supporting Items 2A and 2B, and commended GMSC and City Year for their work in the community. He expressed appreciation to the Committee members for their understanding of these two items, noting it was good to be cost conscious on decisions made; however, these organizations were making a huge investment in the lives of young people. Commissioner Monestime urged the Committee members to forward Item 2B to the County Commission with a favorable recommendation. Commissioner Heyman opined if the programs were worthy they should be included in the budget and protected. She noted Ms. Bravo’s comment that there would be no adverse effect on DTPWs budget and pointed out the budget started October 18th. Ms. Bravo said DTPW’s budget consisted of projected revenues based on the fare box collection and this was not anticipated to be part of the fare box; therefore, DTPW would reduce that number. She further stated their expenditures based on the amount of service provided in terms of bus routes did not increase. Ms. Bravo explained that if the individuals receiving the bus passes had to pay for them, that would be an increase in revenue to the budget, but that was not included in their forecast. She noted these were individuals who were accessing the system that DTPW already had planned expenditure for. Commissioner Heyman said she would vote “no” on Agenda Items 2A and 2B. She noted philosophically she supported the items; however, they needed to be line items as part of passes distributed rather than anticipation of revenue neutral and bus routes. She noted it had a public purpose but needed to be defined in DTPW’s budget. Commissioner Moss concurred these requests needed to occur during the budget cycle; mentioned the GMSC came out of the County’s Community Action Agency; and expressed his support of the items. Ms. Bravo said staff would determine how to reflect these items in the upcoming budget cycle. There being no further questions or comments, the Committee proceeded to vote on Agenda Items 2A and 2B as presented.

Transportation and Public Works Committee	11/16/2018	2A	Deferred		12/13/2018		P
REPORT:	Assistant County Attorney Bruce Libhaber read the title of the foregoing proposed resolution into the record. The foregoing proposed resolution was moved by Commissioner Heyman and seconded by Chairwoman Edmonson for discussion. Commissioner Sosa said Items 2A and 2B were the same. She commented on transit passes being given to an institution but were not given to cancer patients who could not afford to go to the League Against Cancer, or to low-income or no income patients who went to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Commissioner Sosa said there were no funds for transportation improvements and at some point the County would have to consider bus passes being given to seniors who could afford to pay for them, versus those individuals who could not. She advised that she would not support legislation that would create another problem in the budget and would send the wrong message. In response to Chairwoman Edmonson’s inquiry regarding the number of organizations currently receiving complimentary passes, Ms. Alice Bravo, Director, Department of Transportation and Public Works Department (DTPW), commented on the Transit Disadvantaged Program that was funded 90 percent through the State, noting the State gave DTPW $5.8 million and DTPW provided a ten percent match for up to a total of $6.5 million. She noted 100 agencies received 3,900 monthly passes through that program. Ms. Bravo explained that Greater Miami Service Corps and City Year requested monthly passes in exchange for service hours, and the remaining organizations were being funded through the State grant program. Commissioner Sosa suggested Items 2A and 2B be deferred. She asked Ms. Bravo to provide the Committee with a report on the organizations receiving free transit passes, the cost, the funding source, the number of passes, and the areas being targeted. Commissioner Heyman concurred with Commissioner Sosa’s comments, noting the Greater Miami Service Corp was a volunteer program and they were funded to be a volunteer program. She commented on DTPW’s calculation of monthly transit passes for each organization which was not restricted to getting back and forth to the volunteer hours, and noted this was a life style. Commissioner Heyman asked Ms. Bravo to include the cost to DTPW of providing free transit passes. She referred to a resolution under her sponsorship which requested similar information regarding free transit passes and a report within 90 days, and asked Ms. Bravo to combine this report with the report requested by Commissioner Sosa. There being no further questions or comments, the Committee deferred the foregoing proposed resolution to the December 13, 2018 Transportation and Public Works Committee meeting.

Transportation and Public Works Committee	9/14/2018	2B	Deferred				P
REPORT:	The foregoing proposed resolution was deferred to no date certain during consideration of changes to today’s (9/14) agenda.

County Attorney	8/21/2018		Assigned	Bruce Libhaber	8/21/2018

County Attorney	8/21/2018		Referred	Transportation and Public Works Committee	9/14/2018

Legislative Text

TITLE
RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO PROVIDE UP TO 200 TRANSIT PASSES PER MONTH FOR ONE YEAR RETROACTIVE TO SEPTEMBER, 2018 TO GREATER MIAMI SERVICE CORPS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO ITS VOLUNTEERS SERVING WITHIN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY IN EXCHANGE FOR NO LESS THAN 3,500 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES FOR THE MIAMI-DADE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS

BODY
WHEREAS, the mission of the Greater Miami Service Corps is �to empower young people with the tools needed to transform their lives through education and service activities that strengthen our community and local workforce�; and
WHEREAS, providing transit passes to Greater Miami Service Corps to be distributed to its dedicated corps of members will greatly assist in the ability of these young leaders to better serve this community; and
WHEREAS, Greater Miami Service Corps has agreed to provide at least 3,500 volunteer hours for the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works in exchange for transit passes to its volunteers,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA that this Board directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to provide up to 200 transit passes per month for one year retroactive to September, 2018 to Greater Miami Service Corps to be distributed to its volunteers serving within Miami-Dade County in exchange for no less than 3,500 hours of volunteer service for the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works.