1. Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Transit
Rural Roundtable
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

2. Welcome and Introductions
Marianne Freed, Administrator, Office of Transit Kristina Fenselon, Director, Geauga County Transit, OPTA Vice President – Small Operators
Welcome
Enjoy Cleveland and Conference

3. State Budget Marianne Freed Administrator ODOT, Office of Transit
10% cut in 2008, will be taking another 10% cut in 2009 from GRF funds, most reductions have been able to be absorbed by closing projects that had been completed, but funds remained encumbered. Also able to reduce administrative expenses, and positions unfilled. We are still being held to quartely encumbering of funds, so projects will have to be encumbered ON TIME!!!
On a more positive note, one of the Rural Rep positions will be filled in the next 3 months. Already in the process of developing the information for the next biennium budget, so have information ready. We appreciate the responses to the fuel cost request, the information was very helpful. Please expect similar requests as we develop our case for additional funding. Advocacy Starts at Home. Invite your legislators to visit you systems.

4. System and Constituency Involvement
Kristina Fenselon
Director, Geauga County Transit
OPTA Vice President – Small Operators

5. Rural Program Update

6. 2009 Funding Process
Marianne E. Freed Administrator Office of Transit

7. Milestone Dates
Jane Smelser Public Transportation Manager ODOT, Office

8. Milestone Dates CY2009 Milestone dates Milestone Amendments
We will be sending out the list of recommended capital projects for CY These projects are based on 4 year capital plans. Expect to receive the list sometime in July. However, you do not have a project until there is an executed contract in place. Due to the nature of the funding environment, we reserve the right to cancel projects, or negotiate projects based on unexpected changes in funding.
You will need to provide corresponding Milestone Dates for each of those projects. Keep in mind, you will be required to award PO’s based on the dates you provide. These will be the dates you submit when requesting funding for 2009 capital funds.
CY 2008 milestone dates were exempted from this requirement due to the lack of ability to purchase from term contracts.

9. Limited English Proficiency
Marianne E. Freed
Administrator
Office of Transit

10. Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Covered in Title VI Circular and by Executive Order Who is a LEP Person?
Who is a LEP Person?
A person who does not speak English as primary language and has limited ability to read, speak, write or understand English
This is a new emphasis by FTA on an existing requirement.

11. Limited English Proficiency cont.
What is required of recipients?
Assessment
Plan of Action
Must follow guidelines from December 17, 2007 letter
Sound measures/reasonable steps for meaningful access to programs and activities by LEPs.
– Four Factor Analysis
– Five Elements

12. Limited English Proficiency cont.
Four Factor Assessment
Demographics
Frequency
Importance
Resources
Four Factor Assessment
Demographics – number and/or proportion of LEPs served and languages spoken in service area;
Frequency – rate of contact with service or program;
Importance – nature and importance of program/service to peoples lives
Resources – available resources, including language assistance services and costs.

13. Limited English Proficiency cont.
Plan of Action – Five Elements
Identification of volume and location of LEPs and LEP communities
Language assistance measures
Staff
Outreach measures
Monitoring and Evaluation of Efforts
Plan of Action – Five Elements
Identification of volume and location of LEPs and LEP communities. Don’t go overboard- talk with local entities which may already deal with these types of individuals, such as local universities, job centers, social service agencies, major employers
Language assistance measures – Types of languages services available; how to respond to LEP callers; how to respond to LEPs in person; how to respond to written communication; types of document/info to translate. You can do a survey of your own employees to see if there is anyone who may already have special skills in other languages. Once again, your university is a good resource for foreign language services.
Staff – Knowledge of policy and procedures, linguistic diversity and sophistication, cultural sensitivity and communication skills, training and experience. You must state how you will train your staff in the event that you discover that you have concentrations of LEP’s
Outreach measures – Notification methods on special language assistance
Monitoring and Evaluation of Efforts

14. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
Josh Gearhardt Public Transportation Manager Office of Transit

15. DBE Goal Projections Required of all Recipients
Use CY 2008 Federal Allocation
Due July 15, 2008
Submit electronically to Kim White at
Resubmit when CY 2009 allocations are awarded
Goal projection information was posted to the web on June 12. The goal projection form has been revised; however, since you are using the CY 2008 allocation amounts to determine whether or not you are a threshold recipient, your status probably won’t change from last year. Once you receive your CY 2009 allocation, you will need to resubmit your goal projection.
The goal projection is due July 15, 2008 and must be submitted electronically to Kim White at
All Section 5311 recipients must submit a all projection regardless of whether they are a threshold recipient or non-threshold recipient.

16. DBE con’t. Threshold recipient Must publish goal
Must submit plan if not already on file with ODOT or if revisions are made
Will be required to submit semi-annual reports
Questions: Contact Kim White at or
If the recipient expects to award contracts exceeding $250,00 in Federal Funds, excluding vehicles, during FFY 2009, it would be considered a threshold recipient.
Threshold recipients are required to have a DBE program which in addition to the goal projection requires the recipient to public a public notice outlining the proposed goal and have an approved DBE plan in place. In addition, threshold recipients are required to submit semi-annual reports to ODOT.

17. Term Contracts and Cooperative Purchasing
Josh Gearhardt Public Transportation Manager ODOT, Office of Transit

18. Term Contracts and Cooperative Purchasing
Who can participate with ODOT?
How to Participate?
What is available?
Where can I get more information?
Those of you who are designated grantees or if there are any 5310 agencies, this does not apply because ODOT Office of Transit does this for you!
Political subdivisions defined as any County, Township, Municipal Corporation, Conservancy District, Township Park District, Park Districts created under Chapter 1545 of the Revised Code, Port Authority, Regional Transit Authority, Regional Airport Authority, Regional Water and Sewer District, County Transit Board and State University or College as in Division (A)(1) of Section of the Revised Code may participate in ODOT's Cooperative Purchasing Program.  In addition, Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities are also eligible to purchase. 
See Handout for procedures for Participating in Term Contract Purchase
Mention required language on sample resolution and that there has to be sufficient time to have a resolution in place prior to seeking permission to purchase.
Vehicles available under this program include:
SMV- Standard Minivan
MMV- Modified Minivan
CV- Converted Van
LTN - Light Transit Vehicle, Narrow Body
LTV- Light Transit Vehicle, Wide Body
Steel Cage
Honeycomb Fiberglass Cage
Fiberglass Steel Cage
2008 Vehicle Catalog & Vehicle Checklist

19. ODOT Term Contracts Where to Get Term Contract Information
Office of Transit Website
ODOT Office of Contracts Website
Office of Transit holds quite a bit of information, from the 2008 vehicle catalog, to checklists and forms, and any required documentation- Buy America Certification
Office of Contracts has information that includes the Office of Transit Term Contracts, in addition to all other term contracts offered through ODOT for other vehicles and equipment.

20. Intercity Update
Marianne E. Freed Administrator Office of Transit

21. Intercity Update Intercity Bus Program 49 USC Section 5311(f)
Budget of $2.8 M CY 2009
Based on 15% of Apportionment
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU)
New Requirement – Consultation Process
The intercity bus program is defined as regularly scheduled bus service for the General Public; Operates with limited stops over fixed routes; Connecting two or more urban areas not in close proximity; Vehicles have capacity for transporting passenger baggage; Makes meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distant points.
The current Federal FY Budget based on 15% of the 5311 Apportionment is approximately $2.8 million dollars. This would be funding that goes towards ICB projects in CY 2009 rural projects. So as 5311 funding goes up so does the funding increase available for ICB projects.
The new requirement for intercity bus under SAFETEA-LU is the addition of a Consultation process. It requires ODOT to include private intercity carriers in the planning process for the provision of IC services.

22. Intercity Update cont. Consultation Process
Identified intercity bus carriers operating in Ohio
Sent letters to carriers requesting input
Held individual consultation meetings
Incorporated their comments
ODOT completed the consultation process in compliance with the SAFETEA-LU requirements. We did this by identifying IC bus carriers operating in Ohio and then sent them letters inviting them each to a meeting with ODOT staff to discuss their ideas and suggestions. Then ODOT incorporated their comments into the final IC bus needs study.

23. Intercity Update Intercity Bus Needs Assessment Deliverables
Local IC needs
Current routes
Deliverables
Proposed Routes
Three IC Routes
Feeder Service
Proposed Maps
ODOT needed to assess the current IC needs in Ohio so ODOT contracted with the Lakatos Group to prepare an Intercity Bus Needs Assessment. The study determined the areas that had the greatest intercity bus propensity. It also assessed the local needs for IC service in the areas. The study also assessed the current IC routes in Ohio.
The study then provided Deliverables based on information provided not only through the local information from rural transit systems, local official and citizens but also incorporated the comments from the IC carriers as a result of the consultation process.
Feeder Service-proposing along 3 routes
Proposed Maps

24. Intercity Update cont. Rural Intercity Bus Program Policy
Where do we go from here?
Rural Intercity Bus Program Policy
Address annual IC needs
Establishes competitive proposal process
Criteria based selection process
ODOT has drafted an Intercity bus program policy and we hope to finalize it soon. It essentially establishes the need to address the annual needs of the IC bus program. It also establishes that ODOT will use a competitve proposal process and will determine the providers of IC services through a criteria based selection process.
ODOT will be looking for rural transit systems to contract with for feeder services.

25. Training Update
Josh Gearhardt Public Transportation Manager Office of Transit

26. Upcoming Training July 15 – Record Retention/Sunshine Law
September Civil Rights
October – Marketing
November – TBA
December – Drug and Alcohol Reasonable Suspicion Determination Refresher
Defensive Driving
Hosting a Class
On-line Course
Available for free for CORSA members
TOMORROW’S SESSIONS – MUST ATTEND PART 1 OF CREATING LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE PERFORMANCE DOCUMENTATION BEFORE YOU CAN ATTEND THE SECOND PART. YOU RECEIVE A NTI CERTIFICATE FOR ATTENDING BOTH PARTS!
July – Announcement was mailed for Record Retention/Sunshine Law, free however must register.
July – Rural Roundtable
September - will cover what is being certified in grant contract packet
Suggestions for November.
Travel restrictions for Systems?
Planning videoconference in January.
DDC – encourage more on-line; will only be scheduling regional classes for 2009, also available for FREE to CORSA members.
Passenger Assistance - ??????

27. Transit Curriculum WSU – One-credit hour courses
KSU – Program to start August 26
To register visit the KSU website at
Course is listed as Geography 40195: Special Topics, Public and Human Service Transportation
WSU – one-credit hour courses every quarter. Don’t have to be enrolled at WSU. Fall quarter Safety and Emergency preparedness. We’ll be sending out more information later this summer.
KSU – Start in August (August 26 through December 9 from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.) – One night a week (Tuesday) 3 credits – in Geography Department
Geography – Special Topics, Public and Human Services Transportation.
Course will give students an overview of public transportation, modes of transportation, regional networks, funding, legislation, customer service, planning, contracting and technology.

28. Charter Update Reporting Requirement Changes Updated Q & A
Other Manual Updates
Marianne
Charter:
New Regulations were issue with a start date of April 30, 2008
Manual is on website
Training for Rural systems was held in April and a new Charter Manual was issued. This is a work in progress that will be updated as FTA makes changes. FTA currently reviewing the manual and we hope to at least receive verbal comments
Training for others is expected to be scheduled. You may refer to the Charter manual even if you are not a rural system as it covers all aspects and includes the most recent FTA q & a and the Federal Register notice.
Reporting Requirements must now be met by ODOT. Rural systems were originally told that they would do their own reporting, but now it must come from ODOT so we will be collecting the data from you using the log sheets that were provided.
First collection of data will be in July for any charter services provided from April 30th to June 30th . Due to ODOT by July 15th. Watch for the reminder!

29. JARC Update Projects Funded Next Proposal Process JARC – 2008 Program
16 proposals received from 13 applicants
14 of the 16 proposals were supported by Locally Developed Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plans
10 of the proposals were selected to be recommended for approval
Recommended Rural Awards - $939,902 (federal)
Recommended Small Urbanized Awards - $200,659 (federal)
Operating Grants - $836,804 (federal)
Planning Grants - $58,659 (federal)
Capital Grants - $245,098 (federal)
Next cycle – Program Announcement for 2009 Program to be made in November 2008.

30. New Freedom Update Funding Requests Received/Awarded Projects Funded
Next Proposal Process
Funding Requests Received/Awarded:
All requests received were awarded
Total funds awarded for Small Urban $47,250
Total Funds awarded for Rural $704,576
Projects Funded:
Small Urban – 1 –
ACRTA 1 year operating
Rural - 5 –
Horizons of Tuscarawas & Carroll Co's. - 2 year operating grant, mobile radios, 1 vehicle and a computer workstation.
Preble County Council on Aging - 2 year operating grant.
Society for Equal Access - 2 year operating grant, mobile radios, telephone and a computer workstation.
Tuscarawas County Committee on Aging - 2 year operating grant, 1 vehicle and mobile radios.
WSOS Community Action Commission a - 2 year operating grant.
Next Proposal Process:
Same as JARC – Out in November, Due in January 2009
INFO ONLY IF ASKED
$ available
Small Urban FY $367,613
FY $457,729
Rural FY $573,492
FY $657,623

31. Accrual Accounting Update
Effective January 1, 2008
Accrual clarification
Manual in Development
Questions ??????
Using true definition of accrual accounting as stated in the regulation, all expenses must be accrued.
If you have not been accruing all expenses, you can go back and make adjustments and report on the next invoice.
1st quarter invoice results –
Preparing for 2nd quarter invoice

32. Office of Transit Website
Currently in Development
Most recent updated launch date:
June 24, 2008

33. Office of Transit Website

34. Questions