@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA or RTA) is a political subdivision of the State, created under Chapter 306 of the Ohio Revised Code. All power and authority granted to RTA is vested in, and exercised by, its Board of Trustees.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The GCRTA board includes:
Rev. Charles P. Lucas
Karen Gabriel Moss
Anthony D. Biasiotta
Terence P. Joyce
Paul A. Koomar
Valarie J. McCall
Luz N. Pellot
David E. Weiss
Lauren R. Welch
riderta.com/board https://t.co/nz8sE7fkz8

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The livestream of today's meeting can be found on their Youtube:
youtube.com/watch?v=v_Dxgk…

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The GCRTA Committee Meetings and Tax Budget Public Hearing began at 9:01 am with the Organizational, Services & Performance Monitoring Committee being called to order with four committee members present. https://t.co/QwLL4PvhMM

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Chris Orlando, Manager of IT Infrastructure, and Nikki Ponder, Contract Administrator, presented on the Microsoft Enterprise License Agreement, a competitive procurement of Microsoft licensing through the state of Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Orlando opened the presentation with a bit of history. From the early 90s through 2019, GCRTA maintained a server environment composed of mostly Novell servers with Microsoft products.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle In late 2019, they made the strategic decision to standardize Microsoft as their preferred platform. From 2020-2022, they have integrated more Microsoft products and subscriptions, but have struggled to scale and unify licenses with the mix of on-premise and cloud licensing

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Under this proposal, they aim to unify the Microsoft licenses under a single agreement, utilize enhanced security, increase the number of licenses to accommodate employee turnover, and take advantage of new software updates.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Ponder gave an overview of the procurement, first summarizing Section 306.43 of the Ohio Revised Code which provides political subdivisions within the state of Ohio, like the GCRTA, the opportunity to participate in contracts executed by the state of Ohio.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Section 306.43 of Ohio Revised Code:
codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-c….

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The proposed Microsoft Enterprise Licenses will be purchased from Dell Marketing, LP through the state of Ohio under state contract #0A152.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle License Cost Breakdown https://t.co/8jeF7xpKQT

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The recommendation is that the Organizational, Services & Performance Monitoring Committee recommend to the Board of Trustees the award of a contract to Dell Marketing for Microsoft Enterprise Licenses in an amount that does not exceed $2,605,118.76 for a period of three years.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Responding to a question about comparing the proposed contract to previous contracts, the presenters explained that the most recent contract was for a year and a half and was purchased for $1,058,588, and the four-year contract they entered in 2016 was for $454,903 per year.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The motion to present the procurement to the full board at the next meeting passed, and they adjourned the Organizational, Services & Performance Monitoring Committee. https://t.co/w9EpMU26QE

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Next, the Operational Planning and Infrastructure Committee is called in to order with four members present. https://t.co/3NnTu8Mr8b

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Chris Coppock, Engineer Project Manager for Track, and Lou Catalusci, Contact Administrator for the Construction and Engineering department presented on the On-Call Rail Engineering Services Procurement.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle “Railing Engineering Services provide design and technical support for projects exceeding the capacity or expertise of GCRTA personnel. Total assignments should not exceed $450,000 in a 24-month term,” said Coppock.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The scope of work for design services includes track structure, overhead cable systems, signal systems, track inspections, communication systems, and electrical power substations that power the rail system.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Potential tasks include track and infrastructure modifications at the GCRTA Brookpark Yard Maintenance Facility for receiving new rail cars, assistance in the preparation of track rehabilitation, and track and infrastructure modifications at the central rail maintenance facility.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Catalusci explained that they issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on the GCRTA website on April 4, 2022, and it was accessed by 37 interested parties. Only one firm submitted a proposal. The proposer was deemed as able to fill the need and evaluated by a panel from GCRTA.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The panel evaluated the proposal based on criteria including project manager, assigned staff, past performance, project approach, location of majority of work, and DBE participation.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The most qualified vendor was Parsons Transportation Group Inc, located in Dunedin, FL. They have a local office in Highland Heights that would be servicing this project.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle An 18% DBE goal was assigned to this project and will be met by utilizing Dynotec, Inc., Denise’s Flagging and Construction Services, Inc., G&T Associates, Inc., and Pro Geotech, Inc.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Parsons Transportation Group Inc has successfully completed projects in New Jersey, Houston, and Washington. Their personnel is experienced and familiar with multiple commuter rail systems throughout the nation.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle They request that the Operational Planning and Infrastructure Committee recommend awarding the On-Call Rail Engineering Services contract to Parson Transportation Group, Inc. for consulting services. The contract shall not exceed $450,000 for a period of 24 months.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle President Rev. Charles Lucas asked about the four companies that are a part of the 18% DBE goal. The presenters admit they don’t know many specifics about the companies, and Rev. Lucas requests that information about these companies be ready to present at the next board meeting.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Karen Moss expressed concern that there is only one bidder, as it decreases their bargaining power to stay within the budget. Mike Schipper responded that the team will negotiate billing rates and then the budget is applied to each of the tasks which will range from $20-80k.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Luz Pellot asked whether the GCRTA staff is equipped to work with the "new technology," mentioned in the presentation, or if they need to be trained.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Schipper explained that the consultants are more efficient at plan production than his staff, but the rail system is staying consistent. The rail system is pretty dated, and they are actually needing to find consultants that are equipped to work with the old rail system.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Valarie McCall added that the GCRTA is one of the oldest rail systems. Our current team does a really good job at maintaining, but “it's so old people don't want to touch it.” According to McCall, that's why we only have one bid for the project.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle India Birdsong added that the infrastructure is quite antiquated and they must scour the market to address our needs. She said it's quite common for older systems to only have one bid.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Birdsong also explained that most systems age out rail cars after 30-35 years at max, but GCRTA is still using cars that are 40 years old. While we have a competent engineering team, some of the technology does not allow them to balance between new and old. This vendor can.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Schipper added that the engineering and construction market is changing as they work with supply chain issues and competition for other projects. While we want more bids, Schipper thinks contracts with only one or two bids are going to be a trend for the next 8-12 months.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The Operational Planning and Infrastructure Committee passed a motion to present the recommendation to award the On-Call Rail Engineering Services contract to Parson Transportation Group, Inc to the full board.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Next, Chris Coppock and Jonathon Lawley, contract manager, presented on the Light Rail Track Rehabilitation Replacement of the East 75th Street Interlocking. https://t.co/zsJl9b5Q1a

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Coppock explained that the project is located on the Blue and Green lines between Opportunity Corridor and Kinsman Rd. https://t.co/rnjgRGtrtF

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The project will shut down the Blue and Green Lines for six weeks during the summer of 2023. 67R replacement bus service will serve the Blue and Green Lines during the outage. The engineers’ estimate is $3,210,000.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Improvements include replacing six turnouts where trains switch rails, installing 1200 linear feet of new rail, installing 22 new insulated joints, installing six new 5e switch machines, and new signal cabling throughout the interlocking to provide on time service.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The project would also pave a new grade crossing for maintenance access at Kingsbury Wye track to allow access without obstructing revenue service.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle According to Lawley, the procurement’s invitation to bid was issued on May 16, 2022. It was accessed by 19 interested parties, and they received bids from two firms.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The lowest responsive and responsible vendor was Delta Railroad Construction, Inc. located in Ashtabula, Ohio. They have successfully completed projects for GCRTA in the past.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle There is a 10% DBE participation goal that will be achieved through Cook Paving Construction, Garcia Surveyors, Inc., Denise’s Flagging & Construction Services, and Intelligent Polymer Solutions, LLC.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Staff requests that the Operational Planning and Infrastructure Committee award Delta Railroad Construction Inc for the replacement of the East 75th interlocking. The contract shall not exceed $3,494,819.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Pre-empting questions, Birdsong explained that they will put their heads together behind the scenes to present the DBE vetting process at the next board meeting.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Lauren Welch asked that they explain the timeline. “I want the public to know what this project looks like from procurement to completion,” she said.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Coppock explained that they are looking at about 45 weeks. This year they will begin ordering the needed equipment. Then they will enter a waiting period until 2023. Once everything arrives, they will start the 6-week shutdown in summer 2023 to install and test.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Terence P. Joyce asked about budgeting, to which Schipper responded that Delta might cost more than the recommended budget, but the other potential bidders were more than 10% over the recommended budget. The committee moved to present this procurement to the full board.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Next, Carolyn Young, Manager of Budget, presented the 2022 Proposed General Fund Amendment and 2023 Tax Budget.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The 2022 Proposed General Fund Amendment proposes a $54.5 million increase overall to be transferred to the Reserve Fund ($50 million) and Capital Improvement Fund ($4.5 million). https://t.co/4iyG6ur01x

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle David Weiss asked what the increase in Captial Improvement is for, a new project or modification of existing work. Young responded that the increase is to cover overages in current projects.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Moving on to the 2023 Tax Budget, Young presented the Budget Schedule. It suggests that the Budget presented today should be adopted by the BOT during the July 26 meeting. https://t.co/UIyRNiLKB5

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Young explained some 2023 economic assumptions, which included high inflation rates, no federal relief assistance, modest growth in ridership, wage increases, and modest growth in sales tax.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle “We project conservative growth in our two largest sources of revenue,” she said. Sales & Use Tax at $259 million compared to $252 million in 2022, and Passenger Fares at $23.25 million compared to $23.03 million in 2022. https://t.co/OzpfTQC0vx

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Sales & Use make up 86% of their revenue, and Passenger Fares make up 8%. https://t.co/eF0DSDfwrM

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The proposed expenditures include Salaries and Overtime at $152 million (48%), Payroll and Fringe Benefits at $56.75 million (17.9%), Transfers to other funds at $41.87 million (13.2%), and Services, Materials, and Supplies at $22.04 million (6.9%). https://t.co/Y7sYBBeioD

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle The total expenditures come to $317.35 million.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle In summary, the 2023 Tax Budget projects total revenues to create $340.5 million of resources and projects operating expenditures to be $317.35 million, which makes an available ending balance of $23.15 million. According to Young, this is about a one-month operating reserve. https://t.co/4tvUOOzk7E

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Paul Koomar asked why payroll taxes will decrease even though expenditures show an increase in salaries and fringe benefits. Rajan Gautam answered that payroll taxes are staying the same, and fringe benefits relating to healthcare are what will see decreases.

@cledocumenters @NeighborUpCle Young then suspended the committee meeting to open the public hearing on the Tax Budget. She explained that the 2023 Tax Budget information is available for public inspection on the GCRTA’s website, Twitter, and Facebook. riderta.com/sites/default/…

As there were no commenters present at the meeting or on the phone, and there were no emails in the Public Comment inbox, they reconvened the committee meeting. https://t.co/nFm9XRXalp

The Operational Planning and Infrastructure Committee passed a motion to recommend the FY2022 proposed budget amendment and FY 2023 tax budget to the full board for approval and adjourned at 10:05.

Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any inquiries on the meeting or these tweets to @cledocumenters Or email us at documenters@neighborhoodgrants.org