By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
The County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday held a public hearing on the Ashtabula County Transportation System’s grant proposal for 2010.
The Ashtabula County Transportation System (ACTS) requested commissioners submit a funding proposal to the Ohio Department of Transportation on behalf of the agency. Susan Stoneman, project manager, presented the scope of the funding requested as follows:
n Rural operating grant: $843,378 total, with $680,527 from federal and $162,846 from state grant sources;
n Elderly and disabled, $12,928; and
n For the rural capital grant, ACTS is seeking $127,411 in federal money and a 10 percent local match of $14,157. The money will be used to purchase two light-transit vehicles (replacement).
ACTS is administered by the Ashtabula County Department of Job and Family Services and operated by a private-service provider through a request for proposal. ACTS pays the provider for revenue service hours: 19,396 hours this year. The system serves the entire county with just 14 vehicles. In 2008, it provided 109,213 trips.
The total projected budget for ACTS is $1,491,526 for 2010. Stoneman told commissioners ridership is climbing steadily. Thus, revenue hours for 2010 have been boosted to 21,118 hours.
In conjunction with holding the hearing and passing a resolution authorizing the filing of the proposal, commissioners authorized ACTS to participate in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Cooperative Purchasing Program. The agreement will allow the county to purchase vehicles from ODOT term contracts on behalf of ACTS. The contracts are bid out each year to obtain the best possible pricing on vehicles that meet state specifications.
Stoneman told commissioners ACTS is working with the service provider to update service routes to meet new demands optimally. A public hearing will be scheduled to obtain input before new routes are implemented. She also said fares will have to be raised “sometime in the near future.”
In other actions Tuesday,
commissioners:
n Approved a lease agreement with the County Law Library Association for 2008. The resolution was a housekeeping action requested by the state auditor. The rate is set at $8.50 per square foot, not to exceed $2,524.40 for 2008. The association pays only 20 percent of the total calculation on 1,485 square feet;
n Approved a resolution providing for up to $14,000 in local match money from the Senior Services Levy to purchase two new vehicles for the Country Neighbor Program. The program is purchasing a converted van and a standard minivan; and
n Approved a contract for human resources and consulting services on an as-needed basis with Human Services Associates of Parma. The contract, not to exceed $6,000, is with the Ashtabula County Department of Job and Family Services.
