Board of Trustees Committee meetings

Documentation:

Find the agenda for this meeting here.

Watch the recorded livestream on this meeting here.  

Board members present:

• Paul Koomar, board president and mayor of Bay Village
• Emily Garr Pacetti, board vice president and vice president and community affairs officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
• Marie Gallo, mayor of Parma Heights
• Stephen Love, program director, Cleveland Foundation
• Deidre McPherson, chief community officer, Assembly for the Arts
• Jeffrey Sleasman, senior director, the Fund for Our Economic Future
• David Weiss, mayor of Shaker Heights
• Anastasia Elder, associate, UB Greensfelder L.L.P.
• Shanelle Smith Whigham, senior vice president and national community engagement director, KeyBank
• India L. Birdsong Terry, general manager and CEO, GCRTA
  

Staff and other attendees:

• Rajan Gautam, deputy general manager for finance, GCRTA
• Brent Charnigo, board administrator
• John Togher, director of accounting, GCRTA
• Janet Burney, general counsel, GCRTA
• Carl Kirkland, director, GCRTA Office of Business Development
• Anthony Garofoli, executive director of internal audit
• Floun’say R. Caver, chief operating officer and deputy general manager for operations, GCRTA
• Bob Fleig, public information officer, GCRTA
• Mike Schipper, deputy general manager for engineering and project management, GCRTA
• Natoya Walker Minor, deputy general manager for administration and external affairs, GCRTA
• Nicholas Biggar, senior director of customer experience and performance management, GCRTA
• Diedre Jones, chief of police, GCRTA
• Nick Davidson, district director for paratransit, GCRTA
• Carolyn Young, budget manager, GCRTA
• George Fields, deputy general manager for human resources, GCRTA
• Joel Freilich, service management director, GCRTA
• Shawn Becker, program contract manager, GCRTA

The meeting began at 9:04 a.m. with the swearing in of new committee member Shanelle Smith Whigham. 

Committee of the Whole

Committee members: Koomar, Garr Pacetti, Elder, Gallo, Love, McPherson, Sleasman, Weiss, Smith Whigham

Meeting minutes from Nov. 18, 2025, were approved.

Reappointment of members to the Community Advisory Committee

Natoya Walker, deputy general manager, administration & external affairs for Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, proposed the reappointment of eight members to the Community Advisory Committee: Brooklyn Burmeister, Brian Gibbons, Alicia Howerton, Charles Kennick, Loh, Paul Meissner, Jonathan Sieck and Cole Ware. The appointments are for two years. One year out from the term completion, they will begin to search for new members. Gibbons stated that there is no fixed number of members so people can always apply. 

The motion passed unanimously. 

Code Book Updates

(GCRTA’s Code Book is the codified set of rules, regulations, and policies: bylaws, financial policies, fare policy, service‐standards, non-discrimination/equal opportunity policies, etc.)

Anna Hlavacs, senior counsel for contracts, real estate and administrative law for GCRTA, presented a series of proposed changes to the code book, which is subject to revision every three years. This proposal includes updates to financial policies, changes to the paratransit policy (cleanup of old policy to conform to current practices), and bringing the code book into compliance with executive orders by the Trump administration regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) language, which is required to be implemented by the end of 2025. 

Board member Jeffrey Sleasman asked about the financial policy language because there were edits outlined in the committee’s documentation that were not included in the presentation. Hlavacs confirmed those edits would be included. The language is “a goal of striving towards 25%” for an operating ratio (Note: “operating ratio” indicates the proportion of operating costs that are covered with revenue from operations (fares + other operating income) rather than subsidies, grants, or other non-operating sources, which reduces reliance on non-fare funding.)

GCRTA CEO India Birdsong Terry stated that this has been the goal for 20 to 30 years but has never been achieved. She said that staff should come back with a recommendation before the next meeting on a more achievable number. Board members Emily Garr Pacetti and Paul Koomar agreed to discuss and bring back to the committee. 

Koomar inquired about changes to the supplemental pension plan language. GCRTA’s deputy general manager for finance, Rajan Gautam, clarified that there was an actuarial study required in the past, but there are not as many GCRTA retirees now. Since GCRTAhas enough funds to cover the current number of retirees,they don’t need to do this study moving forward. 

Removal of DEI language to comply with Trump administration requirements

Board member Anastasia Elder asked for further detail on the removal of DEI language and asked how other public agencies in the area are handling these requirements.

Hlavacs explained that President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders, a number of which targeted affirmative action and the words, “diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion,” DEI policies and practices. GCRTA looked at its own policies and practices and at what other organizations are doing. The Trump administration provides grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, and they said “the focus of grant funds should not be put towards DEI programs.” In 2010, RTA passed a resolution for a DEI policy.

GCRTA asked its lobbyist in Washington, D.C., to find other entities that have board-approved policies and found no other transit agency that has a board-approved DEI policy. Hlavacs said, “Having a belief that the federal government within a grant review or triannual review, which is a full review of every aspect of our operations, will be looking for those three words, or those three letters D-E-I, we believed it was necessary to be compliant with grantors that we repeal that policy” (video here). Elder asked if,  despite the fact that no other agencies have a board-approved DEI policies, will GCRTA change the language within its HR policy? 

Hlavacs said that RTA’s commitment to hiring, employee engagement and employee resource groups has been unchanged. “This is truly a matter of being concerned that the federal government is going to follow through on statements that when it is reviewing for grant compliance … they will be looking for these trigger words.” 

Birdsong Terry elaborated, “We are federal grantee award winners, if we’re lucky. We have to be cognizant of being able to serve the public. If DEI coming up first [on the GCETA website]  prohibits us from getting federal funding, we have to pivot and be nimble. It’s not been an easy conversation. It’s been very disheartening, it’s been very challenging.” 

Felicia Brooks Williams, GCRTA senior manager of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) & Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) programs said, “My office oversees civil rights in regards to Title VI, ensuring that we provide equal access to service for all of our customers, and you’ll hear a presentation on that in January.” They also manage Title VII, which ensures providing equal rights and services to employees both internally and externally. Terry serves as the Chief Civil Rights Officer of the authority. 

Terry asked GCRTA general counsel Janet Burney for  an update on what is in conflict with the White House requirements across the board. Burney said, “I want to assure the board that our legal department has been monitoring since the beginning of the year. Since January 2025, there have been over 70 executive orders issued, and there were executive orders issued with respect to DEI programs. What is clear is that going forward the administration is going to be looking at whether an applicant for a grant has certain policies in place; and they’re not necessarily going to ask you to explain — they’re just going to see if you’ve got it. Be assured that the executive orders have not changed the Constitution of the United States or statutory mandates.”

“As Brooks Williams mentioned, Title VI and Title VII are still the law. We will continue to comply with the law and see that there is no discrimination in what we do. We are not cherry-picking what we come to you with, but there are some things we need to fix before closing out 2025.”

Koomar motioned to pass the amendments to the finance language. The amendments passed unanimously.

The Committee of the Whole adjourned 9:54 a.m. 

Operational Planning & Infrastructure Committee

Committee Members: Sleasman, Garr Pacetti, Gallo, Love

The meeting began at 9:54 a.m.

Meeting minutes from Nov. 18 approved.

Invitation for Bids (IFB) Procurement 

Note: IFBs are similar to requests for proposals, but IFBs are used for well-defined projects and awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

• Third phase of the repairs to the Light Rail retaining walls along the Blue Line on Van Aken Boulevard in Shaker Heights. 

Presenters:

• Derek Meinke, Engineer Project Manager, Mechanical
• Jonathan Laule, Program Contract Manager, Procurement

Passed unanimously. 

• Removal and replacement of two paratransit vehicle inground lifts. Inground lifts enable large vehicles to be serviced, including salt trucks, buses and paratransit vehicles. 

Presenters:

• Brian Schultz, Resident Engineer
• Jenn Martin, Program Contract Manager. Procurement

 Passed unanimously. 

• Purchase of a Ballast Regulator.

Presenters:

• James Burke, Vehicle Engineer I, Fleet Management
• Jonathan Laule, Program Contract Manager, Procurement

           Passed unanimously.

2026 Budget – a discussion on the FY 2026 Budget presentation

Presenters:

• Kay Sutula, director, Office of Management & Budget
• Wendy Finn, budget management analyst III

There are four major actions being taken to execute the budget for 2026:

• Hiring freeze
• Restructure business functions
• Reduction of positions
• Service reduction

Service reduction would begin Summer 2026, although ridership is projected to be maintained. 

Koomar and Elder inquired about health care costs and the contract for current providers.

George Fields, GCRTA deputy general manager for HR, said there is a 24% increase in costs, and the agency’s healthcare consultation ends in February. They are in the process of evaluating new plans and will enter into a request for proposals (RFP) in 2026 to solicit health care plan vendors for 2027.

Board member Stephen Love inquired about comparison spending from other public agencies. Fields stated that there are four major public sector employers in Northeast Ohio. Three out of four sectors are paying $2,100 per employee per month for health care. 

Love and board member Shanelle Smith Whigham inquired about the depletion of the revenue stabilization fund and budgetary forecasting. Finn said they have budget scenarios from five to 10 years out, and what GCRTA saves this year will help them to get to a one-month revenue stabilization balance in 2027. 

Finn explained that the 11 telephone information center positions will move from operations to the executive division, and the currently vacant positions within the budget remain because they are vital, although no dollars are associated with those pooled vacant positions.

Public Hearing

The 2026 GCRTA budget is available in the Office of Management & Budget, on the authority’s website, and on social media pages. This is the second of two public hearings focused on the 2026 budget.

Public comments:

Mia George, a Lakewood resident, said she depends on public transit to get to work, buy groceries and see friends and family. She said she is concerned about the financial issues RTA is facing and was alarmed to hear about possible service cuts.

“As RTA runs out of its revenue stabilization fund and approaches a fiscal cliff, it is critical now more than ever that other sources of funding are secured to avoid further service cuts or fare hikes in the future,” she said.

George suggested several long-term solutions, including a property tax or sales tax levy for Cuyahoga County, citing that “a 0.5% increase would balance the books.”

Another option, she said, is redirecting some of the parking tax revenue that generates $14 million annually and is currently used to maintain the Browns stadium.

“Lowering costs through service reductions is an irresponsible attempt at a short-term solution,” George said.

Chris Martin, a Cleveland resident, said Tuesdays at 9 a.m. are a terrible time to meet if public participation is desired. He asked whether the hiring freeze applied to both operators and transit police.

Gautam said the hiring freeze does not apply to key positions such as operators, laborers, mechanics or any public safety roles.

Loh, a Cleveland resident and member of the GCRTA Community Advisory Committee, said, “There are other resources we can consider to increase our revenue locally, otherwise we may not have enough money to pay our employees and continue cutting services. Then we go back to a death spiral, which actually defeats all of the effort you’ve been putting in the recent few years. People can already not afford having cars.”

Christopher Crumedy, a resident of Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, said he works on the West Side and that his younger brother relies on public transit to get to and from school.

“I really encourage you all to find another solution,” he said, noting that Cleveland Metropolitan School District is in the process of closing and consolidating schools. “There are going to be so many kids who have to go a lot farther distances than they are used to.”

“Money gets passed around in this city every day,” Crumedy said. “Somebody mentioned we can redistribute some of the things being used toward Browns parking. If this is something so reliant on federal grants, we should be thinking about how to put more pressure on local governments to support this.”

A caller, LaQueta Worley, a Cleveland resident, said she takes the 53 bus, which she described as nice and quiet for people who need space. She said she is concerned about having to take the 51 bus, which is already quite crowded.

With the public hearing finished, the committee reconvened.

Smith Whigham voiced concern about the future of the budget, inquired how service cuts are determined and what data is being analyzed. She also asked about introducing a tax levy and what would need to be done to pursue that. 

Terry said a tax levy has always been on the proverbial table and is becoming more of a realistic option. She’s looking to discuss it more by Q1 [Editor’s note: Q1 means the first quarter of next year]. With regards to service cuts, they won’t be realized until summer 2026.

Joel Freilich, GCRTA service management director, said there are a whole host of analysts who will figure out who will be impacted by service cuts and the background work is being done now. 

The board approved the 2026 budget unanimously. 

Audit, Safety Compliance and Real Estate Committee

Committee members: Weiss, Garr Pacetti, Elder, Sleasman, Smith Whigham

The meeting commenced at 10:43 a.m.

• Property Insurance Renewal

Presenter(s):

• Wayne Colonna, Acting Director of Risk Management
• Ray Battle, Senior Vice President, Property Broker, AON

Property insurance renewal is 3.68% less than 2025 premium. 

Passed unanimously. 

• 2026 Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan

Presenter(s):

• Kevin Case, Manager of Safety

Case gave an in-depth presentation on performance measure reporting and certification.

Passed unanimously. 

The meeting adjourned at 11:23 a.m.

These notes are by Documenter Maria Shuckahosee.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org  with “Correction Request” in the subject line.