Nov. 1 – Standing Committees, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Covered by Documenters Najee Hall and Laura Marica
What happened: The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) continued planning for its Civilian Oversight Committee (COC). The GCRTA Board of Trustees voted Aug. 23 to establish the committee. In this meeting, the GCRTA Committee of the Whole reviewed and approved proposed COC operating procedures. The proposal says the COC would have seven members. One must be a retired member of law enforcement. GCRTA is aiming to appoint members before the end of the year. It would provide COC members a $100 monthly stipend. Board President Rev. Charles Lucas said he would like that number to increase. The Board of Trustees is set to vote on the proposed operating procedures at a future meeting. Read a draft of the full procedures on page 12 of the meeting packet.
New buses and uniforms: A GCRTA committee advanced a proposal for the purchase of 20 new buses. The cost would be about $13.4 million. A committee also approved a proposal to provide new uniform items to employees. The total cost of the proposal is not to exceed $2.5 million across five years. The contract would be with Workwear Outfitters, LLC. That company would partner with Schwarz Uniforms, a local company. GCRTA would provide supervisors and operators a yearly uniform allowance of $450 apiece. It would give customer service reps $250 apiece. Scott Ferraro, senior director of Labor and Employee Relations, said the $450 has been sufficient. He said employees could probably get a couple of pairs of pants and shirts, plus a jacket and shoes.
And also: Paratransit District Director Nick Davidson presented results from a public survey. Northern Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equality (NOBLE) conducted the survey from February 2020 to March 2021. Fifty-five people responded. People surveyed expressed concern with the difficulty and length of the paratransit application. GCRTA has since reduced the application from 17 pages to seven, Davidson said.
Did you know fare evasion on public transit is a criminal offense in Ohio that carries the possibility of a $250 fine and 30 days in jail? Find more facts on fare evasion from this Cleveland Documenters’ reporting.