Transit Advisory Board

Minutes Regular Meeting of the Transit Advisory Board March 19, 2026, at 5:00 PM Santa Fe Transit Training Room 2931 Rufina Street Procedures for Transit Advisory Board Meeting Join on Zoom: https://santafenm- gov.zoom.us/j/85146885332?pwd=vz8Ub1HNJ16u1eSj5utlCE0YBEmX8y.1 Meeting ID: 851 4688 5332 Passcode: 162429 1. Call to Order at 5:01 pm 2. Roll Call - Present and voting: A. Archuleta, A. Bleck, O. Conley, C. Messer, & D. Shapiro. Absent: J. Cucalon, M. Maez, M. Meyer, & S. Sheldon 3. Approval of Agenda a. 3.19.26 Transit Advisory Board Agenda; - Agenda Amended to show "Discussion of Santa Fe Ride Times" added to agenda at 5:10pm - All voted in favor. 4. Approval of Minutes a. Request for Approval of the December 11, 2025, Transit Advisory Board Meeting Minutes. -All voted to approve at 5:12pm. b. Request for Approval of the January 15, 2026, Transit Advisory Board Meeting Minutes. -All voted to approve at 5:12pm. 5. Public Comment: Asa-Luke Twocrow CDL Transit Driver II introduced himself and briefly discussed Airport services as they operated in Albuquerque Sunport (SUN to SFA) as a fixed route with hopes Santa Fe would soon adapt similar service. Discussion about SFT and NCRTD collaborative efforts on an airport shuttle creation is in the works. Funding impacts to the NCRTD GRT were briefly discussed. 6. Discussion and Possible Action Items a. Gabrielle Chavez – Budget Review/ Discussion Staff presented the Transit budget to the Board at 5:21 PM. • Payroll & Expenditures o Year-to-date (YTD), approximately 48% of the payroll budget has been expended. o Operating (Op) expenditures, shown in orange, are at approximately 42% of the total budget. o Staff explained how payroll and operating expenses are tracked and how they apply specifically to Transit operations. • Budgeting Practices & Adjustments o Negative line items appearing in online financial reports were explained as a result of current budgeting practices that do not fully account for certain expenditures. o Staff noted that beginning in FY2027, line items will be budgeted more accurately to reflect actual expenditures. o Discussions with City leadership emphasized the need to fully budget anticipated expenses upfront, rather than relying on later adjustments, to maintain cleaner financial records. o This approach aligns with Finance’s goal of maintaining clear and accurate accounting practices. o Staff acknowledged lessons learned regarding overestimating revenue projections, which can create challenges with grant drawdowns and inflate perceived revenue. • Capital & Project Funding o Work in Progress (WIP) was defined as design and construction expenditures, typically funded through grants and carryover funds. o Approximately $614,000 is allocated for EV charging stations. o Remaining WIP funding includes the Camino Entrada roundabout project, which Finance confirmed is available for Transit use. o A new RFP for engineering services related to bus stop improvements is anticipated, with a goal of beginning improvements by July, prioritizing locations using available grant funding. • Board Questions & Discussion o Charging Infrastructure: Staff confirmed plans for two Level 3 chargers and ten Level 2 chargers. o Training Costs: Located within vehicle-related expenses, including operator training and tuition. o Reimbursement Acknowledgment: Appreciation was expressed to Finance staff for assisting with roundabout project funding reimbursement. o Budget Timing: Clarified that figures presented are year-to-date (YTD), not quarterly. • Revenue & Grants o Approximately 40% of FY26 budgeted revenue has been collected. o Most operating grants have been fully drawn down. o Outstanding capital grants are primarily tied to vehicle orders pending delivery. o Staff is preparing a new $2.1 million grant for Governing Body consideration. o Some prior-year grant funds remain in carryover status, with drawdowns anticipated in Q3 and Q4. • Federal Grant Timing o Grants are administered on the City’s fiscal year, though timing is impacted by federal processes.  o Funds must either be expended upon receipt or carried over, depending on project timelines and delivery delays. • Procurement & Reimbursements o Some DOT reimbursements remain outstanding, including delays related to claims and vehicle recalls. o A specific vehicle (Model 1) cannot be delivered until a recall issue is resolved. • Vehicle Procurement (NOLO) o Procurement has not yet occurred due to required completion of the TIP/STIP process, which was finalized in February. o The project is now in TRAMS, but progress has been delayed due to competing federal grant priorities. • Other Revenue o Includes advertising revenue and miscellaneous income. o Ride Finder grant funds have been partially drawn; additional funds will be accessed once the associated position is filled. o NCRTD funding ($853,000) was reallocated to the correct account for consistency. o NCRTD has been requested to provide remaining reimbursement but is currently unable due to financial constraints; the City has supplemented funding to cover the gap. o A lodger’s tax payment related to SFPU was also noted. Presentation concluded at 5:59 PM. b. Southside Transit Center / Facilities Update at 6:01 PM • Staff is coordinating with Facilities regarding approximately $3 million in available fund balance, which may fluctuate based on pending grant reimbursements. • A request of approximately $4.04 million was submitted to the congressional delegation to support the Southside Transit Center project. • Staff is pursuing an informal RFQ process to refine cost estimates (currently estimated at approximately $4.05 million) due to identified design issues. • A new general contractor may be required to address necessary plan modifications. c. Update at 6:07 PM • Staff provided additional updates (no formal action taken). Item Concluded 6:29 PM d. Andrew Baca named chair to MPO-TCC (informational). Item Concluded 6:32 PM e. Andrew Baca introduced and provided insight on the new MTC bus stop integrated into the route 4 service at 6:32 PM • Additional Board discussion occurred (no formal action recorded). Item Concluded 6:43 PM f. Personnel / Applications at 6:43 PM • Three applications were reviewed. • Motion by Andreas to extend the recruitment period for Juan’s position by 27 days (to April 16); seconded by Owen. o Motion passed unanimously. • Motion by Andreas to carry remaining items over to the next meeting; seconded by Dolores.  o Motion passed unanimously. h. Service Update • Staff noted a change in Santa Fe Ride service times to have all RIDE service request end by 8:00pm. 7. Next Meeting: April 16th, 2026, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. 8. Adjourn at 7:03PM Persons with disabilities in need of additional accommodation contact the City Clerk’s office at 505-955-6521, five (5) working days prior to meeting date. Aurore Bleck Aurore Bleck (May 31, 2026 14:40:40 MDT) Gabrielle Chavez (Jun 2, 2026 08:52:57 MDT) Chair, Transit Advisory Board Transit Director of Administration