Briefs: RTA

By Katherine Nettles

Managing transportation for new developments

The Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority (RTA) approved a revised comment letter to the Starview/Avalon development being planned south of Crested Butte South with access through Cement Creek Road during its last meeting. The RTA requests that bus pull outs along Cement Creek Road be added and a roundabout at the Cement Creek Road intersection with Highway 135 be completed before a certificate of occupancy is issued. “I feel more comfortable doing that now that we have the funding for the roundabout,” RTA executive director Scott Truex said of a recent major grant to help fund that and other roundabouts in the North Valley. “We also are going to request that the county consider implementing transportation impact fees in the future for larger subdivisions because we’re going to see more of these coming in, and this will help with our capital needs.”

The board approved, with board members Liz Smith and Puckett Daniels having recused themselves from the vote and the other four members in favor. 

New roles/scopes

The board approved a new scope of work for Leia Morrison, the RTA’s special projects manager and assistant to the executive director. Morrison will now be the communications and marketing manager, handling website updates and a more dedicated communications role. She will prioritize making the RTA’s website more mobile-oriented. 

There will also be a new bus operations manager role, which will also ensure that someone with the RTA communicates with passengers (as opposed to an independent contractor) and assist the executive director as well as help keep an eye on the RTA’s physical inventory and assets. 

“We have grown so much in the last few years, it’s going to free me up to deal with all these grants, this facility we’re building, and look at the big picture and get me off the little details,” summarized Truex. 

Contractors vs. employees

The board also passed an updated RTA organizational charter, which involves the scope of contractors and the air command structure. It led to a discussion of employee versus contractor roles, and the technical standards involved. This topic has come up previously as board members Liz Smith and Laura Puckett Daniels have wondered if either creating employee positions or issuing annual requests for proposals (RFP) would work better for contractor roles and performance reviews.  The current RTA structure is one in which all RTA “employees” are actually contractors.

“Everyone is contracted. There’s no benefits or human resources,” said Truex. He clarified that he as director is a full-time equivalent as a contractor. 

“I struggle with that contractor/employee distinction,” said Puckett Daniels. “Because we’re treating our contractors like employees. We’re not putting out a call every two years for your position, because you’re the executive director of the RTA,” she said to Truex. “I think sometimes there’s a lack of clarity for the public around these roles. I’m not suggesting we change it right now,” she concluded, but asked that they consider it more in the future. 

Board member Ian Billick said that in his experience contractors do not require RFPs each year. “If we wanted to have this discussion, probably the way to do it would be to pull up the legal distinction between an employee and a contractor, and review whether that criteria are met. But it’s not based on whether you issue an RFP. The standards are different than that.” 

Truex said the discussions have helped clarify things. “Bill and I have been more communicative in the past few months than ever,” said Truex of the effort to create a new charter and clarify their methods of operations with air consultant Bill Tomcich. “I think it’s empowered both of us,” he said. 

Puckett Daniels said having the air command in the charter was a helpful to clarify roles and expectations.

Farewell to Janet

In honor of RTA board chair Janet Farmer’s last meeting as chair, board member Puckett Daniels baked her a chocolate cake and Truex gave a brief presentation on the RTA’s history going back to the 1980s and throughout Farmer’s eight-year tenure with the RTA. Farmer is stepping down as a member of the Mt. Crested Butte town council and therefore as a Mt. CB representative on the RTA as well. She assured everyone she will continue to be engaged in the community and is looking for other ways to contribute her time.

Misc.:

—The RTA will order five new buses, having recently gotten a grant for $1.4 million which combined with other recent grant awards will help cover costs for four new buses. Truex said he would like to order a fifth to be funded by the RTA, as current vehicles are aging out. The hope is to get at least one before the 2024/25 ski season. The board approved unanimously.  

—The CB South bus stop pavement improvements at Red Mountain Park were complete in mid-October. The RTA has contributed $120,000 to the project, which was done by Dietrich Dirtwork and Construction.

—Board member Laura Puckett Daniels suggested the board look ahead at their five-year planning and consider the roundabouts at both Brush Creek and Cement Creek and need for additional funding matches to complete them. The board generally agreed.