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CALLED TO ORDER at 4:30 p.m.

ROLL CALL

*Alternates do not serve unless participating as a Member.

A quorum was present.

PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

Jerry Grace, Interested Citizen, noted that the VTA trains and buses are running well.   He noted that the Special Olympics would be held in Downtown San Jose on Saturday, February 19, 2005.  Mr. Grace congratulated newly elected 2005 VTA Board of Directors’ Chairperson Pirzynski.

ORDERS OF THE DAY

There were no Orders of the Day.

CONSENT AGENDA

Approved as amended.

Noted that Mr. Grace requested that the following item be removed from the Consent Agenda and placed on the Regular Agenda:  Item #9. Receive and file the Committee for Transit Accessibility Report.

Approved the Minutes of January 20, 2005.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to approve artist Diana Pumpelly Bates’ concept proposals for enhancements in the shelter canopy glass at the San Jose Diridon Station and for metal screens at the Fruitdale and Bascom Stations on the Vasona Light Rail Project. 

Received and filed the Community Oriented Design Enhancements (CODE) Program Update - January through February 2005.

Received and filed the Report on the Vasona Light Rail Project for the Month of    January 2005.

Received and filed the Joint Powers Board Monthly Status Report.

(Removed from the Consent Agenda and placed on the Regular Agenda.)

Receive and file the Committee for Transit Accessibility Report.

Received and filed the Monthly Legislative Reports.

The Agenda was taken out of order.

REGULAR AGENDA

Received and filed the Committee for Transit Accessibility Report.

Mr. Grace requested a report on the Committee for Transit Accessibility Report. 

Elected Member Joe Pirzynski as Vice Chairperson for 2005. 

Approvedsubmitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to approve the recommended modifications to the Eligibility Certification process. 

Queried if CTA recommended the new Paratransit Eligibility Certification process.

Expressed concern that CTA did not provide a specific recommendation on the new Paratransit Eligibility Certification Process.   Queried if CTA would be in attendance at the March 3, 2005 Board of Directors’ Meeting.

Queried about the steps to be taken with the new Paratransit Eligibility Certification process versus the former process.

Staff referred to a spreadsheet comparing VTA’s Paratransit Eligibility Process to other transit agencies.   Requested that the spreadsheet be included in the staff report to the Board of Directors.

Queried if staff has simplified the Paratransit Eligibility Process to the fullest extent possible.

Requested that staff inform the Board of Directors at their March 3, 2005 Meeting that there will be circumstances that seem to stretch the system and to indicate the human accommodations that would be provided to address those issues.

Approved submitting a recommendation to the Board of Directors to authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with Cummins West, the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, for the purchase of 230 Bus Exhaust Emission Systems at a cost of $3,801,636.   Of this amount, approximately $1,790,305, or 47.1 percent, is funded by grants from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  This authorization is subject to FTA approval of a Buy America Waiver, which should be received by February 14, 2005.

Directed attention to the letter addressed to the TP&O Committee Members from    Martin Lassen, Johnson Matthey, Inc. (company partnered with Stewart and Stevenson, the unsuccessful bidder) and referred to their system, the EGRT system, which reduces nitrogen (NOx) emissions in transit buses by 40 percent vs. the Longview System, which reduces NOx emissions by 25 percent.  Queried about the dollars per percent of NOx reduction for the EGRT system versus the Longview system, which is 40 percent more.

Requested that staff indicate in the staff report that the unsuccessful bidder was not responsive.

OTHER ITEMS

Reviewed the Committee Work Plan.

Staff noted that the TP&O Committee Work Plan needs to be reviewed and updated and would be provided at the March 17, 2005 TP&O Meeting.

Committee Staff Report

Staff introduced Bernice Alaniz, the new Deputy Director of Marketing and Public Affairs.

Chairperson’s Report

There was no Chairperson’s Report.

Determined the Consent Agenda for the March 3, 2005 Board Meeting.

CONSENT: Item #5. Approve artist Diana Pumpelly Bates’ concept proposals for enhancements in the shelter canopy glass at the San Jose Diridon Station and for metal screens at the Fruitdale and Bascom Stations on the Vasona Light Rail Project and Item #13. Authorize the General Manager to execute a contract with Cummins West, the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, for the purchase of 230 Bus Exhaust Emission Systems at a cost of $3,801,636.  Of this amount, approximately $1,790,305, or 47.1 percent, is funded by grants from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  This authorization is subject to FTA approval of a Buy America Waiver, which should be received by February 14, 2005.  

REGULAR: Item #12. Approve the recommended modifications to the Eligibility Certification process.

Announcements

Announced the receipt of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority 2004 Report and distributed copies to TP&O Committee Members.  Staff noted that a formal mailing to the VTA Board of Directors would be done on Friday, February 18, 2005.

Staff announced the Zero-Emission Bus Demonstration Program Kick-Off Event to be held on Thursday, February 24, 2005.

Adjourned at 5:02 p.m.