PLACEMENT: Departmental
TITLE:
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COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR/TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED PROGRAM UPDATE
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
executive summary
The Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) program is administered through our Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and provides transportation services to some of our most vulnerable citizens. Senior Resource Associates has been our contracted Community Transportation Coordinator (CTC) since 2018, and will present an overview of the current program, as well as a request to increase grant match funding to allow them to pursue Innovative Service Development (ISD) grants that will become available later this year, or to overmatch the State grant funds with local funds.
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DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PREPARED BY: Name: James Gorton
Title: Public Works Director
REQUESTED BY: None
PRESET:
PROCEDURES: None
BACKGROUND/RELATED STRATEGIC GOAL:
TD clients must be preapproved through a screening process and meet certain eligibility requirements including: elderly (over 65) with no other means of transportation; disabled with no other means of transportation; or at or below 100% of the poverty level with no other means of transportation. Currently there are approximately 400 registered TD clients in the County. TD trips are available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 7 PM and on Saturday from 8 AM to 5 PM.
State funding is made available through the Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged (CTD) and requires a minimum local match of 10%. The funding amount is based on formula that encompasses a number of factors including: the county’s TD population; miles of public roads in the County; the number of TD trips reimbursed in the previous calendar year; and the base funding variable, which is a percentage of the TD grant funding from the previous calendar year.
The number of TD trips is a function of need coupled with available funding. In the past 5 years the number of TD trips peaked in 2019/2020 with nearly 12,000 trips, with state grant funding of $455,896, and a local match of $45,590. There are approximately 9,500 projected trips this year, with state funding of $369,957 and a local match of $36,996. This year the CTC has had to limit the number of TD trips per client to 3 round trips per week because of the available funding. The projected funding for next year is $300,098. The County match is 10% minimum, however, many communities opt to overmatch the grant to provide additional service for their vulnerable citizenry. Due to the way that the grant formula is weighted, as trips decrease the state grant decreases, so we will continue to see a decline in state funding under the current model.
The MPO and CTC would like to explore the possibility of restoring the funding to the 2019/2020 level so they can expand the TD service to more clients and do not have to limit the number of trips for the next fiscal year. Several options will be discussed in the presentation, including increasing funding to match Innovation Service Development grants that are available, overmatching the state grant funding, or a combination of the two.
ISSUES:
None
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY REVIEW:
None
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECOMMENDATION
Move that the board approve additional grant match funding from the $65,074 currently budgeted to $108,344 to provide 10% match for the ISD grant. Further, approve the use of any unused grant match funds as overmatch for operating expenses in the event that a grant is not awarded in any given year.
ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Move that the board approve an increase in budget from the $65,074 currently budgeted to $150,044 to restore TD funding to the 2019 level.
FISCAL IMPACT:
RECOMMENDATION
Approve additional grant match funding from the $65,074 currently budgeted to $108,344. Further, approve the use of any unused grant match funds for operating expenses in the event that a grant is not awarded in any given year.
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Funding Source |
County Funds |
Non-County Funds |
|
General Fund |
$43,270 |
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Subtotal |
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Project Total |
$43,270 |
¶ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Increase funding by $118,314 to restore the 2019 TD service funding to be used as overmatch.
DOCUMENT(S) REQUIRING ACTION:
☐Budget Transfer / Amendment ☐ Chair Letter ☐Contract / Agreement
☐Grant / Application ☐Notice ☐Ordinance ☐Resolution
☐Other:
This document may be reproduced upon request in an alternative format by contacting the County ADA Coordinator (772) 320-3131, the County Administration Office (772) 288-5400, Florida Relay 711, or by completing our accessibility feedback form at www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback <http://www.martin.fl.us/accessibility-feedback>.