06/07/1983 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 6/7/83 -9- Mr. Wilamosky addressed fihe issue of th e North Olmsted Municipal Bus Line and stated that his personal perception is that RTA is attempting to drive the City out of business. RTA has acquired over 300 new buses since its inception some years ago. North Olmsted, an arm of the Regional Transit Authority, has not re- ceived one new bus. Mr. Wilamosky feels that through attrition, through the wearing out of equipment, the RTA board is attempting to discredit the fine record that the North Olmsted Bus Line has held for many years, not only with holding costs down but by providing a service incomparable to any other service in the County, perhaps even in the State, with respect to maintenance, driver courtesy, cleanliness of vehicles and dependability of vehicies. Mr. Wilamosky is more and more concerned with the poor equipment RTA has been sending out, in same instances eveti being de- livered by tow trucks. What efforts has the Mayor made to secure new buses for North Olmsted? Securing some new bus shelters is fine but we need buses in good mechanical and safe conditions. Mayor replied that he has requested new equipment; has looked into getting a percentage of funding that wi1L be channeled to RTA through a grant process; cannot go down there and literally take the buses; will continue to request new buses to replace some of those that just cannot be repaired any more. RTA officials claim that there are not enough new buses to go around; they are all being utilized. Law Director pointed out that the City has filed a federal anti- trust case against RTA and one of the allegations of unfair eompetition happens to be just what is being discussed. The issue has been in the Federal Courts, before the District Court and the 5ixth Circuit Court in Cincinnati. Since the case was argued some two months ago, the City of North Olmsted has nat received a decision. This decision is obviously going to be important. Even if we are not successful, the doors are not closed as far as further legal procedure is coneerned. If the case is lost in the Appeals Court, Law Director believes another action can be brought in Comnon Pleas Court to enforce the court order rendered by Judge Matia. Judge Matia ruled that the Regional Transit Authority had the obligation to provide transit service throughout the entire county, including the City of North Olmsted. This could be done in one of three ways. RTA could purchase theNorth Olmsted Bus Line; it is not for sale so they cannot do it that way. They could run parallel and competing lines; they have not chosen to do that. Lastlp, they. could do it through an agreement. If they are effectively hampering the service North Olmsted performs under the one system, they are basically breaching that contract and the City has a viable cauase of action to go back into court and ask that the court order them to send us new btuses or provide us with sufficient funds to purchase new buses. Law Director believes these options are always open; by September wi11 be able to report further. Khowing what was done in Cincinnati, if North Olmsted gets a reversal and it goes back to the Federal District Court, we will then negotiate. Thinks Council should be involved and provide input in the negotiation process; hopes to come up with a new, five year agreement whieh would include something about new buses, attrition and things of that nature. Mrs. Petrigac again discussed the problems on Edgepark, Sanders Lane and Woodpark which have been under investigation since July of 1982. Service Director has not provided the facts and figures that he had promised to obtain. What has to be done to get the facts and figures to these residents so they ean decide what direction they want to take. Ma.yor said it would be looked into. Mrs. Petrigac replied that at every single meeting the promise was ma.de to "look into it". Since the Mayor is the Service Director's immediate supervisor, Mrs. Petrigac is asking hist to please get the information to Council within the next few days. Law Director noted that this is a private drainage system; Service Director was asked to do something that the residents themselves could do. Mrs. Petrigac responded that i$ July of 1982, Mr. Corrigan voluntarily promised to get information back to the residents. At no point since then has he indicafied that he would not fulfill that promise. Mr. Wilamosky pointed out that the Service Director did, at one point, report that he had talked to a contractor, Mr. Limpert, and received an estimate of around $14,000 which Mr. Limpert subsequently wanted to verify because of rocky conditions.