02/15/2005 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 2/151205 that time, he has analyzed the numbers. RTA had said the acquisition would save them $1.8 million. NOMBL management clearly came up with a savings of $400,000. The union and analysis tell him that there's another $600,000 of available savings, which brings it down to $800,000. In that range, we can talk to anybody about staying open. He plans to meet with the RTA finance person later this week. If we are talking about a $600,000 difference, then RTA doesn't have much of a case to stand on. With regard to NOCOP, it is the most exciting bus system in Ohio. The county is interested in it because nobody is serving that market and Mr. Calabrese was clear in the fact that he didn't know how to serve it with his circulator buses. If we can't get a reasonable independent study done, he does not see how RTA can take over. The final thing that gives him confidence is that at the NOMBL meeting the last statement by Congressman Dennis Kucinich was, "You will not have this shoved dawn your throat. I guarantee it." He made that same promise 25 years ago and saved Muny Light, and this is exactly the same situation. We don't have to lose this bus system, and we can operate it efficiently. But he keeps hearing people in management and people in government acting like it's over and there isn't any more we can do. It's all about money, and he thinks we have some money cards to play. Law Director Dubelko said he and others have spoken to NOMBL General Mgr. Tom Terbrack who knows the bus line operations better than anybody else. The $600,000 or $700,000 in savings that Mr. Whiting and Mr. Bowman are alluding to would be generated out from not replacing the 11 employees who are retiring. He has never been told by Mr. Terbrack that we can take 11 positions and trim the bus. line down to 53 or 52 individuals and operate it. What he is being told is we need every single one of those employees to run the routes. You can slice $1.8 million out of it by laying off employees or through attrition, but it doesn't mean you're going to operate the line and maintain your obligations with RTA. Finance Director Copfer explained that NOMBL runs a lot of rush hour buses, and we need those employees to run the rush hour buses. There is a lot of time during the day that makes us less efficient. She does not believe we can run the bus line without those employees unless those positions are filled with lower paid, part-time employees. If that is what Mr. Whiting is referring to as concessions that the union is willing to look at, we can look at it but she doesn't know that it will make up the other $800,000. She's always willing to listen. Mr. Whiting said he was not accusing the Law Director of not sharing information. The purpose of his statements goes to what the Finance Director pointed out. The belief that Mr. Terbrack has about staffing levels has not been discussed adequately or at any time in any way shape or form with the union. Out of those ten employees that are retiring, three of them are mechanics, two of them are dispatchers, one of them is a parts man, which really only reduces the drivers' work force by four. There are rumors circulating that RTA feels our work force is far too high and that changes need to be in the work force to be more efficient. Those are the types of facts and information that he is asking be presented. Over the last five years, RTA has reduced the type of work that the NOMBL mechanics can do. All of the major work is sent down to RTA. This has frustrated the 8