{"id":1183,"date":"2012-01-11T15:49:54","date_gmt":"2012-01-11T20:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/01\/public-transportation-and-public-records-in-lowndes-county.html"},"modified":"2012-01-11T15:49:54","modified_gmt":"2012-01-11T20:49:54","slug":"public-transportation-and-public-records-in-lowndes-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/01\/public-transportation-and-public-records-in-lowndes-county.html","title":{"rendered":"Public transportation and public records in Lowndes County"},"content":{"rendered":"Jane Osborn asked me 6 Jan 2011:\n
\nHere are the notices about public transportation that was supposed to\nbe done some time ago. I am trying to figure out how the county will\ncompensate private providers for all this transportation.\n<\/blockquote>\nGood question.\nI can’t answer it, but maybe I can point at some related information\nthat might help.\n

\nShe was referring to two public notices in the VDT of that same day,\nExhibit 8B<\/a>,\nwhich is about the MIDS service,\n\n<\/a>\nwhich is one of the ones in the list in\nExhibit 8A<\/a>.\nIf you call MIDS, a small van will pick you up and deliver you,\nall for a flat fee, if I understand it correctly. It’s the closest\nthing we have to a bus system around here.\n

\nIt looks like MIDS comes up for renewal about every two years, according to the agendas:\n\n\n

\n
\n23 June 2009<\/a><\/DT>\n
\ne. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Supplemental Agreement\n
\nSection 5311 Rural Transportation Program Supplemental\nAgreement<\/strong>, County Engineer, Mike Fletcher, presented the\nagreement, explaining that the agreement was due to a realignment\nin federal funding and would not result in any cost to the county.\nVice Chairperson Evans made a motion to approve the agreement,\nCommissioner Lee second. Motion carried.\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/DD>\n
\n27 October 2009<\/a><\/DT>\n
\n6.e. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Stimulus Contract\n
\nSection 5311 Rural Transportation Program Stimulus Contract<\/strong>, County\nEngineer, Mike Fletcher, presented the contract. Commissioner Lee made\na motion to approve the contract and accept stimulus funding in the\namount of $68,600.00, at no cost to the county, Commissioner Evans\nsecond. Motion carried.\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/DD>\n
\n\n11 July 2011<\/a>,\n12 July 2011<\/a>\n<\/DT>\n
\n7.a. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Operating Contracts\n<\/DD>\n
\n\n10-11 October 2011<\/a>\n<\/DT>\n
\n8.b. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Capital Contract\n<\/DD>\n
\n\n7 November 2011<\/a><\/DT>\n
\n7.a. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Drug and Alcohol\nTesting Policy\n<\/DD>\n<\/DL>\nIt may have come up more times than that; that’s just what I found\nwith a quick look through old agendas.\nThere may be further information in the various minutes.\nImagine what you could find if the county posted\nits agendas and minutes on the web in HTML so they’d be easily searchable!\nAt least they do post them in PDF, which is more than most local\nappointed boards do.\n

\nAll those contracts and policies presumable are also public records,\nretrievable through open records requests. I would hope some\nof the contracts would have the specifics on compensation you seek.\n

\nExhibit 8B<\/a>\nsays you can ask for a public hearing if you want to\nsay something to the Commission about it.\n

\nCommissioner Joyce Evans claims credit for getting the MIDS system working,\nso she probably knows everything there is to know about it.\n

\n-jsq\n

\nPS: Appended are the two notices,\nEXHIBIT 8A<\/a>\nand\nEXHIBIT 8B<\/a>\nwhich I found on\n\nthe VDT’s online public notice search thing<\/a>,\ncategory miscellaneous,\nkeyword transportation.\nThe county’s own web pages have a link for Public Notices<\/a>,\nbut none of this kind of public notice is included there.\n

\nEXHIBIT 8A<\/a>\n
\nPRIVATE ENTERPRISE\n
\nCOORDINATION\n
\nCERTIFICATION\n<\/strong><\/center>\nList of private providers operating in the service area:\n
\nFive Star Taxi\n
\n244-TAXI\n
\nMIDS, Inc.\n
\nAzalea City Cab Company\n
\nAA Superior Transportation Taxi\n
\nAzalea City Limousine Service\n
\nPrestige Transportation\n
\n1 800 Limo Now\n
\n5 Star Limousine Service\n
\nH.L. Brown Limo Service\n
\nSuper Suds Limo Service\n
\nAll Star Limousine\n
\nAirport Express LLC\n
\nPearl Executive Shuttle\n
\nApex Limousine\n
\nRegional Emergency Medical Services\n
\nChecker Cab\n
\nLegacy Coaches\n
\nExecutive Travel Services\n<\/blockquote>\nDate Notified: January 6th, 2012\n

\nAttach Notice and Affidavit from newspaper or letter sent to private\nproviders.

\nLast Day to Respond: January 24th, 2012\n

\nLowndes County will annually review existing service and any\nproposed service changes to determine the feasibility of private\nproviders providing the public service. An annual review will be\nscheduled and a review format will be developed to carry out this\ntask. Private providers will be notified and their interest in the\nservice provision will be assessed. Private providers will be\ninvited to attend and be a part of the annual review process.

\nDate: January 24th, 2012\n

\nSignature of Authorized Officer\n

\nAshley Paulk, Chairman\n
\nName and Title\n
\nof Authorized Officer\n
\n00021285\n
\n01\/06\/12\n

\nEXHIBIT 8B<\/a>\n
\nNOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY\n
\nFOR A PUBLIC HEARING\n
\nPRIVATE ENTERPRISE\n
\nCOORDINATION RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM\n<\/strong><\/center>\nLowndes County is applying for funding assistance under Title 49\nU.S.C. Section 5311 of the Federal Transit Act pertaining to rural\nand small urban areas.

\nLowndes County will offer general public transportation to all\ncitizens of Lowndes County for any worthwhile purpose, including but\nnot limited to shopping, medical treatment, social services and\nother purposes.

\nLowndes County solicits private sector input and participation to\nassure that private for-profit transportation operators have a fair\nand timely opportunity to participate in the development of this\nprogram.

\nLowndes County also solicits comments and concerns from the general\npopulation on local rural public transportation services.

\nLowndes County also solicits comments and concerns from the disabled\npopulation and their representatives to assure that issues relating\nto the disabled are addressed in the service design proposed during\nthe planning process.

\nInterested persons are invited to request that a public hearing be\nheld to discuss the services being offered or development of the\napplication.

\nWritten comments, requests for a public hearing and\/or written\nnotice of intent by private for-profit transportation operators to\nprovide or participate in any or all of the above services should be\nsubmitted no later than fifteen (15) days from the date of this\npublication to:

\nAshley Paulk\n
\nLowndes County Board\n
\nof Commissioners\n
\n327 N. Ashley Street\n
\nValdosta, GA 31601\n
\n229-671-2400\n

\nIf no response is received within the fifteen (15) days, the\nDepartment of Transportation will proceed with the application.

\n00021286\n

\n01\/06\/12\n

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