Draft Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Administration and Finance Committee Meeting Summary
June 11, 2020, Meeting
9:00 AM–9:30 AM, Zoom videoconferencing platform
Tina Cassidy, Interim Chair, representing Scott D. Galvin, Mayor, City of Woburn
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Administration and Finance (A&F) Committee agreed to the following:
Materials for this meeting included the following:
T. Cassidy called the meeting to order and Matt Archer, MPO staff, read the accessibility statement. See attendance on page 5.
There were none.
A motion to approve the meeting minutes was made by Ben Muller (Massachusetts Department of Transportation [MassDOT]) and seconded by the Brian Kane (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority [MBTA] Advisory Board). The motion carried.
H. Gandhi presented the budget. She drew the committee’s attention to the three documents in the budget package:
The CTPS SFY 2021 Revenue Assumptions Table details the revenue expectation for SFY 2021. The total projected revenue is expected to be $6,448,000, which is a four percent increase over last year’s projections. Seventy-five percent of the total projected revenue is funded with the 3C MPO contracts. (The 3C process is named as such, because it is considered continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive.) Approximately 14 percent of the total revenue is from the MassDOT Statewide Planning and Research contract and other MassDOT contracts. MBTA contracts account for eight percent of the expected revenue. The remaining three percent of the revenue is expected to come from municipal and other contracts.
H. Gandhi presented the CTPS SFY 2021 Operating Budget. There are 58 full-time professional positions budgeted for SFY 2021, along with supplemental nonprofessional staff, including interns and temporary staff for special projects (i.e. data collection). Seven positions will be vacant at the start of the fiscal year and CTPS hopes to fill them in the near future.
The Direct Cost section of the budget totals $185,500. These costs are specifically related to the direct expenses incurred under certain contracts. The Data Processing Equipment line item ($43,500) supports the CTPS Proposed Five-Year Computer Plan. Travel and Transportation costs ($12,000) is allocated for attendance at professional development events and client meetings. This also includes reimbursement for travel to collect data and conduct field reconnaissance. Due to the pandemic, the budget for this year is significantly less than in previous years. CTPS does not anticipate staff traveling in the near future to attend conferences. Expenses related to language translation for MPO documents, meeting announcements and other materials, and an allowance for printing surveys and unanticipated costs, are funded in the Other line item ($30,000). In addition to these line items, there is $100,000 budgeted for hiring a consultant to conduct the CTPS Five-Year Strategic Plan.
H. Gandhi noted that Total Indirect Costs are programmed at $3,222,500. Generally speaking, CTPS’s indirect expenses are fairly stable with fluctuations due to staff size, inflation, or special initiatives. The projected spending for SFY 2020 for Unemployment Insurance was higher than projected. This is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to furlough the CTPS data collection staff. CTPS hopes to get all of the staff back on payroll as soon as possible, but given the uncertainty, staff increased the budget by $10,000 for SFY 2021.
H. Gandhi noted that CTPS has allocated a significantly higher amount for external printing. This is to support the public outreach program and printing brochures for the MPO 101’s and other certification activities.
Dividing the annual indirect costs of $3,222,500 by the annual direct salaries of $3,040,000 yields a provisional overhead rate for SFY 2021 of 106.00 percent.
Len Diggins (Regional Transportation Advisory Council) asked why CTPS needs outside consultants for the Strategic Planning process. Tegin Teich (Executive Director, CTPS) noted that the consultant will focus on the organizational assessment and that CTPS does not have that expertise on staff and cannot hire for this effort, because this assessment needs to happen every five to ten years. T. Teich stated that she is happy to share the scope of work with anyone who is interested.
H. Gandhi reviewed the Five-Year Computer Plan that is budgeted for $43,500 for SFY 2021. The plan includes replacement of an existing active directory host server that runs Windows 19. The current server runs Windows 12 and is reaching its end-of-life.
It also includes routine replacement of TransCAD workstations for model runs. The outer years of the plan continue to support the replacement of aging equipment and upgrading infrastructure and storage needs.
A motion was made by B. Muller to recommend approval of the CTPS SFY 2021 Operating Budget to the full MPO board, and the motion was seconded by L. Diggins. The motion passed unanimously.
B. Kane suggested that the A&F Committee meetings occur on a quarterly basis, instead of annually. Tina Cassidy agreed, and supported scheduling the next meeting in September.
A motion to adjourn was made by B. Kane and seconded by B. Muller. The motion carried.
| Members |
Representatives and Alternates |
|---|---|
City of Woburn |
Tina Cassidy |
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Office of Transportation Planning) |
Ben Muller |
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
Lenard Diggins |
MBTA Advisory Board |
Brian Kane |
| MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|---|
Tegin Teich, Executive Director |
Annette Demchur, Director of Policy and Planning |
Scott Peterson, Director of Technical Services |
Hiral Gandhi, Director of Operations and Finance |
Jonathan Church, Certification Activities Group Manager |
Matt Archer, Transportation Planner |
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) operates its programs, services, and activities in compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations. Title VI prohibits discrimination in federally assisted programs and requires that no person in the United States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency), be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives federal assistance. Related federal nondiscrimination laws administered by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, or both, prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, and disability. The Boston Region MPO considers these protected populations in its Title VI Programs, consistent with federal interpretation and administration. In addition, the Boston Region MPO provides meaningful access to its programs, services, and activities to individuals with limited English proficiency, in compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation policy and guidance on federal Executive Order 13166. The Boston Region MPO also complies with the Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law, M.G.L. c 272 sections 92a, 98, 98a, which prohibits making any distinction, discrimination, or restriction in admission to, or treatment in a place of public accommodation based on race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or ancestry. Likewise, the Boston Region MPO complies with the Governor's Executive Order 526, section 4, which requires that all programs, activities, and services provided, performed, licensed, chartered, funded, regulated, or contracted for by the state shall be conducted without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, disability, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era veterans), or background. A complaint form and additional information can be obtained by contacting the MPO or at http://www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination. To request this information in a different language or in an accessible format, please contact Title VI Specialist |