Administration and Finance Committee Meeting
Draft Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
May 11, 2023, Meeting
1:30 PM–2:45 PM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform
Brian Kane, Chair, representing the MBTA Advisory Board
The Administration and Finance Committee agreed to the following:
See attendance on page 4.
There were none.
1. April 13, 2023, meeting summary (pdf)
2. April 13, 2023, meeting summary (html)
A motion to approve the summary of the meeting of April 13, 2023, was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) (Derek Krevat). The motion carried through a roll call vote.
3. Draft Operations Plan (pdf)
4. Draft Operations Plan (html)
Tegin Teich, Executive Director, introduced the draft Operations Plan for the Boston Region MPO for discussion and asked members to clarify edits made throughout the document, initially beginning with Section 4—Standing and Ad Hoc Committees. T. Teich stated that descriptions have been added or adjusted to outline the roles of the Administration and Finance, Unified Planning Work Program, Congestion Management, and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Process, Engagement, and Readiness committees.
D. Krevat shared feedback from MassDOT staff on the previous changes.
B. Kane suggested adding language to Section 4.1 to make it clear that committees are intended to make the work of the full MPO board more efficient and not intended to duplicate the work of the full MPO board.
T. Teich shared language on the establishment of ad hoc committees and suggested the revision of language detailing the selection of committee chairs.
T. Teich asked for clarification on the process of appointing voting members of standing and ad hoc committees. E. Bourassa spoke in support of an annual process to bring new members into standing committees, while ad hoc committee membership should be determined when the committees are established.
E. Bourassa and D. Krevat spoke in support of documenting the process of selecting members to be on committees. Lenard Diggins, Regional Transportation Advisory Council, cautioned against leaving committee selection to the chair and vice chair of the full board. B. Kane suggested proposing a slate of potential committee members annually. B. Kane suggested giving the MPO chair the ability to appoint new committee members mid-year.
B. Kane asked about best practices for providing virtual meeting guidelines at remote public meetings.
T. Teich reviewed language to give alternates the ability to vote in MPO board meetings when the designee is not present.
T. Teich reviewed language in Section 3.3—Board Member Expectations, and she stated that duplicate language also in the Communications Norms document has been removed.
T. Teich reviewed changes to Section 6—MPO Work.
T. Teich requested guidance on how often the Operations Plan should be maintained. L. Diggins suggested every four years to align with the federal certification reviews.
D. Krevat shared additional notes from MassDOT staff.
There were none.
A motion to adjourn was made by the MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.
|
Members |
Representatives and Alternates |
|
Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
Derek Krevat |
|
MBTA Advisory Board |
Brian Kane |
|
Metropolitan Area Planning Council |
Eric Bourassa |
|
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
Lenard Diggins |
|
MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Tegin Teich, Executive Director |
|
Silva Ayvazyan |
|
Annette Demchur |
|
Erin Maguire |
|
Gina Perille |
|
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 By Telephone: For people with hearing or speaking difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service: · Relay Using TTY or Hearing Carry-over: 800.439.2370 · Relay Using Voice Carry-over: 866.887.6619 · Relay Using Text to Speech: 866.645.9870 For more information, including numbers for Spanish speakers, visit https://www.mass.gov/massrelay. |