Administration and Finance Committee Meeting
Draft Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
June 1, 2023, Meeting
9:00 AM–9:45 AM, 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 7.
There were none.
1. April 27, 2023, meeting summary (pdf) (html)
1. SFY 2024 Operating Budget Memo (pdf) (html)
2. SFY 2024 Operating Budget (pdf) (html)
3. SFY 2024 Revenue Projections (pdf) (html)
H. Gandhi presented the SFY 2024 budget and revenue projections for Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), the staff to the Boston Region MPO. SFY 2024 begins on July 1, 2023, and ends on June 30, 2024. Total revenue for SFY 2024 is projected to be $7,850,000. Approximately 75 percent, or $5.8 million, comes from the MPO; nine percent, or $692,000, comes from MassDOT; eight percent, or $659,000, comes from the MBTA; and eight percent, or $650,000, comes from other sources. The projected revenue has increased by 13 percent, which can be attributed to the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant.
The SFY 2024 projected operating expenses is $7,850,000. Operating expenses include salaries, insurance, rent, office supplies, training, the fiduciary agent fee, internet and phone, and other technology. Approximately $3.97 million, or 51 percent of the budget, is allocated for administrative expenses; $3.3 million, or 42 percent, is allocated for direct labor; and $580,000, or seven percent, is allocated for direct costs. The projected overhead rate is expected to be 120.30 percent, an increase from the SFY 2023 overhead rate of 119.34 percent.
The payroll is budgeted for 61 total staff members; seven are administrative positions and eleven positions are currently vacant.
H. Gandhi discussed notable line item changes in the budget, found in Table 1 with notes.
Table 1
SFY 2024 Operating Budget Notable Changes
|
Line Item |
Projected Year-End SFY 2023 Expenses |
Proposed SFY 2024 Budget |
Notes |
|
4. Consultants |
$6,000 |
$405,000 |
Consultants to be used for Safe Streets and Roads for All grant work |
|
8. Other (Incentives, Printing, Unanticipated) |
$7,500 |
$36,500 |
Support incentives for public engagement efforts |
|
16. Unemployment |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
Cautious budgeting for an increase in unemployment claims, which must be covered in full by the agency |
|
34. IT Equipment Repairs |
$0 |
$0 |
Previous budgets included expenses for the braille printer, used for a project that has been completed |
|
36. Office Maintenance and Repair |
$2,000 |
$10,000 |
Increased budget to allow for office space maintenance to meet staff needs |
|
39. Postage |
$0 |
$0 |
Previous document exchange, which required postage, has transitioned to electronic methods |
|
43. Professional Services – Legal |
$5,000 |
$25,000 |
Support visa sponsorships for staff |
|
44. Professional Services – Compensation Planning |
$0 |
$5,000 |
Increasing efforts to attract and retain staff through benchmarking positions based on job market data |
|
57. Miscellaneous |
$40,000 |
$10,000 |
The annual cost of the finance management system has been moved to line 56. |
Discussion
Lenard Diggins, Regional Transportation Advisory Council, asked about the potential to move CTPS from its current office space. Tegin Teich, Executive Director, stated that administrative priorities within MassDOT leadership have changed, so previous plans to renovate office spaces in the building to better accommodate hybrid work have been delayed.
A motion to recommend that the Boston Region MPO approve the SFY 2024 Operating Budget for CTPS, was made by the MAPC (E. Bourassa) and seconded by the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (City of Framingham) (Dennis Giombetti). The motion carried.
1. Draft Operations Plan (pdf) (html)
B. Kane stated that the goal of this agenda item is to address final edits made to the Operations Plan for the Boston Region MPO and to vote to bring it to the full MPO board.
B. Kane read the first comment on the posted document, asking why a process is referenced if it has never been needed before. B. Kane stated that the purpose of the Operations Plan is to offer contingencies in the event unforeseen circumstances. E. Bourassa stated that the outlined procedure could be beneficial in the event that there is an in-person board meeting.
E. Bourassa stated, relating to board member interactions with the press, that board members should be encouraged to bring the media request to the attention of MPO staff, but that it is the MPO member’s responsibility to determine an appropriate response. T. Teich stated that the section has been simplified, stating that members should contact MPO staff to notify them about the request.
T. Teich summarized the proposed changes on page 33 of the posted document. Many comments received questioned the necessity of quarterly updates on Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) projects when there are existing coordinating channels for this information. D. Krevat stated that commenters were concerned about creating new processes. T. Teich stated that the intended process is for implementing agencies to provide MPO staff with project updates, which staff present to the MPO, and implementing agencies are then able to address any questions that arise.
A motion to approve the draft Operations Plan and bring it to the full MPO board, contingent on minor editorial changes, was made by the MAPC (E. Bourassa) and seconded by the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (L. Diggins). The motion carried.
1. Draft Communication Norms (pdf) (html)
T. Teich stated that the only edit to the Communication Norms was to maintain consistency throughout the document when referring to the chair, vice-chair, or their designees.
A motion to approve the draft Communication Norms and bring it to the full MPO board for consideration was made by the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (L. Diggins) and seconded by the MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.
T. Teich thanked the committee and MPO staff for their work to produce the Operations Plan and Communication Norms.
A motion to adjourn was made by the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (L. Diggins) and seconded 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 |
|
MetroWest Regional Collaborative, City of Framingham |
Dennis Giombetti |
|
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
Lenard Diggins |
|
Other Attendees |
Affiliation |
|
Brad Rawson |
Inner Core Committee, City of Somerville |
|
Jon Seward |
MoveMassachusetts |
|
MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Tegin Teich, Executive Director |
|
Silva Ayvazyan |
|
Annette Demchur |
|
Hiral Gandhi |
|
Erin Maguire |
|
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. |