2015-31 MTS minutes 23June15 28July15

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Communication No. 2015 -31 PCDP Mass Transit Subcommittee minutes, June 23 and July 28, 2015 June 23 - In attendance: June Conant, Rusty Jones, and Hannah Hedrick, Jesse Floyd, State Developmental Disabilities Advocate and Danny Paleka, Hawai'i County Council District 5 representative, were guests. Because Jesse was present, much of the meeting centered on the upcoming Disability Legislative Forum on August 20 in Hilo. The three main topics of discussion will be transportation, employment and housing. There will be information on laws and acts and local and state legislators will be invited. Booths from different agencies will be present and Hannah will be promoting the East Hawaii Citizens' Action Committee to Improve Transportation. The committee discussed the latest Federal lawsuit against Hawai'i County by a disabled person, Ed Muegge, who has challenged the availability of para- transit on this island. Mass Transit stated that it has provided adequate service in this area, but the county is going to make a settlement in this case. At the May PCDP meeting, the letter to Danny to request the formation of a Mass Transit Advisory Committee with representatives from all the island counties was approved and sent to him June 9. The committee feels that this is vital to gather all concerns and ideas regarding mass transit prior to any study being done. June has requested maps from Civil Defense to assist in studying how best to propose sub and spoke ideas for Puna. July 28 - In attendance: Hannah Hedrick, Rusty Jones, and June Conant. Hannah has revised the title of her citizens committee from East Hawaii Citizens' Action Committee to Improve Transportation to Hawaii Island CAC to Improve Transportation. Now that there will be a county wide transit study, she feels the new title is more appropriate. She will be representing this group at the Disability Forum August 20. June received a message from Danny Paleka that he and Tiffany Kai had met with Neighborhood Place of Puna to discuss transportation needs for the elderly and disabled, but he had not started to organize a county wide advisory group. We all agreed that we should not wait for Tiffany to implement an outreach; something needs to be started now and it would be best through Danny's office. Also mentioned is that there should be an audit of Mass Transit to determine where federal and state monies have been used or not implemented. June has the maps from Civil Defense, so at the next meeting work can begin to identify possibilities for hub and spoke routes. The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 23, 2015 at 3:30 pm. Respectfully submitted, June Conant