CapMetro Board, Austin City Council Meet to Take Project Connect Next Steps
AUSTIN, Texas (December 16, 2020) - On Friday, December 18 at 1 p.m., the CapMetro board of directors and Austin City Council will meet virtually to discuss next steps for implementing Project Connect and will form the Austin Transit Partnership.
The meeting is expected to include Project Connect program updates, including upcoming community engagement opportunities and the creation of an equity assessment tool. During the meeting, board and council members will also consider three action items regarding the Austin Transit Partnership.
The first action item includes the approval of a resolution to create the Austin Transit Partnership local government corporation, the adoption of the corporation’s articles of incorporation and bylaws and the appointment of the initial ATP board of directors.
The ATP will have independent governance and financial management leading the design and construction of the Project Connect transit expansion program. The organization will carry out these responsibilities with oversight from the ATP board.
The ATP board of directors is comprised of one Austin City Council member, one CapMetro board member and three community experts in each of the following areas: finance, engineering and construction, and community planning and sustainability. Resumes and letters of interest were required for each position, with over 36 applications received for the community expert positions. The joint CapMetro-Austin City Council nominating committee reviewed applications for the community expert positions and conducted interviews with potential candidates. During the joint meeting, the nominating committee will recommend the following candidates for each community expert position:
- Community Member with Expertise in Finance: Tony Elkins
- Community Member with Expertise in Engineering and Construction: Veronica Castro de Barrera
- Community Member with Expertise in Community Planning and Sustainability: Collette Pierce Burnett
During Friday’s meeting, the CapMetro board and Austin City Council will vote on the respective members from each of their organizations to join the ATP board.
More information about each position can be found on AustinTransitPartnership.org. Candidate bios and background information, as well as the articles of incorporation and bylaws can be reviewed on CapMetro.org/boardmeetings.
The second action item will see board and council members considering and voting on an amendment to an interlocal agreement between the city of Austin and CapMetro. This committee will be formed by the ATP board of directors and will assist in engaging the community and advising on anti-displacement and equity matters related to Project Connect.
In the final action item, the CapMetro board and Austin City Council will discuss a resolution recommending the ATP utilize community members with experience in certain fields useful in implementing the Project Connect System Plan. These individuals have expertise in areas such as engineering, construction, finance, community planning and sustainability and can contribute this expertise through appointment to technical committees, work groups or other appropriate ways as determined by the ATP board.
The following individuals have been recommended by the nominating committee to fulfill these roles: Art Alfaro, Karen Bondy, Samuel Franco, Patrick Howard, Frank Kitteridge, Cindy Matula and Heidi Ross. Each of these candidates expressed their commitment to Project Connect’s success, as well as their willingness to assist in implementing the transformational program.
The joint meeting will be broadcast live on ATXN.TV and CapMetro.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Jenna Maxfield, 512-592-2171