The Aug. 8 Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board of directors meeting saw quick approval of several resolutions. The group unanimously passed resolutions on adopting a proposed zero-emission fleet transition plan, RFTA’s new Climate Action Plan and authorizing First and Last Mile Mobility (FLMM) reserve grants. There was more discussion around the 2024 Strategic Plan which was presented at the July meeting. After slight adjustments suggested by Carbondale Trustee Colin Laird, the Strategic Plan was duly adopted.
Presentations and action items
Director of finance Paul Hamilton shared highlights on RFTA’s financial sustainability and current focuses. A top priority for RFTA in the coming months is aligning the budget with strategy outcomes. In response, the finance department is working with other departments to draft a 2025 transit service plan based on 2024 data and establish departmental operations budget estimates.
Hamilton highlighted a few items, including the quest to secure additional funding for Iron Mountain Place employee housing improvements and ongoing projects to fund battery electric bus transitions. Another focus for RFTA is finalizing cost estimates for employee healthcare, the price of which is split between the authority and employees. RFTA anticipates that healthcare costs will continue to increase and intends to minimize premium increases. The board had a short discussion on this, including mention of the Valley Health Alliance and its resources as a point of reference.
Mobility coordinator David Pesnichak then shared details on RFTA’s role in regional FLMM efforts. A popular aspect of FLMM in the Valley has been bike-sharing services. RFTA invested in WE-Cycle as a founding partner in 2013 and became its primary funder in 2022. Current RFTA contracts for contributing funds extend through 2028. Planned WE-Cycle expansions include a 2025 project for Snowmass Village and a 2026 launch in Glenwood Springs.
Pesnichak then elaborated on RFTA’s vehicle microtransit history. Aspen’s Downtowner on-demand bus service started in 2016 to alleviate congestion and address unmet worker and tourist needs. Snowmass Village’s on-demand service differs in model; the broader village shuttle fleet fills requests, unlike Aspen’s discrete on-demand vehicles. Basalt’s Downtowner program has been popular, and is still 50% funded by RFTA. Carbondale’s brand-new on-demand program is modeled on that 50/50 funding split. On-demand planning microtransit for Glenwood Springs is expected to start soon.
The FLMM seed funding program started in 2021. RFTA intends for this money to initiate programs and get them functional for the first three years. The funding source for these seed initiatives comes from 10% of RFTA’s surplus in a given year. Because surplus is not stable year to year, it is difficult to set hard timelines for multi-year projects.
The board responded enthusiastically to this report and in favor of potential e-bike additions to WE-Cycle from Aspen, Snowmass and Carbondale. Colin Laird noted to the group that Carbondale’s current share of FLMM investment is 5% of the town’s entire budget. 10% (what it would be without RFTA contributions) is not feasible.
CEO report
Outgoing CEO Dan Blankenship formally addressed the board for the very last time. Those convened expressed gratitude for Blankenship and emphasized that he will be missed before he proceeded with the report.
A Sales Tax Exemption request had been denied by the State of Colorado. RFTA purchased materials for renovations of the 42-unit Iron Mountain Place employee housing complex and requested tax exemption for the project. RFTA is appealing this decision to convince state government of the necessity for employee housing. The process is ongoing.
The board feels passionately that employee housing is essential. They expressed hope that the appeals process succeeds, as well as disbelief that RFTA is not exempt from sales tax when school districts are. Blankenship was glad that there is energy around this appeal. “It just makes sense,” he said. “We don’t know why the Department of Revenue has been so slow and reluctant on this.”
After a quick operational department update from Kurt Ravenschlag, RFTA’s next CEO, the meeting entered into an executive session for “CEO succession planning.”
Agendas, which include minutes and Zoom links for upcoming meetings, are available at www.rfta.com/board-meetings