The May 8 Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) board meeting focused on presenting results from internal monitoring reports and updates. The meeting was hosted at its usual location: Carbondale Town Hall, with some attendees online.
RFTA CEO Kurt Ravenschlag presented several internal reporting methods for tracking how well the organization interacts with the public and staff. Resolutions 2025-19 and 20 detail goals for how employees relate with, and are perceived by, riders and fellow staff.
Resolution 2025-19 focuses on whether the public feels safe and comfortable using RFTA services and facilities. According to Ravenschlag’s report, annual monitoring indicates that the organization is in compliance with these objectives.
Resolution 2025-20 focuses on internal safety and comfort. Its main objectives are to ensure a safe work environment for all RFTA employees and verify that staff are well trained and informed on regional emergency response plans. As with the previous resolution, internal monitoring indicates that RFTA is in compliance.
For the final section of the consent agenda, Director of Finance Paul Hamilton presented a resolution authorizing the CEO and financial delegates to open a new account at Alpine Bank. This is in response to a recommendation from the bank to close the organization’s old general account, which has been open since 2005, and replace it with a new general account. Ravenschlag, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Michael Yang and Hamilton will have authorization status for this account and RFTA’s payroll and short-term investment accounts.
Ravenschlag responded to public concerns expressed during the April board meeting. In April, bus operator Edward Anderson stepped forward on behalf of colleagues to raise concerns about a safety metric: the AlertMeter test, which drivers must take at the beginning of shifts. Anderson shared that the test does not accurately assess cognitive awareness or account for people who may be poor test takers but reliable drivers.
“Fatigue is one of the major concerns amongst commercially licensed drivers, and a number of new technologies have been developed to help battle fatigue amongst safety sensitive jobs,” said Ravenschlag. “For certain job classifications, RFTA has implemented the AlertMeter fit-for-duty system to help employees and RFTA detect and respond to potential situations where an employee may be experiencing difficulty with alertness or distraction due to fatigue, medical conditions, illness, emotional stress, the influence of drugs or alcohol or other reasons.”
However, Ravenschlag emphasized that the AlertMeter is not a medical test and that it is not intended to be used as a disciplinary measure. “It is only designed to detect if an employee is performing outside of a baseline alertness range that is individual to each employee and based on the employee’s past AlertMeter results,” Ravenschlag said. If a result flags attention, the intent is to create an opportunity for a supervisor or manager to check with that employee confidentially about their wellbeing.
Ravenschlag also provided an update about the Iron Mountain Place employee housing project. He shared that the 42 studio units were already being rented out early this year. Finance staff is working on lease financing plans to replenish RFTA’s fund balance and recover costs. Finance aims to complete this process by November 2025, and will share additional details in board meetings over the next six months.
The next board meeting will occur June 12 at 8:30am in Carbondale. The public is also able to join via Webex. An agenda will be available at www.rfta.com a week ahead of the meeting.