In marked contrast to the light agenda of RFTA’s November board meeting, the December meeting agenda was full of resolutions and presentations up for approval before the end of the year. In most meetings, the board packet (available for public viewing at www.rfta.com) ranges between 50 and 80 total pages. The December packet spanned 238 pages, including the fourth and final iteration of the 2025 proposed budget.
Items on the December consent agenda included a resolution to accept RFTA’s housing program development report, a resolution for an intergovernmental agreement to provide transportation services for seniors in Garfield County and a resolution to authorize the associated memorandum of understanding between RFTA and the six involved governing bodies. The latter two resolutions support Garfield County, Rifle, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, New Castle and Silt in administrating meal services and essential transport for senior citizens.
Following the consent agenda, the first action item pulled significant attention: a resolution to approve an agreement between RFTA and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1774, effectively averting the planned January 2025 driver strike. As of late, ATU Local 1774 President Ed Cortez and RFTA CEO Kurt Ravenschlag met regularly with an aim to overcome the collective bargaining impasse. A proposal was put into writing by Nov. 20, and both Cortez and Ravenschlag signed a tentative agreement for a term from Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2027.
The next day, November 21,
ATU Local 1774’s counsel contacted the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to withdraw an intent to strike. The tentatively agreed upon proposal raised the annual bonus for wage-capped, year-round bus operators from $1,000 to $2,500. ATU Local 1774 officially approved the proposal during a meeting on Dec. 7, leaving RFTA approval as the final step to confirm the agreement.
The ratification resolved a seven-month negotiation process, which had been at an impasse from September into November. Per the joint press release following ratification, “This new agreement underscores the commitment of both parties to providing reliable public transit services to the communities we serve while fostering a unified workforce.”
Following RFTA’s vote to confirm the collective bargaining agreement, Director of Finance Paul Hamilton and Budget Manager David Carle presented the revised 2025 proposed budget. While the public hearing presentation for approval covered highlights and notable adjustments from the November iteration, the board packet included the full 101-page budget and a 22-page detailed supplementary general ledger with 2024 forecasts and actual comparisons. On the heels of the third budget pitch in November, RFTA finance staff finalized estimates of revenue and expenditures based on updated information.
Follow-up items to the budget were a resolution to appropriate sums of money for the 2025 budget and a resolution to certify a 2.65 mill levy. Both items were presented by Hamilton and Carle. The appropriation of sums is a procedural step in annual budget approval, required to establish a limitation on expenditures for RFTA operations.
RFTA gained the ability to impose levies in the 2018 general election through ballot issue 7A. However, it is required to certify any levies imposed on Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties by Dec. 15 for each upcoming calendar year. The 2.65 mill levy property tax was established in the 2025 budget.
To conclude the public meeting, Ravenschlag noted that RFTA’s S&P rating has been raised from AA to AA+ because of its long-term operational stability. Ravenschlag also recognized that the winter operations season started on Nov. 25, with extended service hours and 130 daily trips.
The first RFTA board meeting of 2025 will be on Jan. 9 at 8:30 am in Carbondale. The public is also able to join via Webex. More details will be available on www.rfta.com the week ahead of the meeting.