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Date
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March 8,
2010
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Agenda
Item No. 47 Roll
Call No. 10- Communication No. 10-113 Submitted by: Merrill Stanley, Deputy City Manager |
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AGENDA
HEADING:
Approving
payments to Des Moines Regional Transit Authority (DART) to maintain the
property tax rate and restore services.
SYNOPSIS:
Approving
the continuation of a payment of $680,000 to DART to maintain the DART tax rate
levied to Des Moines property owners, and a payment of $150,000 for FY2011
only, to restore services to transit routes.
FISCAL
IMPACT:
Amount: $680,000
to maintain property tax rate
$150,000 to restore services (FY2011 only)
Funding
Source:
FY2011 Recommended Operating Budget, Park and Ride Operations Fund – EN078,
ENG100707, page 93.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
Since FY2007, when DART became an independent
regional transit entity for what is now 19 participating communities, Des
Moines has appropriated funds to reduce the DART property tax rate for Des
Moines property owners. For FY2011, it
is necessary to appropriate $680,000 to keep the rate constant.
DART is facing budget challenges for their FY2011
budget due to the regional economy, rising operating costs and the payment of
unusually large accident claims. The
FY2011 budget adopted by the DART Commission on February 23, 2010, included a
reduction in staffing and a reduction in bus route intervals.
The reduction of bus routes did not eliminate routes
in Des Moines. It did, however, increase
the interval between buses on several Des Moines routes and reduced evening and
Sunday operating times. In a related
effort, DART is attempting to gain approval for the issuance of general
obligation (GO) bonds, which would be used to refinance existing debt, and
would reduce annual costs to allow DART to restore late evening and weekend
services.
DART management has proposed several options for
route interval times that could be restored at a cost to Des Moines. The current complement of buses could be
maintained on Routes 3, 6 and 7, at a cost of $150,000 for FY2011. Funds to cover this cost are available in the
Park and Ride Fund. It is City staff’s
recommendation that these funds be appropriated for this purpose, but for
FY2011 only. We strongly encourage DART
to make every effort to identify a source of funding to continue these services
as a regional cost in future years.
PREVIOUS
COUNCIL ACTION(S): NONE
BOARD/COMMISSION
ACTION(S): NONE
ANTICIPATED
ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: NONE
For more information on this and other agenda items,
please call the City Clerk’s Office at 515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s Office
on the second floor of City Hall,