Agenda - 06-20-2023; 8-l - Orange County Transit Governance

Browse Search

2 3. Work Program Amendment Policy (Attachment 3): Serves the Parties and Partners as a comprehensive and clear set of thresholds to define a minor vs. major amendment, and associated protocols as to who would need to approve such amendments during prescribed amendment cycles. It also outlines core roles and responsibilities for the SWG Administrator and GoTriangle regarding the processing, review and submission for consideration of any proposed Work Program Amendments. 4. SWG Bylaws & Operating Procedures (Attachment 4): Serves the Parties and Partners as the formal set of bylaws and clear set of operating procedures for how the SWG is to function, elect officers, and foster collaboration throughout each year to achieve annual work program development needs for transit plan implementation. All local municipalities, both counties, GoTriangle and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Organization (DCHC MPO) have been engaging in a series of workshops in 2023. These workshops were facilitated to work through complex details regarding how best to streamline processes, but also equitably operationalize transit plan implementation efforts for all. The remaining background information below is context that informs the purpose and need for the overall Durham-Orange Transit Governance Study. In the early 2010's, Orange County approved a county-wide transit plan, which included a joint recommendation for the development of the Durham-Orange Light Rail Transit (DO LRT) project. In 2013, an interlocal agreement (ILA) was developed and approved by the County Board of Commissioners, DCHC-MPO Board and GoTriangle Board of Trustees. Upon the discontinuation of the DO LRT project, it was realized that a new governance framework was necessary to guide the implementation of future county transit plans. Overall project goals include: • Creation of a clear, operationally efficient governance structure that ensures that Orange County priorities are funded and implemented with the County transit taxes and fees. • Formation of new levels of accountability, which includes development of an equitable set of processes, seeking to gain further community trust. • These needs were defined through five overall elements to be incorporated into a new governance framework: Representative, Equitable, Collaborative, Transparent & Accessible. From these elements, everyone helped to further weigh in on just how much change was necessary to be made on primary elements of the existing framework. The feedback provided leadership and guidance to develop draft alternatives for consideration in a new governance framework. Staff from all three parties to the existing governance framework attended a joint workshop in early March 2022. The workshop focused on critical elements that inform the foundation of a new ILA could offer to all parties. Discussion focused on multiple alternatives of critical elements that comprise the following four areas: Membership, Voting Structures, Financial Planning, and Program & Plan Development. Throughout the summer and fall of 2022, several multi-agency staff meetings were held to work through some of the finer details of the ILA. The result is the final Transit Governance Interlocal Agreement for each County, recently adopted earlier this year.