[NFBO-Linn-benton] First part of minutes for meeting Dec 11, 2023

[Jennifer Doran]

Carol and John introduce themselves as proprietors of Viewplus. Kristan: John and Carol glue to hold together.
Andrea: Introduced self as treasurer.
Shawn and Jenn: Introduced self. Lin and Alex introduced self. Natalie: introduced self. Kristen: introduced self.

Open up to Rick and Rachel 

Rachel: great job on bio, county administrator- selected by three commissioner July 31st started. Daughter is back East. From Albany New York. Blind grandfather, aunt and another(?) child. Father, assembly man, mom X-ray tech. Father worked on board of election system. Former deputy mayor of Albany NY. Lived in Washington too. Talked about benefits on local government, plans on being out in community.

Kristen: there is one area we haven’t been heard in county.

Rick: chief finance office of county. Huge agenda- have a couple Capitol project going on even though bond measure failed in May graduated Linfield College. Entire career in public service, mostly affordable housing. Seven years finance supervisor of Dept of Education. Spent a lot of time with John w/ some of the problems and challenges faced with Dial-a-Bus

John: Dial-a-Bus problems no longer a finance one due to Rick.

Kristen: shared stores of the ridership problems because of had things changed and cannot take Dial-a-Bus. 

Jenn: Shared Ashelies experience about inconvenient waiting times, the 40 minute window.

Rick: asked what policy has changed.

John: Via software that imposes a 40 minute wait and Dial-a-Bus is being forced to use and software they didn’t want to use because old software was fine. Second policy changed that forbids the use of own vehicles, and even volunteers cannot use own vehicles.

Rick: does not know a lot about the new software piece according to him, maintained availability problem.

John: software good for big cities, not smaller counties

Kind regards,

Jenn Doran