Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 41-2.012 - Coordinating Board Structure and Duties

The purpose of the Coordinating Board is to identify local service needs and to provide information, advice, and direction to the Community Transportation Coordinator on the coordination of services to be provided to the transportation disadvantaged through the Florida Coordinated Transportation System (FCTS). Each Coordinating Board is recognized as an advisory body to the Commission in its service area. The members of the Coordinating Board shall be appointed by the Metropolitan Planning Organization or the Designated Official Planning Agency. A Coordinating Board shall be appointed in each county. However, when agreed upon in writing, by all Boards of County Commissions in each county to be covered in the service area, multi-county Coordinating Boards may be appointed. The structure and duties of the Coordinating Board shall be as follows:

(1) The Metropolitan Planning Organization or Designated Official Planning Agency shall appoint one elected official to serve as the official chairperson for all Coordinating Board meetings. The appointed chairperson shall be an elected official from the county that the Coordinating Board serves. For a multi-county Coordinating Board, the elected official appointed to serve as Chairperson shall be from one of the counties involved.

(2) The Coordinating Board shall hold an organizational meeting each year for the purpose of electing a Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson shall be elected by a majority vote of a quorum of the members of the Coordinating Board present and voting at the organizational meeting. The Vice-Chairperson shall serve a term of one year starting with the next meeting. In the event of the Chairperson's absence, the Vice-Chairperson shall assume the duties of the Chairperson and conduct the meeting.

(3) In addition to the Chairperson, except for multi-county Coordinating Boards which shall have as a representative an elected official from each county, including the Chairperson, one of whom shall be elected Vice-Chairperson, the following agencies or groups shall be represented on the Coordinating Board, in every county as voting members:

(a) A local representative of the Florida Department of Transportation;

(b) A local representative of the Florida Department of Children and Family Services;

(c) A local representative of the Public Education Community which could include, but not be limited to, a representative of the District School Board, School Board Transportation Office, or Headstart Program in areas where the School District is responsible;

(d) In areas where they exist, a local representative of the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation or the Division of Blind Services, representing the Department of Education;

(e) A person recommended by the local Veterans Service Office representing the veterans of the county;

(f) A person who is recognized by the Florida Association for Community Action (President), representing the economically disadvantaged in the county;

(g) A person over sixty representing the elderly in the county;

(h) A person with a disability representing the disabled in the county;

(i) Two citizen advocate representatives in the county; one who must be a person who uses the transportation service(s) of the system as their primary means of transportation;

(j) A local representative for children at risk;

(k) In areas where they exist, the Chairperson or designee of the local Mass Transit or Public Transit System's Board, except in cases where they are also the Community Transportation Coordinator;

(l) A local representative of the Florida Department of Elderly Affairs;

(m) An experienced representative of the local private for profit transportation industry. In areas where such representative is not available, a local private non-profit representative will be appointed, except where said representative is also the Community Transportation Coordinator;

(n) A local representative of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration;

(o) A local representative of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities;

(p) A representative of the Regional Workforce Development Board established in chapter 445, F.S.; and

(q) A representative of the local medical community, which may include, but not be limited to, kidney dialysis centers, long term care facilities, assisted living facilities, hospitals, local health department or other home and community based services, etc.

(4) Except for the Chairperson, the non-agency members of the Board shall be appointed for three year staggered terms with initial membership being appointed equally for one, two, and three years. The Chairperson shall serve until elected term of office has expired or otherwise replaced by the Designated Official Planning Agency. No employee of a community transportation coordinator shall serve as a voting member of the coordinating board in an area where the community transportation coordinator serves. However, community transportation coordinators and their employees are not prohibited from serving on a coordinating board in an area where they are not the coordinator. However, an elected official serving as Chairperson of the coordinating board, or other governmental employees that are not employed for the purpose of making provisions for transportation and are not directly supervised by the community transportation coordinator shall not be precluded from serving as voting members of the coordinating board.

(5) The Board shall meet at least quarterly and shall perform the following duties in addition to those duties specifically listed in section 427.0157, F.S.:

(a) Maintain official meeting minutes, including an attendance roster, reflecting official actions and provide a copy of same to the Commission and the Chairperson of the designated official planning agency.

(b) Annually, provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization or Designated Official Planning Agency with an evaluation of the Community Transportation Coordinator's performance in general and relative to Commission and local standards as referenced in rule 41-2.006, F.A.C., and the performance results of the most recent Transportation Disadvantaged Service Plan. As part of the Coordinator's performance, the local Coordinating Board shall also set an annual percentage goal increase for the number of trips provided within the system for ridership on public transit, where applicable. In areas where the public transit is not being utilized, the local Coordinating Board shall set an annual percentage of the number of trips to be provided on public transit. The Commission shall provide evaluation criteria for the local Coordinating Board to use relative to the performance of the Community Transportation Coordinator. This evaluation will be submitted to the Commission upon approval by the local coordinating board.

(c) Appoint a Grievance Committee to process and investigate complaints, from agencies, users, transportation operators, potential users of the system and the Community Transportation Coordinator in the designated service area, and make recommendations to the Coordinating Board or to the Commission, when local resolution cannot be found, for improvement of service. The Coordinating Board shall establish a process and procedures to provide regular opportunities for issues to be brought before such committee and to address them in a timely manner. Rider brochures or other documents provided to users or potential users of the system shall provide information about the complaint and grievance process including the publishing of the Commission's TD Helpline service when local resolution has not occurred. All materials shall be made available in accessible format, upon request by the citizen. Members appointed to the committee shall be voting members of the Coordinating Board.

(d) All coordinating board members should be trained on and comply with the requirements of section 112.3143, F.S., concerning voting conflicts of interest.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 41-2.012

Rulemaking Authority 427.013(9) FS. Law Implemented 427.0157 FS.

New 5-2-90, Amended 6-17-92, 11-16-93, 1-4-94, 7-11-95, 5-1-96, 10-1-96, 3-10-98, 4-8-01, 12-17-02, 7-3-03, Amended by Florida Register Volume 44, Number 105, May 30, 2018 effective 6/14/2018.

New 5-2-90, Amended 6-17-92, 11-16-93, 1-4-94, 7-11-95, 5-1-96, 10-1-96, 3-10-98, 4-8-01, 12-17-02, 7-3-03, 6-14-18.