When CATS board members received a report last night on how the system can best meet its promised service expansion goals, it came as no surprise that the consulting firm recommended contracting out top management positions within the transit agency. What did catch some board members off guard were several findings in the report, including the fact that CATS uses Excel spreadsheets to schedule bus routes, rather than an industry-standard software tool known as Trapeze. “I’m still not sure what that’s about,” says board Chairman Jared Loftus. Loftus was also taken aback when transit consultant Dwight Norton told the board the CATS staff has still not come up with a documented capital plan for the expansion and improvement of service, which the agency promised to deliver when voters approved a 10.6-mill property tax last spring. “[The board] has tasked the administration with putting together this plan,” says Loftus. “That is their responsibility. Now we are finding out that it still does not exist. We were not aware of that before.” CATS CEO Brian Marshall could not be reached for comment in time for publication. However prior to the presentation of the consultants’ findings last night, staff members delivered to the board a glowing report highlighting the agency’s accomplishments of 2012. “I guess we’re not as lazy as I have read that we are,” quipped board member Isaiah Marshall, no relation to Brian Marshall. —Stephanie Riegel
Today’s poll question: Will contracting out top management positions improve CATS?
