BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 @ 8:00 A.M.
Meeting Location – Metro Centre or Remote
Zoom 312-626-6799, Meeting ID: 465 778 3908, Passcode: 111375
Agenda
1.0 Roll Call
2.0 Pledge of Allegiance
3.0 Public with Business to Come Before the Board
(Comments should be limited to three minutes)
4.0 Consent Agenda
4.01 Minutes January 28, 2025
4.02 Financials
5.0 Communications
5.01 Chairman Report
5.02 Managing Director’s Report
5.03 Operations Report
5.04 Complaints/Comments Report
5.05 Board Member Comments
6.0 New Business
6.01 Board Officers
6.02 Mystery Rides
6.03 Front Lobby Project
7.0 Old Business
7.01 Maintenance Facility
8.0 Questions from the News Media
9.0 Other Business to come Before the Board (includes Executive
Session, if necessary
Closed session in accordance with the Illinois Open Meeting Act 5
ILCS 120/2(c)(1).
(1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline,
performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public
body or legal counsel for the public body.”
10.0 Potential Action from Executive Session
11.0 Adjournment
Future Meetings and Events (Tentative Schedule)
Board Meetings are the fourth Tuesday of every month at 8:00 am.
(excluding July and December)
River Valley Metro February 25, 2025
Metro Centre, 1137 E 5000 North Road, Bourbonnais IL 60914
Board of Director Meeting Minutes
Chairman Argyelan called the regular monthly River Valley Metro Board of
Directors meeting to order at 8:00 AM.
Attending Board Members: Chairman Mark Argyelan, Vice-Chairman Jerry
Pearce, Treasurer Nick Allen, Board Members: Ron Jackson, David Hinderliter,
Kenny Blake. Absent: Secretary Kelly St. Aubin.
Staff Members Present: Managing Director Siron Sims, Director of Administration
Mandy Taylor, Director of Operations Michelle Brutlag, Facilities Director Tim
Goodman, Project Manager Cortney Koning, COO Ken Munjoy, MPD Tobe Fulford
Others Present: We Drive U G.M. Lashanda Brown Smith, We Drive U G.M.
Rodriques Kimbrough
Pledge of Allegiance led by: Ron Jackson
Public with Business to Come Before the Board: None
Consent Agenda: Jerry Pearce made a motion to approve the consent agenda.
Ron Jackson seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken of those in
attendance, with all in favor. Consent agenda approved.
Communications:
Chairman’s Report: Mark Argyelan
None
Managing Director’s Report: Siron Sims
The DBE Policy is in the board packet. It was reformatted to match the FTA
format. Procedures were removed, leaving only Policy content.
New vehicles are badly needed. We are currently waiting for IDOT signatures on
the grant agreement. We have been told that the 3 ADA buses are built and the 6
super-medium buses are in production.
Operations Report: Rod Kimbrough
We have 55 operators. 52 are available for service. 48 are full-time. We are still
hiring new operators.
Ken Munjoy reported that January ridership this year was 46,669, compared to
44,701 last year. Year-to-date, ridership is up 5.8% from last year. We expect that
February ridership will be down from last year due to Leap Year last year and the
extended streak of extremely cold weather that we have experienced this year.
Complaints/Comments: Michelle Brutlag
There were 8 complaints, 4 of which were valid, in the last month. CCS and Transit
Officers provided only 41 rides.
Board Report:
David Hinderliter reminded board members of the requirement to file a
Statement of Economic Interest.
New Business
Board Officers
Chairman Argyelan opened the floor for officer nominations. After some
discussion, David Hinderliter nominated a slate of Mark Argyelan for Chairman,
Jerry Pearce for Vice-Chair, Nick Allen for Secretary, and Ron Jackson for
Treasurer. Jerry Pearce seconded the nomination. No other nominations were
submitted. The slate was unanimously approved in a roll call vote.
Mystery Riders
The only serious issue was failure of the operators to make ADA stop call-outs.
Mr. Kimbrough is already working to improve this. The Mystery Rider day was
cold and snowy. They reported climate control on the buses was good, as was
driver attitudes and driver uniforms. We plan to get back to using Mystery Riders
two times each year.
Front Lobby Project
Flooring is deteriorating and has become a safety issue. 3 bids were obtained. The
low bid is $12,720. Jerry Pearce made a motion to accept the bid and proceed.
Motion was seconded by Kenny Blake and approved unanimously in a roll call
vote.
Old Business
Maintenance Facility
Interior painting has begun. We are using Rebuild 3 money to purchase lifts and
equipment. IDOT wants the lifts to be purchased first.
Questions from the news media: None
Other Business to come Before the Board:
None
Executive Session:
None
Adjournment
Jerry Pearce made a motion to adjourn at 8:34 AM. Motion was seconded by Nick
Allen and passed unanimously in a voice vote.
