Region 10: 2024 Meeting Minutes (7/23)
HSTP
Region 10
Meeting
Minutes
July
23rd
Attendees:
|
Michael Egbert |
Opportunities
for Access – Mt. Vernon |
|
Nathan Nichols |
C.E.F.S/Central
Illinois Public Transportation – Effingham |
|
Gidget Simpson |
CILA Corporation
– Flora |
|
Betty Cox |
Clay County
Rehab – Flora |
|
Jennifer
Hernandez |
Caritas Family
Solutions – Olney |
|
Mark Auten |
TRADE Industries
– McLeansboro |
|
Meredith
Cornwell |
Rides Mass
Transit – Harrisburg |
|
Dave Maziarz |
Illinois
Department of Transportation – Springfield |
|
Peter Niccum |
Community
Support Services – Teutopolis |
|
Cory Young |
Marion County
Horizon Center – Salem |
|
Riley Anderson |
Assistant Human
Service Transportation Planning Coordinator – Salem |
|
Terri Finn |
Human Service
Transportation Planning Coordinator – Salem |
I.
Call to Order:
The quarterly HSTP meeting was called to order by Mark Auten at 11:06 a.m.
II.
Introductions:
All attendees introduced themselves and their agencies.
III.
Approval of April 2024 Meeting
Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed.
No additions or corrections. Motion to approve by Mike Egbert seconded by Cory
Young.
IV.
Guest Speaker:
Jennifer Hernandez from Caritas Family Services was our guest speaker. She
works at the Fox River Assisted Living Apartments in Olney. Fox River offers
housing for low-to-moderate income seniors. It is an income based assisted
living apartment for seniors. They have a contract with the Dept. on Aging to
allow residents who qualify to have access to free services i.e. meals,
housekeeping, laundry services, etc. An individual having $17,500 or less or a
couple having $35,000 or less in assets may qualify for the service package
free of charge or with a monthly co-payment. Caritas has an IDOT van they use
to take residents on outings to the fair, museum, etc. The facility opened in
2001. Fox River has thirty residents and thirteen employees. Companywide, there
are five hundred plus employees.
V.
Regional Plan:
Riley Anderson presented the Regional Plan updates to the group. Terri Finn informed
the committee on the surveying process for the Regional Plan for 2025 that is
in progress. She reminded everyone that if you have not completed the agency
survey/transportation provider survey that were sent via email to do so and
send those back to Terri and Riley. Please share the community/existing rider
survey with your clients to complete. So far with the survey responses received
it revealed that a lot of people do not understand transportation services
available in their county. It is important that the providers keep the
community informed.
Terri
Finn shared that she and Sherri Bassen at SCT once had a medical outreach day
at SSM Health in Centralia. They spoke with nursing & social services
staff, as they were coming and going, about the transportation services
available to patients. It was highlighted by the committee members that there
is often turnover in medical offices and social services and the information
isn’t passed on to the new employee. It is hard to keep track of who is in the
know and who is not regarding the transportation services available to their
clients/patients.
Rides
MTD has a PR employee that makes important contacts with medical providers and
tries to keep dialysis centers and the other medical offices they regularly
provide transportation to informed on transportation changes. Meredith Cornwell
shared that Rides MTD is starting a new fixed route in Robinson starting August
and in Olney starting September.
VI.
Transportation Concerns: Gidget
Simpson is down two IDOT buses due to floors caving in. Betty Cox has been
waiting three years for a replacement IDOT vehicle for a car that was totaled
in an accident. If you have fleet concerns, please communicate that to Terri Finn
so that she may communicate it to Dave Maziarz.
VII.
General Discussion:
IDOT
Update – Dave Maziarz shared that CVP applications will be available in the
Spring of 2025. Next Move Illinois is working on the 2026 Statewide Public
Transportation Plan. Everyone should have received an email in regards to
completing a survey. Please reach out to Terri or Riley if you have not.
Maziarz shared with the group that total vehicle inventory will be coming soon
to Blackcat. The disposition/transfer process will go through Blackcat
eventually. This should help streamline the process. There won’t be as much
back and forth to see which agencies have vehicles not in use that can be
transferred and may help with vehicle shortages.
Handouts/Resource
Materials – Riley Anderson shared some updates before going through the
handouts. The University of Illinois-Chicago and IDOT have put together a
Transportation Advisory Committee. There have been no new developments since
the last meeting. Surveying was reported to start in May. The medical offices
we heard back from regarding the TAC survey were also contacted in regards to
our own Regional Plan. Terri Finn shared that the annual Statewide Independent Living
Council meeting that IDOT and the other HSTP coordinators attend will be coming
up in September. We will discuss medical
transportation advocacy. Riley shared with the group that she was in contact
with some MCO’s to attend an HSTP meeting to discuss Non-Emergency Medical
Transportation. However, she received either no response or a no thanks. Another
coordinator in Northern Illinois was able to get an MCO to attend his HSTP
meeting. Riley Anderson went through the handouts. One of the handouts led to a
discussion on electric vehicles. Dave Maziarz was interested to hear how the
rural 5310 and 5311 agencies feel about possibly being given electric vehicles.
Some of the agencies seemed open to hybrid vehicles. The concern with electric
vehicles is that there isn’t much access to charging stations in some of these counties,
along with long downtime for charging. There was also a discussion on using
apps for booking a ride. There were concerns that seniors may have issues with
using an app. It is a good option but not optimal for the clients that the
agencies serve in their region.
Next
HSTP meeting – October 15th at Community Support Services in
Teutopolis.
VIII.
Adjourn: Nathan
Nichols motioned to adjourn at 12:01 p.m. Cory Young seconded the motion.
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