The North Oakland Transportation Authority was pleasantly surprised when they searched for some help from the Orion Township Board of Trustees.
NOTA Director Pat Fitchena addressed the board at their Oct. 30 meeting, asking for help in funding part of a bus – with other funding coming from Addison and Oxford townships.
The board exceeded her expectations by agreeing to fund an entire bus themselves, if the other two municipalities will help by jointly funding a second bus.
For the upcoming year, NOTA lost a sizeable Job Access Revenue Commuter (JARC) grant.
In preparation for losing that $300,000 grant, the NOTA board elected to reduce its bus service from 10 vehicles down to six (and discontinue its weekend service).
Fitchena told the board that the cost to operate each additional vehicle is approximately $35,700, asking the board to pay $16,644, or just over 46 percent, for the funding of another bus.
‘We’re hoping to get the $35,700 so that we can keep a seventh bus on the road,? she said to the board.
Fitchena, who has addressed boards in the other two communities about the matter, was asked what Addison and Oxford were going to do to help.
‘We have taken the issue to the other communities and they’re waiting for Big Brother,? she said.
This prompted Trustee John Garlicki to make a motion that Orion fund one entire bus, using money from its estimated 2006 General Fund surplus to do so.
Garlicki added that the move of their board was issuing a challenge to the other townships to also step to the plate for NOTA.
The board unanimously passed the motion, 6-0.
‘Basically, we’re funding bus number eight and you have to get funding for bus number seven,? Clerk Jill Bastian told Fitchena after the vote.
Fitchena promised to do her part.
‘If I have to plaster ‘donated by Orion Township? all over that bus I will do it,? she said. ‘I definitely will get (the other funding).?
NOTA has partnered with the three communities since 2001, and Fitchena said the need of service within the three communities has expanded significantly over the years.
She added that some other sources, such as Crittenton Hospital, have recently come through with generous donations to help offset the loss of the JARC grant.