We know the community is getting curious about when more information on the future of the Eagle Valley Transportation Authority and its expanded services will be announced. To help the community stay up to date on the EVTA, we are launching a monthly update on what happened at recent board meetings, the projects being undertaken by the board and staff, and other emerging priorities for the authority.
One of our key tasks since December was to get the necessary pieces put in place to start operating the authority. That included electing a board, creating our rules and procedures, and bringing on an interim executive director. And like any startup, there’s a lot of business infrastructure that must be established. The board has been working to identify its accounting, legal and banking partners in order to provide legal and fiscal management so that the tax dollars received by the EVTA and expenses made by authority have the highest degree of transparency and accountability to the public.
We plan to have those key roles in place during March and then will turn our attention to identifying the key management positions needed for the authority and then begin the job posting and hiring processes. We want to have a capable and professional staff—with a high degree of competency in transit and transportation—in place quickly so that the EVTA can begin planning and providing service to the community this year.
The authority’s web site at EagleValleyRTA.org is continually evolving to keep the community up to speed on EVTA matters. The site includes information about the board, its meeting schedule and public documents from board meetings, including agendas, minutes and supporting materials. In addition, the site includes FAQs and other information about the EVTA. Please be sure to visit the web for more information and updates.
We are now preparing for the Board’s first retreat, which will be held on March 22. At this day-long meeting, the Board will discuss its mission and vision, short-, medium- and long-term service priorities, as well as other critical foundational decisions. It’s the Board’s hope that we come out of this retreat with direction on the management of the authority and what services will be fast-tracked to fulfill the commitments made to voters—to enhance the transportation services in the Eagle Valley.
We are very excited about the EVTA’s future and the improvements that will be made to transportation here in the Valley. Its going to be a busy 2023 for the EVTA, and we will be sure to keep our community up to date as we move forward.