Tompkins County legislators voted unanimously Aug. 5 to authorize Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 grant applications and related allocations for Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT), Gadabout and county mobility management programs, but the decision prompted discussion about funding priorities.

Facilities staff and transit officials said the county is the federal grant prime recipient and must authorize submission of FTA urban formula funds. County staff described a package that includes operating support for TCAT and smaller county allocations for mobility management projects — including an app and a one‑call, one‑click service. Finance and transit staff told legislators some of those mobility‑management funds total roughly $725,000 in the current grant cycle, including about $287,560 for county staff and roughly $437,000 for mobility management services.

Why it matters

Legislators said the mobility management investments aim to expand coordination, travel apps and a centralized ride planning center; other legislators warned those dollars could be directed to operating support for TCAT, which has warned of potential service reductions without additional revenue.

What the meeting record shows

At the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee meeting, Legislator Randy Brown asked whether mobility‑management dollars might be better used to avert TCAT service cuts for rural routes. County transit staff said the funds had been vetted and that the FTA approval process and contractual timelines limit mid‑cycle changes; staff said a de‑obligation and re‑obligation process would likely delay drawdowns until early 2026 if attempted.

Frank Daldo, who presented the mobility management and reporting schedule to the legislature, said the county has established performance metrics for the mobility projects and plans quarterly milestone reporting; he told legislators he would present details to the Finance and Infrastructure committee and to the full legislature so members could assess program outcomes before future allocations.

The specific resolutions approved

- Resolution A (FTA Section 5307 urban formula project for county mobility and transit projects) — approved unanimously.
- Resolution B (FTA Section 5307 grant application for TCAT) — approved unanimously.
- Resolution C (FTA Section 5307 grant application for Gadabout) — approved unanimously.

Clarifying details from the record

- Mobility management allocation: meeting discussion cited approximately $725,000 of Section 5307 funds for county mobility work in the current cycle; that included roughly $287,560 for county staff and about $437,000 for mobility‑management contracts and projects.
- Timing constraints: staff told legislators the FTA grant process involves multiple approvals and a federal “shutdown” period (around the federal budget schedule) that can delay reallocations; de‑obligation/re‑obligation could push availability into early 2026.

Speakers (selected)

- Frank Daldo, county transit/mobility presenter (provided metrics and grant details)
- Randy Brown, Legislator (raised question about reallocating funds to TCAT)
- Deborah Dawson, Legislator (advocated for staff to present performance metrics before future decisions)

Provenance (transcript evidence)

- topicintro: block_8726.915 excerpt: discussion introducing FTA Section 5307 allocations and county mobility management figures.
- topfinish: block_9781.51 excerpt: unanimous vote carry on grant resolutions.

Topics:[{"name":"public_transit_funding","justification":"Covers FTA grant authorizations and an internal debate about whether mobility‑management funds should be reallocated to support TCAT operating needs.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":1.00,"depth_score":0.85,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.65,"civic_salience":0.85,"impactfulness":0.70,"geo_relevance":1.00}}],"searchable_tags":["FTA Section 5307","TCAT","Gadabout","mobility management","transportation funding"],"speakers":[{"name":"Frank Daldo","role_title":"Transit/Mobility Presenter (county)","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Tompkins County (transit/mobility)"},{"name":"Randy Brown","role_title":"Legislator, Tompkins County Legislature","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Tompkins County Legislature"},{"name":"Deborah Dawson","role_title":"Legislator, Tompkins County Legislature","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Tompkins County Legislature"}],"authorities":[],"actions":[{"kind":"motion","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"A","project_slug":"FTA_5307_county"},"motion":"Authorize application and acceptance of FTA Section 5307 urban formula funds for county mobility management programs and related projects","mover":"Randy Brown","second":"","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":15,"no":0,"abstain":0},"outcome":"approved","notes":"County allocations include staff costs and mobility‑management project funds (figures discussed at meeting)."},{"kind":"motion","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"B","project_slug":"FTA_5307_tcat"},"motion":"Authorize FTA Section 5307 urban formula grant application for Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT)","mover":"","second":"","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":15,"no":0,"abstain":0},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Authorized; STOA and state match noted in committee discussion."},{"kind":"motion","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"C","project_slug":"FTA_5307_gadabout"},"motion":"Authorize FTA Section 5307 urban formula grant application for Gadabout","mover":"","second":"","vote_record":[],"tally":{"yes":15,"no":0,"abstain":0},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Authorized; unanimous vote recorded."}],"discussion_decision":{"discussion_points":["Whether mobility‑management allocations (app, 1‑call center, mobility programs) should be redirected to TCAT operating revenue to avoid service cuts","Timing and constraints of FTA de‑obligation/re‑obligation processes","Need for quarterly performance metrics on mobility projects"],"directions":["County transit staff to present mobility project performance metrics to the Facilities & Infrastructure and Finance committees; staff to contact FTA to clarify de‑obligation timing"],"decisions":["Approve current grant applications and allocations; monitor outcomes and revisit allocations next grant cycle if warranted"]},"clarifying_details":[{"category":"mobility_management_funding","detail":"Approximately $725,000 of current Section 5307 allocations discussed for mobility management (including $287,560 in staff costs and roughly $437,000 for program contracts)","source_speaker":"Frank Daldo"},{"category":"timing_constraint","detail":"FTA apportionment and the federal fiscal cycle can delay reallocation; de‑obligation/re‑obligation could push drawdowns into early 2026","source_speaker":"County staff"}],"proper_names":[{"name":"Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT)","type":"agency"},{"name":"Gadabout","type":"agency"}],"community_relevance":{"geographies":["Tompkins County"],"funding_sources":["FTA Section 5307","New York STOA (state transportation operating assistance)"],"impact_groups":["rural riders","transit‑dependent residents","TCAT employees"]},"meeting_context":{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":6,"duration_minutes":45,"items_count":3},"implementation_risk":"medium","history":[{"date":"2025-07","note":"Committee discussion and RFPs for mobility projects earlier in the year; TCAT recovery noted in prior meetings."}]},"provenance":{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"block_8726.915","local_start":0,"local_end":420,"evidence_excerpt":"So so anyway, this is, about, the allocation of these, 53 0 7 FTA grants. I noticed that $725,000 of this, which is a little over 15% of the total 53 0 7 grant funding is being used by the county for various purposes. I understand the $287,560 that' s for staff. But there's about 437,000, that's going to various aspects of mobility management.","global_start":8726,"global_end":9146,"tc_start":"01:12:06","tc_end":"01:13:22","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_9781.51","local_start":0,"local_end":60,"evidence_excerpt":"All in favor? Any opposed? That is unanimous.","global_start":9774,"global_end":9782,"tc_start":"01:36:14","tc_end":"01:36:20","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]},"salience":{"overall":0.68,