Commissioners delay action on Blue River Services’ 5311 rural transit grant authorization

Roland (presented as Roland Lehi in the meeting), regional transportation director with Southern Union Transit and Blue River Services, asked Floyd County commissioners to adopt an authorizing resolution so the agency can apply for the 5311 rural transportation grant and keep Floyd County in the five-county system it serves.

Blue River’s representative said the grant process requires a county authorization resolution that signals local match participation. He said local matches are flexible and last year’s initial request was $20,000; counties determine the cash amount. He described a rise in Floyd County ridership from 220 one-way trips in early 2024 to 641 one-way trips year-to-date in the current period, and said much of the service is demand-response ADA-compliant transit for medical, shopping and other trips.

Commissioners pressed for a specific local-match figure and for contract language that limits the county’s obligation. The county attorney suggested adding qualifying language or a “not-to-exceed” amount to avoid an open-ended obligation. Commissioners voted to table the resolution to allow staff and the county attorney to refine the authorization form and propose a not-to-exceed local-match amount; the board asked to see ridership and cost details before final approval. The submission deadline for the grant was discussed as mid-May, and the board scheduled follow-up discussion before that date.