Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Aging And Transit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Reno County aging and transit director reports 75,000 rides, grant‑funded fleet upgrades and continued mill‑levy support
Summary
Candice Bonison, director of the Department of Aging and Public Transportation, reviewed services funded by a citizen‑approved mill levy, reported more than 75,000 transit trips last year and outlined plans for two low‑floor vehicles and facility upkeep funded by state and federal grants.
Candice Bonison, director of Reno County’s Department of Aging and Public Transportation, presented the department’s annual report and described how a voter‑approved mill levy supports aging services and countywide transit.
Bonison said the department provided more than 75,000 trips last year; about 34% of those riders were adults 60 and older and 23% were persons with disabilities. The system combines demand‑response countywide service with four fixed routes that run on an hourly schedule in Hutchinson. Service hours are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday demand response runs 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Bonison described the department’s role as a centralized information and referral point for older adults. The mill levy supplements staffing and provides grants to local agencies that deliver services, including nutrition programs, senior activities and outreach. The department reported assisting more than 3,000 unduplicated older adults, caregivers and walk‑ins this year with services and referrals, including Medicare counseling and help with energy‑assistance applications.
On the transit side, Bonison said the department received six vehicles awarded through prior state grants and anticipates two low‑floor vehicles arriving in late spring or early summer. She said the low‑floor vehicles — designed to ease boarding for riders with mobility devices or walkers — were obtained through grants and will be among the first of that type in Kansas when placed into service.
Bonison said the department stores and maintains vehicles at the county’s bus barn and transfer station, a federally funded facility, and coordinates light maintenance through county automotive services. She said the department will continue to seek state and federal capital grants for fleet and facility improvements and that the transit program partners with the Reno County Area Transit (RCAT) program.
Commissioners thanked Bonison and had no further questions. The director said she would continue public outreach and promote upcoming service changes and events.
