Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Holiday Hours topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Transit board keeps service on Juneteenth and Veterans Day after vote to retain current holiday schedule
Summary
The Palace Transit advisory board voted to keep transit operating on Juneteenth and Veterans Day, rejecting a proposal to close those two holidays after staff warned of unbudgeted payroll costs and riders raised concerns about medical and childcare trips.
The Palace Transit advisory board voted to keep the system operating on Juneteenth and Veterans Day, opting to maintain the agency's current holiday schedule rather than close service on those two days.
Jessica Pickett, the community services director, told the board that a recent review of operations showed staffing the limited holiday service requires paying holiday rates (she cited 2.5 times regular pay), and keeping the two days open was costing the agency “at a minimum, dollars 2,520” per day in added salary expense. She also said the agency's audit showed the transit program in compliance with procedures.
Board members and community-affiliated speakers raised immediate concerns about riders who depend on Palace Transit for dialysis and childcare. Pickett provided usage data showing Juneteenth had 91 trips serving 327 individuals, and said “over half of those rides on Juneteenth were from Little Learners and Mitchell Christian” daycare programs. Several board members said many parents schedule clinics and recreation programs on those dates and worried that closing service would disrupt care and could force some riders to reschedule medical appointments.
After discussion, a board member moved to close service on the two floating holidays to align the handbook; that motion failed for lack of a second. An alternate motion to leave the handbook and operating schedule unchanged was made and seconded, and the board approved that motion in a roll-call vote, 5–3. The Chair declared, “Motion carries.”
Board members who supported keeping the dates as-is cited rider reliance and the availability of alternative transportation in some nearby towns; members in opposition emphasized the budgetary strain and the agency's difficulty covering holiday payroll with full-time staff. The board instructed staff to include the confirmed holiday schedule in the passenger handbook ahead of the school year so parents and daycare providers would have a clear expectation.
Next steps: staff said they will reflect the decision in the passenger handbook and include updated counts and budget projections for future meetings; the board also discussed the possibility of seeking additional subsidy to cover holiday costs.
