12.

AGENDA ITEM: 12.2

AGENDA DATE: July 28, 2017

TO: Chairman and Members of the Board

THRU: Lee Smith, County Manager
FROM: R. Jonathan Hart, County Attorney

ISSUE:
Request Board of Commissioners adopt an ordinance to amend an ordinance to create a special
district for transit service pursuant to Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VI of the Constitution of
the State of Georgia and pursuant to section 3 of that act sometimes referred to as "Chatham
County Transit Services Act" (Ga. L. 1986, p. 5315 et seq.), and as contemplated by section 3.2
of the Chatham Area Transit Authority Act (Ga. L. 1986, pg. 5082 et. seq.), so as to amend a
special transit service district to encompass all land and areas within Chatham Countys legal
boundaries as created and enacted by the Georgia General Assembly; to provide for on a
reasonable basis county wide transit services, to include fixed transit routes and paratransit
services; to adopt a feasibility study for cost of expansion; to adopt the recommendation of the
Chatham Area Transit Authority concerning expansion; and to provide for method of taxation as
permitted by law.
BACKGROUND:
Chatham Area Transit Services Act and the Georgia Constitution allow the Board of
Commissioners to create a special service transit district for fixed route and paratransit services.
This ordinance will expand the special transit district to encompass all lands within the legal
boundary of the County. The Commission may consider the CAT feasibility study on the cost of
expansion of the special service transit district and may adopt such recommendation. The
Commission may establish in accordance with general law an ad valorem tax and millage rate to
the extent permitted under the Transit Services Act to pay in part or whole for providing this
service within the district.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
1. The Commission has authority under the Georgia Constitution and Transit Services Act to
establish a special service transit district for transit services to include fixed route and
paratransit service.
2. The Commission may establish a tax and millage rate to pay for services within the special
district as permitted under the Transit Services Act, but prior to implementation of the tax the
Commission must adopt a feasibility study finished by Chatham Area Transit concerning the
cost associated with the expansion of the district.
3. The Commission may adopt the recommendation of Chatham Area Transit to amend the
special service district ordinance.
BLUEPRINT ALIGNMENT:
A modern transportation system for public fixed route and paratransit services within Chatham
County will reduce barriers which limit citizen mobility, allow citizens with special needs a
better quality of life and provide better employment opportunity throughout Chatham County.

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FUNDING:
By ad valorem tax as provided under the Transit Services Act.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Adopt the ordinance establishing the special service transit district to encompass all land
within the legal boundary of Chatham County as established by the Georgia General
Assembly, to include fixed route and paratransit services.
2. Do not adopt the ordinance establishing the special service transit district to encompass all
land within the legal boundary of Chatham County as established by the Georgia General
Assembly, to include fixed route and paratransit services.
POLICY ANALYSIS:
Public transportation county wide will be of benefit to all citizens by increasing mobility,
enabling better availability to employment opportunities and providing individuals with special
needs greater opportunity.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Alternative #1.

#AI: CAT Special Service Transit District Expansion Ordinance

#AJ: Chairman to Commisioners - Countywide Recommendation
#AK: CEO to Coutny Manager - Countywide Receommendation

R. Jonathan Hart Completed 07/05/2017 9:59 AM

Approved but still waiting on letter from CAT Board making recommendation.
Frances Q. Rasmussen Completed 07/05/2017 10:52 AM
Lee Smith Completed 07/07/2017 10:09 AM
Board of Commissioners Completed 07/14/2017 9:30 AM

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#AI: CAT Special Service Transit District Expansion Ordinance (1401 : Adopt ordinance to amend an ordinance create special service transit
STATE OF GEORGIA )
)
COUNTY OF CHATHAM )

ARTICLE III
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AN ORDINANCE TO CREATE A SPECIAL
DISTRICT FOR TRANSIT SERVICE

An ordinance to amend an ordinance to create a special district for transit service

(adopted August 6, 1986, and as thereafter amended from time to time), so as to encompass all
lands and areas which lie within the legal boundary of Chatham County as established by the
Georgia General Assembly as provided for in Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VI of the
Constitution of the State of Georgia, the entire special service district being wholly within
Chatham County. To provide for a feasibility study of costs and the expansion of the special
transit service district county wide and for the acceptance of the recommendation of the Chatham
Area Transit Authority to expand the service district county wide. A direction from the Board of
Commissioners to the Chatham Area Transit Authority to plan and implement county wide fixed
route transit and paratransit services on a reasonable basis and to provide for the taxation of
residents and tax payers for property located in the special district for transit services as provided
and by law to repeal all conflicting ordinances as relates to special transit service district and to
provide for an effective date for implementation of the ordinance.
Section 13-301
NOW COMES the Board of Commissioners of Chatham County and, pursuant to powers
granted in Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VI of the Georgia Constitution, does hereby establish
a single Chatham County special transit service district in a manner so as to expand the special
service district to encompass any and all lands and areas that lie within the legal boundary lines
of Chatham County as has been established by the Georgia General Assembly.
Further, pursuant to section 3 of that act sometimes referred to as the Chatham County
Transit Services Act (Ga.L. 1986, p. 5315 et seq.), and as contemplated by section 3.2 of the
Chatham Area Transit Authority Act (Ga.L. 5082 et seq.), the Board of Commissioners of
Chatham County is authorized in said Acts and does enact and establish a special service district
which encompasses and includes all lands within the legal boundary lines of Chatham County
and the Chatham Area Transit shall provide fixed route and paratransit services on a reasonable
basis within the transit district.
Further, it is established that the Board of Commissioners pursuant to the above
referenced constitutional provision and pursuant to said Acts that the Chatham Area Transit
Authority feasibility of cost study does establish fixed route and paratransit services throughout
the confines of Chatham County and to provide such services throughout the special service
transit district on a reasonable basis to all citizens.
Section 13-302

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#AI: CAT Special Service Transit District Expansion Ordinance (1401 : Adopt ordinance to amend an ordinance create special service transit
Prior to enacting this ordinance, the Chatham Area Transit Authority has studied the
feasibility as to the potential cost of expansion of the special service district county wide with
recommendations for providing or not providing the services within the district and to make such
recommendation to the Board of Commissioners. The Chatham Area Transit Authority having
completed the study on feasibility and cost has made a recommendation to the Board of
Commissioners of Chatham County concerning the potential cost of services and the need for
expansion of the special service transit district to encompass all lands within the legal limits of
the county boundary lines and does recommend that the Board of Commissioners accept the
recommendation. The Board of Commissioners having considered the Chatham Area Transit
Authoritys recommendation of the feasibility and cost of expansion for service to encompass all
land within the legal limits of the county boundaries does hereby adopt said recommendation
and make it part of this ordinance. The Board of Commissioners of Chatham County does hereby
direct and authorize the Chatham Area Transit Authority to proceed with planning and
implementation of a plan to establish fixed route and paratransit services throughout the confines
of Chatham County and make such transit services available on a reasonable basis.
Section 13-303 Amendment of District and Boundaries
The special transit service district shall encompass all land, area and real property within
the confines of the legal boundary lines of Chatham County as enacted and established by the
Georgia General Assembly.
Section 13-304 Taxation
The Board of Commissioners of Chatham County, Georgia, pursuant to the powers
granted in Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VI of the Constitution of the State of Georgia and
pursuant to the Chatham Area Transit Services Act shall levy ad valorem taxes with a provision
for services to be rendered in the special service transit district for fixed route transit and
paratransit services throughout the legal limits and boundaries of Chatham County. Said taxes
shall be used to pay wholly or partially the cost of providing transit services in the special district
and shall not be used for services provided outside the district. All such ad valorem taxes shall be
collected in same manner and same time as other county ad valorem taxes. The amount to be
provided for transit services from the special district shall be voted on and approved or not
approved in same manner as other expenditures. The Board of Commissioners of Chatham
County shall levy such tax millage rate in the manner as other ad valorem tax millage rates but
only to the extent permitted by law.
Section 13-305 Severability
The provisions of this Ordinance are severable. If any part of this ordinance is declared
unconstitutional, illegal or void it shall not affect or impair any of the remaining parts of this
ordinance.
Section 13-306 Repeal of conflicting ordinances
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed.

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#AI: CAT Special Service Transit District Expansion Ordinance (1401 : Adopt ordinance to amend an ordinance create special service transit
Section 13-307 Effective Date
This ordinance shall become effective ________________.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED, this day of _________, 2017.

__________________________________________
ALBERT J. SCOTT, Chairman
Chatham County Commission

__________________________________________
Janice Bocock, Clerk
Chatham County Commission

[SEAL]

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#AK: CEO to Coutny Manager - Countywide Receommendation (1401 : Adopt ordinance to amend an ordinance create special service transit
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Chatham Area Transit Authority

CUTR Service Expansion Tables - Updated
June 21, 2017

Table 7. Operating Costs of Recommended Alternatives (CUTR, Page 92)

Annual Cost at

#AK: CEO to Coutny Manager - Countywide Receommendation (1401 : Adopt ordinance to amend an ordinance create special service transit district)
Daily Revenue Annual Revenue Annual Service Variable Rate
Route Name Service Hours Hours Hours of $45/hour

Route 100X - Airport Route - Expand Existing Route 12.4 4,526 4,526 203,670
Blue Route - Garden City to Downtown 27.2 9,928 10,208 459,351
Brown Route - Qaucco Road & Pooler Parkway 31.1 11,352 11,672 525,236
Green Route - Internal Garden City 17.2 6,278 6,455 290,472

Total 87.9 32,084 32,861 1,478,729

Table 9. Summary of Capital Needs (CUTR, Page 93)

Bus = Smaller
Cutaways @
Route Name Quantity $120,000

Blue Route - Garden City to Downtown 2 240,000

Brown Route - Qaucco Road & Pooler Parkway 2 240,000
Green Route - Internal Garden City 2 240,000
Stops and Shelters 200,000

Total 6 920,000

Table 8. Operating Costs of Alternatives Not Recommended (CUTR Page 92)

Annual Cost at
Daily Revenue Annual Revenue Annual Service Variable Rate
Route Name Service Hours Hours Hours of $45/hour

Orange Route - Garden City to Ogeechee to

Oglethrope Mall 27.9 10,184 10,471 471,195
Pink Route - Garden City Hall to Augusta Road
to Bay Street and Transit Center 21.3 7,775 7,994 359,735
Purple Route - Garden City, Hwy 80 to Chatham
Pkwy to Montgomery, Abercorn to Ogle Mall 34.2 12,483 12,835 577,566

Total 83.4 30,442 31,300 1,408,496

Capital for Additional Routes (Same as above in Table 9) 920,000

Total Cost 2,328,496

NOTES:
1) Airport Route currently exist, CUTR recommended expansion so CAT staff updated cost and left this option in table.
1) Column added for Service Hours. Revenue hour costing would leave CAT short of paying total cost to operate additional service by the cost to get
busses to revenue service starting point (cost of deadhead time).
2) Annual cost per hour reduced from $86 to $45. This rate represents variable cost only which includes operator time, fuel and bus stop maintenance.
3) Capital cost reduced due to cost of smaller cutaway buses when compared to larger fixed route busses. Total cost per bus is estimated to be
$120,000. CAT staff feel bus size is sufficient for expected ridership while provided $380,000 in cost savings per bus.

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Chatham Area Transit Authority
Millage Increase Scenarios
County Wide Transit District
Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3
No Service Cuts No Service Cuts No Service Cuts
3 Additional 3 Additional 6 Additional
CUTR Routes CUTR + East Side CUTR Routes

Funding Needed to Provide Additional

Fixed Route Service to Expanded Service Area
Operating -Variable Cost Only 1,478,729 2,063,729 2,887,225
Capital (6 Buses, Stops and Shelters) 920,000 1,227,000 1,840,000

#AK: CEO to Coutny Manager - Countywide Receommendation (1401 : Adopt ordinance to amend an ordinance create special service transit district)
2,398,729 3,290,729 4,727,225
Funding Increase Needed to Cover
FY18 Operating Budget with No Service Cuts 1,750,909 1,750,909 1,750,909

Additional Funding Needed 4,149,638 5,041,638 6,478,134

Millage Rate 1.128 1.204 1.324

Current Millage Millage @ 1.128 Millage @ 1.204 Millage @ 1.324 Millage @ 1.15

FY18 Estimated Net Digest 11,890,578,024 * 11,890,578,024 * 11,890,578,024 * 11,890,578,024 * 11,890,578,024

Millage 1.000 1.128 1.204 1.324 1.150
Special District Tax Revenue 11,890,578 13,412,572 14,316,256 15,743,125 13,674,165

FY 2016/2017 Budgeted
Special District Tax Revenue 9,256,738 9,256,738 9,256,738 9,256,738 9,256,738

Increase in Revenue 2,633,840 4,155,834 5,059,518 6,486,387 4,417,427

Incremental Increase 1,521,994 903,684 2,330,553

Increase per $100,000 MV residence

Annual $26.80 $30.23 $32.27 $35.48 $30.82
Monthly $2.23 $2.52 $2.69 $2.96 $2.57

* Assume slight increase in 11,657,429,435

Digest - 2% 1.02
11,890,578,024

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