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TO: |
Board of Trustees |
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THROUGH: |
Jay Fox, Executive Director |
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FROM: |
Nichol Bourdeaux, Chief Planning and Engagement Officer |
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PRESENTER(S): |
Russ Fox, Director of Planning |
TITLE:
title
Contract: Funding Memorandum of Agreement for Public Transit Services through Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons (Salt Lake County)
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AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Non-Procurement Agreement
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve contract and authorize Executive Director to execute the Funding Memorandum of Agreement with Salt Lake County to authorize financial support to Visit Salt Lake to operate their Cottonwood Connect service.
BACKGROUND:
Since early 2023, UTA has actively collaborated with leadership of the four Cottonwood Canyons resorts, Salt Lake County, Visit Salt Lake, community members, and UDOT, to increase customer capacity in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon for its 2023-2024 winter season. UTA and its partners understand public transportation is vital in providing a means for public access to outdoor recreation, service to canyon communities, and the regional and state economies.
DISCUSSION:
UTA and our community stakeholders have looked at innovative ways we could work together to expand canyon transportation service for the 2023/2024 winter season. One of those innovative solutions UTA can employ is partnering with Salt Lake County and their partner, Visit Salt Lake, to provide alternative public transportation solutions in the Cottonwood Canyons for the coming winter season. Staff will present a proposed Funding Memorandum of Agreement to the Board that will provide UTA support through Salt Lake County, along with funds from the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and Visit Salt Lake, to operate the Cottonwood Connect service from December 22, 2023 through April 14, 2024 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
The Cottonwood Connect service will provide a transit option to patrons along UTA’s suspended route 953. Service will be available to the public, including out of town guests historically served by UTA’s route 953 and will be expanded this winter to provide service to both Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
In addition to the partnership with Cottonwood Connect, UTA will be providing service for the upcoming season that includes:
• Providing all-day bus service up both Cottonwood Canyons
• Back up buses when possible, during peak periods, holidays, and weekends
• Collaborations with resorts to improve bus flow in and out of the resort parking lots
• Providing reliable employee transportation into the canyons with UTA Vanpool services and supporting, through a temporary volume-based discount, employee shuttle services organized by resorts
CONTRACT SUMMARY:
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Contractor Name: |
Salt Lake County |
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Contract Number: |
23-P00312 |
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Base Contract Effective Dates: |
December 6, 2023 - December 6, 2023 |
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New/Total Contract Value: |
$320,000 |
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Procurement Method: |
Non-Procurement Agreement |
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Budget Authority: |
2023 Operating Budget and 2024 Tentative Operating Budget |
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ALTERNATIVES:
If this agreement is not approved, UTA cannot partner with the County on this program to help mitigate congestion in the Cottonwood Canyons this coming winter.
FISCAL IMPACT:
UTA will contribute $320,000 of the estimated $782,000 expense to operate Cottonwood Connect service for the coming winter.
Should revenue exceed expense for the 2023/24 Cottonwood Connect Service, Visit Salt Lake has committed to disburse the profit proportionally to the funding partners after in-kind contribution of $85,000 is reimbursed to Visit Salt Lake. UTA’s portion of that profit would be 48.5%.
ATTACHMENTS:
Funding Memorandum of Agreement with Salt Lake County/UTA