LTD welcomes new executives Mike Hursh, Julie Lindsey
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Presenter: Lane Transit District welcomes its new chief operating officer and its new chief financial officer. Before the LTD board Feb. 19, CEO Jameson Auten:
[00:00:11] Jameson Auten (LTD, CEO): I want to introduce you to Mike Hursh and Julie Lindsey. We spent quite some time trying to find a chief operating officer and a chief financial officer. Both of these folks provide 30+ years of experience in their industries.
[00:00:30] Mike was in several transit properties in California, including Muni in San Francisco, Valley Transit in Santa Clara, and most recently at AC (Alameda Contra Costa) Transit in Oakland.
[00:00:44] And Julie has been with several organizations in our area, including LRAPA, the city of Eugene Fire services, and other places as well. So I wanted to introduce them to you all. And if you want to say a few words, if I skipped over anything you want to highlight, feel free.
[00:01:01] Presenter: The new chief operating officer will oversee LTD’s Operations, Fleet, Materials Management, Customer Service Center, Accessible Services, and Public Safety departments. Mike Hursh:
[00:01:13] Mike Hursh (LTD, COO): Thanks, CEO Auten. Mike Hursh, my third week. I just want to let people know, particularly the board, that I snuck up here for four trips before I got the interview and what an amazing, incredible transit district you have. I was just floored, blown away by the friendliness and professionalism, the operators, the maintenance folks, and I want to thank you all.
[00:01:37] I would say baptism by fire, but let’s go with baptism by snow and ice last Thursday, because while I do bring 32 years of experience—and in the Air Force, I was stationed in Greenland—last Thursday was my first time to get to experience public transit with snow and ice.
[00:01:52] The team was absolutely amazing and I just want to say thank you and how proud I am to be part of this family and really want to thank CEO Auten for welcoming me in the door and, just so proud of his visionary leadership and I’m excited to get to contribute with the team.
[00:02:06] Presenter: The new chief financial officer will oversee LTD’s Finance and Procurement departments. Julie Lindsey:
[00:02:13] Julie Lindsey (LTD, CFO): And thank you. I met several of you at the Budget Committee last week. So, coming from other governments around the city, I have met a lot of folks from LTD that I had crossed paths with before. So, it’s actually a real pleasure for me to actually start working and this is the beginning of my fifth week. So, Mike and I are going to hang out quite a bit. And I’ve been really impressed with the professionalism of the Finance team and the other teams that I have come across. Thank you.
[00:02:44] Presenter: The Lane Transit Board of Directors also heard from union Executive Board Officer Bill Bradley.
[00:02:51] Bill Bradley: My name is Bill Bradley, I serve as the ATU (Amalganated Transit Union Local) 757 executive board officer, representing many workers across Lane Transit District, but tonight I’m going to focus my comments on our newest members, the Facilities Maintenance workers.
[00:03:04] Today, I want to recognize the collaborative and productive negotiations that led to this first union contract, one that reflects the professionalism, dedication, and skill of these essential workers as demonstrated in the last couple of weeks as we went through the weather. Through open and respectful dialogue at the bargaining table, we secured meaningful improvements that will benefit our members and the agency as a whole.
[00:03:25] The three-year agreement increases wages, ensures that our highly-skilled maintenance professionals are fairly compensated for the critical work they do to keep LTD running safely and efficiently. We also refined the on-call and standby pay formula, an issue that directly impacts our workers’ personal lives.
[00:03:41] This contract also acknowledges the sacrifices they make for LTD when they are called outside their regular hours, ensuring fair compensation and a better balance between work and personal commitments. Most importantly, this agreement is a recognition of the expertise and hard work that these workers bring to their job every day, provides stability and job security, reinforces LTD’s values and the contributions that these workers provide to LTD.
[00:04:06] The contract proves that when labor and management come together in good faith, we can reach agreements that strengthen the workforce and benefit the entire transit system. I want to thank everybody that was involved in the process for their commitment to fairness and collaboration.
[00:04:19] I firmly believe that we’re going to have a lot of opportunities and a lot of challenges coming up. But every challenge is an opportunity, and every opportunity will have its challenges. And I look forward to working through those together with CEO Auten and his team of chiefs and directors. I know that this relationship that we’ve established over these past couple years has been fruitful, and we’ve done big things, and I look forward to continuing to talk to you about those big things to come.
[00:04:45] Presenter: The board designated a property as ‘surplus,’ which is typically the first step in making a parcel available for potential sale. Chief Development Officer Joe McCormack:
[00:04:56] Joe McCormack (LTD, chief development officer): Tonight we’re asking the board to surplus the Hunsaker property, and if maybe I just do a little review of the topic: Back in 2015, LTD purchased the undeveloped eight-acre parcel on River Road between Hunsaker Lane and Green Lane to pursue the design and construction of the new Santa Clara station. The Santa Clara station utilizes three acres, which went into revenue service in February 2021, resulting in a five-acre remnant commonly referred to as the Hunsaker property. The Hunsaker property meets the criteria to be declared surplus because it is no longer needed for public use.
[00:05:31] Presenter: LTD rounds out its executive team, approves a new union contract, and designates as surplus a five-acre parcel adjacent to the Santa Clara LTD station, which could mean it’s headed for development.