A three-three deadlock lead to council agreeing to maintain an extra 21.5 weekday transit service hours until the end of the year, falling short of administration's recommendation of a long-term commitment.
That commitment may follow in the future, but not until council has received the transit report being prepared by the consultant Left Turn Right Turn and are provided a clearer picture of its financial implementations.
The town's original agreement with Southland Transportation Ltd. called for 42 weekday service hours. The additional hours were recommended and paid for in a supplementary agreement with Southland Transportation Ltd. that ends on Sept. 30, 2024. To continue to provide these additional service hours until the end of 2024 will cost the town $86,700.
The 21.5 service hours amounts to 17,200 trips, or 50 trips daily.
Michelle Delorme, who has the new title of parks and active living director, told council there is a direct correlation between the additional hours and an increase in ridership. She told council that the service is on track to set a new ridership record by 11 per cent.
She stressed the importance of making a long-term commitment to the extra hours and maintaining 64 weekday service hours and 13 service hours of weekend. She said they would provide the service model for a new five-year agreement with Southland and 2025 implementation plan.
"This would allow for the reallocation of services into a high-bred of fixed routes and on-demand services which could increase ridership by approximately 10 to 20 per cent in 2025 and have a projected long-term growth of 30 per cent by 2028."
Councillor Susan Flowers threw her support behind making a long-term commitment immediately.
"I definitely think we need this," said Councillor Susan Flowers. "We've got to keep improving it, we don't want to take anything away."
Councillor Alex Reed was uncomfortable with making the commitment beforereceiving the transit study and understanding the financial implications.
"It seems really unorthodox to be asking council to approve a motion on hours when we really should be approving a motion on dollars."
Mayor Genung believed providing a long-term commitment would aid the transit team in finalizing their implementation plan. He said a cancellation clause could be added to the agreement to set councillors at ease.
Councillor Reed believes that simply isn't realistic.
"I think to artificially suggest to the transit team that we locked into this five-year contract, because that's going to help with future plan, and then somehow use the termination clause later is ludicrous. I think we would be locked into that once transit team sets it up. I just don't think we have enough information to make an informed decision, so I am strongly against it."
Favouring the continuation of the 21.5 service hours were Mayor Jeff Genung, and councillors Susan Flowers and Tara McFadden. Councillors Alex Reed, Marni Fedeyko and Morgan Nagel were opposed. Because of the nature of his company's business, Councillor Patrick Wilson continued to remove himself entirely from the room and the discussion.
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Approving the extension of an agreement with Southland Transportation Ltd. until the end of 2024 means the town anticipates being overbudget by $203,000 this year, 20 per cent higher than the approved budget of just over $1 million.
At a Sept. 3 committee-of-the-whole meeting, council was told COLT was underbudgeted by $91,300 and there was $25,000 in fuel surcharges that were missed in 2024 invoicing.