Hall Commission says no to Red Rabbit

GAINESVILLE - Hall County Commissioners Wednesday narrowly voted to deny a grant request for federal funding to operate Gainesville Hall County's Red Rabbit transit service.

The vote was 3-2, with Chairman Dick Mecum and vice chair Jeff Stowe voting for the grant application request on Stowe's motion to accept submitted by Community Service Center Director Phillippa Lewis-Moss.

Commissioners Craig Lutz, Billy Powell and Scott Gibbs voted against it. Lutz said he could not support applying for the nearly $400,000 grant with changes in the city/county transit agreement that are badly needed. He said turning down the application might bring about those changes.

"If by refusing this grant and putting the money away, it expedites the discussion we need to have," Lutz said. "Fundamentally I think it's time for a restructuring. The problem I'm having is we own all the rolling stock and we also own 100 percent of the liability."

Hall County Human Resources Director Bill Moats said in five years he's seen 20 claims with one recent law suit. Lutz said the City of Gainesville needs to take over the 'Red Rabbit' since it primarily serves the city, and let the county operate the county wide Dial-a-Ride service. Red Rabbit bus drivers work for the city.

Mecum remarked the county 'could have its cake and eat it too,' that those changes could be made and the grant approved. Powell said he was also concerned about the liability insurance issue, with the county owning the buses driven by city employees. Gibbs said Moss was asking the commissioners to approve the grant funding request when the county did not know yet what its budget would be.

"If I commit to this grant I'm committing your budget, the same as last year, where with every other department I may be cutting their budget again," Gibbs said.

After the vote Moss called for a point of clarification.

"It is my understanding that the majority of this commission just voted not to approve the application to apply for funding for operating assistance from the Federal Transit Administration," Moss said. "That means we have no operating assistance to the tune of almost $400,000 effective July first. However this commission has approved to accept an $800,000 grant from Federal Transit Administration to purchase seven buses and some other items for which we have no operating assistance."

Moss told Stowe before the vote was taken that the county should not 'ask for capital and then not ask for the operating funds', saying that would not be beneficial to anyone.

Mecum told her that her point of clarification was correct. Lutz called for a point of order after Moss told commissioners their negotiating power with the city would go down without the federal funds option. Lutz said since the vote was taken and likely would not change and Moss' conversation was out of order. Any further clarification should take place after the meeting.

Moss left hurriedly as soon as the meeting adjourned.