The Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (District) met in regular session in the Board Room, Administration Building, Toll Plaza, San Francisco, California, on Friday, September 22, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., President Middlebrook presiding.

ROLL CALL

Directors Present (18): Directors Ammiano, Brown, Cochran, Dufty, Eddie, Grosboll, Hernández, Kerns, Martini, McGoldrick, Newhouse Segal, Pahre, Reilly, Sandoval and Stroeh; First Vice President Moylan; Second Vice President Boro; President Middlebrook

Directors Absent (1):  Director Murray

Staff Present: General Manager Celia G. Kupersmith; District Engineer Denis J. Mulligan; Auditor-Controller Joseph M. Wire; Secretary of the District Janet S. Tarantino; Attorney David J. Miller; Deputy General Manager/Ferry Division James P. Swindler; Marketing and Communications Director Kellee Hopper; Public Affairs Director Mary C. Currie; Acting Deputy General Manager/Bus Division and Maintenance Manager Gene Walker; Employee Relations and Diversity Programs Administrator Harvey Pye; Budget and Program Analysis Manager Jennifer Mennucci; Executive Assistant to the General Manager Amorette Ko; Assistant Clerk of the Board Patsy Whala; Bridge Lieutenant Dave Rivera

Visitors Present:  Mel Blaustein, M.D., Psychiatric Foundation of Northern California; Eve Meyer, San Francisco Suicide Prevention, Inc.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Director Sandoval led the Board of Directors in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Public comment was received relative to Item No. 8, below.

Directors MARTINI/KERNS moved approval of the Consent Calendar.  All items were approved by the following vote of the Board of Directors:

Approve the Minutes of the Joint Board of Directors Meeting/Workshop of September 8, 2006

Carried

Claim of Barbara Rooney 

                                                                                                 Carried

Claim of Tim Cooper        

                                                                                                   Carried

Claim of Olga Rodriguez   

                                                                                                Carried

Claim of Natalia De Leon     

                                                                                             Carried

President Middlebrook presented a Thirty-Year Service Award to Raul Amador, Lead Bus Servicer, Bus Division, and expressed her congratulations on behalf of the Board of Directors.

a.

Attorney David Miller reported that all items contained in the Attorney’s Report were informational.  He noted that, with regard to Item Nos. 6.B.1.a., Labor Coalition Negotiations and 6.B.2., Approve Actions Relative to Various Memoranda of Understanding with Employee Bargaining Units Whose Contracts Expire on 6/30/06 and to Non-Represented Employees (Exclusive of the Officers of the District) Regarding Salary, Health and Welfare Benefits and Other Terms and Conditions Related to District Employment, the various unions have not yet ratified the offer presented to the Union Coalition by the Advisory Committee for Labor Relations.  He further reported that this matter will be continued, and if an agreement is reached, it will be presented to the Board of Directors for action at its meeting of October 13, 2006.

Further, Mr. Miller stated that Item No. 6.B.3., Approve a Resolution of Intention to Approve an Amendment to the Contract Between the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Board of Administration and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District Board of Directors to Increase the Pension Rate from 2% at 55 to 2.5% at 55, is before the Board for action.  In addition, he stated that staff is requesting that the Board add an item to the agenda regarding a request by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), that is germane to this item, for discussion and possible action, as this matter arose subsequent to the posting of the agenda and requires immediate attention.

Directors BROWN/STROEH moved that the matter of, Approve a Resolution of Intention to Approve an Amendment to the Contract Between the Public Employees’ Retirement System Board of Administration and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District Board of Directors to Exclude Employees who are Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, be added to the agenda of the Board of Directors for consideration at its meeting of September 22, 2006, as permitted by the Brown Act, as this matter arose subsequent to the posting of the agenda and requires immediate attention.

• Mr. Miller stated that the proposed Resolution of Intent stems from the interest of the IBEW members to move into their own union pension plan and be removed from PERS.  The timing of this action is significant in that IBEW members presently are covered by PERS and their members would receive an unintended benefit under the PERS plan if the 2.5% at 55 pension rate is implemented prior to action removing the IBEW from PERS is approved.  The IBEW has agreed with this course of action and, from a standpoint of administration timing by PERS, it is important that these two actions be taken at the same time.  He noted that this action neither binds the Board nor effectuates a final action; it is simply a Resolution of Intent to allow this to occur.

• Director McGoldrick made the following inquiries and comments:
  • He inquired as to how IBEW would benefit if the 2.5% at 55 pension rate is implemented. In response, Mr. Miller stated that, if the Board were to separately approve the 2.5% at 55 pension rate, the IBEW members would have the benefit of that increased rate; therefore, staff is recommending that the action for IBEW’s removal from PERS precede the approval of an increase to the pension rate. In addition, Ms. Kupersmith noted that the rest of the units have negotiated this benefit and will be paying 100% of the cost for this pension benefit improvement. If the electricians were not previously removed, they would have an opportunity for the increased pension rate without providing any contributions. In conclusion, she also noted that the action to amend the contract with PERS to increase the pension rate is consistent with previous Board instruction as part of the union coalition settlement.
  • He inquired if the increased pension rate will be retroactive. In response, Mr. Miller stated that the increased pension rate will not be retroactive. Ms. Kupersmith stated that the increased pension rate would cover all employees the day it becomes effective.
  • He inquired as to the degree of loss to be experienced by the District by having the IBEW excluded from the PERS system and if this change would contribute to the diminution of funds. In response, Mr. Miller stated that the District was informed that there would be a negligible impact, given the extent of the entire PERS system and the number of electricians that are on the District’s payroll.

• Director Grosboll stated that, in the spirit of full disclosure, his law firm has performed work for the IBEW on its pension plan, and that he had not been previously informed by the Attorney or Staff that the action to approve a Resolution of Intent to exclude the IBEW from PERS was being considered at today’s Board meeting.

Directors MARTINI/MCGOLDRICK
Resolution No. 2006-075 approves a Resolution of Intention to approve an amendment to the contract between the Public Employees’ Retirement System Board of Administration and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District Board of Directors to increase the pension rate from 2% at 55 to 2.5% at 55.

Adopted

ENGINEER’S REPORT

REPORT OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE/COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2006

Directors PAHRE/KERNS

Resolution No. 2006-076 approves a three-year Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Program (Program), for the period of July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2009; and, authorizes staff to submit the Program to the Federal Transit Administration.

Adopted

REPORT OF THE BUILDING AND OPERATING COMMITTEE/COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2006

Eve Meyer stated that the San Francisco Suicide Prevention agency addressed the Board over the past 45 years regarding the matter of installing a suicide deterrent on the Golden Gate Bridge.  She further stated that, although moving forward with the study is a “watershed moment,” it is still the first step of the process that will require careful monitoring to ensure the success of the studies.  Ms. Meyer expressed her gratitude to Directors Ammiano, Dufty, Reilly, Murray and the late Director Harrison for their support of the project, as well as to District staff for their efforts.

Dr. Mel Blaustein commended District staff and the Directors for their efforts and pledged that the Psychiatric Foundation of Northern California will continue their work to gain public support of a suicide deterrent on the Golden Gate Bridge.

MEETING OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION COMMITTEE/COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SEPTEMBER 22, 2006

ADJOURNMENT