Citizen's Advisory Board

[SCB2525]

What is the viability of becoming a member of the Citizen's Advisory Board?

[Matthew Mitchell]

What is the viability of becoming a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee?

How much did you give to Mayor Street?

[SCB2525]

I realized it was Committee when I woke up this morning. Seriously though, what do you think, would happen if you sent a letter to the Mayor on the subject? Is there any reason why he hasn't filled vacant seats or it it just that he doesn't care/it's too low a priority.

[Matthew Mitchell]

I realized it was Committee when I woke up this morning. Seriously though, what do you think, would happen if you sent a letter to the Mayor on the subject? Is there any reason why he hasn't filled vacant seats or it it just that he doesn't care/it's too low a priority.

He did fill a number of seats recently, though I did not recognize any of the appointees as previously active in transit matters.

If you send a letter and a résumé, it's likely to go into a file somewhere. Whether or not somebody looks at that file when there's another vacancy, or if a candidate has been pre-selected (by the mayor or by some other official [e.g. a ward leader or some organization to which an appointment has been promised]) I don't know.

Matt Mitchell
(had to be persistent to secure a CAC appointment during the Goode administration)

[Clearfield]

What is the viability of becoming a member of the Citizen's Advisory Board?

If you live in Bucks County, a vacancy opens at the end of this month.

Mayor Street only controls the reps who live in the city.

[Clearfield]

Follow this link: http://www.septa.com/inside/partners/cac.html

[jsc]

i tried mightily to get appointed to the CAC but failed. Mayor Street filled all the vacent seats round about the time SEPTA was threatening to cut all weekend service etc - probably because he felt that it might be embarrasing to have vacent seats on a board that could (should) be controlled by city interests.

The CAC is, by and large, toothless, though, and the meetings had been love-ins where the committee led by suburban members who were afraid of loosing their free transpass would never say anything the least bit disparaging about SEPTA. I can't say what the tone of meetings these days is as I got tired of listening to the same old every month.

I'd encourage you to be appointed, though. If nothing else, the meetings are interesting, and give you some interesting insight into the types of problems that SEPTA encounters and the barriers that they encounter trying to solve them.

[Clearfield]

The CAC is, by and large, toothless, though, and the meetings had been love-ins where the committee led by suburban members who were afraid of loosing their free transpass would never say anything the least bit disparaging about SEPTA. I can't say what the tone of meetings these days is as I got tired of listening to the same old every month.

Not lately. At least half of the current leadership is from the city. Ain't a love-in anymore.

[jsc]

Not lately. At least half of the current leadership is from the city. Ain't a love-in anymore.

That is good to know. I'm assuming that you're the current chair of the CAC so I'll pass this along...I am somewhat surprised that the CAC isn't putting out any press releases to detail their position on all of the various SEPTA issues (OTP, funding, Live 8 performance, Rt 15, etc.) I would think that it would be good to get the reporters in town who seem to be covering transit more to get used to seeking quotes from the CAC when they write a story.

[Clearfield]

I am somewhat surprised that the CAC isn't putting out any press releases to detail their position on all of the various SEPTA issues (OTP, funding, Live 8 performance, Rt 15, etc.) I would think that it would be good to get the reporters in town who seem to be covering transit more to get used to seeking quotes from the CAC when they write a story.

Our public comments are generally at hearings, although we did issue press releases in the fall on the funding issue - none of which were picked up by the press.

We didn't comment on Live 8 or Route 15 because we would appear to be SEPTA's puppet. We've had some real disagreements with SEPTA, but we do it privately.

We're their statutory advisor. SEPTA has a PR department to toot their horns with.

[SCB2525]

I'd encourage you to be appointed, though. If nothing else, the meetings are interesting, and give you some interesting insight into the types of problems that SEPTA encounters and the barriers that they encounter trying to solve them.

I'm just asking. I doubt I'd be appointed at 18.

[Clearfield]

I'm just asking. I doubt I'd be appointed at 18.

If you don't ask, I guarantee you won't get appointed.

[SCB2525]

Touché.

[Clearfield]

There are now three vacancies from Philadelphia, and one from Bucks County.

Three out of the four officers are from Philadelphia.

The times they are a changin'

[jfrey40535]

Can you pester the board about problems with the system? Or are they there just to "advise" us?