CTAG CHARTER
The Board of Commissioners (the Board) for Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area (Pierce Transit) authorized the formation of a community advisory group, the Community Transportation Advisory Group (CTAG) in 2012. The CTAG’s inception and initial intention is outlined in the Pierce Transit Code. The CTAG Charter has since be created and the group operates following agreed upon Charter instruction. The Charter will be reviewed by the group every two years during a regular CTAG meeting and amended as needed.
Purpose
The purpose of the CTAG is to provide a forum for community stakeholders to provide feedback and interact with Pierce Transit staff. This includes suggesting improvements and recommendations regarding plans, policies, and services offered by Pierce Transit. CTAG meetings create the opportunity for interactive discussions between vested community members, riders, and Pierce Transit staff. Prior to seeking Board input or approval on projects, plans, or reports, Pierce Transit staff may ask for the formal support of the CTAG. The Board expects CTAG members to serve as representatives of their respective communities and constituents, gathering information to prepare for productive participation with Pierce Transit staff and each other. The ultimate goal of the CTAG is for the activity and stances taken by the CTAG to be representative of the community’s interests as they pertain to Pierce Transit’s strategic goals.
Scope of Work
As an integral part of Pierce Transit’s overall public involvement efforts, the CTAG will act as an important conduit for public input, communicating with the public, and encouraging public support of transit options and opportunities.
The CTAG, and individual CTAG members’, specific scope of work entails the following:
- Act as an informed stakeholder group from which Pierce Transit proactively solicits advice.
- Offer suggestions and recommendations to Pierce Transit for achieving its strategic goals.
- Expand Pierce Transit’s awareness of the public’s perceptions of its activities and speak on behalf of constituents when commenting on Pierce Transit’s plans, policies and services.
- Inform and educate the public about Pierce Transit’s operations.
- Engage with Pierce Transit in greater detail than would otherwise be possible as it pertains to goals, projects, plans, policies and general agency goings-on.
- Serve on Pierce Transit Committees, such as the Service and Delivery Capital Committee, as outlined by each committee’s guidelines.
- Attend Pierce Transit milestones such as ribbon cutting events.
- Staff the outreach booth with the Pierce Transit outreach team.
- Report CTAG activities to the Board at least quarterly.
- Review Charter every two years and amend as needed.
- Work closely with Pierce Transit staff in an advisory capacity on specific initiatives, like implementing accessible signage or participating in an RFP process.
Composition
The CTAG shall be composed of no less than nine members and no more than twelve members. Members must be approved and appointed by the Board. Members shall reflect Pierce Transit’s service area and strive for broad, inclusive, regional, and diverse representation. Public officials serving an active term and Pierce Transit staff cannot serve as members of the CTAG but may support group activities like member selection and the facilitation of meetings.
At the discretion of the Board, after the usual application and interview process is complete, if there are more qualified and vetted applicants than there are available CTAG positions, one non-voting alternate may be appointed by the Board to serve a one-year term. In the event of a vacancy on the CTAG, the alternate will immediately fill the vacant CTAG position and may serve on the CTAG with all rights and responsibilities of a CTAG member through the remainder of the unexpired term associated with the vacancy. The alternate must meet all of the qualifications of a regular CTAG member, but the alternate holds no voting rights or rights to hold office. The presence of the alternate does not count towards a quorum of the CTAG.
Membership Selection and Appointment Process
Active recruitment of new CTAG members will be conducted once a year or as needed considering group size through all available channels like news releases, Chamber Web postings, and with established community partners. The goal of recruitment is to identify eligible participants representative of the many communities of Pierce County. Applications will also be continuously available on the Pierce Transit website for interested persons to complete. The CTAG-Staff Liaison monitors and acts on all received applications. When the group is in need of new members, the CTAG Chair and CTAG-Staff Liaison will form a review committee which will review applications, conduct interviews, and recommend prospective new members for appointment by the Board.
CTAG members must meet stated membership requirements. Membership requirements include:
- Residence, employment, or full-time education within the Pierce Transit service area
- Have no prior exclusion from Pierce Transit services or facilities
- Have no record of disruptive behavior at Pierce Transit public meetings
- Must not be a former Pierce Transit employee ineligible for re-hire
Priority may be given to applicants with at least one year of paid or volunteer service with a volunteer Board, coalition, or with a school-based, community-based organization.
Members may be sought from the following groups (non-exhaustive):
- Civic/Social associations
- Medical community/public health
- Neighborhood associations
- Persons with disabilities
- Service users (fixed route, paratransit, Rideshare)
- Students (minimum age 16 years old)
Membership Terms
All new members will be appointed for a three-year term and may be reappointed for one additional consecutive three-year term, for a maximum of six consecutive years. Upon completion of their terms, members are expected to relinquish their seat.
Officers
The CTAG will select one member to serve as Chair and a second to serve as Vice Chair. A member must have attended six consecutive CTAG meetings to be eligible for an officer position. Each officer will serve a one-year term. Any member can be reselected for an officer term by a CTAG vote. Officer terms are bound by membership terms.
Chair Duties:
- Develop the yearly CTAG work plan with CTAG-Staff Liaison
- Setting the CTAG meeting agenda with CTAG-Staff Liaison
- Seek consensus and organize any vote
- Finalize the CTAG minutes by affixing a signature
- Present any CTAG business to the Board or delegate to other CTAG members
- Address any membership concerns
- Lead membership selection with CTAG-Staff Liaison
Vice Chair Duties:
- Perform Chair duties if Chair is temporarily unavailable or when requested
- Keep time during CTAG meetings
Operating Guidelines
The CTAG will adhere to the following operational requirements:
- Meetings will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month, except for November and December where meetings will be held on the third Thursdays.
- Meetings are to commence at 5:30pm;
- The CTAG reserves the right to make individual changes to meeting dates/times as deemed necessary
- Meeting agendas assume a 90 minute duration. If a meeting appears to necessitate more time, the Chair will put it to the group for a vote to continue the meeting or to move any unfinished agenda items to the following month.
- The CTAG-Staff Liaison will be responsible for securing and confirming the meeting space and setting up the hybrid option.
- Business conducted in accordance with RCW 42.30, Washington Open Public Meetings Act, and RCW 42.56, Washington State Public Records Act;
- Pierce Transit standard procedures for compliance where applicable;
- Quorum will be as defined by RCW 23B.08.240 CTAG staff-liaison and Chair are responsible for verifying quorum;
- The members of CTAG will serve in a voluntary role and without salary;
- A CTAG member may be provided an ORCA pass to enable active participation in CTAG proceedings and projects;
- Travel by volunteer members is otherwise not reimbursed according to Pierce Transit policy;
Attendance, Removal and Resignation
For an excused absence, members must notify the staff liaison and/or the CTAG Chair at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. A pattern of unexcused absences, or other conduct that seriously interferes with a member’s ability to maintain membership in good standing, may result in a recommendation for removal of the member to the Board. Such recommendations for removal shall be made upon motion and approval by a quorum of CTAG members, or by the Board of Commissioners with notice to the CTAG Chair. Pierce Transit staff will track attendance and send notification of intent to recommend removal to the respective member. The notice will include the date the matter is scheduled to appear on the CTAG agenda. Members whose positions are being considered for removal will have a reasonable opportunity to respond during the discussion of the motion by CTAG. The failure to appear at the meeting during which the agenda item is discussed will be deemed a forfeiture of the member’s position on the CTAG. Any recommendation for removal must be approved by the Board before taking effect.
A member who resigns his or her position prior to the expiration of a term shall notify the CTAG Chair and the CTAG- Staff Liaison in writing at least two (2) weeks prior to the member’s intended resignation date. The resigning member shall return any Pierce Transit property, including any ORCA card which might have been issued, to the CTAG-Staff Liaison no later than the intended resignation date. The CTAG-Staff Liaison will notify the Pierce Transit Chief Planning Officer of the member’s resignation, and the resignation will be reflected in the next month’s CTAG minutes.
CTAG-Staff Liaison (Pierce Transit staff)
Pierce Transit Community Development staff will serve as the CTAG Staff-Liaison. The CTAG-Staff Liaison shall guide and serve as a resource for the CTAG and will reserve necessary meeting facilities and equipment, assist in facilitating meetings, and distribute the CTAG work plan, meeting agenda, and minutes. The CTAG-Staff Liaison will facilitate communication of CTAG topics and recommendations to the Pierce Transit Board.
The CTAG-Staff Liaison will provide information and orientation to CTAG members and Officers regarding specific public transit or Pierce Transit topics.
Dissolution
The Board shall have the sole power to dissolve the CTAG, to appoint or remove members, and may exercise its power to dissolve, appoint and remove at any time and for any reason.
Revised October and November 2024
Revisions Adopted 12.19.2024
