Advisory committee to seek Mountain Mobility briefing after members question $500,000 allocation

Committee members devoted a portion of the December meeting to questions about a longstanding $500,000 allocation to Mountain Mobility. Several members said they could not find a formal written agreement memorializing that allocation in previous minutes or documents. Speaker 6 stated, "I don't think there was anything in writing," when asked about formal documentation.

Members discussed how the $500,000 had historically been treated: it originated as a county supplemental aging allocation intended to stabilize transportation services and reduce application volume, but details around whether the committee is required to allocate those funds each year remain unclear. Committee members suggested inviting Matt Cagle (planning/transportation staff referenced in discussion) or another Mountain Mobility representative to the January meeting to provide usage statistics (subscription trips vs. call-a-ride), current service costs and whether the county expects that $500,000 treatment to continue.

Speakers also flagged operational constraints: Mountain Mobility reportedly applied this year only for medical transportation (not general trips) because of funding limitations. Members asked staff to compile historical meeting minutes and any written agreements and to ask a Mountain Mobility representative to come prepared with ridership and service-type statistics so the committee can assess whether continued allocation at the same level is feasible if county funding decreases.

The committee did not change the allocation at the meeting; members asked staff to schedule the briefing for January and to return with documentation about the origin of the $500,000 allocation.