Board approves organizational reporting and advances HR transition steps ahead of statutory submittal

The Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority board approved an organizational reporting structure and advanced key Human Resources transition items required under the statutory transition process. Staff recommended — and the board approved by voice vote — that the Chief Executive Officer and the General Counsel be direct reports to the board, a governance step staff said preserves independent legal advice and enhances transparency.

Board members received an update on the employee transition and retention policy, which staff described as codifying items from the pilot agreement and local instruments, including transfer of vacation and sick leave balances, the transfer of employee records, and recognition of prior tenure for benefits and retirement vesting. Staff said additional HR policies and an employee handbook will be drafted before the authority’s operational date and that some policies will come through committees for review.

The board also heard a progress update on the CEO search process; staff said they have developed a job description, are surveying stakeholders provided by trustees, and expect to post the position in early July after refining the job description with community input.

Finally, staff presented a payback compliance progress report summarizing the authority’s fulfillment of statutory requirements. The board moved and approved sending the payback submittal to the appointed bodies listed in the materials and to additional recipients identified during discussion, including the Mecklenburg County delegation and the Governor’s office.

Board members emphasized the need for clear employee grievance and disciplinary policies to be in place before the authority assumes full responsibilities, and staff said those policies will be developed and routed through committees prior to finalization. The board’s actions complete the last items staff identified as required for the payback submission.