ALAMEDA-CONTRA COSTA TRANSIT DISTRICT

MINUTES

Board of Directors - Regular Meeting

AC Transit General Offices

2nd Floor Board Room

1600 Franklin Street, Oakland, California

Closed Session 3:15 PM

Regular Meeting 5:00 PM

HYBRID MEETING

Phone (669) 900 6833 Webinar ID: 984 8717 5063

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DIANE SHAW, PRESIDENT (WARD 5)

MURPHY MCCALLEY, VICE PRESIDENT (WARD 4)

HARPREET S. SANDHU (WARD 1)

JEAN WALSH (WARD 2)

SARAH SYED (WARD 3)

ANTHONY C. SILVA (WARD 6)

JOEL YOUNG (AT-LARGE)

BOARD OFFICERS

SALVADOR LLAMAS, GENERAL MANAGER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

AIMEE L. STEELE, GENERAL COUNSEL/CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER

LINDA A. NEMEROFF, BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER/DISTRICT SECRETARY

CALL TO ORDER

The Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District Board of Directors held a meeting on Wednesday,

September 24, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

The meeting was called to order at 3:32 p.m. for the purpose of Closed Session. All Board

members were present. At 3:35 p.m., the Board convened in Closed Session to discuss Items

8A-8C as listed on the agenda. Closed Session concluded at 4:43 p.m.

President Shaw called the Board of Directors meeting to order at 5:03 p.m.

ROLL CALL

Present:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

HONORING THE MEMORY OF H. E. CHRISTIAN 'CHRIS" PEEPLES

3.A. Consider the adoption of Resolution No. 25-033 honoring the life and

legacy of H. E. Christian “Chris” Peeples. [Board members, employees

and the public are invited to share their memories of Director

Peeples.]

25-467

Presenters:

President Shaw and Members of the Board of Directors

Board Members and Board Officers shared heartfelt remarks on the passing of Director

H. E. Christian Peeples and extended their condolences to Patricia Peeples, who was

also present. The resolution honoring Director Peeples was formally read into the

meeting record by members of the Board.

Public Comment:

The following individuals spoke during public comment to give condolences, share

stories and honor the memory of H. E. Christian Peeples.

Elsa Ortiz (Retired Board Member)

Kathleen Kelly (Retiree)

Beverly Greene (Retiree)

Dwain Crawley (AC Transit Employee)

Robert del Rosario (AC Transit Employee)

Cheryl Sudduth (AC Transit Employee),

Edward & Gayne Kemper

Kevin Dalley

Jane Kramer

Andy Katz

MOTION: YOUNG/McCALLEY to adopt Resolution No. 25-033 honoring the life and

legacy of H. E. Christian “Chris” Peeples. The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

PUBLIC COMMENT

The following speakers expressed concern about the recently implemented Realign schedule,

citing poor run times, lack of driver breaks, unreliable service, and safety issues. Many

emphasized that the new schedules negatively affect both drivers' physical and mental health

and passenger experience, with missed connections, delays, and overcrowding being common.

Safety concerns included homeless encampments at stops, threats from unstable passengers,

and lack of restrooms access. Multiple speakers called on the District to revisit the current

schedule changes using rider and driver feedback and data, noting that the service had

worsened compared to previous service adjustments. Bus lines mentioned include the 45, 51A,

51B, 72, NL, & 800.

Sharonda Smith

Juan Canham

Jack Watkins

James Jackson (ATU Vice President)

Latrina Meredith (ATU President)

Christian Casillas

Lisa Honeycut

Aleta Dupree

Anna Garfank

Amy Thompson

Mark Sherman

Elliott Goodrich

Shawn

Brian Culbertson

Carlos

Dwain Gettridge

Jacob Gimbel

Gerardo Lozano

James

Tywonya Spring

MODIFICATIONS TO THE AGENDA

There were no modifications to the agenda.

CONSENT CALENDAR (AND CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON CONSENT ITEMS)

MOTION: YOUNG/McCALLEY to receive and approve the items on the Consent Calendar except

Items 6.D., 6.E. and 6.F. The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

6.A. Consider receiving the Annual Report on Active Contracts over

25-320

$250,000.

Staff Contact:

Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer

MOTION: YOUNG/McCALLEY to receive the Annual Report on Active Contracts over

$250,000. The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

6.B. Consider receiving the FY 2024-2025 Surplus and Obsolete Materials

25-402

Report.

Staff Contact:

Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer

MOTION: YOUNG/McCALLEY to receive the FY 2024-2025 Surplus and Obsolete

Materials Report. The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

6.C. Consider receiving the Monthly Report on Investments for the months

25-403

of June and July 2025.

Staff Contact:

Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer

MOTION: YOUNG/McCALLEY to receive the Monthly Report on Investments for the

months of June and July 2025. The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

6.D. Consider receiving the Quarterly Budget Update for the period of July

25-406

2024 through the end of June 2025 of FY 2024-25.

Staff Contact:

Chris Andrichak, Chief Financial Officer

Item 6.D. was pulled off the Consent Calendar by Vice President McCalley to hear the

staff presentation. Chief Financial Officer Chris Andrichak presented the staff report

and addressed questions. There was no public comment offered.

MOTION: McCALLEY/YOUNG to receive the Quarterly Budget Update for the period of

July 2024 through the end of June 2025 of FY 2024-25. The motion carried by the

following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

6.E. Consider authorizing the General Manager, or his designee, to execute

documents through OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, a national

cooperative purchasing organization, for a three-year agreement with

two (2) option years with Service Wear Apparel.

25-434

Staff Contact:

Aaron Vogel, Chief Operating Officer

Item 6.E. was pulled off the Consent Calendar for a public comment. Questions from

the Board were addressed by staff.

Public Comment:

LaTrina Meredith, President of ATU Local 192 commented on the uniform contract

and expressed concern about the time frame it takes to receive the uniform once an

order has been placed.

MOTION: SYED/McCALLEY to authorize the General Manager, or his designee, to

execute documents through OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, a national cooperative

purchasing organization, as modified with a one-year agreement with two (2) option

years with Service Wear Apparel (approved with modifications). The motion carried by

the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

Prior to the discussion of Item 6.F., Director Silva recused himself from participating in the

discussion due to a conflict of interest concerning his current employment with Gillig. Director

Silva left the dais at 7:29 p.m.

6.F. Consider authorizing the General Manager, or his designee, to execute

documents through the State of Washington Transit Bus Cooperative

Contract, to purchase up to forty-seven (47) forty-foot hydrogen buses

from New Flyer America and up to ten (10) thirty-five-foot

battery-electric buses from Gillig LLC.

25-436

Staff Contact:

Aaron Vogel, Chief Operating Officer

[Director Silva recused himself from participating in the discussion due to a conflict of

interest concerning his current employment with Gillig and left the dais.]

There was no presentation of the staff report. Staff addressed comments from the

Board and advised that a purchase order would need to be issued by December 31,

2025 to receive funding for the purchase.

Latrina Meredith, President of ATU Local 192, commented on the need to collaborate

with operators and mechanics when buses are purchased.

Aleta Dupree commented on the purchase of 57 zero-emission buses and

recommended that AC Transit explore in-house charging solutions and clean hydrogen

production, rather than outsourcing these functions to external vendors.

Brian Culbertson expressed concern about the procurement of hydrogen fuel cell

buses, particularly regarding their impact on future service. Culbertson stated that past

reports indicate these buses have significantly lower reliability and availability.

George Spies agreed with the previous speakers regarding concerns about hydrogen

buses. Spies stated that AC Transit should listen to driver feedback and try to avoid

expanding the hydrogen fleet at this time.

A motion was made by Director Young and was seconded by President Shaw to approve

the staff recommendation. The motion failed by a vote of 3-0-2 (Directors Walsh, Syed

- Abstain).

MOTION: McCALLEY/YOUNG to authorize the General Manager, or his designee, to

execute documents through the State of Washington Transit Bus Cooperative Contract,

to purchase up to forty-seven (47) forty-foot hydrogen buses from New Flyer America

and up to ten (10) thirty-five-foot battery-electric buses from Gillig LLC, and direct staff

to report back to the Board before the next bus purchase with a workshop to discuss

updates to the Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Plan, including the long-term operating

cost impact and discussion regarding the dirty hydrogen issue. The motion carried by

the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

Director Silva returned to the dais at 8:07 p.m. prior to the discussion of Item 7.A.

REGULAR CALENDAR

External Affairs Items - Chair Silva

7.A. Consider receiving the monthly legislative report and approve staff’s

25-387

recommended legislative positions.

Staff Contact:

Claudia Burgos, Executive Director of External Affairs & Customer

Experience

External Affairs Representative Steven Jones presented that staff report. There was no

public comment offered.

MOTION: SHAW/YOUNG to receive the monthly legislative report and approve staff’s

recommended legislative positions. The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

Operations Items - Chair Walsh

7.B. Consider approving amendments to Board Policy 226 - Relocation

25-489

Policy.

Staff Contact:

James Arcellana, Interim Executive Director of Human Resources

[Written comment received prior to the meeting is incorporated into the file by

reference.]

Executive Director of Human Resources James Arcellana presented the staff report.

There was no public comment offered.

Director Syed made a motion requesting several amendments to the policy with

direction to staff to continue to work on amendments to the policy and return to the

Board in three months. The motion died for the lack of a second.

MOTION: SHAW/McCALLEY to approve amendments to Board Policy 226 with the

following modifications:

- $20,000 relocation reimbursement limit

- Remove assistant directors from the policy

- Add a repayment requirement for termination for cause

- Add a timeline for repayment with staff to determine the time frame.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SILVA, YOUNG

SYED

Nayes:

7.C. Consider approving an exception to Board Policy 226 - Relocation

Policy granting the General Manager authority to approve an

additional $20,000 in relocation expense reimbursement for the newly

hired Chief Operating Officer (COO). [Continued from the September

10, 2025 Board of Directors meeting.]

25-428a

Staff Contact:

Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer

James Arcellana, Executive Director of Human Resources

[Written comment received prior to the meeting is incorporated into the file by

reference.]

There was no presentation of the staff report.

Public Comment:

LaTrina Meredith, President of ATU Local 192, expressed concern with the request to

reimburse the new chief operating officer's relocation expenses when drivers did not

receive retroactive pay for the 19 days they worked without a contract.

Javier Roman expressed support for the Union President's comments regarding the 19

days of retroactive pay for drivers and disapproval of the $20,000 in relocation cost for

the new chief operating officer.

A motion was made by Director Syed and seconded by Director Walsh to reject the staff

recommendation. The motion failed by a vote of 2-3-1 (President Shaw, Vice President

McCalley, Director Silva - no; Director Young - abstain).

MOTION: SHAW/McCALLEY to approve an additional $10,000 in relocation expense

reimbursement. The motion carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, SILVA, YOUNG

Nayes:

WALSH, SYED

Board Administrative Matters - President Shaw

7.D. Consider cancelling the Board of Directors/Board Officers Retreat

scheduled for October 30, 2025 and reschedule the regular Board of

Directors meeting slated for November 12, 2025 to November 19,

2025.

25-497

Staff Contact:

Linda Nemeroff, Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary

There was no presentation of the staff report. No public comment was offered.

MOTION: YOUNG/SYED to approve the cancellation of the Board of Directors/Board

Officers Retreat scheduled for October 30, 2025 and reschedule the regular Board of

Directors meeting slated for November 12, 2025 to November 19, 2025. The motion

carried by the following vote:

Ayes:

SHAW, McCALLEY, WALSH, SYED, SILVA, YOUNG

CLOSED SESSION/REPORT OUT

There was nothing to report out of Closed Session.

8.A. Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation

(Paragraph 1 of subdivision (d) of Government Code Section 54956.9)

- Priest v. Derrick Dewayne Bailey; Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District; and Does 1 to 50

Inclusive; Alameda County Superior Court Case No. 22CV013020

- Washington v. Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, Contra Costa County Superior Court,

Case No. C22 -01903

- Valencia v. Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, AC Transit Board of Directors, and Does

1-20, Alameda County Superior Court Case Number: 25CV121283

8.B. Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation

Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2),

Government Code Section 54956.9 (d)(3) and Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(4): one (1)

potential case.

8.C. Public Employee Performance Evaluation

(Government Code Section 54957)

Title: General Manager, General Counsel, District Secretary

AGENDA PLANNING

Directors are limited to two agenda planning requests per meeting. Each item requested shall

have the concurrence of three Directors, including the requestor.

9.A. Review of Agenda Planning Pending List and Agenda Planning Request

25-015q

Forms submitted by Directors Walsh and Syed.

Staff Contact:

Linda Nemeroff, Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary

The Agenda Planning Request submitted by Director Walsh was accepted. The Agenda

Planning Request submitted by Director Syed was rejected.

10.

11.

GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT

10.A. General Manager’s Report for September 24, 2025.

25-014i

The report was presented for information only.

BOARD/STAFF COMMENTS

(Government Code Section 53232.3(d))

Members of a legislative body shall provide brief reports on meetings attended at the expense

of the local agency at the next regular meeting of the legislative body.

Members of the Board commented on meetings and events attended since the last meeting.

11.A. Written reports from Board members on travel to District-related

25-038q

conferences occurring in the last 30 days.

Staff Contact:

Linda Nemeroff, Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary

A written report was presented for the record.

12.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to come before the Board of Directors, the meeting adjourned

at 8:56 p.m. The next meeting of the AC Transit Board of Directors is scheduled for October 8,

2025.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/ Linda A. Nemeroff

Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary