Amador County – The Amador Regional Transit System board or directors granted the system manager a 1-month extension on a budget update Wednesday, and assigned a budget committee to work with him on possible changes to help the system get in the black. ARTS Manager James Means said he pulled the item from the agenda because he still must make changes to right the balance. Means said he wanted to again borrow an Amador County Transportation Commission consultant, to work on the budget. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field said the consultant is a specialist or bus routes, not finance. Field also said that it was the ARTS manager’s job to deliver the budget update, and “putting it off another month will have fiduciary impacts,” which will affect ACTC. ARTS board member Supervisor John Plasse said he was prepared to comment on the budget. He said he could make some comments on where to make changes and savings. Supervisor Richard Forster suggested they establish a budget committee to meet with Means. The board on consensus formed a budget committee. Plasse and Sutter Creek City Councilman Pat Crosby volunteered to sit on the committee, and they met with Means during a break. ARTS also reported on some new ideas at the meeting. Public relations consultant Terry Grillo, of Volcano Blues Media gave a presentation on an advertising billboard program. Plasse asked how the advertising contracts of an “annualized” $17,000 could, with a conservative estimate, be seen as having the potential to increase to $76,000. Grillo said that would be possible if they sold all of the billboard space on all of the 14 busses and 2 trolleys now operated regularly by ARTS. Plasse said he did not consider it conservative to estimate selling all of the space. Grillo said: “We have desirable spaces” and “I’m confident that we can sell them all.” Ione Councilman David Plank agreed that the numbers were high. Crosby told Grillo to keep that attitude and “keep selling.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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