TBTA works to make transition from Prell’s Service seamless
ALPENA — The Thunder Bay Transportation Authority continues to press onward after it cut ties with its third-party contractor, according to Managing Director Theron Higgins.
He said during a TBTA meeting Thursday where trustees voted in a medical plan for the more than 40 employees who will work for the new service out of the building being constructed in Alpena Township.
“Basically we selected a group plan for the full-timers for the organization to select their medical coverage,” he said.
Interviews have been done for all the upcoming employees, Higgins said
“Obviously we can’t hire them until July 1, that is when TBTA officially takes over, but we have interviewed everyone and we have offered them positions as of July 1,” Higgins said.
But TBTA may have a new staff and no building to officially operate out of, Higgins said. He said this is because the projected construction completion date for the new building, being put up by Oak City Contracting, LLC, is not until mid August. In the meantime, Higgins said, TBTA will continue to operate out of the Prell’s Service building.
“We are going to get a rental lease agreement with Prell’s Service to rent the building we are in right now until the new building is complete, so we won’t be homeless,” he said.
Higgins said he also is working to make sure that workers at the new building will have equipment to work on TBTA buses.
“We are working with the Michigan Department of Transportation for equipment grants,” he said. “A lot of the equipment was included in the construction, however. So there are a lot of items that are already going to be in the building like hoists and tire balancers and things like that.”
As the time approaches for TBTA to fully take over operations, Higgins said new Operations Manager Andrew Sundin has been assisting with the transition. He said Onalee Pallas will begin June 12 as TBTA human resource and financial manager.
Higgins said the transition has been challenging and said it is being done so customers and riders will not know that a change has even taken place.
“It’s a huge undertaking and trying to do this at the same time you’re managing the construction of a new facility it’s trickery and it’s doable,” he said. “We want to be transparent and we don’t want to have interruptions in service.”
Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.