HomeMy Public PortalAboutResolution No. 471-16 08-02-2016RESOLUTION 471-16
A RESOLUTION OF THE RICHLAND HILLS CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING THAT THE
TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE CONSIDER COMPREHENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE
TRANSPORTATION CODE AS IT RELATES TO REGIONAL TRANSPORATION
AUTHORITIES
WHEREAS, the City of Richland Hills has been a member of the Fort Worth Transportation
Authority (FWTA) since 1992; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, several efforts have been made by Richland Hills to improve the
relationship between the FWTA and Richland Hills; and
WHEREAS, those efforts have included multiple resolutions that have encouraged and requested
communication and coordination of efforts between Richland Hills and the FWTA; and
WHEREAS, Richland Hills has received no acknowledgement of the resolutions from the FWTA, nor
has Richland Hills seen any increased efforts to communicate or coordinate with Richland Hills on important
initiatives and services provided in Richland Hills; and
WHEREAS, any recent communication from the FWTA to the City of Richland Hills has primarily
been to inform Richland Hills of adverse actions towards Richland Hills, and
WHEREAS, these adverse actions have included: the change in legislation that facilitated the removal of
a Richland Hills resident from the FWTA Board of Directors, the removal of the 24 year rebate for street
improvements that has historically been provided to all member cities and the removal and reduction of services
provided to Richland Hills residents; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richland Hills recognizes that being a member of the FWTA provides Richland
Hills with no assurances of services continuing; and
WHEREAS, the transportation code allows member cities a relationship with the Transportation
Authority, but does not provide for a contract or require any stipulated levels of service; and
WHEREAS, the relationship provided by the Transportation Code cedes all decisions, power and
influence to the Transportation Authority and the residents of Richland Hills are strictly at the mercy of the
Transportation Authority to receive whichever services the Authority decides to provide; and
WHEREAS, several non-member cites have recently contracted with the FWTA for defined services at
a defined price; and
WHEREAS, the FWTA cannot arbitrarily and without notice alter the terms of contracts that it has with
non-member cities in the same manner that it does with member cities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richland Hills disagrees with the flaw in the Transportation Code that allows
for a more defined and equitable relationship to exist between the FWTA and non-member cities than the
relationship that exists between the FWTA and member cities; and
WHEREAS, historically, the relationship between the FWTA and Richland Hills has resulted in
inaccurate information being provided to Richland Hills regarding ridership and usage by Richland Hills
residents; and
WHEREAS, the City of Richland Hills led the effort to modify legislation in the 2015 legislative session
to fix some of these problems with the Transportation Code; and
WHEREAS, one of the problems that was addressed allowed for increased membership on the FWTA
Board of Directors in order to provide a potential spot for Richland Hills residents once again; and
WHEREAS, despite once again having a Richland Hills resident as a member of the Board of Directors,
decisions by the FWTA which significantly damage the residents of Richland Hills are being made without
board knowledge, thereby negating the benefit of having a resident serve as a member of the Board of Directors
and undermining the intent of the law; and
WHEREAS, Richland Hills seeks an equitable and fair partnership between the FWTA and Richland
Hills; and
WHEREAS, a relationship that is fair and equitable should require that the FWTA acknowledge both
the benefit provided to the citizens as well as the damage done to city infrastructure based on their vehicles traffic
patterns; and
WHEREAS, historically the FWTA has acknowledged this damage and made efforts to share revenues
in order to remedy the problems caused by their vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the FWTA has decided to no longer acknowledge or take responsibility for the damage
being done to infrastructure funded by the tax payers served by the FWTA and has shifted the burden to repair
these problems entirely to Richland Hills, resulting in a larger burden being placed on residents by way of the
need for additional tax funds to be expended to repair these problems.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF RICHLAND HILLS AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The City Council of Richland Hills respectfully requests that the Texas State House of
Representatives and the Texas Senate consider legislation that modifies the Transportation Code and turns an
inequitable relationship into an equitable partnership for all involved.
Passed by the City Council of Richland Hills, Texas this 2°d day of August, 2016.
ATTEST:
Cathy Bourg ity Secretary
Bill Agan=~~~~Ar
~.~~. ~~%
tom. _'~ ~
~~
'% ..`.
////////~~~~~• t 1 U 11 ~• N``\\\\`\`\~~