NDOT officials help explain County Transit travel expenses

HARTINGTON – The Cedar County Board of Commissioners recently received an update on the out-of-state trips Cedar County Transit Manager Nikki Pinkelman has been taking for work training.

Pinkelman provided the update at the commissioners’ May 28 meeting. She previously had been questioned by commissioners about traveling long distances for training.

“I know the last time I was here, there were some questions on the 2023 training that was attended and if it had all been paid for,” Pinkelman said. “All of that travel training for last year has been paid for. It’s been deposited into our transit fund.” She said she has shared deposit receipts with County Clerk Jessica Schmit.

“She could verify they were all paid for,” Pinkelman said. She recalled the commissioners in April questioned her about a software training conference she and Cedar County Transit Scheduler Ashley Gowery attended last fall in Houston, where they received training on the software the public transportation system uses.

“The big question was about the conference that I had attended with Ashley in Texas, and that one took a little bit longer (to get paid),” Pinkelman said. “It was paid on 5/1.” She said there were new requirements for documentation – such as with invoices – with the Nebraska Department of Transportation that had changed and increased processing time.

“We used to not need front and back copies of cashed checks,” Pinkelman said of one change. “I had to just add some extra documentation to get it processed.” She brought up the subject of monthly invoice processing from NDOT. “I know for a while we had a lot of questions on why it was taking so long to get reimbursed from the state,” Pinkelman said. “I have very diligently worked with NDOT on that, and have gotten us caught up. We are current on our invoicing.”

She noted Cedar County Transit was the public transit system that was the most current for monthly invoice processing in Nebraska at that time. “We are now doing a great job on our invoice processing,” Pinkelman said. “We’re about as current as we can be right now.” She provided the commissioners with a list of scheduled training events for Cedar County Transit employees in 2024.

According to the Federal Transit Administration, its Rural Transit Assistance Program “provides a source of funding to assist in the design and implementation of training and technical assistance projects and other support services tailored to meet the needs of transit operators in nonurbanized areas.” States may use RTAP funds to support nonurbanized transit activities, like for Cedar County Transit, in four categories: training, technical assistance, research and related support services.

One of the upcoming training events is the Transit Mobility Alliance User Conference, set for Oct. 27-30 in Orlando, Fla. This conference is the same one Pinkelman and Gowery attended last year for transit software training. “Our software is not local,” Pinkelman said. “Our software is out of North Carolina. They service transits all over the United States, so wherever they host is where you go. I also do attend monthly webinars with them, too.” Board Chairman Dave McGregor asked for more details on the transit software training.

“You go meet with them,” Pinkelman said of CTS Software, the company that provides Cedar County Transit its software. “Everybody was there, from the trainers … to the CEO. Their help desk committee was there. You could meet them and put a face with a name of who you’re talking with, who’s going over those questions for you when you have problems. I thought it was amazing.”

She spent about two and a half days in a room with software company representatives, adding they gave several “good presentations.” “All the other people in the room use the same software, so it’s really good to get their feedback and their tips and tricks,” Pinkelman said. “You can match up with someone that is the same size as your transit agency and find a lot of time-saving ideas that way. We’re just trying to be the most effective that we can be.” McGregor brought up the commissioners’ concerns over Pinkelman traveling long distances for work training events, especially out-of-state ones.

“That is one of the discussions we’ve had,” McGregor said. “I’m guessing because this is a federal system, that’s why they’re so far away maybe? There’s nothing more local than that?” Jodi Gibson, the Local Assistance Division manager for NDOT, and Sarah Soula, the NDOT Transit Program manager, attended the board meeting and helped answer McGregor’s questions.

According to NDOT, the out-of-state trainings Pinkelman has been going to are federally sponsored events that transit managers and other employees have to travel to in order to attend.

For attending these events, Pinkelman submits an expense reimbursement request to NDOT, including an explanation on why it is necessary transit training. NDOT will approve the expense reimbursement request if the funding is available, with the goal being reimbursement at 100 percent.

The commissioners also learned there are required educational courses offered in the state of Nebraska, such as mandated drug and alcohol training, which are held in person and online, and required driver training. NDOT also has mandated transit manager training.

“So everything we see here for Nikki and her crew to go to are mandatory?” McGregor asked. “There isn’t anything that she can decide not to go to?” The commissioners were told the out-of-state software training conference, for example, was not mandatory for Pinkelman to attend, but Pinkelman noted she has learned more about transit software by going to the event.

NDOT has its required in-state trainings for Pinkelman and her transit employees, but the out-of-state training events are usually optional to attend. “That was one of the questions I know that has gone around the board, as to how many we really need to attend, how many do we not need to attend, or we have a choice to attend or what’s mandatory,” McGregor said.

NDOT does require transit managers like Pinkelman to share whatever new information they have learned at out-of-state trainings with the state agency and other Nebraska transit managers in monthly conference calls. Pinkelman referred to the Federal Transit Administration Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference she attended April 2-4 in Atlanta.

“When I came back from the drug and alcohol one, we had the option to download all the slides they had presented, which was great information,” Pinkelman said. “Then I shared those with NDOT so they could have access to them and share them with other people as well.” She noted she strives to select optional training events to attend so she can help improve Cedar County Transit.

“I’m trying to keep our operating costs low (and) trying to help as many people as we can,” Pinkelman said.