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<br />Request for Action <br /> <br /> <br />To Item Number <br /> <br />Economic Development Authority 6.2 <br />Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by <br /> <br />General BusinessDecember 21, 2015Amanda Othoudt, EDD <br />Item Description Reviewed by <br /> <br />Go To Metro Transit Fare Cards Cal Portner, City Administrator <br />Reviewed by <br /> <br /> <br />Action Requested <br /> <br />Provide direction to staff on the Go To Metro Transit preloaded fare cards. <br /> <br />Background/Discussion <br /> <br />In May of 2010, staff placed an order to Metro Transit to purchase 40 Metro Transit preloaded fare cards <br />at $10 each. Staff purchased 50 preloaded cards in 2012 and another 50 preloaded cards in 2013. The <br />idea was that the City of Elk River would be a place for the public to purchase the pre-loaded cards. To <br />date, we have sold only five passes from 2012-2015, with the last transaction occurring in 2011. Some of <br />the cards were expected to be used for marketing purposes. Nine of the preloaded cards expired last <br />month due to inactivity. Staff has sent the inactive passes back to Metro Transit to reinstate the <br />preloaded fares on the cards at no additional cost to the city. There are a total of 53 cards left over. The <br />demand for the preloaded cards has dropped significantly due to the convenience of purchasing transit <br />tickets at the stations themselves. <br /> <br />Representatives at Metro Transit indicated that it is not in their policy to refund the preloaded fare cards, <br />but under special circumstances, they would consider purchasing the remaining passes back from the city <br />and issue a refund. <br /> <br />Staff attended the Chamber of Commerce Elk River leadership group last month and it was noted that <br />commuter rail passes are greatly needed by individuals and families at our local homeless centers and <br />battered women shelters. Staff could repurpose 44 of the Northstar GoPasses to organizations such as <br />Open Doors for Youth, Great River Family Promise, and the like. <br /> <br />Staff is looking for direction from the EDA to send the cards back to Metro Transit and request a refund, <br />or repurpose the cards back into the community. <br /> <br />Financial Impact <br />If the cards are sent back to Metro Transit for a refund, the EDA would receive a refund of $530. If the <br />cards are repurposed back into the community, there will be no financial impact. <br /> <br />Attachments <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />None <br /> <br />