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Any changes to how BAT services are delivered would not happen before January 1, 2028.

Benton Area Transit (BAT) is the County’s program. The County has chosen to deliver our program services through a contract with Dial-A-Bus overseen by County staff. The resources for these services are allocated to the county by the state and federal government to administer services in the manner determined by the County. Dial-A-Bus has other services they provide directly that must be maintained separately from BAT.

BAT is not going away. No matter how the Board of Commissioners chooses to proceed, BAT services will not be eliminated or reduced. There will be no disruption in service. In fact, the County hopes to be able to provide more rides for community members, which is one of the reasons we are investigating this change.

• Federal 5311 funds are allocated to agencies based on vehicle revenue miles, so the County needs to ensure stable or increasing miles to prevent funding decreases.
• Agencies like Benton County are under increased pressure from new, stricter federal and state regulations and have new requirements for financial and operational transparency.
• Repeated federal noncompliance findings related to both administrative controls and how services are delivered are affecting the County’s ability to secure grants.
• There has historically been insufficient data to provide accurate cost estimates for appropriate resource sharing. The County requires reliable financial data.

If Benton County switches to a self-perform model for BAT in 2028, here are the changes riders can expect:

• Drivers will be County employees rather than Dial-A-Bus paid or volunteer drivers. Passengers will notice some new faces with a different logo on their shirts.
• Some rides could be shuttle-type service rather than taxi-type, with more than one passenger going to the same destination or area.
• Drivers will adhere to the terms of service, which includes not entering clients’ homes. The terms of service will not change.

Dial-A-Bus is an independent organization, and it will continue to be. The County can’t shut down the organization and has no desire to. A change in the County’s contract with Dial-A-Bus would not affect the organization’s other contracts.

If the County does not continue a relationship with Dial-A-Bus, the only alternative being investigated at this time is a self-performance model where all BAT operations would be carried out by County staff.

The definition of “sustainability” for Benton Area Transit includes:

• The ability to quickly adapt to change and unexpected circumstances.
• Operating procedures with backups in place and clear contingency plans built in.
• Maintaining thorough and reliable financial data for transparent reporting and informed decision making.
• Operating with confidence that compliance measures are being met and service hours are maintained at the desired level so funding is not in jeopardy.

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The March 2 STIF meeting was listed in advance on the Public Works Committee webpage as required. The meeting was not a public hearing and therefore was not noticed as a public hearing. The STIF Advisory Committee is not a quasi-judicial body and does not hold public hearings.

No extraordinary efforts were made to inform the public about the meeting because the County is not yet collecting public comment about the future operational model for BAT, and STIF meetings are not the correct venue for delivering that comment. STIFAC decides how STIF funds are allocated. The group has no authority to make operational decisions for County services and programs. BAT is one of the programs that receives STIF funding, and the matter was on the STIF meeting agenda on March 2 only as a short information update.

The County wants to hear feedback from the public at the appropriate time to act on it, and will schedule public listening sessions for this purpose in summer 2026. These public meetings will be advertised extensively.