County provides transit for agricultural workers

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Farm workers in northern Santa Barbara County who lack the means for safe and legal transportation to work no longer need to fret after the Board of Supervisors approved the purchase yesterday of nine, 15 passenger vans for the Agricultural Worker Transportation Program.
The decision to purchase the vans came after months of discussions and at least one foiled attempt by the board to put together a similar program.

But after hearing a presentation yesterday from Kings County officials, who have successfully operated a farm worker transportation program for five years, which shuttles nearly a thousand workers to fields and packaging facilities each day, the board greeted the program with open arms.
“This is a godsend to the agricultural community,” said First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal. “I think this project is long overdo and I’m really glad and happy to see that we’re finally at this point of implementing and moving this project forward.”
The nine vans, which have been used by Kings County for its transportation program, will cost $85,530. This cost will be padded with $70,000 in state grant funds that the county received in February, $100,000 the county has set aside to operate the program and $50.000 from the city of Santa Maria.
Carbajal said the vans will go into use as soon as possible.
While all of the supervisors voted in favor of starting the program, which will return to the board for review next June, tough questions about the program’s legality, safety and monetary stability were raised yesterday.
According to the board’s agenda letter, the county’s goal will be to recoup 50 percent of its costs to operate the program during the first nine months.
Third District Supervisor Brooks Firestone expressed worry that the county would bear too much of the financial burden.
“We have become the project manager,” he said. “That makes me a little uncomfortable.”
What made Firestone even more uncomfortable is the possibility of expanding the program in the years to come.
This would be accomplished with the help of $3.1 million in Caltrans money that the county plans to apply for in November. The results of the grant application should be known in mid December, county staff said.
But grant money didn’t appease Firestone’s concern
“What we’ve learned with so many other programs is the state is broke,” Firestone said, noting that he has little confidence in relying on state funds to come through.
When a report of the project’s success or failures is brought to the board in June, it will then be decided whether or not to expand the program with the grant money, or cut it all together.
If the board decides to expand the program next year, it would not sunset until June, 2010.
Ron Hughes, executive director of the Kings County Public Transit Agency, told the board his program, with the help of Caltrans grants, pays for itself.
But even if the program doesn’t ultimately pay for itself in Santa Barbara County, Carbajal argued the costs are worth while.
“The cost of the program is a pittance compared to what the hard working field workers do for us,” he said.
The fare to secure a spot in one of the vans will vary based on the distance traveled to the work site. Fifteen miles will cost $3, 30 miles costs $4, 40 miles costs $5 and 50 miles costs $6. The incentive for the driver of the van, who will also be a farm worker, is a free ride to work.
The agenda letter says the driver will be responsible for making sure at least eight passengers ride in the van each day. If the driver is unable to maintain the eight passenger minimum, the van will be issued to another qualified driver.
The operation and maintenance of the vans will be handled by SMOOTH (Santa Maria Organization of Transportation Helpers). A qualified driver must have a valid California drivers license and will be subjected to traffic and criminal background checks.
Hughes said Kings County initially drug tested its drivers, but abandoned the practice after years of not finding one positive test. He also said Kings County has not had a single injury as a result from a traffic accident involving the vans since the program’s inception.
The agenda letter says a passenger will pay a weekly fare at the beginning of each week. At the end of the week the driver will mail the fares to SMOOTH’s administration office.
In order to prevent fraud and abuse, a global positioning satellite tracking system has been installed on each van and will be monitored by SMOOTH. The agenda letter says SMOOTH can monitor the speed and location of the vans at all times.
Hughes acknowledged the process places a hefty amount of trust on the driver, but he said Kings County hasn’t had problems.
“We have tremendous self policing by other farm workers,” he said. “They don’t want to lose this program.”
One person who spoke during public comment said those who used the vans should be forced to prove they are in the country legally and undergo a tuberculosis test.
Fifth District Supervisor Joe Centeno countered by acknowledging that a tuberculosis test isn’t required for someone who rides the bus and shouldn’t be for the van pool either.
Among the organizations in favor of the program is the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau, which sent a letter to board on Sept. 27 endorsing the program.
“In view that the program would reduce traffic accidents, unlicensed drivers traveling on the highways, help the environment by reducing emissions and provide safe and reliable transportation to farm workers, the Farm Bureau offers its support,” the letter, signed by the bureau’s president Thomas N. Gibbons says. “...This alternative method of transporting farm workers to their work sites benefits growers by reducing absence and increases productivity. This program supports growers, farm workers and the communities collectively.”
The board’s discussion took a slight detour when Hughes talked about a state law that prohibits farm workers from conducting their own van pools and collecting compensation for gas. He said workers in any other industry are free to do so, but farm workers are not.
Hughes told the board a state official once pulled a Kings County farm vehicle over and cited the driver after he told the officer he was collecting fares from the riders. He said Kings County took it to court and won.
“It’s been tested in court,” Carbajal said of the program.
But aside from reassurance, the story left Carbajal and Firestone both vocally appalled.
“This sounds like an extraordinary invasion of farmworker’s rights,” Firestone said.
Carbajal said such laws should be taken off the books.
Olivia Uribe, associate director of the Santa Barbara County Action Network praised the program and spelled out the real-life difference to the board between a farm worker who can make it to work and farm worker who cannot.
“If you have a ride you have a job,” she said.