goff public notic

Volume 45 Issue 8 • September 2015

OperatorThe

MSBOA AnnouncesPartnership with Goff PublicThe MSBOA will be working with Goff Public as our public relations consultant.You may remember that the MSBOA worked with Goff during the MinneapolisTransit issue a couple of years ago. As a service to our members, we will beable to offer a discounted rate for Goff Public’s services. If a member isinvolved in an accident or otherwise involved in a media crisis, you may wish toconsult with Goff before you respond to media inquiries. In this age, whereeveryone is a reporter and photographer on Social Media outlets with viralvideos, an investment in a public relations team can help save your company’sreputation. Further, if you have a positive story you would like to get out, GoffPublic has the media connections that can help with that.

The MSBOA will be working with Goff on creating content regarding the drivershortage. They will be working on fact sheets for the media as well as somecontent for you to share with your school districts. Our goal is to work on craft-ing a positive image of school bus drivers.

The MSBOA Office has been working with local media outlets talking about thedriver shortage as well as running some driver wanted specific Facebook posts.You are free to share these. Part of the success of social media is the sharingand getting the most eyes on these posts as we can. So please Like the Face-book page if you haven’t already and remember to keep liking and sharing itscontent. The Facebook feed is dependent on a certain logarithm to keep contentpopping up on feeds based on its activity.

Check out the MSBOA website. We’ve updated the front page with driver specific content. We are developing content tolet the public know that it is a great opportunity to be a mentor to young children or a career with lots of flexibility to work asmuch or as little as you wish. We also plan to touch on how the buses themselves have changed. They are not the manu-al transmission vehicles with the big cloud of black smoke coming out the tailpipe rattling down the road. They are modernvehicles with additional technologies to help drivers do their jobs. You may wish to hold a “ride a bus” day or take part of avehicle fair in your area. The public needs to realize that school transportation is an essential service to our communitiesand that service is provided with highly qualified, highly skilled people as well as highly specialized equipment.

Please keep this contact information: Chris Duffy, Goff Public, 651-292-8062 or [email protected]

Duffy comes to us with experience working with the school bus industry. His clients speak very well of him. He has helpedthem with media crisis situations. The entire Goff Public staff have industry contacts both in the news industry as well as ingovernment.

Chris Duffy, Goff Public

Back to Work 2015

As I am writing this article in mid-August for the Sept. 2015 issue of theMSBOA Operator I, like many of you, am wondering…………How is thisgoing to work this year? Where am I going to find drivers? Why are theynot breaking my door down to come and work for me? Is it something Isaid?......

Truth told we are all swimming in the same pool this year……again. Industrywide (not just Minnesota butnationwide)…..and not just the school bus industry but also truckers and any and all commercial driversare in great demand and short supply. Part of the reason is that it takes a special type of person to dowhat we all too often take for granted…… as simply who and what we do and how we do it. Safe and pro-fessional and reliable people who live their lives free of damaging influences and have the ability to passand maintain a DOT physical and a commercial license are getting so very hard to find in this day andage. Let alone those who want to do it five days a week for nine months in a row!

We have had many meetings and discussions as to how to make our driver and aide employmentslots easier to fill. Whether it be aggressive marketing in our respective hometown areas or activelyencouraging existing employees to talk up the job and bring in the people they might know who are look-ing……these are only a few immediate solutions. Of course we all have banners out on our buses. Ofcourse we are advertising on local newspapers and college bulletin boards and social media sites. Andof course the ongoing Legislative battles which we are faced with as the Federal and State governing bod-ies attempt to do what they feel is right is another hurdle we have to approach in the long run. Contact-ing our local legislators and letting them know how hard we are trying to do our jobs is the first step. Getin touch with them if you have not already. The powers that be are trying to do it right also…..even thoughwe sometimes feel they are trying to make our lives rough…..which sometimes these extra rules and reg-ulations do.

So as we all try and get the school year off to a good start let’s make a positive effort to give the best wecan to our students and consumers and school districts. Let’s give the industry a good name as we moveinto September. Thank your returning employees for all they do and work hard to make the new employ-ees feel welcome. Remember this is what we are the very best at……Family owned businesses treatingtheir employees with kindness and respect. This is the MSBOA family.

Stay Safe and Be Kind!Sincerely, Rudy Lundahl, President of the MSBOA

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BBOArdOArd OFOFddirecTOrSirecTOrS

RAYME BERNICk, DELANO

7763.972.3991/CeLL [email protected]

CONNIE GRISIM, STEWARTVILLE


DOUG GRISIM, LAkE CITY


TOM HEY, MARSHALL

507.532.4043 /CeLL [email protected]

kEN INSELMANN, WILLMAR


SHELLY JONAS, ANNANDALE

320.274.8313 / CeLL 612.599.0431

[email protected]

BRIAN kOCH, WACONIA


JIM kOONST, BELLE PLAINE

952.873.2362 / CeLL [email protected]

STEVE LATOUR, ST. PAUL


RUDY LUNDAHL, DULUTH


MICHAEL PUTzkE, PAYNESVILLE

320.243.4455 / FAX [email protected]

GARRETT REGAN, FARIBAULT

507.334.5121/ CeLL 651.470.7948

[email protected]

JOSH SCHIFFLER, CROSBY


BETHANY SCHUBERT, SAINT STEPHEN


PAUL WINTERFELDT, PERHAM

218.346.4599 / CeLL 218-298-1825 [email protected]

The OperatorMISSION STAT E ME NT:

THE PURPOSE OF THE OPERATOR

IS TO PROVIDE THE MEMBERSHIP

OF THE MINNESOTA SCHOOL BUS

OPERATORS ASSOCIATION WITH

INFORMATION REGARDING

CURRENT INDUSTRY ISSUES.

THE OPERATOR IS PUBLISHED 11

TIMES A YEAR BY THE MSBOA,

10606 HEMLOCk ST. NW •

ANNANDALE, MN 55302.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL

320-274-8313.

E-Mail [email protected] or

FAX: 320-274-8027.

Website: www.msboa.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE FREE

WITH MEMBERSHIP. AdditionAl

subscriptions Are $24.00 A

yeAr. COPYRIGHT 2015

MEMBERS MAY MAkE PHOTO-

COPIES OR USE ARTICLES AS

NECESSARY PROVIDING THE

SOURCE IS CITED.

CO-EDITORS:

SHARI DANzEISEN & SHELLY

JONAS

LAYOUT & DESIGN: SHARI DANzEISEN

VIEWS PRESENTED IN THISNEWSLETTER MAY NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THEOPINIONS OF THE ENTIRE MEM-BERSHIP OR ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

PRESIDENT

RuDY LunDAHL

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

JOSH SCHIFFLeR

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

BRIAn kOCH

TREASURER

TOM HeY

From the PresidentRudy LundahlVoyageur Bus Company, Duluth, MN

Recently in the news has been much discussion regarding the walleye fishing, or lack there-of, on Lake Mille Lacs. The Governor had desired a Special Legislative Session to providea $20 million dollar economic package for the business and resorts within a 15 mile radiusof Lake Mille Lacs in order to ease the financial hardship caused by the closing off of all wall-eye fishing on the lake beginning August 3rd. needless to say that great angst and fingerpointing soon followed the Department of natural Resources decision to halt walleye fishing.

A Legislative Working Group was convened to attempt to create a solution for both the financial burden closing the walleyeseason created as well as to discuss methods to restock the fishery. Legislators, area business owners, and State AgencyCommissioners met three times. Tradition has held that Special Legislative Sessions occur only after agreement is achievedbetween Legislative leaders and the Governor’s Office on an agenda and topics. In the case of the lake Mille Lacs walleyeclosure no agreement was made, and no Special Legislative Session will be held anytime soon, if at all.

Minnesota’s long term budget outlook remains very robust. An improved budget outlook continues into the planning horizonas revenue growth exceeds spending growth. There is a projected structural balance of $3.184 billion for FY 2018-19. TheState of Minnesota has enacted a balanced State Budget for the fiscal years 2016-17. expenditure and revenue projectionsfor the planning years will be affected by any economic changes and revisions to an enacted budget for the 2016-17 bien-nium.

Minnesota’s net general fund receipts for FY 2015 are now estimated to total $20.363 billion, $555 million (2.8 percent) morethan projected in the February 2015 Budget and economic Forecast. Higher than expected individual and corporate incometax receipts account for nearly all of the additional FY 2015 revenue. General fund revenues in FY 2015 are now estimatedto be 5.6 percent greater than in FY 2014. State revenues for the final quarter of FY 2015 were $455 million more than fore-cast. These extremely rosy financial figures are on top of the current budget surplus of $900 million, which does not takeinto account a budget reserve and cash flow accounts of over $1.2 billion.

As most of you know, MSBOA is promoting the passage into State Statute an increase in the fine for stop arm violations ofa school bus. HF 1948/SF 1045, authored by Representative Dean urdahl and SenatorJohn Hoffman, increases the penalty to $500, would require the violator to attend a driversafety class, and mandate that courts not be able to reduce or limit the fine or the sanc-tion of a gross misdemeanor. Recently the Police Chief of West Palm Beach Florida,Chief Jeffery S. katz, sent out a twitter notice with a picture of a school bus stop arm stat-ing “we take these seriously, and strongly suggest you do too! Let's work together to keepour children safe.” @BBPD pic.twitter.com/LTPPcbMJ6J Please take the time to contactyour local State Representative and State Senator and ask them to support this initiative.

The State of Minnesota has a program called the Petroleum Tank Release Reimburse-ment Fund, the Petro Fund. The Petro Fund was created to help all owners of gasolineor diesel bulk tanks to be eligible for 90% reimbursement of the cost of clean-up of leak-ing tanks. The Petro Fund is controlled by the Department of Commerce and has a citi-zen advisory board that determines appropriate expenses regarding a clean-up. ThePetro Fund receives reimbursement dollars from a fee on petroleum sold in Minnesota.The fee is $20 on every 1000 gallons of fuel sold in Minnesota, basically 2 cents on everygallon (paid at the wholesale level.) When the Petro Fund balance drops below $4 mil-lion dollars the fee is imposed for a mandatory (by State Statute) four months. The PetroFund is going to soon fall below that floor limit, and beginning October 1, 2015 the 2 centsadditional cost of fuel will be imposed for four months. Therefore, for those MSBOA mem-bers with their own bulk tanks, fill up your tanks before October.

All State Legislators, House and Senate, are already running for re-election 15 monthsbefore november 2016. The Governor has stated that he will not run for a third term. The

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Phone (612) 723-5168 • Email: [email protected]

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Protecting your ImageWhy you Need a Public relations recovery Plan

Andy Bertram CPCU, ARM-ERisk [email protected]

Let’s face it. Some of us are harder to embarrass than others. I’ve done my fair share of embarrassing things over the lastfew decades. Luckily for me, most of those occurred during grade school and high school. At this point, there aren’t a wholelot of things that make my face turn red. On the other hand, my wife would probably tell you I manage to embarrass her aboutonce a week in public. And she’s probably right about that too.

unless you’re a public figure, personal embarrassment doesn’t get much past a flush face and a few good laughs. It’s fairlyeasy to poke fun at yourself and recover. In the business world and for public figures, it doesn’t always work that way.Remember the Martha Stewart empire, pre-prison stripes? While partnering with k-Mart may have been career suicide any-way, it took her the better part of a decade to recover.

Or remember the peanut butter recall of 2009? Or yesterday’s kraft Singles recall due to a choking hazard? Or Bridgestonetires? Or Toyota accelerators? Or Takata air bags? Or ________ fill in the blank here.

While I’d presume kraft will recover just fine, the others lost millions, perhaps billions, in revenue because of these issues.Peanut Corporation of America was forced out of business (rightfully so), and other businesses with similar issues have facedthe same fate.

So what is your plan? How would you handle a PR disaster? Start planning now for the unknown. When it happens, you’llbe able to attack it up front to help reduce the backlash and bad publicity. It will help you save face, money, and hopefullyyour business.

5

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Legal Hotline for MSBOA members

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Ask for MSBOA discounts on Handbook ($100) and on D/A TestingPackage ($50)

Contact Tom Revnew

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MSBoA Benefit with GM Fleet & Commercial!!!!There is a new form for 2016! • See www.msboa.com for more information!

The MSBOA is offering a new benefit through GM Fleet & Commercial. Many of the vehicles you buy

including pick-ups, vans, and SUV’s are available at a discount for MSBOA Members. Go to www.

msboa.com for all of the information. Included is a list of all the vehicles eligible for the discount and how

much the discount is. There is also a form online on our website for you to print out and bring to your deal-

er that gives your dealer the proper fleet pricing code for our organization.

If you are planning to purchase new vehicles soon - be sure check it out and take advantage of these sav-

ings!

As a valued member of Minnesota School Bus Operator's Association, you areentitled to using Thomas Revnew of Seaton, Peters & Revnew Legal Hotline freeof charge. During each six month period, you will be entitled to two free fifteen-minute telephone calls to the Hotline. MSBOA encourages you to use this free

service. When using the hotline, please follow the following procedure:

1. Call Tom Revnew's direct dial, which is (952) 921-4622.

2. Identify yourself, your company name and that you are a client of MSBOA.

3. If Tom Revnew is not available, please leave a voicemail with the information described above and Tom will return the call as soon as possible.

4. If Tom Revnew is not available and your call is an emergency, please dial "0" when you receive Tom's voicemail and you will be transferred to the receptionist.

Need legal Help? It’s Just a Phone Call Away!

check OUT www.msboa.com

Looking for new training ideas for your current drivers? Looking to update someof your old training materials for new drivers?

Look nO FuRTHeR!!! In 2008, MSBOA partnered with MAPT to create “Inspect-ing Your School Bus” DVD in HD.

Copies are available for immediate shipment. Please go to www.msboa.com forordering information.

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News and Views

Safety Committee By Steve LaTour, Monarch Bus Service, Inc. St. Paul, MN

This past summer I attended a Safety Committee seminar sponsored by Wells Fargo Insurance. The first question askedwas, “How many of you have a Safety Committee?” I thought to myself as I looked around the room noticing a few armsrise confirming they do in fact have a Safety Committee. We have monthly safety meetings, we review accidents to deter-mine fault or no fault and we say safety messages over our two-way radio. Why would we need a Safety Committee? Aftera few minutes listening to the reason why people have safety committees from those that raised their arms, I realized weneeded to have a Safety Committee.

The goal of having a Safety Committee regardless of the size of your company is to get every employee thinking of Safetyall the time. To help achieve this goal, you need someone from management, supervisor, mechanic and drivers on the com-mittee. Get every department involved. The number of participants on your committee is determined by the size of yourcompany. The very first objective is to have the committee set a goal, for example – “every employee and rider returns homeeveryday unharmed.” This goal is something that can be measured every day. You want to set goals that are easily mea-sureable. now that you have set your goal, the committee needs to come up with ways to achieve the goal. I will leave thatup to you if you choose to start a safety committee or if you currently have one. For your safety committee to work, it takestime and commitment from management.

I hope we all have a great and SAFe school year!

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Top 3 Tax Concerns:

Small BusinessesBy: kim A. Mahanna, CPA with Smith Schafer and Associates, Ltd. Phone: 651-770-8414Email: [email protected]

It may still be fishing and lake season for you here in Minnesota, but the end of 2015will be here before you know it. now is the time you should be preparing for the upcom-ing tax season.

Here are the Top 3 Tax Concerns we have heard from small business owners:

1. Multi-State Tax Issues. Crossing state lines for a project may be a way to boost thebottom line, but doing so can also mean dealing with complex tax issues. States are adopting far-reaching rules and inter-pretations on the issue of nexus and it is important to understand your responsibilities.

Does this apply to me? Generally, performing work, soliciting sales or having employees or owning or leasing property in astate creates nexus. There are many complexities with today’s cross-border business climate requiring careful considerationbecause of unforeseen nexus issues. Proceed with caution when you are planning to expand your business into other statesbecause each state has its own set of rules for what constitutes nexus.

2. unable to Pay Off Taxes. A common challenge for small business owners who have been profitable is having the cash avail-able to pay the tax bill. Make certain to pay sufficient estimated taxes to avoid penalties. A tip: keep business and personalexpenses separate - maintain separate checking accounts and credit cards for your business. It is helpful to set up a sepa-rate bank account for tax payments.

3. Missing Tax Saving Opportunties. Start your tax planning early. Several factors affect your overall tax obligation for the year.Starting to look at these early in the year will give you more opportunities to reduce your 2015 taxes. If you wait until tax sea-son to meet with your professional, it may be too late to take action on certain benefits.

It may seem daunting as a small business owner to stay current with all the new tax laws, limitations and regulations, butdevoting time to meet with your tax professional prior to tax season can pay off in the long run. To get started on your 2015tax planning, please contact the Smith Schafer Transportation Team at 651-770-8414 or visit our website at www.smith-

schafer.com.

State House controlled by the GOP and State Senate controlled by the DFL will try to stake out positions and policies duringthe 2016 Legislative Session that will attempt to garner the support of their respective constituencies. Much of the posturingin the pre-Session months, 2016 Session begins in March, will be centered on tax rebates or unmet spending needs. In therecent past, some combination of rebates and spending has been agreed upon. During the Ventura Administration, with theHouse GOP, DFL Senate, and Governor Jesse Ventura, the deal that was cut in the end was 1/3 spending increases, 1/3 taxrebates, and 1/3 saved for a rainy day. The controlling powers are divided in almost the same manner, a GOP House, a DFLSenate, and a Governor who at least acts as independently as Ventura. One thing is certain the State of Minnesota has lotsof cash on hand, even more projected under the current tax structure.

As always, if MSBOA members have questions or concerns please give me a call at 612-723-5168 or email me [email protected]

legislative Update Continued from Page 3.

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How to Build Positive Public relations

for your organizationWe all know that media likes to cover bad news events. If it bleeds, it leads is a common saying. Getting a message ofgood news is harder to communicate. However, taking the time to communicate those good stories about drivers andemployees that go above and beyond to serve their communities can be a sort of insurance policy to create a strong foun-dation when a crisis occurs.

You may have a driver who performed a heroic act. He/She evacuated students quickly during a bus fire or helped a chok-ing child. Perhaps they reached a milestone, like 25 years on the job. Or you calculated that your buses have reached a cer-tain number of miles on the road in your community. Achievements like your yearly training may be of interest to the localpaper. Or perhaps you brought in a speaker to motivate your drivers for a safe year. Maybe you had a great annual inspec-tion. Perhaps you got a grant to retrofit buses to “go green”. “XZY Bus Company is happily donated all transportation for thePost Prom Party.” no one knows that these things are happening to your operation if you do not take the time to commu-nicate them.

If your school district has a webpage or a social media feed like Facebook or Twitter offer to supply items for their feed. “ABCBus Company’s driver have 460 combined years of experience behind the wheel.” “George Johnson received the Trans-portation Specialist Award this summer! Congratulations George! George will be awarding a scholarship this spring as partof his prize!” Take pictures of your drivers. Show that your business is a happy place to work!

Watch for opportunities to spread the message. Perhaps your local paper does a “Business of the Week” section. Or yourlocal Chamber of Commerce or Rotary is looking for speakers. Take the time to talk about all of the preparation and train-ing you do. Talk about your dedication to safety. If you donate transportation, send an invoice with the value of the donation.People do not realize what kind of money that adds up to, unless you tell them.

Write down several key messages about your company and keep them handy. If the local paper or radio station calls aboutsomething, slide these messages in. The media, and people in general, love statistics. “Our buses travel 650,000 mileseach school year.” “We transport 4000 students to and from school every day.” “School buses are 25 times safer than otherforms of transportation”. utilize sources like the School Bus Information Council. Coach your personnel in your organiza-tion on these positive facts. It will boost morale for them that they have a proud tradition in the transportation world. And younever know when they may be talking to parents, school board members or other key community members.

Awards are an easy way to gain recognition. Driver of the Month, employee of the Year, etc. But don’t forget to look outsideof your organization. A “Friend of Transportation” awarding perhaps a school staff member may be a good way to boostmorale with your customers.

Buses are an iconic image for education. Making sure that they are clean and that drivers appear professional are great PRfor your company. utilize them in a variety of ways. Don’t only use them as billboards for help wanted. use them in com-munity parades. Be creative. Let adults see the inside of the bus. It’s likely that their image is the same one that they hadwhen they went to school. update them on the technology changes. Back to school events, Open Houses and kindergartenRound up or Preschool events are great times to talk positively about school bus safety.

have a great

school year!

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Intersection SafetyBy Gary W. Gillespie, CSP, ARM, CRM / Loss Control Consultant /Nationwide

Intersections present multiple hazards and maneuverability challenges for school vehicles, especially full-size school buses.There are many obstacles and distractions to be aware of at an intersection; pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, postedsigns, fire hydrants, and even dogs and cats may need your attention. now consider the availability of traffic control devices,proper crosswalks, and adequate design for modern full-size buses. Large buses also have the issue of off-tracking, wherethe rear wheels turn inside the path of the front wheels and tail swing. And in some areas, cars and delivery vehicles maydouble-park, further minimizing the space available.

Planning ahead might be the easiest prevention idea for minimizing intersection accidents. If possible, avoid troublesomeintersections where spaces are notoriously tight and not designed for school buses. Avoid areas without traffic controldevices where you might have to turn left. And while you can’t avoid every difficult intersection, you can still be proactive byplanning to position your vehicle in the correct spot and lane, depending on your maneuver through the intersection. This iswhere reference point use is very beneficial. It allows you to judge where your vehicle is in the space of the lane.

As you approach the intersection with your positioning in mind, you need to scan your surroundings efficiently. use your mir-rors to keep track of who might be moving into your blind spot. Monitor any control signals for current status, and, regard-less of your legal right to proceed on green, slow down and look for opposing traffic that might not be obeying the signals. Ifyou need to stop before proceeding, keep your wheels straight ahead (especially if turning left) so that if you’re hit frombehind you aren’t pushed into oncoming traffic. Remember to leave some space between your vehicle and the one ahead,in case you need to maneuver out of that space.

Communicate your intentions whenever possible. For example, use turn signals and flashing lights appropriately, tap yourbrakes to signal you are stopping, make eye contact with pedestrians, and use your horn if necessary. Be careful aboutdirecting other traffic or pedestrians in or around your vehicle. You might be stopped and yielding the right of way, but oth-ers may not. Because pedestrians have the right of way, always be vigilant of where they are before proceeding.

When navigating a right turn, check your mirrors to be sure no one has cut the corner from your right side. use your full rangeof motion from your seat to decrease your blind spot and increase general visibility. establish a reference point to proceedinto and around the corner to avoid hitting other traffic coming from the right. Turning left? Make sure you allow enough timeas your larger vehicle moves slower than a car, especially when accelerating from a full stop. Positioning your vehicle prop-erly for turns means 4-5’ from curb for right turns, and for multi-left turn intersections using the right turning lane for left turnswith large buses. Don’t forget to check the crosswalks before turning.

Finally, patience may be the best prevention technique that is also least practiced. From departure to arrival, patience canhelp all drivers maneuver safely. Proceeding slowly during turns, checking mirrors for drivers who may be inside your path,waiting for drivers who have blocked your route to pass, and yielding to pedestrians will help prevent accidents from occur-ring. even if you have the right of way, enforcing your right can lead to an incident. Always scan ahead and around your vehi-cle before, during, and after your maneuver – check above and below your vehicle for low hanging light poles, wires, signs,changes in road level, railroad tracks, etc. Intersections may be a challenging area to maneuver, but being attentive andaware of your surroundings can always help you arrive safely.

Workforce Integrity Network (WIN) Serves as

New Third Party Administrator

WIN will serve as the Third Party Administrator for MSBoA drug & Alcohol Testing program.

Crl will still provide lab services for our group.

WIN will provide your doT reports and will conduct the quarterly draws.

To join the program, call Greg Capps at WIN 865-803-2298 or the MSBoA office.

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MSBoA drug Testing ProgramThe MSBOA has teamed up with Clinical Research Labs (CRL)and Workforce Integrity network for your drug testing needs asrequired for DOT testing. The program was designed to supportthe MSBOA and to help control costs for its members.

eMPloyMeNT PrACTICeS lIABIlITy INSUrANCeChubb Insurance, one of the largest ePL carriers in the coun-try, has partnered with the MSBOA and Ahmann-Martin to pro-vide a cost effective ePLI policy option containing all the typicalprotections often found within ePL policies along with a fewother additional protections. Claims such as “wrongful dis-charge” claims, wage and hour and immigration claims are cov-ered under this policy. Additionally, Chubb and Ahmann-Martinhave agreed to share a portion of their profits with the MSBOAarising out of the sale of this product to the membership. Fur-thermore the policy will allow members to choose Seaton,Peters and Revnew as their legal counsel, if they wish, todefend against any employment-related lawsuit rather thanbeing appointed to the insurance company’s counsel who maynot have experience in the transportation industry. Jake Omann, Ahmann-Martin Risk and Benefits Consulting7555 Market Place Drive, eden Prairie, Mn 55344D: 952-947-9747| C: [email protected]

Trusted employees has put together a special offer for

MSBOA Members. We will be posting the information on ourwebsite. Make sure to log in the Members Benefit section formore details.

International onCommand Account Hoglund Bus Company has provided access to anyone who isa member of the MSBOA to International’s OnCommand ICBus Service Portal. You can look up warranty information anddiagnostic support.

Contact Linda Rein at Hoglund’s: 763-271-2950.

other BenefitsAdditionally, through our partnership with Business Advantagewe are able to offer savings at Grainger, Office Max and OfficeDepot, HP as well as fuel at Holiday. All of these offers are onour website.

MSBOA Member Special OffersAs part of an on-going effort to supply you with added value to your MSBOA membership, we offer the following programs:

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hoglundbodyandequipment.com763.295.5000

Kelly Wosika at the Minnesota department of education School

Finance has been promoted to another position in the department.

Her replacement in School Finance is Julie Belisle. Belisle has previ-

ous school transportation experience with North Branch Schools.

Her contact information is 651-582-8265 or [email protected]

New Contact for Mde (School Finance)

Good luck to all members on

successful training and

school start up!

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02MSBOA Planner

Save these dates!

minnesota School Bus Safety Committee

meets 3rd Weds. of every month

Locations Vary

Contact: John Thomas 952-556-6161

Transportation Issues Study Committee

meets 4th Weds. of every month

Contact: Keith Paulson 763-506-1132

Office of Pupil Transportation Stakeholders

Quarterly meetings Held, Dates Vary

Contact: Lt. Brian reu 651-405-6047

mSBOA Summer Conference

June 12-14, 2016

ruttger’s Sugar Lake Lodge

Cohasset, mn

Northern RegionSergeant kelly Johnsonnorthern Regional TrooperPhone (612) 360-5172e-mail: [email protected]

Metro RegionSergeant Paul DavisMetro / Central Regional TrooperPhone (612) 685-4820e-mail: [email protected]

Southern RegionSergeant Chad DauffenbachSouthern Regional TrooperPhone (507) 430-0791e-mail: [email protected]

MN State Patrol

ContactsListed to the right is contact infor-mation for the state troopers incharge of school bus transporta-tion.

Use this contact information!They are ready to help with anyquestions or concerns you mayhave!

MSBOA LeGAL hOTLiNe(952) 921-4622 • Tom Revnew at Seaton, Peters & Revnew

MSBOA Office: www.msboa.comDriver/Vehicle Services (DVS): www.dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvsDVS (To Check Driver’s License Status): www.mndriveinfo.org

Department of Public Safety: www.dps.mn.govMn Statutes Search: www.revisor.mn.gov/search

DOT Drug and Alcohol Regulations: www.dot.gov/odapc

Quicklinks: Most Wanted Websites

goff public notic

Documents