Draft Memorandum for the Record

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Administration and Finance Committee Meeting Minutes

May 28, 2026, Meeting Minutes

9:00 AM–10:00 AM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform
Brian Kane, Chair, representing the MBTA Advisory Board

Decisions

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Administration and Finance (A&F) Committee agreed to the following:

• Approve the minutes of the meeting of February 12, 2026
• Approve the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2027 Proposed Operating Budget

Meeting Agenda

1. Introductions

See attendance below.

2. Public Comments

There were none.

3. Action Item: Approval of February 12, 2026, Meeting Minutes

A motion to approve the minutes of the February 12, 2026, meeting was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the Community Advisory Council (Caitlin Allen-Connelly). The motion carried.

4. SFY 2026 Budget Update: Quarter Three—Hiral Gandhi, Director of Finance and Operations, MPO Staff

H. Gandhi provided a financial update for SFY 2026 including financial performance through the third quarter as well as year-end revenue, expense, and overhead projections.

5. Action Item: SFY 2027 Proposed Operating Budget— Hiral Gandhi, Director of Finance and Operations, MPO Staff

H. Gandhi shared the proposed SFY 2027 operating budget including revenue projections, anticipated expenses, and the provisional overhead rate.

Discussion

E. Bourassa asked how many staff positions are planned for the upcoming year. H. Gandhi responded 68. He also asked what the request for unobligated funds is. Tegin Teich, executive director of the MPO staff, explained that staff are working on a proposal for a variety of projects and currently seeking matching fund sources or revising project scopes to the current available match.

B. Kane asked about the choice of funding consultants with deobligated funds. T. Teich explained that it is part of MassDOT’s guidance to provide matching funds.

B. Kane voiced his support for increased staff travel and reiterated his desire for a new office space.

Vote

A motion to approve the SFY 2027 Proposed Operating Budget was made by MAPC (E. Bourassa) and seconded by the City of Boston (Jen Rowe). The motion carried.

6. Fiduciary Agent Agreement Update—Tegin Teich, Executive Director, MPO Staff, and Lizzi Weyant, Executive Director, Metropolitan Area Planning Council

T. Teich summarized the relationship between the MPO and its fiduciary, MAPC.

L. Weyant discussed the process and background of the fiduciary agent agreement and stated that the final draft will be coming shortly.

Discussion

B. Kane expressed his support for finalizing the agreement and asked what the timeline was to bring the final document to the full MPO board. T. Teich replied that she would have an update at the next committee meeting. B. Kane requested further discussion before the end of the federal fiscal year.

Dennis Giombetti, MetroWest Regional Collaborative, asked how the relationship works and what the agreement is looking to address. L. Weyant responded that the relationship is very positive and her goal is to have the agreement more closely align with the current division of responsibilities.

John Strauss, North Suburban Planning Council, asked for clarification on the MPO and MAPC’s relationship. Marjie Weinberger, MAPC, explained that MAPC is the legal employer for the MPO and this status is used by the MPO to apply for grants, sign contracts, enter legal agreements, and more.

Lenard Diggins, Town of Arlington, asked if other MPOs are set up similarly with a fiduciary. T. Teich explained that this setup is unique but many MPOs have unusual or different governance systems due to the political context of the era during which they were established.

7. Executive Director Goals Update—Tegin Teich, Executive Director, MPO Staff

B. Kane asked members to read the memo posted to the calendar in the interest of time.

8. Members’ Items

There were none.

9. Next Meeting

The next meeting will be in September and the specific date is to be announced.

10. Adjourn

A motion to adjourn was made by the Town of Arlington (L. Diggins) and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.

Attendance

Civil Rights Notice to the Public

Welcome. Bem Vinda. Bienvenido. Akeyi. 欢迎. 歡迎

You are invited to participate in our transportation planning process, free from discrimination. The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is committed to nondiscrimination in all activities and complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency). Related federal and state nondiscrimination laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, disability, and additional protected characteristics.

For additional information or to file a civil rights complaint, visit

www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination.

To request this information in a different language or format, please contact:

Boston Region MPO Title VI Specialist
10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 857.702.3700
Email: civilrights@ctps.org

For people with hearing or speaking difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service, www.mass.gov/massrelay. Please allow at least five business days for your request to be fulfilled.