~ Kelley employees not guaranteed jobs with transit authority

Chairman Doug Richards said the Kelley employees will have first priority for job openings.

When Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority officials announced the $360,000 buyout of Kelley Transportation Co. Inc. in March, all Kelley employees were assured a job with the transit authority.

Last week transit authority officials sent letters to all Kelley employees outlining its intention of taking over the Kelleys' business on July 1. Attached to the letter was an application for employment.

The letter states that "current positions held at Kelley Transportation will be considered but are not guaranteed." All Kelley employees will be subject to a nationwide criminal background check and pre-employment and random drug screenings, the letter reads.

Transit authority chairman Doug Richards said the Kelley employees will have first priority for all job openings with the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority.

"We'd be foolish not to hire them. They've run the service for years and they're valuable to us," Richards said.

Richards said the employees were given background checks and drug screenings when originally hired by Kelley Transportation. Guidelines to receive state and federal public transit funding requires the pre-employment screenings, he said.

Calls to Terrence and Kimberly Kelley, owners of Kelley Transportation, were not returned Thursday.

"Kelley employees are going to have to meet the criteria outlined by our company. It's not going to be much different from the criteria they've already met," Richards said.

Transit authority officials have said they will begin operating a deviated fixed bus route inside Cape Girardeau city limits by July 1. The proposed route will make a loop on the south end of the city, travel west on Broadway and make its way toward the west side of town to Wal-Mart and Doctors' Park.

Transit authority officials recently signed the contract to purchase the customer contracts that Kelley Transportation has for courier and taxi services. On Thursday, Richards said the contract was still under review by the Kelleys' attorney and no date was announced for when it would be signed.

Once the contract has been signed, the transit authority will be able to release more details about the takeover of Kelley Transportation.

Income from the courier and taxi services will provide the transit authority with enough funding to run the shuttle route inside Cape Girardeau city limits. The income will also provide the local match needed to secure more transportation money from the Missouri Department of Transportation to expand the transit service. Federal funding administered through MoDOT pays for 80 percent of the cost for new vehicles.

The transit authority has 14 vehicles but has placed orders for more vehicles, which are expected to arrive before the takeover date, said Jeff Brune, transit authority director.

jfreeze@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 246