NRoute’s newest riders will be members of the Milestone Club House at Warren-Yazoo Mental Health, thanks to a grant by the state.

“Since NRoute is in the business of providing transportation,” NRoute Executive Director Evelyn Bumpers said, “it only made sense that we sat down at the table with Warren-Yazoo Mental Health and talked about entering into a purchase service agreement.”

NRoute’s Transportation Commission voted Wednesday to approve the purchase service agreement with WYMH for $50,000 to provide exclusive service of driving members of the Milestone Club House, an adult program at WYMH designed to build self-esteem and self-worth, to and from the WYMH facility on Wisconsin Avenue.

“I appreciate the partnership and relationship that NRoute has with Warren-Yazoo Mental Health,” commission chairman Diane Gawronski said. “This is why this organization was designed — to help those in need and to provide transportation.”

Commission member Don Brown, WYMH’s Warren County director, had abstained from voting.

WYMH had received a $40,000 grant by the Mississippi Department of Transportation to use in assistance with transporting clients and the agency had to match the grant with $10,000, Brown said.

“We feel like this will be a good transition,” he said. “This is what we wanted to move toward for a long time.”

He said about 40 members of the clubhouse who live inside the city limits will use the city’s mini-bus system exclusively at designated times for drop-off in the morning and pickup in the afternoon.

Members who live in the county will continue to be transported by WYMH.

Brown said the new transportation service agreement with NRoute will begin Nov. 15 and run through the end of the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, after which the agency will re-apply for another grant with MDOT.

Bumpers said NRoute is in talks with MIDD-West Industries to provide similar services.

About a month into the new fiscal year, NRoute is operating with a ridership of about 3,224 passengers, many fewer than last year during the same month, when ridership was at 4,862.

Bumpers said cutting two routes on U.S. 61 South and Porters Chapel Road, along with Saturday runs, contributed to the decrease in passengers.

Bumpers told members of Port City Kiwanis Club this morning that the transit agency had retired six buses purchased with federal funds and is operating with 11 buses.

She said the Federal Transit Administration in Jackson will decide the fate of those buses.

Buses purchased through MDOT and declared to be at the end of their useful lives can be sold through public auction or through sealed bids.

Also on Wednesday, the commission approved a $310,720 project budget for capital and administration, in which NRoute can apply for 80 percent reimbursement from MDOT.

For the first time, NRoute will be able to apply for total reimbursement of federal dollars from the American Recovery Reinvestment Act stimulus program. The commission approved a $238,880 operating budget under ARRA, which is offering the 100 percent reimbursement for the first six months.

Meanwhile, Gawronksi said Wednesday that audits requested by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen are under way.

Jackson accounting firm Banks, Finley, White & Co. has been hired to conduct to the audits.

“We’re obligated by MDOT to provide a continual record and annual report and they have accepted and approved each one,” Gawronski said. “I anticipate everything is in line with us.”

The city board had voted at the beginning of the month to pay up to $20,000 for two independent audits of NRoute for 2008 and 2009 before releasing any of the allocated $135,000 to the public transportation system.

But at a special called meeting this afternoon at 3, the board will decide to approve allocating first round of funding in time for the agency to make this month’s payroll even though audits have not been completed.