Yakima Valley Conference of Governments:
HOMELESS PROGRAM RETURNS TO YAKIMA COUNTY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2019
Effective July 1st, the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments (YVCOG) will be returning
the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program to Yakima County as a compliant and thriving
program! YVCOG managed the Homeless Program for our valley since July 1, 2015.
Responds to requests from YVCOG and assists fellow employees
Follows through on past commitments
Encourages worksite visits or on-site program assistance
Accepts assistance/suggestions for program improvement
Contact YVCOG to explore what CTR can do for you and your business!
Commuter Benefits
Tired of driving alone to work every day, but not sure if you have better options?
Consider what can happen when you use alternate ways of getting to work (or even teleworking):
Reduce your level of stress and get to work feeling more energized
Read, listen to your favorite music, maybe take a quick nap while someone else drives!
Extend the life of your automobile and possibly get a break on your insurance by driving less
Help improve air quality in the Yakima Valley by reducing pollution levels
Meet new, interesting people by sharing a ride or riding the bus
Cut down on the cost of your commute
Get more exercise by walking or bicycling to work
Contact YVCOG to explore what CTR can do for you and your business!
Good Faith Effort
What is a Good Faith Effort?
State Law define “good faith effort” by these two conditions:
The employer meets the minimum requirements in RCW 70.94.531 AND
The employer is working collaboratively with its jurisdiction to continue its existing program or is developing and
implementing program revisions likely to improve the CTR program over the agreed length of time.
YVCOG considers good faith effort when evaluating an employer’s level of commitment to achieving CTR goals.
One of two outcomes will result:
If an employer IS making a good faith effort, but isn’t likely to meet its CTR goals,
YVCOG will collaborate with the employer to continue the existing program or modify the worksite’s CTR program
If an employer IS NOT making a good faith effort and isn’t likely to meet applicable goals,
YVCOG will collaborate with the employer to propose revisions and shall direct the employer to
incorporate the revisions in its CTR plan within 30 days
There are no civil penalties for failure to reach CTR goals. The YVCOG is here to work collaboratively with employers
to find solutions that make sense for them!
Contact YVCOG to explore what CTR can do for you and your business!
Employee Taxes
The IRS allows employees to use their own pre-tax dollars to take advantage of commuter benefits.
Employees have three options for reducing the cost of commuting:
A tax-free employer-paid benefit
A pre-tax employee-paid payroll deduction
A combination of the two
Since 2016, the tax-free and pre-tax limits for commuter benefits provided by an employer are:
$255 per employee per month for vanpool or bus (all public transportation)
$255 per employee per month for qualified parking
$510 per employee per month for a combination of public transportation and parking
Contact YVCOG to explore what CTR can do for you and your business!
Employer Requirements
The CTR Law has six main requirements.
Participating Employers must:
Appoint an employee as the liaison between the employer and YVCOG’s CTR Coordinator.
The employee liaison is also known as the Employee Transportation Coordinator, or ‘ETC’
Develop a CTR program that is likely to reduce the number of drive-alone commutes and
the number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to the worksite. Participating employers must
make a ‘good faith effort’ to achieve their CTR benchmark goals (RCW 70.94.527(4)).
Submit a program report to YVCOG for approval after developing the CTR program
Implement the approved CTR program as described in the program report.
Provide employees with a summary of the CTR program within 60 days of approval.
This can be done by a brochure or via a link on the employer’s webpage where the CTR program is described.
The employer must also include CTR information in new employee orientation sessions.
Measure their CTR progress. Every two years the employer must conduct employee surveys to measure
employee commute behavior. Drive-alone trips to the worksite are counted using the Drive Alone Rate.
The length of drive-alone commute trips is counted through the VMT rate
(the number of vehicle miles traveled to the worksite).
Contact YVCOG to explore what CTR can do for you and your business!
CTR and Business Health
Looking for ways to hone your competitive edge?
Give your business a boost with CTR!
CTR helps businesses cut costs and raise productivity.
An effective CTR program can:
Increase your staff retention rate by making it easier for employees to get to work on time
Save money by reducing employee turnover and retaining experienced staff
Encourage qualified applicants to apply for open positions
Raise productivity by strengthening employee morale and sense of wellbeing
Lower your business’s absenteeism rate
Contact YVCOG to explore what CTR can do for you and your business!
Employer Taxes
Employers (and property managers) who provide CTR incentives are eligible for a
Washington State tax credit up to $100,000 per fiscal year (50% of the employee’s
benefit cost per fiscal year). No more than $60 per employee may be claimed in the
fiscal year.
