Joint Powers Board

Think of it as a “Community Team-Up.” In Minnesota, the law allows different local governments to join forces to do big things that would be too hard (or too expensive) to do alone.

Instead of every city in our area trying to run its own tiny bus service, our local leaders decided to work together. This “team-up” created the Otter Express Joint Powers Board, which is the group of leaders that guides Otter Express.

Prior to the Joint Powers Board, Otter Express was a service of Productive Alternatives. Productive Alternatives is a non-profit human services agency dedicated to creating pathways to employment and enhancing the quality of life for adults with disabilities and others facing employment barriers. The Otter Express provides public transit bus service. They separated so both organizations could focus on their core missions.