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TECHNICAL PLANNING COMMITTEE

MEETING MINUTES

July 5, 2017

Osage Centre – Cape Girardeau

Technical Planning Committee Voting Members Present:    

Mr. David Blalock, Bootheel Regional Planning & Economic Development

Commission (Bootheel RPC)

Mr. Rodney Bollinger, City of Jackson

Mr. Mike Brandon, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Mr. Drew Christian, Southeast Missouri Regional Planning & Economic Development

Commission (SEMO RPC)

Mr. Joe Killian, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Mr. Alex McElroy, City of Cape Girardeau

Technical Planning Committee Non-Voting Members Present:     

Ms. Elquin Auala, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Mr. Brian Okenfuss, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Mr. Mark Shelton, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)

Ms. Betsy Tracy, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) (via teleconference)

Ms. Eva Voss, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) (via teleconference)

Staff Present:

Mr. Ryan Shrimplin, City of Cape Girardeau

Program Administration/Support Consultant Present:

Ms. Kelly Green, KLG Engineering

Call to Order

Chairman Bollinger called the meeting to order at 11:00 a.m.

Introductions

The group went around the room, with each person giving a brief introduction.

Public Comments

There were no public comments.

Adoption of Agenda

The agenda of the July 5, 2017 Technical Planning Committee (TPC) Meeting was unanimously approved for adoption upon motion made by Mr. Blalock and seconded by Mr. Christian.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes of the June 7, 2017 Technical Planning Committee (TPC) Meeting were unanimously approved upon motion made by Mr. Christian and seconded by Mr. Blalock.

Communications from the Chairman

There were no communications from the Chairman.

New/Unfinished Business

• FY 2016-2019 TIP Amendment No. 4 – Motion to release for public comment

Mr. Christian reviewed FY 2016-2019 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendment No. 4.  He reiterated that the amendment adds the projects listed in MoDOT’s 2018-2022 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).  There being no further discussion, a motion was made by Mr. McElroy and seconded by Mr. Blalock to release FY 2016-2019 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendment No. 4 for public comment, which passed unanimously.

• MoDOT STIP 2019-2023 – Identification and prioritization of needs/projects; motion to recommend approval

Mr. Brandon explained that he and Mr. Killian met with representatives of SEMPO and the RPCs in the MoDOT Southeast District to develop a template for submitting STIP requests to the Southeast District.  He presented the template, which included five categories: Taking Care of the System, Low Volume, Safety, Capacity, and Multimodal.  He explained that in the past, the Southeast District set a November deadline for receiving STIP requests from SEMPO and the RPC’s.  Starting this year, that deadline has moved up to August. It was suggested that the information in SEMPO’s Contingency Projects and Needs List be used to populate the template as a starting point for discussion.  Ms. Green will populate the template so the TPC can make a recommendation to the Board of Directors at the August 2, 2017 meeting.

Member Reports

Mr. McElroy reported that the City of Cape Girardeau’s Bloomfield Road Phase 5 project is progressing, with the bridge scheduled to be replaced in August.  On July 13, 2017, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an inaugural ride for the City’s new Downtown Trolley.  The Trolley is a transit bus with a “wrap” that is designed to reference the historic trolleys that used to serve the city many years ago.

Mr. Bollinger announced that the City of Jackson’s Homecomers Celebration will be held on July 25, 2017.  He stated that the MoDOT sidewalk project along Jackson Boulevard is over fifty percent completed.  Also, the Comprehensive Traffic Study should be completed in August.  A community survey has been completed, which revealed that the top three priorities for future improvements are street maintenance, traffic flow management, and curbside recycling.

Mr. Okenfuss stated that the approved STIP 2018-2022 is now available on MoDOT’s website.

Mr. Shelton reported that the 21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force held its kickoff meeting on June 28, 2017 in Jefferson City.  The Task Force is tentatively scheduled to meet in Cape Girardeau on November 15, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.  The group is charged with evaluating the current condition of the state’s transportation system and funding levels.  A report with recommendations will be issued by the end of the year.  A representative from Poplar Bluff, Steve Halter, serves on the task force.  Mr. Shelton also discussed the most recent traffic accident and safety data as well as MoDOT’s Buckle Up – Phone Down campaign.

Mr. Killian mentioned that MoDOT is updating the County Road Inventory, which will impact County Aid Road Trust (CART) funding apportionments.

Ms. Tracy reported that the Federal Register has recently posted notice of funding opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects.  Twenty five percent of the $850 million will be allocated to rural areas.  More information can be found on www.grants.gov.

Other Business and Communications

Ms. Green reported that the Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan community workshops were well attended.  An online survey and Wikimap tool are being utilized to obtain additional input from the public.  The survey and tool close on July 21, 2017.  She encouraged everyone to participate.  She added that once the survey and tool close, Lochmueller will work with the Study Oversight Team to prepare a draft of the plan.

Mr. Shrimplin reported that the FY 2018 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) has been adopted by the Board of Directors.

Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was unanimously adjourned at 11:48 a.m.