[1. Call to Order. ]
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MEETING OF THE ABILENE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD TO ORDER . FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO ANNOUNCE TO THE PUBLIC THAT,
[2. Consideration and Take Action on the minutes of the December 19, 2023 meeting.]
CAN BE MADE ON ANY ITEM IN THE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO IS CONSIDERATION, TAKE ACTION ON THE MINUTES FROM OUR DECEMBER 19TH, 2023 MEETING. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS , DELETIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO US? CANI ENTERTAIN A MOTION. >> WE APPROVE.
>> SECOND. >> A MOTION AND A SECOND.
EVERYONE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. MINUTES ARE APPROVED. ITEM
[3. Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion, and Take Action on the Metropolitan Planning Area Boundary Expansion. ]
NUMBER METROPOLITAN PLANNING AREA BOUNDARIES. SEAM INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET IS SOME INFORMATION ON THE MPO'S BOUNDARY THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CONSULTANTS HERE WHO ARE GOING TO COVERED IN GREAT DETAIL, BUT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS SINCE EARLY 2022 AND THEN IT GOT PUT ON HOLD WHENEVER THE MPO LOST SOME STUFF AND THEN BECAUSE I WENT HELP US AND THEY GOT A CONSULTANT ON BOARD AND AE COM HAS BEEN HELPING US WITH SOME COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND REALLY STARTED LOOKING AT THE WHOLE AREA AND WHAT WE COULD DO, AND THE AREA THAT WE COULD INCLUDE, AND THE THINGS THAT GO WITH IT. IN THE FUTURE STEPS , LET HIM ALSO COVER . BUT WE DID PRESENT THIS TO THE JANUARY 30TH MEETING AND THEY DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL LOOKING FORWARD TO MOVING THIS FORWARD TO THE POLICY BOARD. AND THEN THE ACTION REQUESTED IS JUST ANY CHANGES AND ANY ACTION DEEMED APPROPRIATE . WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MATT. HE'S WITH A COMMON HE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS.>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MATT . MY TRANSPORTATION PLANNER WITH A CALM . WE ARE WORKING WITH LISA AND RITA AND THE ABILENE MPO TEAM FOR THE LAST FIVE MONTHS ON THIS BOUNDARY EXTENSION PROJECT AND SO TODAY I'M JUST HERE TO WALK THROUGH WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT AND OF COURSE GET YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK . SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DIVE IN. THIS IS THE AGENDA THAT I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH DURING THE PRESENTATION TODAY . I'LL START WITH JUST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND THEN GO THROUGH THE PROJECT SCHEDULE UP TO THIS POINT . TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROJECT BACKGROUND IN GOALS AND THEN HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE PAST BOUNDARY EXPANSION EFFORTS THAT WERE UNDERTAKEN BEFORE ACOM CAME ONTO THE PROJECT BACK IN THE FALL OF 2023. WE'LL TALK A BIT ABOUT THE WORK SINCE THE FALL OF 2023 AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE RECEIVED ALONG THE WAY AND THEN FINALLY WILL CLOSE OUT WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE DRAFT BOUNDARY AND LAUNCH INTO A QUESTION -ANSWER SESSION AND AN OPEN FEEDBACK SESSION TO GET YOUR ALL'S THOUGHTS ON THE BOUNDARY. JUST SOME QUICK INTRODUCTIONS HERE. OBVIOUSLY SEVERAL FOLKS ON THIS SITE DON'T NEED AN INTRODUCTION BUT AS I NOTED WE'VE BEEN WORKING FROM LISA AND RITA FROM THE ABILENE MPO IN AN ONGOING WAY SINCE SEPTEMBER . WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH PHILIP TYNDALL WHO SEAT CHECK LIAISON FOR THE PROJECT AND HE'S BEEN PROVIDING TECH GOT ALONG THE WAY AND PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO US AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS. JIM MEYER IS OUR PROJECT MANAGER FOR ACOM. HE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY IN PERSON BUT I BELIEVE HE'S TUNING IN VIRTUALLY . HE'S BEEN LEADING THIS EFFORT FOR US AND AGAIN, MY NAME IS MATT., TRANSPORTATION PLANNER WITH ACOM AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT IN A FORMER LIFE, I WORKED FOR AND MPO . THE MPO UP IN BOSTON MANAGING THE PROGRAM THERE . SO MPO WORK IS VERY MUCH NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY AND BE BACK IN FRONT OF A MPO BOARD. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME. THAT WE APPRECIATE
YOU BEING HERE, MATT. >> THANK YOU. JUST BRIEFLY, I WANT TO TALK WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROJECT SCHEDULE. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING IN DETAIL BUT I NOTED THAT WE STARTED THIS WORK WITH THE MPO BACK IN SEPTEMBER AND SO WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH AN ITERATIVE PROCESS OF REVIEWING PAST WERE DONE ON THE BOUNDARY. MAKING BOUNDARY PROPOSALS AND TALKING THEM THROUGH WITH LISA AND RITA. DENNIS LISA NOTED IN HER OPENING COMMENTS, WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH BOTH THE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT WAS FORMED TO GUIDE THIS PROJECT, AND THEN ALSO WITH THE MPO'S TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR TAC. WERE NEARING THE TAIL
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END OF THE SCHEDULE ON THE SLIDE. WE HAVE SOME NEXT STEPS AFTER THAT AND I'LL COME BACK TO IT AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. BEFORE WE LAUNCH INTO THE DETAILS ABOUT THE BOUNDARY ITSELF OF THE WORK WE'VE DONE. I WANTED TO START BY STEPPING BACK AND TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN A BIG PICTURE WAY, WHY THIS WORK IS IMPORTANT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE MPO. SO THE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS WHY ARE WE HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS TODAY? REALLY, THAT'S BECAUSE AS THE CENSUS COMES OUT EVERY 10 YEARS, DATA FOR THE REGION ARE UPDATED . THE REGION IS GROWING AND CHANGING AND THE CENSUS HELPS US UNDERSTAND THOSE CHANGES . SO REALLY, THIS EFFORT , REVISING THE MPO BOUNDARY IS ABOUT ENSURING THAT THE BOUNDARY ITSELF REFLECTS THE WAY THAT THE REGION HAS CHANGED OVER, IN THIS CASE, SEVERAL YEARS. THE LAST TIME THE BOUNDARY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED WAS BACK IN 2006 , SO WE ARE AT ABOUT 18 YEARS SINCE MAJOR CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AND OBVIOUSLY THE ABILENE REGION HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT IN THOSE 18 YEARS. SO WE REALLY WANT THE NEW BOUNDARY TO KEEP PACE WITH THE CHANGING PATTERNS AND TRAFFIC VOLUMES IN THE REGION . MAKE SURE IT REFLECTS THE WAY PEOPLE ARE MOVING ABOUT THE REGION AND WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING AND WORKING AND COMMUTING. OF COURSE, THE MPO IS A REGIONAL PLANNING BODY AND SO WE WANT THE BOUNDARY TO REFLECT THE GOALS OF THE REGION, TO PLAN WELL FOR CHANGES , AND TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY AREAS WITHIN THE BOUNDARY ARE PART OF THAT REGIONAL PLANNING DISCUSSION. AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOUNDARY EXPANSION PROCESS ITSELF IS ONE THAT IS COLLABORATIVE BETWEEN LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, COUNTIES, THE MPO AND OF COURSE YOU ALL AND THE ADVISORY BOARDS FOR THIS PROJECT. THEN AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE MPO IS LAUNCHING INTO ITS NEW METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN. PROCESS LATER THIS YEAR . SO ADJUSTING THE BOUNDARY TO REFLECT CHANGES IN THE REGION PUTS THE MPO ON A SOLID FOOTING TO CONSIDER THOSE CHANGES OVER THE LONG-TERM THROUGH THAT LONG-RANGE PLAN. SO AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO REALLY ENGAGE A RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM YOU ALL HERE AT THE POLICY BOARD TO THE TAC. THE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE AND LOCAL AND COUNTY OFFICIALS. I SHOULD SAY IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE WAY, FEEL FREE TO STOP ME , OTHERWISE WE CAN COME BACK TO A DISCUSSION AT THE END. BUT HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY IF THAT WORKS BETTER.TALKING A LITTLE ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE UP TO THIS POINT. AGAIN, THE WORK ON THE BOUNDARY EXPANSION WAS STARTED BEFORE ACOM CAME ONTO THIS PROJECT IN SEPTEMBER AND THE CURRENT BOUNDARY DATES BACK TO 2006 IN BETWEEN 2006 AND THE MOST RECENT CENSUS IN 2020, THERE WAS A 2010 CENSUS AND SO THE BOUNDARY WAS LOOKED AT AT THAT TIME. BECAUSE IT HAD JUST BEEN REVISED IN 2006, THERE WASN'T REALLY A NEED TO CHANGE THE BOUNDARY MUCH IN 2010 . SO THE CURRENT BOUNDARY REALLY DATES BACK ABOUT 18 YEARS. SO THE TEXAS A&M TRANCE ROTATION INSTITUTE BEGAN THE BOUNDARY REVISION PROCESS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. IN EARLY 2022 . THEY HOSTED A SERIES OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THIS PROJECT AND SO THAT FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING WAS BACK IN FEBRUARY 2022 AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SITE HERE, SOME OF THE KEY THEMES THAT CAME OUT OF THIS MEETING. THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CHANGING COMMUTING PATTERNS IN THE REGION AND WHERE FOLKS ARE TRAVELING AND TO WHAT EXTENT.
THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS AT THAT TIME ABOUT WHAT CHANGING THE BOUNDARY WOULD MEAN FOR FUNDING ELIGIBILITY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS HERE IN THE REGION. THERE ARE SOME GOOD DISCUSSION ON AREAS THAT ARE PROJECTED TO EITHER GROW OR NOT GROW IN THE COMING YEARS. AND THEN AGAIN, SOME OTHER TOPICS HERE ABOUT TRAFFIC VOLUMES. UNDERSTANDING WHAT WOULD WORK BEST FOR A NEW BOUNDARY IN TERMS OF USING NATURAL BOUNDARIES, MAJOR ROADWAYS. THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND FINALLY, THE IMPACT OF ANY CHANGES TO THE BOUNDARY ON TAC AND POLICY BOARD REPRESENTATION. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR THEMES THAT CAME OUT OF THE FIRST DISCUSSION FOR THIS PROJECT AND AGAIN THAT WAS HOSTED BY TTI BACK IN FEBRUARY 2022. THAT MEETING WAS FOLLOWED UP ABOUT A MONTH LATER WITH ANOTHER MEETING IN MARCH 2022 .
AT THAT MEETING, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DETAILED DISCUSSION. SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE REGION. SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE HERE, SEVERAL DETAILS ABOUT SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE COVERED IN THAT MEETING.
THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF GROWTH HAPPENING IN THE AREA OF CLYDE N BAIRD . UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO POTENTIALLY LOOK AT EXPANDING THE BOUNDARY INTO CALLAHAN COUNTY FOR THE FIRST TIME. DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SOME PLACES
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IN THE REGION THAT AREN'T SEEING MUCH GROWTH. THAT INCLUDES PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST TAYLOR COUNTY AND ALSO SHACKLEFORD COUNTY TO THE NORTHEAST. THERE'S ALSO DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGES IN JONES COUNTY. SOME OF THE TRAFFIC GROWTH GOING TO AND FROM HOLLY AND IN SIN. THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE TO INCLUDE MAJOR ROADWAYS IN YOUR SECTION SO THOSE WOULD RECENT INTERSECTION WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDS. TO THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. AND THEN THE TOPIC OF BOARD REPRESENTATION WAS RAISED, THE WAY THAT CHANGING THE BOUNDARY WITH IMPACT THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD. SO PART OF THAT EFFORT TOO IS GETTING INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT ON HOW THE REGION IS CHANGING AND SO TTI WAS ABLE TO PULL DATA ON WATER AND SEPTIC PERMITS FROM 2018 THROUGH 2021 . THIS IS SORT OF A SNAPSHOT OF FOUR YEARS OF DATA. BUT YOU CAN SEE GIVEN ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORED DOTS ON THE MAP ON THE SCREEN HERE, THERE ARE SEVERAL POCKETS OF GROWTH WITHIN THE CURRENT BOUNDARY WHICH IS THAT YELLOW OUTLINE YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE. BUT ALSO VERY MUCH OUTSIDE OF THE BOUNDARY AND REALLY THREE DIRECTIONS HEADING NORTH, SOUTH AND ALSO EAST. AND SO THIS IS SOME DATA WE'VE BEEN COMING BACK TO THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS TO CHECK AS WE LOOK AT NEW BOUNDARIES TO SAY WHERE WE ARE SEEING SOME OF THESE NEW WATER AND SEPTIC PERMIT, AND HOW DOES THAT ALIGN WITH THE POTENTIAL NEW BOUNDARY. SO SOME OF THE OTHER WORK THAT TTI DID, THEY EXPLORED SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR REVISING THE BOUNDARY AND THAT INCLUDES THE MAP YOU SEE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE SITE HERE WHICH COVERS OR EXPLORES WHAT THE BOUNDARY WOULD LOOK LIKE IF YOU WERE TO EXPAND THE EXISTING MPO BOUNDARY OUT EIGHT MILES IN ALL DIRECTIONS, AND SO THIS IS EXPANDING THE EXISTING BOUNDARY, BUT NOT CHANGING THE SHAPE ALL THAT MUCH. SO THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF SCALE FOR WHAT EIGHT MILES LOOKS LIKE ON THE MAP. AND I THINK TTI CHOSE THIS EIGHT MILE BUFFER BECAUSE IT CAPTURES SEVERAL OF THE COMMUNITIES AROUND EXISTING BOUNDARY THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY INCLUDED. IN THE MAP ON THE RIGHT IS A LITTLE HARD TO SEE BUT REALLY THE KEY TAKE AWAY HERE IS THAT THE TTI WORK TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT BOUNDARIES OF DIFFERENT SCALES IN DIFFERENT SHAPES IN THE REGION AND KIND OF TALKED THROUGH THOSE WITH THE MANY AT THAT TIME. SO WHERE THE TTI WORK LANDED WHEN THEY WRAPPED UP IN MAY OF 2022 AND THAT'S WHERE THE WORK LEFT OFF BEFORE WE PICKED IT UP IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023 . SO TTI LEFT WITH TWO DIFFERENT DRAFT BOUNDARIES THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE SLIDE HERE AND YOU CAN SEE THEY ARE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR BUT THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES. SO THE MAP ON THEIR LEFT, WHAT WE CALL VERSION 1, A SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER YOU CAN SEE IT INCLUDES THE VAST MAJORITY OF TAYLOR COUNTY AND ALSO THE WESTERN HALF OF CALLAHAN COUNTY AND MUCH OF THE ENTIRE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT OF JONES COUNTY. THEN THE MAP ON THE RIGHT OR VERSION 2, THE TTI CAME UP WITH IS SIMILAR IN SHAPE WHAT YOU CAN SEE THAT BOTH, ESPECIALLY IN CALLAHAN COUNTY, THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE COUNTY IS NO LONGER INCLUDED. THEN ALSO IN TAYLOR COUNTY, THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN, AS WELL AS THE WESTERN PORTION. SO AT THIS POINT, TTI WAS EXPLORING WITH THE BOUNDARY COMMITTEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED BOUNDARY IN VERSION 1 OR SLIGHTLY MORE LIMITED EXPANSION AS SHOWN IN VERSION 2. SO THAT CATCHES IS UP TO WHERE WE PICK UP THE WORK AT ACOM BACK IN SEPTEMBER 2023. I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE UNDERTAKEN SINCE THEN .SINCE SEPTEMBER, WE HAVE AGAIN ASSESSED SOME OF THE WORK THAT TTI DID WHICH IS THE WORK I JUST TALKED THROUGH. THE WEAVE ALSO CONTINUES OF EXTRA BACKGROUND RESEARCH TO COMPLETE THE PICTURE OF THE DATA THAT TTI STARTED GATHERING THAT INCLUDES DATA ON POPULATION CHANGES, TRAFFIC VOLUMES, AS WELL AS EMPLOYMENT CHANGES TO THE REGION. AND THEN WE ALSO HOSTED A SERIES OF A COUPLE OF MEETINGS BOTH IN DECEMBER 2023 AND JANUARY 2024 WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THIS PROJECT AND THEY GAVE US SOME INPUT ON WHERE THEY ARE SEEING GROWTH HAPPEN IN THE REGION . GAVE US SOME INPUT ON SOME DRAFT BOUNDARIES . SO WE'LL TALK A BIT ABOUT THOSE DRAFTS AND SEE THE FEEDBACK YOU'RE IN A SECOND. AND THEN WE'VE GONE
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THROUGH AN ITERATIVE PROCESS AGAIN BETWEEN COMMITTEE FEEDBACK AND ALSO MPO STAFF FEEDBACK TO REVISE THE BOUNDARY MORE AND MAKE SOME MORE FINE TUNING ADJUSTMENTS. AND AS E'LISA NOTED IN HER OPENING REMARKS, WE DID MEET WITH THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH THE MPO BACK IN JANUARY AND GOT THEIR SIGN OFF ON THE DRAFT AND THUS THE DRAFT THAT WE WILL BE TALKING TO TODAY. SO SOME OF THE NEW DATA THAT WE GATHERED TO EXPLORE THE WAYS THAT THE REGION IS CHANGING INCLUDE POPULATION CHANGES OVER THE LAST 13 YEARS . SO THESE ARE CHANGES IN THE REGION SINCE THE 2010 CENSUS. SO THE WAY WE PRESENTED THE DATA ON THE SLIDE HERE ALONG THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE GREEN NUMBERS, YOU CAN SEE THOSE ARE AREAS WHERE THE REGION IS GROWING AND THEN ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE WITH THE RED NUMBERS, YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE PLACES THAT HAVE SEEN A POPULATION IS A LITTLE MORE FLAT OR IN SOME CASES EVEN DRINKING A LITTLE BIT. I WANT TO CAVEAT THIS BECAUSE THESE ARE JUST CHANGES WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES PROPER AND SO IT'S AWFULLY CAPTURING THE GROWTH AROUND EACH COMMUNITY AND THAT SOMETHING WE WILL COME BACK TO IN A MINUTE. THIS GIVES US A LITTLE MORE DETAIL TO WORK WITH TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW THE REGION HAS CHANGED SINCE 2010 , AND YOU CAN SEE ESPECIALLY SOUTH AND EAST OF THE EXISTING BOUNDARY, THERE'S BEEN POPULATION GROWTH FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES MOST NOTABLY IN BUFFALO AND TUSCOLA. THEN WE DID A SIMILAR EXERCISE LOOKING AT TRAFFIC CHANGES AND SO YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE ALL GREEN NUMBERS HERE WHICH MEANS THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN TRAFFIC VOLUMES ON ALL THE MAJOR ROADWAYS GOING INTO AND COMING OUT OF ABILENE. SO BASICALLY WHAT WE DID WAS TAKE EACH COMMUNITY AND EACH MAJOR ROADWAY AROUND THE EXISTING BOUNDARY AND LOOK AT BETWEEN 2010 AND 2022, USING TXDOT TRAFFIC DATA, HOW HAVE THE TRAFFIC VOLUMES CHANGED OVER THAT TIME . THIS IS PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU'LL EXPERIENCE IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. YOU SEEM TRAFFIC INCREASE OVER THAT TIME. SO THESE NUMBERS PROBABLY COME AS NO REAL SURPRISE TO YOU, BUT YOU CAN SEE ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE CLYDE, TO SCHOOL AND BEAR IT, A LOT OF COMMUNITIES HAVE 30, 40, 50+ PERCENT TRAFFIC VOLUME GROWTH ON MAJOR ROADWAYS .INTERSTATE 20, 83 OVER THAT 12-YEAR PERIOD. DEFINITELY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN TRAFFIC PATTERNS OVER THAT TIME. SO ONE OF THE THINGS HE WANTED TO DO IS COMBINE ALL OF THE LAST TWO SETS OF DATA ONTO ONE SLIDE TO HELP MAKE IT MORE DIGESTIBLE AND WE'VE ALSO ADDED IN SOME OF THE COUNTY LEVEL DATA HERE AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT EVEN IN CASES WHERE SOME OF THE INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES MIGHT NOT BE SEEING MUCH GROWTH WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES, THE COUNTIES AS A WHOLE ARE EITHER RELATIVELY FLAT IN POPULATION OR GROWING SIGNIFICANTLY. IN THE CASE OF TAYLOR COUNTY, MOST 11% GROWTH BETWEEN 2010 AND 2023 AND POPULATION. BUT SIMILAR RATES OF GROWTH IN CALLAHAN COUNTY AS WELL. AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE TRAVEL PATTERN CHANGES ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE. LOTS OF TRAFFIC , EVEN IF COMMUNITIES ARE NOT NECESSARILY ADDING A TON OF NEW POPULATIONS. THERE ARE STILL FOLKS INCREASING VOLUMES PASSING THROUGH THE REGION AND TRAVELING THROUGH THE REGION AND THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS PART OF THE BOUNDARY DISCUSSION. SO SOME OTHER DATA WE LOOKED AT WERE EMPLOYMENT CHANGES. THESE ARE CHANGES BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020. JUST A 10 YEAR SNAPSHOT WHAT HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND WHERE NEW EMPLOYERS ARE OPENING UP AND WHERE THE CLUSTERING IS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE REGION. SO NOT GOING TO GO INTO THESE IN A TON OF DETAIL, BUT ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, YOU SEE SOME CIRCLES THAT HAVE HIGHLIGHTED EMERGING CLUSTERS OR GROWING CLUSTERS , ESPECIALLY THE MEDIUM-SIZE EMPLOYERS . FOLKS WHO ARE EMPLOYING HUNDRED TO 200 PEOPLE OTHER PLACES OF BUSINESS . SO IT'S USEFUL TO START THINKING ABOUT WHERE THESE CLUSTERS ARE FOR ME BECAUSE THAT OBVIOUSLY INFORMS WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMMUTING EVERY DAY. AND CERTAINLY HAS AN IMPACT ON THE REGION . SO WE DID THE SAME EXERCISE FOR EACH COUNTY IN THE REGION. SO YOU CAN SEE IN JONES COUNTY ON THE RIGHT SIDE THERE, SOME EMPLOYMENT GROWTH AROUND IN SIN AND AROUND HOLLY . EVEN ALL THE WAY DOWN IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE COUNTY . THEN AGAIN IN CALLAHAN COUNTY, SOME OF THE DATA WE'VE ALREADY SEEN, A DECENT AMOUNT OF EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN THE WEST AND
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NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE COUNTY. SO WE BROUGHT ALL THIS DATA TO THE BOUNDARY EXPANSION COMMITTEE BACK IN DECEMBER AND IS THE SUM OF THE EVENT WE HEARD FROM THAT COMMITTEE DURING THAT COMMITTEE MEETING. WE SHOW THEM VERSIONS ONE AND TWO OF THE BOUNDARIES THAT TTI HAD DRAFTED AND FOLKS SAID THOSE BOUNDARIES GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE REGION. THEY'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION . THAT MAKES SENSE. MANY FOLKS ARE ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PARTICIPATED IN THAT EARLIER TTI PROCESS AND SO THERE WAS SOME LEVEL OF CONSENSUS THAT THOSE BOUNDARIES WERE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF WATER REVISED BOUNDARY MIGHT LOOK LIKE. SOME OF THE PLACES WE HEARD FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT MIGHT BE WORTH INCLUDING INCLUDE BUFFALO GAP, BURKLE, LAWN AND TUSCOLA ALL IN TAYLOR COUNTY. WE HEARD SOME INTEREST IN CLYDE AND BEARDEN CALHOUN COUNTY AND ALSO SOME INTEREST IN INCLUDING ENSIGN AND HOLLY.AND PASS FEEDBACK THAT TTI HEARD, FOLKS OTHERS NOT AS MUCH GROWTH HAPPENING IN TRENT AND ALSO IN SHACKLEFORD COUNTY. SO THOSE PLACES MIGHT BE A LITTLE LOWER ON THE PRIORITY LIST TO BRING WITHIN THE ADVICE PLANNING AREA BOUNDARY AND THEN AGAIN, SOME OF THE MORE RURAL AND MOUNTAINOUS PART OF BOTH TAYLOR AND CALLAHAN COUNTIES, NOT SEEING AS MUCH GROWTH WHICH IS TO BE EXPECTED GIVEN THE TOPOGRAPHY. SO THE COMMITTEE SAID THOSE AREN'T REALLY A PRIORITY FOR INCLUDING IN THE NEW BOUNDARY. AND WE ALSO HEARD SOME OTHER HOTSPOTS FOR GROWTH IN THE REGION, INCLUDING AROUND THE LAKE. THEN REALLY THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF JONES COUNTY AS A WHOLE. THEN AGAIN, SOME FEEDBACK AROUND INCLUDING MAJOR ROADWAYS AND MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ROADWAYS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING GOING FORWARD. THAT INCLUDES FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH THE MPO'S TIP PROCESS THAT INCLUDES ROADS LIKE HIGHWAY 36 AND U.S. 180. SO AFTER THAT FIRST SET OF FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE, WE TOOK SOME TIME TO STEP BACK AND REVISE THE BOUNDARY BASED ON THEIR INPUT. SO AGAIN, WE LOOKED OVER THE TTI BOUNDARIES TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHETHER PROPOSALS WERE AND WHERE REFINEMENTS NEEDED TO BE MADE BASED ON COMMITTEE FEEDBACK . WE ALSO LOOKED AT TEXT TXDOT SPONGES BECAUSE INTERSTATES PRINCIPAL ARTERIALS, MINOR ARTERIALS AND MAJOR COLLECTIVE ROADWAYS CAN ALL BE FEDERAL AID ELIGIBLE.
SO WHERE POSSIBLE, THE GOAL IS TO INCLUDE THOSE ROADWAYS SO THAT IN THOSE PORTIONS OF THE REGIONS, FEDERAL FUNDS COULD BE USED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENT WHERE NEEDED. AND SO WE ALSO WANTED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT MPO STAFF IS LIMITED IN THE REGION IS LARGE. SO IT SORT OF A BALANCING ACT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BETWEEN EXPANDING THE BOUNDARY SO MUCH THAT IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO PLAN FOR, AND TO GET COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN . WITH ALSO INCLUDING PLACES THAT REALLY DO NEED TO BE INCLUDED BASED ON GROWTH. WE LOOKED AT AREAS WHERE MAYBE IT'S NOT AS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE , JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT EXPANDING THE BOUNDARY TOO MUCH IN A DIRECTION WHERE IT BECOMES UNMANAGEABLE. FINALLY, WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THE MPO'S TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL OR TD M BOUNDARY BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME AREAS US WILL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE, WHERE THAT MODELING BOUNDARY ACTUALLY DOES ALREADY EXIST OUTSIDE OF THE MPO BOUNDARY . SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY NEW BOUNDARY RECTIFIES THAT ISSUE AND BRINGS A MODELING BOUNDARY FULLY INTO THE MPO BOUNDARY.
SO AFTER WE BROUGHT SOME REVISED RESPECT TO THE COMMITTEE FOR FEEDBACK, THERE'S A LOT OF DETAILS ON THE SLICE OR NOT WE SHOULD BE LIVING IN DETAIL. BUT WE DID WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT EXPANDING TOO FAR NORTH , INCLUDING AREAS OUTSIDE OF AND SIGN THAT MAY NOT HAVE TOO MUCH GROWTH IN THE COMING YEARS. IN JONES COUNTY, THERE WAS A DESIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT MAJOR ROADWAYS LIKE 83 , 84 AND FM 707 WERE IN ROOTED WITHIN THE EXPANDED BOUNDARY BECAUSE THERE'S ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT OUT THAT DIRECTION WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY ASSOCIATED TRAFFIC WITH THOSE DEVELOPMENTS IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE BOUNDARY AND THOSE ROADWAYS COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE MPO'S TIP. WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK ON SOME SUBDIVISION GROWTH HAPPENING AROUND BUFFALO GAP AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT
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THOSE SUBDIVISIONS WERE INCLUDED BECAUSE THOSE ARE SORT OF EMERGING HERE IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. AND REALLY AGAIN, THE GOAL HERE IS TO CREATE A BOUNDARY THAT THE MPO FEELS MEETS ITS NEEDS FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS OVER THE ENTIRE LONG-RANGE PLANNING HORIZON THAT THE MPO PLANS FOR. SO THE BOUNDARY THAT WE HAD THE TAP CONSIDER AND THIS IS AFTER TWO ROUNDS A FROM THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THIS PROJECT IS THE BOUNDARY YOU SEE SHOWN ON THE SLIDE HERE SO I'LL TALK TO THIS QUICKLY. IN YELLOW OR GOLD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SLIDE IS THE EXISTING MPO BOUNDARY AND SO YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AS IT'S BEEN SINCE 2006. THE GREEN BOUNDARY JUST OUTSIDE OF THAT IN A HANDFUL OF LOCATIONS IS THE MPO'S TRAVEL DEMAND MODELING BOUNDARY AND SO THOSE ARE AREAS OF THE REGION THAT ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN MODELING THAT'S DONE FOR THE MPO'S LONG-RANGE PLAN BUT THEY ARE NOT FORMALLY INCLUDED IN THE MPO BOUNDARY. SO THOSE AREAS WERE TOPS ON THE PRIORITY LIST TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE INCLUDED IN ANY NEW BOUNDARY THAT'S DRAFTED. THEN IN BLUE, YOU SE THIS IS THE MORE LIMITED OR VERSION 2 OF THE BOUNDARIES AND SO IS NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS VERSION 1 THAT TTI DRAFTED. WE USE VERSION 2 BECAUSE IT WAS UPDATED BOUNDARY AS WAS SHOWN TO THE TAC ON JANUARY 30TH, I BELIEVE, IS THE BOUNDARY THAT'S SHOWN IN RED . THAT RED BOUNDARY IS REALLY THE DRAFT THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AND GETTING FEEDBACK ON. AND JUST TO SUMMARIZE WHAT THAT BOUNDARY SHOWS, YOU CAN SEE TO THE NORTH OF THE EXISTING BOUNDARY, IT INCLUDES ANSON AND HOLLY AND SOME MAJOR ROADWAYS OF THEIR PEER 83, 84, 707 AND EXPENSIVE BOUNDARY AROUND THE LAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY SUBDIVISION GROWTH HAPPENING IN THAT AREA IS INCLUDED. HEADING EAST, YOU CAN SEE THE BOUNDARY INCLUDES REALLY JUST THAT NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF CALLAHAN COUNTY , THE AREA AROUND CLYDE.TO THE SOUTH OF THE EXISTING BOUNDARY, THE PROPOSED NEW BOUNDARY INCLUDES MUCH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT OF TAYLOR COUNTY . ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE COUNTY LINE JUST SOUTH OF LAWN INTO SCHOOL LEFT. HEADING WEST, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE REVISED BOUNDARY INCLUDES THE AREA AROUND MERKEL FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS BOUNDARY TO THE TECH AND GOT THERE FEEDBACK ON IT, THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT FOR EXPANDING THE BOUNDARY BEYOND ITS CURRENT LIMIT AND ALSO SUPPORT FOR ENSURING THAT THE BOUNDARY SETS A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR LONG-TERM REGIONAL PLANNING. SO GENERALLY, THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR LOOKING NOT JUST IMMEDIATELY BEYOND THE EXISTING BOUNDARY, BUT ALSO TO SOME OF THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING THE EXISTING BOUNDARY, TO MAKE SURE THOSE COMMUNITIES HAVE MORE OF A ROLE AND A VOICE IN THE REGIONAL PLANNING CONVERSATION. THERE WERE SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP . THOSE QUESTIONS INCLUDE AGAIN, QUESTIONS AROUND BOARD REPRESENTATION AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE MPO. THERE WERE DEFINITELY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW A NEW BOUNDARY WOULD IMPACT MPO FUNDING TO THE TIP, AND WHETHER AN EXPANDED BOUNDARY WOULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO GET PROJECTS IN CERTAIN AREAS FUNDED OR NOT FUNDED. THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW ACCURATE DO WE FEEL LIKE WE THINK WE ARE ABOUT PREDICTING FUTURE GROWTH AND 20 YEARS IS A LONG TIME TO PLAN FOR, AND THAT PROCESS IS GENERALLY DIFFICULT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE REGION WOULD LOOK LIKE OVER THAT TIME.. SO THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT TOPIC. AND RELATEDLY, IF THE REGION CHANGES THAT ARE NOT ANTICIPATED, WHEN CAN WE COME BACK TO THIS BOUNDARY AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT AGAIN. WITH ALL THAT IN MIND, AGAIN THERE WAS GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE BOUNDARY WE JUST SHOWED. THERE WAS SOME HESITATION ABOUT GOING AS FAR NORTH OF HANSEN AND RECOGNIZING THAT THAT WOULD BE SORT OF THE FURTHEST EXTENT FROM THE CURRENT BOUNDARY AND THAT IS STRETCHING FAIRLY FAR NORTH RELATIVE TO WHERE THE BOUNDARY EXISTS TODAY. SO THERE'S A BIT OF HESITATION ABOUT EXPANDING QUITE THAT FAR OUT. BUT OVERALL, THE COMMITTEE OR THE TAC RATHER WAS IN SUPPORT OF THAT IDEA. SO AGAIN, JUST BRINGING UP A CLEANED UP VERSION OF THIS MAP WHICH NO LONGER INCLUDES THE TTI BOUNDARY, JUST TO KEEP
[00:30:02]
THINGS SIMPLER. SO THIS IS THE SAME BOUNDARY WE TALKED THROUGH IN THE LAST SLIDE AND THIS IS THE BOUNDARY THAT THE TAC VOTED TO APPROVE AT THEIR MEETING ON JANUARY 30TH. SO WE WILL COME BACK TO THIS BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION, AND THEN WILL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEARING WITH ME. COMING BACK TO THE MATT WE STARTED WITH EARLIER AROUND WATER AND SEPTIC PERMITS IN THE REGION, I WANTED TO OVERLAY THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY OVER THAT SO YOU COULD SEE THE WAYS IN WHICH THE REVISED BOUNDARY DOES INCLUDE A LOT OF THOSE GROWTH AREAS THAT ARE SHOWN IN THAT DATA.AND THEN WE ALSO USED SOME OF TXDOT'S STATEWIDE MODELING DATA TO LOOK AT THE WAYS IN WHICH POPULATION AND -- ARE EXPECTED TO CHANGE IN THE REGION. THAT WAS DATA THAT WAS RECENTLY RECEIVED AND SO WE'VE ADDED IT INTO THE SLIDES HERE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AS PART OF THE DISCUSSION TODAY. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE DRAFT BOUNDARY WE ARE WORKING WITH INCLUDES A LOT OF THE PLACES WHERE POPULATION DENSITY IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE REGION. THE REASON WE USE POPULATION DENSITY FOR THIS IS FOR THE STATEWIDE MODEL, TXDOT USES TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS ZONES AND THOSE ZONES ARE WILDLY VARYING IN SHAPE AND SIZE. SO USING DENSITY, WE ACCOUNT FOR THE DIFFERENT SIZES OF THOSE GEOGRAPHIES TO MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND HOW POPULATION IS CHANGING IN THE REGION. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DARKER THE BLUE AND THE SHADING HERE, THE MORE POPULATION GROWTH IS EXPECTED PER SQUARE MILE IN THOSE AREAS. YOU CAN SEE AROUND THE REGION , THE DRAFT BOUNDARY INCLUDES A VAST AMOUNT OF AREAS CLOSE TO THE PROJECTED BOUNDARY EXPECTED TO GROW BETWEEN 2015 AND 2045. THIS IS TXDOT'S STATEWIDE VERSION MODEL FOUR DEVELOPED IN 2018 SO THAT DATA IS A FEW YEARS OLD NOW . THIS IS THE MOST RECENT STATEWIDE MODELING DATA WE HAVE IN TXDOT THAT ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT PROJECTIONS AND THAT'S WHAT WE USED FOR THIS PROJECT. FINALLY, I WANTED TO SHOW THE SAME SORT OF INFORMATION, BUT FOR EMPLOYMENT DENSITY. AGAIN YOU CAN SEE IT'S A SIMILAR PATTERN AROUND THE REGION . YOU CAN SEE POCKETS OF EMPLOYMENT GROWTH AROUND ANSON, AROUND CLYDE AND PULLS ON THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT OF TAYLOR COUNTY AND HEADED WEST TOWARDS MERKEL AS WELL. AND THEN ONE LAST MET WE WANT TO SHOW YOU ALL BEFORE WE GET INTO NEXT STEPS AND AN OPEN DISCUSSION HERE IS REALLY JUST WE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CITY OF ABILENE'S EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION .
SO THIS IS THE AREA THAT THE CITY OF ABILENE IS ALREADY PLANNING FOR OUTSIDE OF ITS EXISTING CITY LIMITS. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BOUNDARY FORMED SORT OF A FIVE MILE BUFFER AROUND THE CITY PROPER AND THE REVISED BOUNDARY THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH FOR THE MPO HERE WHICH AGAIN IS OUR MAIN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION TODAY , REALLY DOES INCLUDE A VAST MAJORITY OF THAT ET J AREA . SO THIS IS GOOD BECAUSE OF THE CITY IS ALREADY PLANNING FOR THAT AREA , THEN THE MPO SHOULD PROBABLY BE FIGHTING FOR THAT AREA AS WELL. BEING SUPPORTING DIFFERENT LEVELS OF JURISDICTION ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO PLAN FOR THE REGION AS A WHOLE. SO JUST REAL QUICK, WHERE ARE WE GOING FROM HERE? SO AFTER TODAY'S MEETING, WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE DRAFT BOUNDARY TO REFLECT YOUR FEEDBACK. SO THE GOAL FOR TODAY IS REALLY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR COMMENTS, YOUR CONCERNS AND MAKE SURE THOSE ARE ADDRESSED IN ANY FINISHED PRODUCT. AFTER TODAY, ONCE WE GET SOME OF YOUR FEEDBACK, WE WANT TO CONTINUE YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY LEVEL AROUND THE REGION TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT BEING INSIDE THE BOUNDARY OR OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY MEANS FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, FOR THE CONSTITUENTS, AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE ANY FINISHED PRODUCT IS DRAFTED.
ONCE WE HAVE A REVISED VERSION OF THE BOUNDARY BASED ON YOU ALL FEEDBACK AND ANY LOCAL FEEDBACK, WE WILL BRING THAT BACK TO THE TAC AT THEIR MARCH MEETING AND THAT'S WHEN WE ASK FOR THE TAC'S ENDORSEMENT FOR THE FINAL BOUNDARY AND GET ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ADDRESSED THEIR . AND FROM THERE WE WOULD
[00:35:03]
COME BACK TO YOU ALL YOUR APRIL MEETING AND HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ONCE MORE , AND TALK TO A DRAFT BOUNDARY AT THAT TIME. AND HOPEFULLY IF WE HAVE ALL YOUR CONCERNS AND ADDRESS THEM AT THAT MEETING, WE WOULD REQUEST YOUR VOTE FOR ENDORSEMENT OF THE BOUNDARY. THEN TO MAKE THE WHOLE THING OFFICIAL, WE DO HAVE TO COMPILE ALL OF THE MATERIALS, ALL THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE . THE DRAFTS WE PUT TOGETHER, AND SUBMIT ALL THAT INFORMATION ALONG WITH LETTERS OF SUPPORT AND MPO RESOLUTIONS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS TO THE TEXAS GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THEY ARE THE FINAL SIGN OFF OF THE PROCESS ITSELF AND MAKE SURE WE ADDRESSED ALL OF THE CONCERNS AND ENGAGE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS , AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE WILL SIGN OFF ON THE FINISHED PRODUCT. IN THE BOUNDARY FROM THERE IS THE MPO'S OFFICIAL PLANNING AREA BOUNDARY GOING FORWARD. SO THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION.I APPRECIATE YOU BEARING WITH ME THROUGH THAT BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE COMPREHENSIVE ENSURING HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHY. AND THE SLIDES HERE ARE JUST FOR REFERENCE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICALLY OR IN ANY ORDER, BUT THIS IS A WAY TO GET THE CONVERSATION GOING AROUND YOUR FEEDBACK. AT THIS POINT, I WILL YIELD THE MIKE AND THAT YOU ALL ASK QUESTIONS OR MAKE COMMENTS AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE. SEE MCKINNEY GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT HAD THE MAP ? JUST TO SUMMARIZE, THAT GREAT DETAILED REPORT OF WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AWARE WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE .
THE GREEN, AT A MINIMUM IS WHAT WE NEED TO EXPAND TO INCLUDE, AND RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TAC EXPENSE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE
>> AS WE ARE BALANCING HOW FAR TO EXPAND, IT'S IMPACTING OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR WHAT WE PLANNED. SO STAFF TIME AND DOING THE PLANNING WORK . BUT AS WE EXPAND, IT MAKES US ELIGIBLE FOR CAP FUNDING , IS THAT CORRECT?
>> IT'S A FORMULA BASED. SO MODELS IN THE FIGURE INTO IT.
SO THERE'S A POTENTIAL THERE THAT THE FUNDING MAY INCREASE
BECAUSE OF THAT. >> BUT THAT NEW FUNDING MEANS NOT JUST HEY, WE'VE GOT MORE MONEY. BUT THERE'S MORE LAND MILES WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT . SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE BEING ASKED TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON TODAY. WE ARE NOT TAKING A FINAL VOTE ON THIS TODAY, BUT JUST A OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO MATT AND TO E'LISA ON, ARE WE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS? ONE QUESTION THAT CAME UP MULTIPLE TIMES ON MATT'S PRESENTATION WAS REGARDING ANSON . I LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE EXPANSION AND MPO BOUNDARY. ARE YOU POSITIVE, YOU NEUTRAL? OR DO YOU WANT TO SEE THIS PUT OFF ?
>> I THINK YOU'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC. I THINK IT BETTER ILLUSTRATES IT AND FROM MY VIEWPOINT, IT'S HOW FAR NORTH YOU GO AS WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC COMING THROUGH ANSON BECAUSE 83 AND 277 SPLIT UP NORTH . SO IT'S FEEDING INTO ANSON FROM THOSE TWO DIRECTIONS. STILL, 180 RUNS THROUGH ANSON GOING EAST THROUGH WEST AND SOME OF THE TRAFFIC IS TURNING TO HEAD SOUTH DOWN TO 77, 83. SO THAT'S ABOUT THE ONLY CAVEAT I CAN OFFER YOU. YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT NUMBER SEVEN THAT SHOWS A 23% GROWTH AND THE NUMBER NINE ACTUALLY CAPTURES IT DOWN THERE SOUTH OF HOLLY . YOU CAN SEE IT'S A 13.9% GROWTH. SO THERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TRAFFIC NORTH OF HOLLY ON A PERCENT INCREASE MIGHT WANT TO INCLUDE ANSON . IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT IT'S A REGIONAL SNAPSHOT AND ALL THAT FEEDS INTO THIS MPO AREA. THERE'S PROBABLY SOME IN ANSON THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THEY'D BE PULLED INTO SOMETHING FULLY ABILENE METROPOLITAN ASSOCIATION . THAT SOME OF THE FEEDBACK. BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE'S PROPOSED , INCLUDING ANSON JUST BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC DOWNWARD LAWN IS LOCATED, THAT'S 4721 AND 2022. IF YOU GO UP TO NUMBER SEVEN, IT'S
[00:40:05]
9520. TWICE AS MUCH TRAFFIC UP THERE. WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE LIVING AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE DEALINGWITH ON THOSE ISSUES. >> NOTHING THAT CAUSES YOU TO SAY WE REALLY NEED TO NOT INCLUDE IT
>> NOT AT THIS TIME FOR MY PERSPECTIVE. IF TXDOT HAS AN OPINION ABOUT IT, THEY DEAL WITH STUFF UP THERE.
>> AS A COUNTY JUDGE -- >> NOBODY LISTENS TO A COUNTY JUDGE. DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT? THIS IS MY MOMENT.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IF THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE THOUGHT IT WAS WORTHY TO PUT IT IN THERE, I CAN
SUPPORT THAT. >> I JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. IT'S BEEN QUITE SOMETIME SINCE I'VE GONE THROUGH A BOUNDARY EXPANSION LIKE THIS. THERE'S MORE QUALIFICATIONS, OTHER THAN JUST THE COMMITTEE DRAWING LINES ON A MAP, AM I RIGHT? I MEAN, IF THAT'S THE ONLY QUALIFICATION IN THEORY, WE COULD ENCOMPASS THE WHOLE STATE. I'M SAYING, ARE THERE OTHER QUALIFICATIONS AND HOW FAR THE BOUNDARY SCAN
GO? >> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR RAISING THIS QUESTION. THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR REVISING THE PLANNING AREA BOUNDARY TO INCLUDE SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, SO AT MOST, THE BOUNDARY COULD INCLUDE ALL OF WHAT'S CONSIDERED BY THE CENSUS TO BE THE METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA. SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE ALL THREE COUNTIES THAT WE DISCUSSED TODAY . ALL OF JONES, TAYLOR AND CALLAHAN COUNTIES . SO THAT WOULD BE THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED EXTENT. SO ANYTHING BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT WE HAVE TODAY ARE DOSE US THE FULL RANGE OF OPTIONS . THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES REALLY SUGGEST THAT LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS BE ENGAGED AND THEIR FEEDBACK BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT . FEDERAL GUIDELINES ALSO SUGGEST THAT IT BE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE STATE GOVERNMENT . THAT'S WHY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE HAS FINAL SAY ON THIS AND WHY THE AND ENGAGING WITH TXDOT ALONG THE WAY. WHAT REALLY IS THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE FEDERAL GUIDANCE ON THIS IS THAT THE BOUNDARY, WHEN IT'S REVISED AFTER THE CENSUS, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, SHOULD TRY TO PREDICT WHERE GROWTH IS ANTICIPATED IN THE REGION OVER THE 20 YEAR PLANNING. THAT THE MPO PLANS FOR, THEN TRY TO CONSIDER EXPANDING THE BOUNDARY UP TO THOSE EXTENTS. SO REALLY THE FTA GUIDANCE AROUND THIS SUGGESTS THINK ABOUT GROWTH IN THE REGION. TRY TO BRING ASSOCIATED TO BEAR ON HOW WE THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN , AND THEN CONSIDER REVISING THE
BOUNDARY TO REFLECT THAT. >> BASED UPON YOUR EXPERIENCE IN DOING THESE , AFTER THIS WORD WAS TO APPROVE WHATEVER NOT BEING THE FINAL VERSION, WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD OF THAT MAKING IT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AND GETTING APPROVED? IS THERE EVER ANY MORE REVIEW OR MORE PUSHBACK ON THE BOUNDARIES THAT ARE DRAWN FROM SOMEBODY ELSE?
>> YEAH. I DO KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, TXDOT AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE HAVE COME BACK WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT A BOUNDARY . I THINK FROM THERE, IS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TO GET THOSE ADDRESSED WERE RESOLVED. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PROCESS IS THAT AS LONG AS YOU CAN SHOW A CLEAR JUSTIFICATION FOR WHY THE BOUNDARY IS BEING EXPANDED TO THE EXTENT IT IS, AND ALSO SHOW A CLEAR PROCESS THAT'S BEEN UNDERTAKEN THAT INVOLVES LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS AND THOSE STAKEHOLDERS ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE CHANGES, THEN TYPICALLY THAT'S THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO GET SIGNED OFF AND THAT TYPICALLY WORKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE. >> SO I'M BACK TO QUESTION TWO THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED. HAVE YOU ALL DONE ANY SORT OF PRELIMINARY NUMBERS TO LOOK TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD BE MODIFIED, BASED UPON THE NEW BOUNDARY AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE LOT OF ADDITIONAL CAPITAL FUNDING? OR IS THIS EXPANSION GOING TO BE , AS FAR AS THAT GOES, ? I THINK THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW, IF YOU ALL DIDN'T WANT ANY PRELIMINARY NUMBERS .
>> WE HAVE NOT YET DONE THAT ANALYSIS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK INTO BETWEEN NOW AND A FINAL VOTE TO SEE IF WE
[00:45:05]
CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. WE COULD WORK WITH TXDOT TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S A WAY TO PUT A BALLPARK NUMBER ON A NEW PREDICTION . BUT WE HAVE TO DO SOME COORDINATION WITH TXDOT TO GET A BETTER ANSWER ON THAT.WE MET THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO ALL THE MPO'S IN THE STATE.
OF OTHERS ARE DOING EXPANSIONS AS WELL, YOU ONLY GOT A SET AMOUNT OF DOLLARS . IF EVERYBODY IS EXPANDING, YOU MAY JUST END UP WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
>> YEAH. >> INSTEAD OF LOSING IT. IF WE DON'T EXPAND . I THINK WE OUGHT TO EXPAND YOUR I THINK WHAT WE ARE SEEING AND CALLAHAN COUNTY NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION NOW. BUT WHEN YOU GET INTO THESE FUNDING MECHANISMS, IT'S A STATEWIDE DIVISION OF MONEY. IF EVERYBODY DOES I'M ASSUMING THESE MORE URBAN AREAS ARE PROBABLY CONSTANTLY DOING THIS EXERCISE MORE OFTEN THAN WE ARE. BUT IF WE DON'T, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP WITH LESS MONEY AND THEY ARE EXPANDING THEIR SPIRIT UNLESS SOMEBODY IS PUTTING A LOT MORE MONEY INTO THESE PROGRAMS .
>> ONE OF THE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND ALSO IS EVERY TIME THE CENSUS COMES ABOUT, SOMETIMES THERE'S NEW MPO'S OR TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREAS THAT COME INTO EXISTENCE . SO YOU HAVE MPO'S ATTORNEY TO LARGE MPO'S AND YOU HAVE MPO'S TO COME INTO EXISTENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING THAT CENSUS . SO WE START ADDING MPO'S AND LARGER MPO'S, THAT POT OF MONEY ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO SHRINK OR GROW, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH FUNDING.
>> I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS . THE FIRST ONE, I APOLOGIZE.
IT'S VERY BROAD. I UNDERSTAND YOUR BACKGROUND WITH MPO'S ANNUAL MPO'S. PLAYING DEVILS ADVOCATE, ARE THERE ANY DISADVANTAGES TO THE AREAS THAT WOULD BE COMING INTO THE MPO , IF THEY ARE BROUGHT IN, AND CAN YOU THINK OF DISADVANTAGES FOR THE AREAS CURRENTLY IN MPO, IF THE AREAS ARE BROUGHT IN? THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION. SECOND QUESTION IS WOULD BE A NEED TO AMEND THE BYLAWS? MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS IF WE I -- ADD CLYDE, WE WOULD NEED THE JUDGE OR MAYOR APPLIED TO CHANGE THE BYLAWS. THOSE ARE MY TWO
QUESTIONS. >> E'LISA ALREADY ALLUDED TO THE SECOND ONE THAT IS CORRECT . IF CALLAHAN COUNTY WERE INCLUDED AS A NEW JURISDICTION, THEN THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A SEAT ADDED ON BOTH THE TACH AND POLICY WERE TO REPRESENT COUNTY. THAT IS ONE DEFINITE CHANGE. BUT FROM THERE, THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN JONES AND TAYLOR COUNTIES ARE ALREADY REPRESENTED ON THE BOARD, AND ON THE TACH AS WELL.
SO NO CHANGES WOULD BE REQUIRED THERE, ALTHOUGH OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE WELCOME TO MAKE CHANGES IF THAT IS SO DESIRED. BUT ADDING CALLAHAN COUNTY AS A SEAT ON THE POLICY BOARD TACH WOULD BE THE ONLY REQUIRED TO CHANGE. THEN TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION ON BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS, I THINK FOR THE EXISTING MPO REGION , AS WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT HERE, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING MAY NOT INCREASE THAT MUCH DEPENDING ON WHAT ELSE HAPPENS AROUND THE STATE .
THOSE NUMBERS MAY FLUCTUATE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER A BIT. SO EXPANDING THE BOUNDARY BEYOND ITS CURRENT BOUNDARY WOULD GROW THE AREA IN WHICH THOSE FUNDS CAN BE SPENT. THAT INCREASES THE DEMAND FOR THE OVERALL POTENTIAL DEMAND FOR PROJECTS RUNNING TO THE TIP. SO THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A DISADVANTAGE FOR THE EXISTING BOUNDARY AREA BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO FUNDS WITHOUT HAVING TO CONSIDER FURTHER AREAS BEYOND THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. AND THEN THE FIRST PART OF YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT DRAWBACKS FOR NEW COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD BE ADDED, I AM A BIG SUPPORTER OF THE REGIONAL PLANNING PROCESS, BUT GENUINELY, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ARE ANY SIGNIFICANT DRAWBACKS. I THINK MAYBE ONE POTENTIAL CHALLENGE IS PARTICIPATING IN THE MPO PROCESS, GIVEN THAT SOME COMMUNITIES ARE BIT GEOGRAPHICALLY FURTHER FROM ABILENE. SO COMING TO AN IN PERSON MEETING COULD BE A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING. BUT THE UPSIDE IS THAT THOSE AREAS AND BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR CAT TWO FUNDING THROUGH THE TIP AS WE TALKED ABOUT. ALSO BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR MPO STUDIES. SO ANY STUDIES OF THE REGION, WHETHER IT'S A CORRIDOR STUDY ON A MAJOR ROADWAY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THOUGH STUDIES COULD BE UNDERTAKEN WITH MPO FUNDS IN THOSE AREAS. SO THAT BRINGS SOME MORE PLANNING RESOURCES TO BEAR IN THOSE PLACES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY
[00:50:02]
>> THOSE ARE MY ONLY QUESTIONS.
>> CHAIRMAN PRICE, I WAS GOING TO SAY WE HAVE A LOT OF THE COMMUNITIES AROUND REPRESENTED AND I DON'T KNOW IF SOME OF
THEM MIGHT WANT TO -- >> I WAS GOING TO MOVE INTO THAT WITH REGARD TO THE DISCUSSION AND MY QUESTION TO YOU. ARE WE GOING TO HAVE, AND APRIL, A DISCUSSION VOTE ON A GUEST DIRECTION WITH REGARD TO EXPANDING THE BYLAWS TO INCLUDE GROUPS, OR WILL WE TRY TO FINALIZE THAT OR WAIT TILL THE EXPANSIONS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR WE THEN ADJUST THE BYLAWS AT THAT TIME BASED ON WHAT IS APPROVED?
>> YES, SIR. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS ONCE WE HAVE AN APPROVED BOUNDARY, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO AMEND THE BYLAWS TO MAKE SURE WE INCORPORATE THOSE. BUT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, THE PLAN IS TO VISIT WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE AFFECTED AND FIND OUT HOW THEY FEEL THEY SHOULD BE REPRESENTED. THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE SHOULD CONSIDER IS HOW THEY WANT TO BE REPRESENTED AND HOW MUCH SAY THEY WANT TO HAVE. THAT'S WHAT WE COULD BE DOING IN THE MEANTIME. WE MET RIGHT NOW, THE COUNTIES HAVE COUNTY JUDGE ON THE POLICY WORDING COMMISSIONERS ON TACH. IN THE CITIES ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM TAP PIXEL AT THE MINIMUM, WE WANT TO DO THE SAME IN THE COUNTY FOR THE COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONER, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER -- MERKEL, TO SCOLA, ANY OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT GET BROUGHT IN , THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TACH, IS MY THOUGHT. SOMETHING WILL HAVE TO DECIDE AS A BODY. BUT MY THOUGHT IS THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE EQUAL SEAT AT THE TABLE, AS THE EXISTING COMMUNITIES AND COUNTIES . BUT THAT SOMETHING WILL DECIDE AFTER
APPROVAL. >> YES, SIR. THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM SOME SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES AND THERE'S PUBLIC COMMENT ALLOWED AT ANY TIME. IF ANYONE WANTS TO COME UP AND SPEAK IN ANY OF THESE THINGS, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR COMMUNITY FOR THE RECORD PLEASE .
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JAMES CONDREY, CITIZEN OF THE CITY OF ABILENE . IN MY PAST LIFE, I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF ABILENE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THAT INCLUDED WORKING ON AND WITH THE MPO. IF YOU OBSERVATIONS . I LIKE TO MAKE ABOUT THIS. ONE IS THE PLANNING AREA THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. THE INTENT IS TO INCLUDE THOSE AREAS WHERE WE FEEL LIKE, IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS, THERE WILL BE URBANIZATION . ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME TO MY MIND WHICH ARE NOT SEEN IN THE MATERIAL THAT WAS PRESENTED WAS THE ASPECT , THE IMPACT OF THE VISION OF WATER. THERE WAS SHOWING PERMITS, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GROWTH IN AN AREA THAT IS GOING TO BE GROWTH LARGE ENOUGH TO BE URBANIZED, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME FORM OF WATER, INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT, AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME, IS PROBABLY NOT WORTH GOING BACK AND DOING THAT. THAT IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THAT SORT OF THING.
THE WATER SUPPLY , WHEN YOU EXPAND YOUR FACILITIES, TAKES TIME . WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THAT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE TAKES TIME FOR YOU AND YOUR FUNDING AND ALL THAT SORT OF THING. IT OFTEN COMES FROM STATE OR FEDERAL AGENCIES. SO THE LIMITATION OF THE CURRENT WATER SUPPLY COULD IMPACT THOSE AREAS. IS JUST A THING THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS IS THAT THE CENSUS BUREAU CHANGED THE DEFINITION OF AN URBAN AREA IN DECEMBER 2022 . IT USED TO BE 50,000 AND ABOVE, THEN THEY CALLED IT URBAN CLUSTERS UP TO $50,000 . THEY CHANGED IT AND THEY MADE THE LOWER THRESHOLD $5000. AND SIMPLY URBAN AREAS. AS OPPOSED TO THE CLUSTERS. AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE AREAS THAT WILL BE URBANIZING , WE NEED TO THINK IN TERMS OF THAT LEVEL.
THERE'S A DENSITY PROPONENT TO THAT AS WELL. AS I LOOKED
[00:55:01]
AT THE MAP, IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE STRETCHING A LITTLE BIT TOO FAR ON THE SOUTH END . IT'S GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN .THAT'S THE MAP YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THERE. GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SOUTH , TAYLOR COUNTY LINE. IN MY MIND, A BETTER DIVISION AT THIS STAGE WOULD BE TO TAKE FM 614, WHICH HITS 83 AT A WALLAH, AND GOES TO THE EAST. AND IT WOULD BUMP IN -- YOU SEE THAT LITTLE CORNER DOWN IN THE VERY SOUTHEAST CORNER OF TAYLOR COUNTY THAT EXPLODED , WHERE THE NORTH -SOUTH LINE IS THERE. 614 WOULD END OF THE COUNTY ROAD THERE WHICH WOULD BE THE NORTH EXTENSION OF THAT LINE .
AS YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S DEVELOPING NOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THE TUSCOLA AREA WHICH WOULD STILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS. BUT AT THE PRESENT TIME, THERE IS NOT SOUTH OF THAT AREA . SO PART OF IT IS THE BALANCING OF HOW MUCH YOU TAKE IN IN TERMS OF FUTURE GROWTH, VERSUS HOW MUCH CAN YOU SERVICE WITH THE PLANNING EFFORTS? SO THAT WOULD BE AN AREA I WOULD LOOK AT ELIMINATING FROM THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY HERE . STILL ON THAT SOUTH SIDE, THERE'S A CHUNK ALONG THE EASTERN TAYLOR COUNTY LINE AND THERE'S A LOT OF THE HILLS OF THE CALLAHAN DIVIDE WHICH IS NOT GOING TO URBANIZED. AND YOU CAN ELIMINATE THAT . SEEMS LIKE IT MAKES SENSE . IF YOU PROJECT THAT NORTH-SOUTH LINE WHICH IS COUNTY ROAD 144 , AT SOME POINT THE CHANGES TO COUNTY ROAD 146 AND GOES RIGHT UP TO THE SOUTH EDGE THAT CALLAHAN DIVIDE , COMING FROM THE NORTH, THERE'S COUNTY ROAD 120 WHICH IS CALLED THE OLD COLEMAN HIGHWAY, AND HE GETS IN THERE. A LOT OF THREE AND A HALF MILE DIFFERENCE. SO JUST A STRAIGHT LINE CONNECTING THE ENDS OF THOSE TWO ROADS AND ELIMINATE EAST OF THAT, YOU WOULD GET RID OF MOST OF THAT AREA THAT'S IN THE HILLS. TO THE NORTH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS AS A MINIMUM, WE NEED TO GO IN? THAT AREA THAT'S OUTLINED IN GREEN WAS THE TRIAL DEMAND MODEL AREA. BUT WHETHER YOU GO FURTHER THAN THAT, YOU HAVE TO WEIGH ALL THE OTHER THINGS. MY INITIAL THOUGHT IS AT MINIMUM, WE OUGHT TO GO TO INCLUDE THAT WHICH I WOULD START AT 707 AND TAKE FM 605 ALL THE WAY OVER TO U.S. 832 77 . GO NORTH SLIGHTLY AND HIT THE RIVER IN CLEAR FORK ALL THE WAY ACROSS TO FM 600, WHICH IS WERE BASICALLY, AT THAT POINT, IT'S ON THE MAP THERE . IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU CAN SEE FM 600 THERE. THAT'S WHERE THAT OCCURS. THAT WOULD GET THAT AREA IN . THE ONLY THING ABOUT THAT IS IT'S ONLY ABOUT A MILE SOUTH OF HOLLY. SO HOLLY DOES APPEAR TO BE HAVING SOME GROWTH IN THAT GENERAL AREA. SO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT UP THERE AND INCLUDE THAT SO YOU REALLY NEED TO GO ACROSS THE CLEAR FORK. THERE'S A WHOLE SERIES OF COUNTY ROADS AND FM'S THAT COULD CROSS ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN HOLLY AND ANSON. I THINK AT THE PRESENT TIME, LEAVE ANSON OUT BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE WE ARE GOING THERE, INCLUDING THE AREA THAT AT THIS POINT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, IS URBANIZING. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GROWTH ON TRACTS OF LAND, BUT I DON'T SEE THE URBANIZATION TAKING PLACE IN THAT AREA. SO THOSE ARE SOME THOUGHTS FOR YOU ALL TO
CONSIDER . >> APPRECIATE IT, JAMES. SWEEP GOOD AFTERNOON, MANAGER MERKEL . I HAVE A QUESTION. IS SOMEBODY ALREADY REPRESENTING US OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME IN AFTER APPROVAL WE PAYMENT YOU ARE REPRESENTED BY THE TAYLOR COUNTY JUDGE AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH
COMMISSIONER. >> WE WEREN'T SURE . THAT'S ALREADY DONE, I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT. THINK YOU.
[01:00:06]
CODY ELLIS. ON THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE CITY OF TY . JUST A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS AND A COUPLE OF COMMENTS THIS AFTERNOON. THE JUDGE ASKED A GREAT QUESTION , WERE THERE ANY DISADVANTAGES TO BEING A PART OF THIS MPO ? ANOTHER QUESTION THAT MIGHT BE ASKED , ARE THERE ANY ADVANTAGES TO BEING IN THIS MPO ? I'VE BEEN IN THE CITY OF TYE FOR A LONG TIME AS A STAFF MEMBER . TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU, I DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS ORGANIZATION EXISTED UP UNTIL LAST WEEK WHEN A COLLEAGUE FROM ANOTHER CITY THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED FOR THIS CAME TO MY ATTENTION.>> OVER THE SEVERAL YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN A STAFF MEMBER FOR THE CITY OF , I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OUTREACH FROM THIS ORGANIZATION AT ALL. SO I'LL THINK THERE'D BE ANY DISADVANTAGES TO BEING INCLUDED, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY ADVANTAGES TO BEING INCLUDED ALSO. THANK YOU.
>> ANYONE ELSE? >> I AM TAMMY KAUFMAN., A THIRD-GENERATION CLYDE CITIZEN. I AM A NURSE AND AN EDUCATOR . I HAVE A QUESTION . I'VE SEEN THE LAYERING OF THE TRAFFIC DISTRIBUTION AND THE STIMULUS FOR TRAFFIC. I JUST WONDERED IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION GIVEN ABOUT THE TRAFFIC THAT COMES INTO OUR AREA AS A RESULT OF HEALTH CARE , AND AS A RESULT OF EDUCATION? BECAUSE ABILENE IS A HUB FOR BOTH . OUR CENSUS TALKS ABOUT NUMBERS .
EMPLOYMENT TALKS ABOUT , THOSE ARE NUMBERS OF INCREASES . WE HAVE AN AGING POPULATION , SO WHEN WE CONSIDER THE AGING POPULATION, THAT DRIVES UP OUR HEALTH CARE NUMBERS AND SUBSEQUENTLY, OUR TRANSPORTATION INTO HEALTH CARE HUBS . SO THOSE ARE JUST THOUGHTS. THERE'S LOTS OF COLORS ON YOUR VERY WELL DONE MAPS . THOSE POTENTIALLY COULD BE A COUPLE MORE COLORS AND OUR EDUCATION COMMUNITY IS NOT SHRINKING, IT'S GROWING . AND OUR HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY IS BURSTING AT THE SEAMS . IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING AWAY BECAUSE OUR POPULATION IS AGING. THANK YOU.
>> ANYONE ELSE? >> HELLO . THANK YOU, I'M JENNY ABERCROMBIE FROM THE CITY OF TUSCOLA. I'M THE CITY SECRETARY OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS ASKING US TO COME. I THINK AS A CITY, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A ROLE AND HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF A VOICE . WE TOO HAVE HAD A LOT OF GROWTH . PART OF OUR SCHOOL HAS EXPANDED . THAT CREATES SAFETY ISSUES FOR US. WE WORK VERY WELL WITHOUT TAYLOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER . HE HELPS US OUT BECAUSE WE ARE A SMALL CITY. SO WE ARE VERY ACCEPTING AND GRATEFUL WHEN HE HELPS US OUT. SO I THINK WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A VOICE AND A ROLE TO HELP WITH ISSUES BECAUSE OF GROWTH, AND ALSO EXPANSION OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> ANYONE ELSE? WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING BESIDES FEEDBACK BECAUSE WE ARE NOT APPROVING ANYTHING TODAY, SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE NEED TO
ANSWER FOR YOU TODAY? >> NO, SIR. JUST IF YOU HAD ANY CHANGES TO THE MASS . WHEN I WANT TO POINT OUT IS BASED OFF OF THE LATEST INFORMATION THAT WE GOT , AROUND HIGHWAY 36 WERE YOU SEE THAT LITTLE -- WHERE THE LET YELLOW BOUNDARIES CLOSE TO THE RED BOUNDARY, WE DID LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE JUST GOT. THAT MAY NEED TO BE DROPPED DOWN TO THAT COUNTY ROAD THAT'S RIGHT THE LOAD THE COUNTY ROAD 224 TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT
[01:05:03]
WAS PRESENTED, THAT WE JUST GOT INFORMATION ON. YOU MAY SEE A SLIGHTLY MODIFIED . AND IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES THAT THE POLICY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS PRIOR TO IT GOING BACK TO THE TAP, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED ALSO.>> WHO ALL IS ON THE TAC AGAIN?
>> THERE'S 17 MEMBERS ON THE TAC . WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM THE AIR FORCE BASE, THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS. WE HAD THE CITY, THE COUNTIES. THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE . I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THERE ARE 17 MEMBERS THERE FOR THAT. SHE MET WINS THE NEXT MEETING WHEN THEY WILL TAKE FINAL APPROVAL?
>> THEY WILL LOOK AT THE NEXT MEETING COMING UP WHICH IS
GOING TO BE ON MARCH 26TH. >> DO WE HAVE A TIME FOR THAT
YET? >> IT'S AT 1:30. THOSE MEETINGS ARE THE MEMBERS THEMSELVES. IT'S NOT AN OPEN MEETING JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE ISSUES WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS WITH THE QUORUM. BECAUSE WE DEAL ON A DAILY BASIS WITH EACH OTHER. SO WE WOULD BE POSTING MEETINGS ALL THE TIME. SO IT'S NOT QUITE THE SAME AS A POLICY BOARD. WAS MEETINGS AREN'T OPEN BUT ANY MEMBER AGENCY CAN ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS.
>> IS THE CITY OF TYE REPRESENTED ?
>> YES, SIR. HERE'S MY LIST HERE. WE HAVE THE CITY OF ABILENE. THE CITY OF TYE . THE CITY OF IMPACT, TXDOT . DAIS AIR FORCE BASE. WEST CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. TAYLOR COUNTY, ABILENE CHAMBER COMMERCE, JONES COUNTY . YES. THEN THE CITY .
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THOSE MEMBERSHIP. WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM EACH OF SOME OF THOSE.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE EVER HAD ANYBODY FROM THE CITY OF
IMPACT. >> WE HAVE BACK IN 2011. IT'S BEEN A WHILE BUT THE MAYOR HAD ATTENDED A COUPLE OF MEETINGS IN 2011 . THE CITY OF TYE WAS VERY MUCH A PART OF THIS MEMBERSHIP WHENEVER MAYOR MOORE WAS PART OF THAT PERSON SURPASSING, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT. I DID REACH OUT TO THE CITY SECRETARY IN TYE AND SO I'M GOING TO APPEAR BEFORE ONE OF THEIR MEETINGS AND SENDING IN JONES COUNTY. ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS TO GET THAT MEMBERSHIP BACK AT LIVE.
INVOLVEMENT WERE PROJECTS RELATED TO TIE WAS THE MILITARY DRIVE RELATED TO DAIS AIR FORCE BASE? A LOT OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CITY OF TYE ON THAT, BUT THAT WAS YEARS AGO. BUT AGAIN, WE CERTAINLY WANT PARTICIPATING ENTITIES TO BE AWARE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AND GET THEIR INPUT BECAUSE IT'S IN THEIR BACKYARD. AND THINGS THEY ARE DEALING WITH. I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE ASPECT OF THE DISADVANTAGES RELATED PICK IF WE EXPEND THIS, IS A POTENTIAL FOR MORE PROJECTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT COMPETING FOR LIMITED DOLLARS . I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THIS BODY TO GET THOSE PROJECTS LINED UP TO BE INCLUDED IN THESE PLANS. SO CLEARLY, WE NEED TO REACH AN UNDERSTANDING OR A CONSENSUS AND HELPFUL SUPPORT. I DON'T SEE IT AS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S GOT TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND EVERYBODY HAS TO BE ON BOARD FOR ANY PROPOSED PROJECT, WHEREVER IT'S LOCATED. JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
ABOUT THE TAC . I WANT -- NOT CRITICAL, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND SO I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS.
SOMETIMES, I SAY MORE OFTEN, IT SEEMS LIKE IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES, THERE'S SOMETIMES MORE DIVISION OVER THINGS. SO IS IT THAT TAC REPRESENTATIVE 'S RESPONSIBILITY TO COME UP WITH A CONSENSUS OPINION FROM THEIR CITY? I GUESS WHAT MY FEAR IS IS, HOW DO WE KNOW THE PERSON WHO'S REPRESENTING THE CITY OR ENTITY ON THE TAC IS FULLY AWARE OF ANY AND ALL
OPINIONS FROM THEIR AREA >> MOST OF THEM, IS THE MAYOR AND ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT IN THE AREAS REPRESENTING THE BEST INTERESTS OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
>> CURRENTLY, THE CITY OF IMPACT HAS THE AIR OF REPRESENTATION IN THE CITY OF HAS A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND THEY CAN APPOINT A DESIGNEE. NORMALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN I PRESENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE COMMISSIONERS, THEY APPOINT WHO THEIR DESIGNEE IS. IF THE MAYOR'S TOO BUSY, THEY CAN APPOINT A DESIGNEE TO SERVE THEIR PLACE. IT'S ACTION THROUGH THE COUNCIL OR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT DOES
[01:10:03]
PRESENTATION AND CONCERNS ARE BROUGHT UP AS WELL THAT'S WITHIN THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY, DO WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT'S DRAWN ON THE MAP RIGHT NOW, OR DO WE WANT TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT REMOVING THAT HILLY AREA IS NOT GOING TO ORGANIZE? A SIMILAR QUESTION WITH A LAWN, IS IT TOO FAR SOUTH FOR RIGHT NOW? IN 10 OR 20 OR 30 YEARS , WE ARE LOOKING AT THESE BOUNDARIES AGAIN . IS IT TIME TO MOVE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE SOUTH BOUNDARY FOR TAYLOR COUNTY, OR DO WE NEED TO GO BETWEEN ONE IN TUSCOLA RIGHT NOW AND LOOK AT INCORPORATING ONE IN THE FUTURE?>> I CAN UNDERSTAND WITHOUT MOUNTAINOUS AREA . I, AT THIS POINT, UNLESS SOMEONE HAS AN IDEA DIFFERENT THAN MINE, I LIKE TO KEEP THAT SOUTHERN BOUNDARY WHERE IT IS JUST BECAUSE I THINK THE COUNTY WILL KEEP GROWING.
>> ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THAT?
>> IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE TO BRING A MOUNTAINOUS AREA OUT AND I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH LAWN BECAUSE I'VE GOT LAND OUT THAT WAY AND I'M OUT THERE QUITE A BIT. THERE'S CONTINUOUS GROWTH
. >> SOUNDS GOOD. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ADDRESS THAT. I SAW CONCERN BROUGHT UP ON THE SLIDES. ANY OTHER DIRECTION ON THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT.
[4. Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion and Take Action on an amendment to the FYs 2024-2025 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). ]
LET'S MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, RECEIVER REPORT. TAKE ACTION ON AMENDMENT TO THE FY 2024/2025 UNIFIED PLANNINGWORK PROGRAM PWP. >> INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE WORK PROGRAM . LET ME GET TO THAT.
SO WE HAD SOME CHANGES THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. DO SOME CHANGES FOR TRANSIT AND SOME SPECIAL STUDIES . SO THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE CHANGES YOU SEE IN YOUR PACKET . THE FIRST THING YOU SEE IN YOUR PACKET IS THE CHANGES ONLY , AND THEN TOWARDS THE BACK OF THAT, YOU SEE THE FULL DOCUMENT HERE SO YOU CAN SEE HOW IT LOOKS WITH THE CHANGES INCORPORATED . SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU NOTICE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE IS THAT 5.5 WHICH IS A MICRO TRANSIT SERVICES STUDY . THIS WAS A BRAND-NEW ITEM ADDED YOU CAN SEE HEREUNDER TEST FOUR, THE CHANGES TO THAT IS WE HAD SOME MTP FUNDING WHICH IS THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN. THAT FUNDING WAS IN 2023 . SO THAT WAS IN THE OLD YOU PWP. WE MOVE THAT INTO THIS NEW ONE. SO THAT'S A $92,000 CHANGE AND THAT WE ALSO ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 31,000. YOU CAN SEE THIS BETTER ON THE NEXT PAGE. SO THIS IS THE SUMMARY HERE FOR THE TASK FOUR FUNDING SUMMARY . 4.1 IS THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND THE 5.4 IS A SAFETY ACTION PLAN. THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT CHANGED AND YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE CARRYOVER, THE 92,000 I REFERENCED IN THE 31,000. THEN BELOW THAT UNDER 5.4, WE MOVED SOME MONEY FROM 2024 -- FROM 2025 AND ADDED 29,500 TO 2025 AND THAT'S FOR THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN. AND 5.5 IS THE MICRO TRANSIT STUDY YOU CAN SEE THE ADDITION THERE THAT WAS ADDED TO THE $200,000 TRANSIT DOLLARS THAT WERE ADDED TO THE UPWP. THIS SHOWS THE CURRENT DOCUMENT YOU CAN SEE THOSE CHANGES REFERENCED IN THE BUDGET SUMMARY . IT WENT FROM THE 70,000 YOU SEE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN TO THE 193,000. THEN THE SPECIAL STUDIES WENT FROM THE 31,000 TO 70,000 AND THEN THE DOLLARS ADDED IN THE 200,000. THEN BECAUSE WE WERE DOING THIS AMENDMENT, WE WENT AHEAD AND DID OUR COMBINED TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FUNDS . SO WE KNOW A LITTLE BETTER WHAT OUR BUDGET IS AND WHEN WE DID THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT ON THIS YOU PWP. SO YOU CAN SEE THE ESTIMATED , THERE'S BEEN A CARRYOVER. THAT'S THE TOTAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FUNDS .
THEN WE HAVE THE OVER AND UNDER BUDGET THERE OF THE 96,675 .11 . THEN AT THE BOTTOM FOR THE 2025 YEAR , THAT'S WHERE WE PULLED SOME OF THE MONEY. THAT'S A 69,500 AND FOR THE TOTAL, WE END UP AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN THERE AT THE BOTTOM, $377 .62 THAT IS NOT PROGRAMMED IN THIS UPWP.
THIS IS THE RECAP OF THE CHANGES . WE UPDATED THE COVER PAGE. UPDATED THE TABLE OF CONTENTS. TASK 4.1 WHICH IS THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN . OUT OF THE 123,000 TO THE MTP FOR 2024 92 OF THAT WAS FROM 2023. THEN THE
[01:15:02]
+31,000 . TASK 5.4 WAS A SAFETY ACTION PLAN. WE MOVED 44,000 TO 224 FROM 2025 AND ADDED AN 29 THOUSAND 500 TO 2025. 5'5" IS A MICRO TRANSIT SERVICES STUDY. WE ADDED THE SUBTASK IN FUNDING SUMMARY FROM TRANSIT FUNDS WHICH IS 200,000. THE BUDGET SUMMARY WAS A DATED . TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP WAS UPDATED, AND APPENDIX G, UPWP AMENDMENT SUMMARY WAS UPDATED. THE TAC HEATHER JANUARY 30TH MEETING RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AND WE ARE REQUESTING APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT OF THE 2024/25 PLANNING PROGRAM AND I BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.>> ANY QUESTIONS? IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, -- IF THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE. I HAVE
A MOTION. SECOND? >> ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE? ANY
[5. Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion, and Take Action on the FY 2023 Annual Performance and Expenditure Report (APER). ]
OPPOSED CRETE MOTION CARRIES. WILL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.RECEIVER REPORT FOR DISCUSSION AND TAKE ACTION ON THE FY 2023 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EXPENDITURE REPORT.
>> THIS IS A REPORT THAT'S DUE BY DECEMBER 15TH EVERY YEAR.
IT WAS SUBMITTED ON DECEMBER 15TH TWO TXDOT. WE RECEIVED COMMENTS BACK FROM FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ON JANUARY 25TH . THE COMMENTS WERE DRESSED ON JANUARY 29TH AND WE HAD FINAL ACCEPTANCE FROM FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND FEDERAL TRANSIT ON JANUARY 30TH. SO THIS IS OUR YEAR END REPORT AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE. IT TIES INTO HER UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM, SO THERE'S FIVE TASKS LISTED ON THE SIDE . TASK WHEN HIS ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT.
TEST TWO IS DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE. HAS TO BE A SHORT RIGHT PLANNING . TEST FOUR AS METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION FOR HER TEST FIVE IS SPECIAL STUDIES. SO UNDER ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT, THESE ARE THINGS WE ACCOMPLISHED IN 2023 . GOT SOME NEWSLETTERS OUT. WE HAVE A MEMBER OF THE DRIVE SAFE COALITION FOR 10 YEARS. WE HAD A POLICY BOARD AND TAC JOINT WORKSHOP IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR. WE HELPED WITH THE RIGHT TO WORK IN JUNE AND THEN A CAR SAFETY CHECKUP IN SEPTEMBER . I'M GOING TO COVER THE FUNDING A LITTLE LATER , SO THAT THE ITEM YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM THERE. UNDER TASK TWO, THIS INCLUDES A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM AND DATA DEVELOPMENT. THE MAPPING SYSTEM BASICALLY FOR PERFORMANCE MEASURES, TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL AND TRANSIT MINING DATA . ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN THERE, YOU CAN SEE THOSE 461 ZONES THAT MATT WAS REFERRING TO EARLIER AND EACH OF THOSE TAZ ZONES, WE HAD TO LOOK AT BASE HOUSEHOLD DEMOGRAPHICS, EMPLOYMENT , THE NETWORK, RESIDENTIAL GROWTH FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS .
SPECIAL GENERATORS. WE HAD TO LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE 461 TO CREATE THAT MAPPING , TO SEND BACK FOR THE TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL. THAT WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT THE STAFF PUT IN TO LOOK AT ALL OF THAT AND GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO TXDOT SO WE COULD CONCLUDE OUR TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL INFORMATION. THIS IS UNDER TASK THREE WHICH INCLUDES THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND THEN TRANSIT, BICYCLE AND MODAL PLANNING ALONG WITH SHORT-TERM TRANSIT PLANNING. ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE PROUD OF IS THAT THE MPO HELP THE CITY OF ABILENE SUBMIT A GRANT APPLICATION THAT THE CITY RECEIVED FUNDING FOR . THIS WAS THE RECEIVED FUNDING IN NOVEMBER LAST LAST YEAR . IT WAS A COMMUNITYWIDE EFFORT. WE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT LETTERS THAT WENT OVER THAT, BUT THE CITY WAS ABLE TO GET 1,000,896 POINT FOUR TOTAL COST OF AND THAT WAS FOR THE OLD ANSON ROAD WHICH RUNS FROM I-20 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO AMBLER WHICH WILL BE FOR TRANSIT STOPS. TASK FOUR IS THE METROPOLITAN TRANSIT PATIENT PLAN. THAT INCLUDES THAT IN LANGUAGE THAT WAS UPDATED MULTIPLE TIMES ARE OF THE YEAR. CITY LINK DID A LOT OF LONG-RANGE TRANSIT PLANNING AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S UNDER TASK FOUR. IT'S A STATE HIGHWAY 36. THE CORRIDOR STUDY THAT WAS COMPLETED IN JANUARY 23 . ALSO THE TRANSIT MULTIMODAL FACILITY WHICH WAS IN TRANSIT DOLLARS TO DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY . SO THAT'S
[01:20:01]
WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN 2023. THIS WAS A TOTAL BUDGET . YOU CAN SEE THE AMOUNT BUDGETED IN THE UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM THERE THAT SHOWS . THE AMOUNT EXPENDED FOR EACH OF THE TESTS WE WENT OVER. THE BALANCE IN PERCENTAGE . I WILL SAY ON EACH OF THE BALANCES, IF IT'S 25% OVER OR UNDER, THEN WE HAD TO DO A JUSTIFICATION WHY THOSE WERE OVER OR UNDER. TEST TWO, BEST BUY GIS. WE'VE BEEN WITHOUT A TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW. THEN THE LONG-RANGE PLAN , THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN WAS NOT KICKED OFF LAST YEAR THAT WE THOUGHT, SO WE'RE KICKING IT OFF THIS YEAR.THAT'S WHY THOSE FUNDS ARE UNDER EXPENDED. THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT FEDERAL HIGHWAY ASKED HER IF YOU CAN LOOK THERE ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE UNDER TASK TWO AND TASK FOUR , THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EXPENDITURE AMOUNT .
WE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION THERE ABOUT NOT HAVING STAFF MEMBERS. IN ADDITION TO THAT , TXDOT UNDER THE TASK, 2.3 IS SOMETHING THAT TXDOT STEPPED IN AND HELPED US WITH. SO WE WERE APPRECIATIVE . WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE THOSE DOLLARS BECAUSE TXDOT HELPED WITH THAT THAN THE PLAN , ONE OF THE THINGS THEY WERE ASKING IS A PLAN TO CATCH UP IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE PLAN IS HOPEFULLY TO GET THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN FILLED AND TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT THE MTP, SO WE SHOULD BE BACK ON TRACK WITH THAT . THE OTHER ITEM ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE WAS JUST A TYPO, SO THAT WAS CORRECTED AND SUBMITTED IT WITHOUT, FEDERAL HIGHWAYS AND FDA APPROVED IT IN JANUARY, SO NOW WE ARE PRESENTING IT TO THE POLICY BOARD FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE REPORT AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> FOR CLARITY, WE ARE NOT APPROVING THE REPORT , WHICH IS TECHNOLOGY RECEIPT OF THE REPORT.
>> YES. HAS TO GO TO FEDERAL HIGHWAYS AND FEDERAL TRANSIT BEFORE IT CAN BE PUBLICLY DISPLAYED. SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND PROVE IT AND THEN IT COMES BACK TO THE WARD FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
>> ANY QUESTIONS ? >> WAS THE STATUS OF OUR MTP?
>> WE WILL BE HAVING AT YOUR APRIL MEETING, WE WILL BE PRESENTING IT TO THE TAC , LOOKING AT CONSULTANTS. THE RFQ WILL BE GOING OUT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. WILL PRESENTED TO THE TAC . WILL MAKE A SELECTION TO RECOMMEND TO Y'ALL AND THEN AT THE APRIL MEETING, Y'ALL WILL TAKE ACTION ON THE HIRING OF A CONSULTANT TO MOVE THAT
FORWARD. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF THIS
>> MOTION. AT A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE ?
[6. Discussion and review of transportation projects. (TxDOT Staff, City Staff, CityLink Staff)]
>> AYE. ANY OPPOSED? THE REPORT HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED.
WE MOVED TO ITEM NUMBER SIX COME DISCUSSION OF YOUR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS WITH TXDOT. I SEE BRYSON THE
AUDIENCE. >> MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, IT'S MY PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT TO YOU UPDATES ON TXDOT'S PROJECTS. MY NAME IS BRYCE AND I'M THE ABILENE AREA ENGINEER . I'LL UPDATE YOU ON A PLAN ON THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. IF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND YOU END UP HAVING TO LOOK AT A PREVIOUS MAP, COMPARED TO OUR NEW MAP, WE SHUFFLE THE DECK. SO ALL THE SITE NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED.
AS A CAUSES ANY CONFUSION, I'M SURE THAT WAS TO KEEP ME ON MY TOES AND NOT TO DO ANYTHING TO YOU ALL. I MAY BE A LITTLE CLUMSY RUNNING THROUGH IT TODAY AND IF YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME, I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AND SHOW YOU THE UPDATES. AND IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT PROJECT THERE WERE PREVIOUSLY ON THE LIST, WE CAN UPDATE THOSE TOO. FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT. OFF THE NEW LIST, SITE ONE IS AN OVERLAY ON FM 2833 AND THE UPDATE WAS PREVIOUSLY PROGRAMMED AND HAS MOVED UP . THAT WAS ON SITE ONE. THEN I'LL SKIP DOWN TO SITE FIVE . THIS IS ONE OF OUR NEW PROJECT. THIS IS THE CARBON REDUCTION PROJECT TO INSTALL I.T. S AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND TOWN, INCLUDING 22. I WAS ANYONE TO THE LIST. SITE SIX IS ALSO NEW TO THE LIST. IT'S BASICALLY A REHAB ON 277 S. OF THE RIDGE. THAT ONE WAS PREVIOUSLY PROGRAMMED IN 26 AND WAS MOVED UP TO 24. THAT PROJECT IS ALREADY BID AND WILL BE STARTING CONSTRUCTION SOON.
[01:25:01]
LET'S SEE. SITE SEVEN, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT . THAT HAS THE MPO MONEY ON IT . NOTHING ABOUT THAT PROJECT HAS CHANGED . THE SITE NUMBER. THEN SKIP ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SITE 15.THAT'S WHENEVER MEDIUM BARRIER PROJECT . THAT ONE WAS PREVIOUSLY IN 24 AND MOVED BACK TO 25 . THAT'S GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ON IT. INSTALLING CABLE BEARING CONCRETE BARRIER. SKIPPING DOWN TO SITE 18, IS ALSO A PROJECT THAT HAS MPO DOLLARS ON IT. A WIDENING PROJECT ON THE INTERSTATE HAS CHANGED. THERE WE GET DOWN TO A WHOLE LIST OF NEW PROJECTS. SO SITE 22 . THIS IS AT PINE STREET AND AN INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT . SITE 23 IS A TURN LINE PROJECT ON FM 89 SOUTH OF TOWN. TOWARDS BUFFALO GAP. SITE 24 IS ALSO NEW TO THIS LIST. IT'S ON 322. THE INTERSECTION AND ACCESS ROAD PROJECT THAT WE DISCUSSED EARLIER. SITE 25 IS ALSO A NEW PROJECT . IT'S ON FM 707 AND THAT'S A WIDENING OF 707 OVER TWO 1750. AND WE SKIP DOWN TO SITE 28 . THIS IS ANOTHER 322 PROJECT. THIS IS AN OVERLY BASICALLY FROM INTERSTATE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE INTERCHANGE. THAT ONE IS NEW ON THE LIST. THEN SITE 29 IS ANOTHER FM 707 PROJECT THAT'S MOVED TO THIS LIST AND IT'S AN OVERLAY . SO THE ORDER ON THIS , IF YOU LOOK OFF TO THE LEFT, THEY ARE IN ORDER OF WHEN THEY ARE PLANNED . SO THAT'S WHY THINGS GOT SHIFTED AROUND. AS THE PLANNED PROJECT UPDATE THAT WE'VE GOT. ANY QUESTIONS?
>> QUESTIONS FOR BRYCE? >> THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION WAS ALSO RESHUFFLED ? I DON'T KNOW THE LOGIC ON THAT ONE BUT I'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. I USED TO HAVE THE PROJECT GROUP TOGETHER, THOSE PROJECTS GROUPED TOGETHER. THERE ARE MULTIPLE SITE LOCATIONS HERE THAT ARE PART OF THE SAME PROJECT. I'LL TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF THOSE AS WE GO THROUGH. SITE ONE AND FOUR ARE THE SAME PROJECT IN NOBLES. WE ARE LOOKING AT COMPLETING THE PROJECT AROUND APRIL OR MAY. SC OVERLY . THE BRIDGE IS GOING WELL. WE SHOULD BE DONE SOON ON THE. THE PROJECT IS GOING GOOD. SITE THREE IS THE OTHER OVERLAY PROJECT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW TO THE WEST. THERE OUT STRIPING THAT JOB TODAY, SO WE ARE LOOKING TO WRAP THAT ONE UP SOON. SITE FOR HIS PART OF SITE ONE. AND INSIGHTS FIVE AND 13 OF THE SAME PROJECT . I THINK EVERYBODY IS FAMILIAR WITH THAT ONE WE ARE GETTING CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO SHIP TRAFFIC NORTH OF REBECCA AND OPEN SOME OF THAT UP. AND WE STARTED DOING A LOT OF PAINTING SOUTH OF REBECCA AT THIS POINT. SITE SIX IS OUR CABLE BARRIER AND CONCRETE BARRIER PROJECT IS ONLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THAT'S 669 , AND 11 . THEY ARE ALL COMBINED. I DID FAIL TO MENTION THAT THE PROJECT DOES HAVE MPO DOLLARS ON IT. I GOT A REMINDER HERE THAT SITE SEVEN HAS MPO DOLLARS ON IT.
THAT'S A NEW BRIDGE AND YOU ALIGNMENT NORTH OF THE DAM.
THAT PROJECT IS GOING PRETTY WELL. WE LOOK TO START AND SOME OF THE BRIDGE ELEMENTS SOON. SITE EIGHT IS THE NEW OVERLAY EVEN FARTHER WEST FOR THEM TO THE COUNTY LINE. THAT ONE , WILL BE STARTING SOON. THAT JOB WILL BE STARTING PRETTY SOON. SITE 12 WITH THE INSTALLATION AND THAT JOB WE'RE LOOKING TO CLOSE WORK ON THAT. SITES 14 AND 15 , THOSE
[01:30:05]
ARE THE PROJECTS ON NORTH JEN AND REBECCA . INSTALLATION IS ALL COMPLETE. THEY'VE BEEN HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH SOME DEVICES SO THEY ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO THE SITE.THE BROWNISH COLOR ON YOUR MAP THAT PROJECT WAS STALLED FOR A LITTLE WHILE THEY ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT IT WAS HELD UP BUT NOW THEY'RE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH REDUCTION AND PROGRESS GREAT HAVE BOTH BAD I YOU GET TO FOURT FIVE AND SIX NEARLY COMPLETED M PUNCHLIST ITEM.
THOSE ARE BASICALLY COMPLETE HAS NOT BEGAN THE BROTHERS ARE WORKING FROM THE BARREL AND TO THE WEST AND THE WATER DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO DO A PROJECT TOWARD THE WEST SIDE OF THIS PROJECT AND THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO BE TUNE START THAT WORK THEY DO HAVE TO DO SOME BRIDGEWORK NUMBER 8 THERE ZONE THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO START YESTERDAY I GUESS SO I THINK THEY ARE ACTIVELY DOING SOMETHING TO GET IT UNDERWAY THE FESTIVAL DISTRICT BETWEEN THE HOTEL AND THE CONVENTIONS CENTER IS PROGRESSING AS WELL THAT IS A NONTRADITIONAL ROADWAY BUT WE ARE MANAGING THAT AND IT IS HAS BEEN GOING WELL THOSE RELOCATIONS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING TO PREP FOR THE WIDENING THERE WILL BE A DLAY UNTIL AL THE SIGNAL EQUIPEMTN COMES IN WE HAD AN ISSUE WHERE WE DID THE CONCRETE WORK FIRST WE WILL HOLD ALL THE CONSTRUCTION TO AVOID THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THE TWO PROJECTS I PUT ON THE CONSTRUCTION LIST IS AN EFFORT TO DO SOMETHING FOR FINAL IMPROVEMENTS TO ADD FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS THE 27TH SIGNAL PROJECT NUMBER 11 WILL BE GOING TO CITY COUNCIL THIS THURSDAY. THEY WILL MOVE TOWARD CONTRACTING CONSTRUCTION
[01:35:11]
IF APPROVED. IT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS AND IS A WELL KNOWN PROJECT FOR DOWNTOWN. I DID GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT ON THE LSIT. PROJECTS IN DESIGN ARE SHOW IN BLUE ON THE MAP. WE ARE SPLITTING IT AT SOUTH 27TH. A NORTH SOUTH SECTION , THE PLANS HAVE BEEN IN A HOLDING PATTERN. THERE HAVE BEEN ISSUES TO THE EAST ALONG THAT CORRIDOR. WE MAY BE SHIFTING THE ROADWAY TO TRY A ND GET SOME DISTANCE. WE ARE WORKING THROUGH ISSUES. WE HAVE A NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL PLANNED FOR THAT AREA. TWO AND THREE. WE PLAN ON ADVERTISING THIS COMING SUNDAY. FOUR THROUGH NIE VAIROUS LEVELS OF DESIGN STAGING THOSE OUT TO BID IN THE FALL ANY QUESTIONS?>> FOR CLARIFICATION. YOU SAID CYPRESS ISN'T MANAGED BY YOU
ALL. >> I DON'T THINK THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN APPROVED YET. WE WILL BE INVOLVED IN OUR NORMAL INSPECTIONL WE HAVEN'T BID IT OUT OF OUR
DEPARTMENT. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
[7. Discussion and review of reports: - Financial Status - Operation Report - Tasks - Training Sessions - Meetings - Director's Report - Work Tasks - MPO Staffing - Year-end Reports - FY 2023 Annual Listing of Obligated Projects (ALOP) - MPO Safety Plan - FYs 2025-2028 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) - FYs 2025-2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) ]
NOTHING FROM LAUREN? >> WE WILL MOVE ON.
>> INCLUDED IS THE FINANCIAL UPDATE. THE FISCAL YEAR 2023, THE ENDING BALANCE IS -- WE RECEIVED ONE WORK ORDER IN YOUR PACKET WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER ONE TO TEXT OUT SHORTLY THE EXPENDITURE IS 4654324 QUESTIONS FOR ME I GUESS? INCLUDING IN YOUR PACKET IS THE OPERATIONS REPORT AND SO THERE ARE NUMEROUS THINGS AND SOME HIGHLIGHTS THERE LISTED ON THE SCREEN SOME OF THE GENERAL STUFF THE NPO DID JUST THE CLOSING OUT OF THE FISCAL YEAR AND THE UPDATING OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, THE MAPS THAT WERE COMPLETED INCLUDING THE MTP AND THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND THAT TRAVELED DEMAND MODEL WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH TXDOT TO HAVE THE MODEL VALIDATED THE POLICY BOARD WILL BE PRESENTED IN THEIR REPORTS THAT WERE EITHER
[01:40:01]
AMENDED OR UPDATED AND COMPILED AND COMPLETED DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES WE DID SOME MEASURES ON THE 2024 GREENHOUSE GAS PERFORMANCE MEASURE BUDGET AND SOME COLLABORATION AND THE PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD AND THAT IS THE OPERATIONS REPORT THE FULL PACKET THE FULL INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY LESSONS.>> ANY QUESTIONS? >> THE FINAL ITEM IS THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT ON THE NPO STAFFING IT HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE JUNE OF 2022 WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT WE DID TO THE UNIFIED PROGRAM IN DECEMBER WE HAVE THE FUNDS TO EITHER USE THE CITY OF ABILENE OR THE CONSULTING FIRM TO HELP WITH THE MAPPING AND WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE CITY THROUGH THIS PROCESS IN ADDITION WE ARE LOOKING AT REVAMPING THE ACTUAL JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNER TO TRY AND GET MORE APPLICANTS FOR THAT POSITION THE YEAR-END REPORT THE ANNUAL LISTINGS OF THE PROJECTS WHICH WAS DUE ON DECEMBER 15TH OF LAST YEAR WE ARE STILL WAITING ON INFORMATION FROM TXDOT IN AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO COMPILE THAT REPORT AND WE ARE ALSO WAITING FOR INFORMATION FROM THE CITY FINANCE DEPARTMENT ONCE WE RECEIVE THOSE TWO THINGS THAT REPORT WILL COME BACK TO YOU ALL BUT YOU DO RECALL THAT MAYBE IF YOU RECALL THAT WE GOT THAT IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR WHENEVER THEY GET IT TO US WE WILL GET IT BACK TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR ALL'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT THE MPO SAFETY PLAN THIS IS THE ITEM THAT THE FUNDING ON THAT WAS FOR $50,000 AND WE WERE NOTIFIED IN THE MIDDLE PART OF JANUARY THAT TEXT THAT WILL BE KICKING IT OFF WITH THERE CAN SINCE AND SO WE SHOULD HAVE A KICKOFF MEETING SOMETIME THEY SAID IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS. THE FISCAL YEAR 2025-2028 TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM THIS IS THE NEW TIP THAT'LL BE DUE ON JUNE 18TH SO THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT YOU WILL SEE AT YOUR APRIL MEETING AND THE 2025-2015 TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS THE ONE WHERE THE CONSULTANTS WILL BE COMING OUT WITH THE QUALIFICATIONS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS WE HOPE AND THEY WILL TAKE THAT BEFORE THE TACK IN THE POLICY BOARD ON APRIL 16TH INTO THE CITY COUNCIL ON APRIL 25TH. WITH THAT THAT IS MY DIRECT REPORT AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> ANY QUESTIONS? MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER A OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO MAKE CONTACT ON MPO ISSUES ANYBODY
[9. Opportunity for Board Members, Technical Advisory Committee Members, or MPO Staff to recommend topics for future discussion or action.]
THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS ANY MPO ISSUES TODAY? NUMBER 9 OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARD MEMBERS TO RECOMMEND TOPICS FOR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS OR ACTION. OTHER THAN OTHER DIRECTION GIVEN DURING THE MEETING TOPICS THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN THEFUTURE? >> I WAS APRIL MAYBE A SLIGHTLY LONGER MEETING BECAUSE HE WILL HAVE A LOT TO DISCUSS.
>> OKAY. WITH THAT WE ARE ADJOURNED IT IS 3:13 P.M. AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S ATTENDANCE TODAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.