Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

forum and I don't see here so we're just going to go with things. Um public comment. It appears as though we do not have any public comment and so I would move on to the consent agenda. Uh, are there any items that any of the commissioners would like to have removed from the consent agenda which includes the minutes of our last meeting, the financial reports and the staff report? Okay. If not, I take entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as a move. Thank you. Second. Thank you. All those in favor signify by saying I. All those opposed, same time.

Okay. Ready? We are on to the consideration of the adoption of the resolution for the go safe uh action plan.

Okay. Thank you. Uh I feel like you're also familiar with this project. So I don't need to like we invent the bill to give you the background. As you recall this fally funed project and we have local partners working together with financial contributions was help helpful. We had a public stream committee uh public engagement uh to the point that we are now have a resolution for for you to consider adoption uh of the plan with the pandics um all in all with the goal of uh bringing uh traffic and serious injuries to zero by 2035. That's our goal uh or the goal of the plan. If the plan is adopted then there will be a task force to be formed um with local partners initially and then with updated information and data and things like that. So uh staff recommends approval of this uh plan uh and with the appendix and with the resolution such any questions I'll be happy. has questions for Ry in terms of resolution. Any further discussion?

Will will there be discussion after the motion? Yeah, there we Yeah, I'd entertain motion for discussion now. Sure. Okay. Okay. Um, so sorry if I'm late to the game. Um, but until I had the appendix last week, it's kind of resolved here. Sure. Um, I have a lot of concerns on this. Uh there it's there's been some good things identified. Uh mainly the um uh the uh accident death review um that that is just that's a no-brainer that needs to be that reestablished. I mean in the medical field anywhere they do that and that's

um focusing on specific incidents with specific solutions if possible with what we need to do. uh there are a lot of uh implied costs incurred on a lot of these things and so I wonder who's gonna who's going to pay for these projects who's going to find who has staff time to develop them

uh part of the part of the task force could be formed uh which primarily initially with our uh local government partners um in terms of funding uh one of the things as part of the implementation will keep looking for funding opportunities like what we have done uh back in 2021 or after 2021 when the initial uh plan was adopted. We got look out for opportunities you know to fund those uh endeavors and suggestions and recommendations. As we know, funding is always uh is is a challenge. Uh especially this day and age as you might have read in the news uh the shifting some of the the polities uh of administration and the way even transportation uh ves or design. Uh so we'll keep looking for funding opportunities. So in terms of re redesigning streets or new roads it's a collaborative effort. So we will be working the staff and southeast staff you will be working with our local partners uh because they city county uh the town and other villages and they have public works staff they have engineering staff that we all work together. So yeah, uh there are certain things that require a lot more money. Uh there are certain things that require little less money and such as some of the public uh uhity of you're trying to promote the safety message. We definitely uh would do that and as what we have been doing. Uh so yeah there's different ways we are changing behavior. Uh that's also publicity uh for how people drive. So just different ways. But if if in terms of the infrastructure

changes, yeah, that's and I'm not so much looking at that. What I'm looking at is the is the burdens that this puts on staff to develop all these programs, existing staff. Yeah. Um you've got committees, you've got projects, you've got safety toolkits. All this stuff takes time and staff. Yeah. And is there anybody that has a lot of extra time and staff right now? Transportation. I think you do. No, I know I don't speak enough already.

It's transportation planning is a core business for us and we both we do the best and and again it's a collaborative effort. Uh as you pointed out we we only have so much capacity to do what we have to do. Uh but we rely on partners a lot. You really we seriously we do like we work with school districts. Uh we can go to uh ISU hotlands. Uh let's state farm for example. Uh there are other there are other partners out there that we can work with. Uh and we do our best. We we appreciate we your recognition of our capacity and time and everything. we we just have to work smarter I guess in more efficient ways uh uh little bit would help uh in terms of our staff time so yes a lot of work uh definitely uh but it doesn't mean that it has to be done overnight so we have to prioritize

and then my real concern is number eight the uh pursue safe vehicle fleet policies where that is a mandate um to add these this equipment to the uh these new um this new equipment. Um as a as a former road commissioner, I can tell you this severely complicates the bidding processes, adds a lot of cost. Uh nowhere in this report did I see that that this has been identified as a problem.

So um we're we're when when uh prevailing waged the evolution of those restrictions. I live through that and I can tell you there's a huge cost that is put on local entities um to u you know comply with all these regulations and this is I think just a a solution in search of a problem.

Um the the report cited uh Cambridge um Maryland I guess it was as as an example of somebody who' done that. what what what value is is that to justify something like this? Um talking with other road um people that have worked with road districts county um it's this will be hard number one it'll complicate bidding it'll increase the cost of bid to enforce it and implement it will be nearly impossible and so I'm real concerned about specifically number eight

yeah and keep in mind too that these are recommendations that will have to under that both the city, the town, and the county will have to choose whether or not they're going to actually implement. We don't implement any of that. And we're not we're not mandating to say, and you won't ever hear us say as a commission, well, you didn't do that, so now you have to. Um, it's all a recommendation uh as to what we would suggest they do. Ultimately, it's going to be up to each of those municipalities to decide whether or not they actually want to do this or not. We're not obligated. They're not obligated to follow what we recommend and such. They fund the projects, too.

Yeah. And they're going to fund the projects. So, they're not going to obviously fund anything that they can't afford to fund and such. So, this is not obligating them um to do anything beyond that. So, so these recommendations were were did did our commission compile these or are these the outcome of of the engineering study and this was the the the engineering firm that basically is a firm and also taking into account you the public engagement efforts the public comments received uh people are given opportunity to provide comments and and then this is the outcome of the recommendations

student committee also weighed in. Uh yeah they yeah we been meeting yeah with the project swing committee they had uh monthly meeting they have like a workshop uh so all this is like a an outcome of all these different efforts and engagement uh and so so like is the chairman gone out and it's really recommendations it's not like okay it's not done and then government's coming after you that type of situations if uh as for planning. Uh sometimes it it's if we don't put it out there, people won't recognize those, but this also may be a goal. Uh and and uh where it can be achieved, there's factors that play into it. And so it's like okay, there's a penalty do it that type of thing. Yeah. So it it's really guidelines if any planning document eventually is the the elected officials you know if they mandate okay this has to be done this way and whatever uh as with any plans you know is is uh it's a guide it's a blueprint uh and people have to recognize that this all good right I mean the objectives is good by safety but how to do it in different ways Carl, may I just interject very quickly? Yeah.

Couple of things.

The idea here is that the recommended projects will be evaluated up against the programs of the local governments. So things out the county, it will be considered by the county. And the same thing with Bloomington and Normal where we can align with their existing projects, we will. and and we're asking in every project that's pursued here with whether or not it's currently listed in the plan um that it be you know done and designed with safety in mind so that we are taking every effort to make sure that people aren't dying in our transportation system. The second thing is the existence of the plan the adoption of the plan also opens up access to money for implementation coming from the federal level. So should this be adopted, that would give all of the local jurisdictions the option of using that as a lever to get additional funding for projects that would require some safety components included in.

Yeah. So this could be a basis if adopted uh and and when we apply for grants we say hey we got to adopt a plan and to help us to justify hey that's the reason why you're applying for the grants and so it helps a lot to lot of other planning efforts the grands you ask okay have you approved certain plans and whatnot check so working with the committee then the community constituency if there's And I'll I'll pick on normal. If normal's going to normal is going to do a project, they want to do an intersection project and they right now say it's scheduled for eight years from now. It's just some six eightyear program, they would then be able to look at this and say maybe let's realign the scope of the project a little bit to match the this program.

Yes. So for example, extended curbs, pedestrian refuge space or something like that and then roll that in, make their tip submission be more congruent with this program which follows the program and then also positions it more for maybe some additional federal or state funding. Right. Absolutely. No guarantees. Well, no. So the city basically the city the town and county would want to weigh in on this and then use this to measure the project.

Yeah. Also the public works entering director cruise uh county engineer they all served on the project steering committee as well. [Music] So I was reading Yeah, just one additional question. I was reading through a common recommendation was the road diet. Is that just where you reduce the number of traffic lanes? Is that the idea? I assume so. I Googled it. It didn't come up. So And that's something that having been part of several discussions about things like that, that always comes up as a possibility. Sure does. Um, sometimes they implement it, sometimes they don't.

I think the concern I have right now in in Normal, yeah, is that there's a proposal for a road diet for college. There's also a proposal for a road diet for Vernon. So, it's two major east west roads. So, that that's going to impact transportation through the community. So, we have to brainstorm for that. Yeah. In fact, uh I know I don't want to put Taza uh on the spot. Uh actually like some of those projects they went through public engagement and then received public input there. There was a process even before they decide to go for anything else you want to add.

Sure. Um, and you know, I'm not an engineer, so I'm not like following it too closely, but Verden Avenue did go through a public process, and that involved a steering committee, a couple different surveys, community engagement. Um, and so the that study has been completed, and it did go before council. Um, there has not been any right now. It's just kind of more in an engineering phase. As far as College Avenue goes, um, as far as I know, there is not an active College Avenue study being done to reduce any lanes. Um, but I'm only familiar with the Burden Avenue one right now, but our engineering department would, you know, no more. Other questions?

Yes. I have just one last. Sorry.

Sure. And what was the public feedback from the rural community with respect as the incorporation of rural locally also was there did we get feedback from the rural community? uh they were advised of the plan uh they were encouraged to to attend uh those public open houses but in terms of of the actual comments the only key one more I don't it's related to safety it's more on like when they have the the count the township roads and jam remind me the township when when there's certain development that takes place that the township road people use the township road to get to the site but the site is not within certain municipality and that c there has some concern on the cost and the effect and the impact on the walls because people have to use the town boats to get to the site and but is is I don't that was a safety thing possibly can be a safety thing but also a cost and maintenance that issue Other questions? If not, I'd entertain a motion to approve the plan, the resolution.

So move. Thank you. Second. Second. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All those opposed saying sign. I plan is approved. We're now on to information um items for discussion and information uh leading with the housing coordinator position update. Right.

Yes. Thank you. Um so DC the state department of economic uh commerce and economic opportunity. Uh they have just issued uh the official notice of state award. Um and then staff accept that today and so we expecting there will be a grant agreement coming our way for a two-year uh grant performance starting in November. So we at this point just waiting for some of paperwork. We went to the the state got their order uh today and accepted the notice of who gives you a price regional um housing initiatives.

Good afternoon everyone. I have the regional housing initiatives for uh updates for the month of October. Um for local updates, we facilitated the September affordable and supportive housing uh meeting last week. Um and in relation to this, we drafted a new white paper called housing population so social socioeconomic trends in MLAN counties. So this white paper looked at um changes across multiple variables from 2019 to 2023. um variables include um total population, households, housing units, median household income and employment among other variables. And then so one key takeaway from this white paper is that the rate of increase in terms of median household income and employment outpaced the rate of increase in housing units in the county and therefore um creating a tighter housing market for the county. Uh other updates, MCRPC signed the uh program year 2025 CDBG subreient agreement with the city city of Bloomington last week. Um we actually just received the signed dot signed agreement from the city today and then um staff also attended housing coalition meeting last week where the group discussed updates and an asset mapping of affordable housing providers in the county. Um those are the updates that I have. You have any questions? questions for you.

Thank you. Thank you, Ray. Or Jen, the human services transportation plan update.

Maybe I'll formally use the podium. We've been talking for months now about the fact that we had a meeting coming up in September. It was last week of the region 6 HSTP both the policy committee and technical committee meet jointly as a matter of standard. Um we had several new county board members from the various counties in region six attending which was a good thing. We are looking to make sure that all of the county boards are represented on the policy committee preferably by a county board member or they're designated but we so far are getting a good response from county board members. Some of the highlights of the meeting which was kind of a summation of the projects that we were carrying out the work that's still to be done. Um, first was a demonstration of an HSTP dashboard on our about to be on our website presented by none other than our very own uh Thomas Valencia who also created the dashboard and put a lot of work into it and is continuing to do so. So that went over very well and people are interested in how it can be. We asked for suggestions on what else should be included and we will I think hear more over the next couple of months about that. We had an extensive discussion with all with both of the committees and everyone present about how to do public outreach and specifically to sort of spread the word much more generally across the not just the targeted populations for this but general population in all five counties. And so there were some ideas about that. It did give us an opportunity to remind some of the members and their agencies that we need their help in this process because we can't go puts in every grocery store. So, we're going to need some assistance on that. People understood that. Um,

we've had questions for sort offormational material. Um, we have drafted two things. um a survey to get additional information from the committee members and also a kind of short explanation of how HSTP came to be and what our role has been and how due to a transition in providers which is continuing. I'll get to that in a moment. Um what kind of new information we might need. Uh so we're going to get those mailed out and sent out as soon as possible. Um, we also had reports from the three, as of Monday, current um, public transit providers for rural areas or rural counties um, from Chris, which is currently serving Ford County. Um, they noted that they had started kind of slow because they didn't want to overburden their service elsewhere, and they're looking for another driver, which by this time they may have. Um, and they also noted that from Ford County, uh, most medical trips are going into Champagne or B. So, it's not like just for proximity, and that's actually true for people in southeastern county as well. That can be their, you know, destination of choice. Uh, connect go, which is now a a new service from Connect Transit, also started slow. This is a new type of service for them. Um, as of the end of July, they were doing about 40 trips a week. Um, which is low. That's not the the full complement of usual demand. Um, they are also looking at trips into adjoining counties and figuring out how that might work. And finally, Shobus um which has three counties in region six. Can Key where they have a separate agreement and

then Livingston and Iraquoy have provided in the region over the last in the last few months by month about 2,000 trips per month. So obviously a much more extensive network and longstanding one. However, one one other note that Sherbos raised um noting that some of the managed care organizations who are supposed to be providing support in soliciting trips for people on Medicare for example or Medicaid uh are leaving the state because they've discovered that you know with additional requirements coming from the state they're not really able to sustain their business. uh and that is creating some concerns about access to health care in terms of how it gets funded. However, we have a new development. As of yesterday, um the Livingston County Board uh made an announcement to the effect that they would be suspending their agreement with Chau for service in both Livingston and counties um with immediate effect and there was a press release issued yesterday. So they are looking for uh an alternative provider as quickly as possible. It is possible. We've heard that Chris currently serving for county might also move north into those two, but that's not been announced. So we're waiting to see.

What was the rationale behind them cancelling?

The rationale that they stated was that Chevus was not in compliance with certain grant requirements and haven't managed to certain meet certain tasks or certain requirements. uh in the details and I have not had a chance to talk to the chabas CEO or a tech about this um this is quite unexpected and you know this we we're thinking this might happen toward the end of the year but to have this come up and with those assertions I would very much like to see the evidence to you know support that that contention uh but in the meantime we have to figure figure out how those two counties get served. Show us continues to be the provider in Connecticut. So, we'll see what happens with that.

Any other questions? Other questions for Jennifer. Thank you. Three strategic plan version two. Okay. Actually, Veterans Parkway. Oh, okay. That's um someone that to join. Okay, that's fine.

Yeah. Yeah. um bud project. Uh the next project steering committee will be held on October 10th and then the uh there will be two public open houses uh to be held uh November 4th and 5th and more details to be announced and also there will be uh a business community meeting uh with the the the stakeholder business in the business community on November 4th. um the consultants planning to uh present my alternative different designs thought uh for you know for the public and also for the business community who will provide input and so more details uh to be announced but uh it'll be November uh 4th we'll keep you apprised you know when there will be more information on that and so that um yeah the projects ongoing

and strategic plan use Uh Anthony is is not feeling well today. So I'm got taking his place. As you recall uh we the staff we had a expanded public comment period for the first draft of of the plan documents and that public comment period ended uh September 1st. Uh taking into consideration of number of comments from your different folks and also your different groups. uh we meaning staff and also uh not just from MCPC but from the city, town and the county uh also worked on the second device draft and we you all have been uh share a copy and also a flyer that uh indicates there will be two public open houses to come October 14th and 16th uh one at the downs and then one in in the uh uh Holland Community College. And so uh the public comments for the second round is going to end on October 22nd and also we have placing uh public libraries and our office hard copies you for public to review bills like that. So we'll give you a prize. We'll see how the second round of public comments hopefully uh the revised draft you know address most if not all uh uh you know what makes sense uh from a planning perspective uh in the second draft. So we'll keep you posted.

Right. Right. Yeah. Were the were those public meetings moved? Because initially I had written down September 29th and October 1st and uh and like there were going to be locations at H Heartland was one of them. Like was that changed at some point?

Never. Uh I'm not saying you're wrong, but I we never uh pinned down uh for and you were talking about the the last week of September and and first week of uh October. I don't know if that's what what uh Anthony we just uh Anthony and I work on uh the date and the uh confirmation of the locations just like last week. Um, so I I can't tell you, but I can let you know. I'll find out if those were the days that we initially look at because we we just issue like two days ago, you know, the revised draft. So,

but then when I went in there to write those down, I noticed I had already written down a couple meetings. So, I just was confused. And so, it seems like if we're rescheduling and we should I don't because we we were still like the dance. We didn't really confirm until late last week. Uh HCC it uh it was last week. So we did not know if those uh would be available even the location uh unless the dates were inconsidered. Uh but we I don't think that's the case. But I'm not saying you're wrong. You probably took it down from somewhere. I I I'll check with uh Anthony. We never publicize those. uh this

could you make sure that yeah we don't have public out there who are thinking this is uh an important enough item that we need to make sure I mean I don't show up so yeah yeah like the county so somebody posted it so yeah we we'll check there uh we know there's already Facebook group starting some conversations on the second

on the second uh the revised draft already. Um now we also have for the SS4A as as I just said earlier we have um or the the veterans public we have open houses coming up in early November um in those days in location just confirm also um so yeah I we checked on that because we don't want people to to to think hey that will be you know uh only those days and I went back to try to find the post I could show you and I couldn't bank and stuff. Yeah. So, we will check and see if there's anything like Yeah. No, thanks for letting us know. Yeah, we things like that we we want to know,

but sometimes there's information out there, right? Any other questions? Ray, how would you describe the feedback or input or inquiries on space? I think volume or frequency or

Yeah. Um we had a lot of comments right uh majority we received you know the different what we call kind interaction we didn't issue like a survey like we just had a plan out and ask for comments and so we wasn't like a communitywide issue what what you want what you don't like to see so we receive about 70 80 comments interactions and uh that's what came in you know through the written comments forms and also when we went out to those uh uh five public meetings we went to some special stakeholder group meetings um all those were were considered the major issues uh one was the east side highway uh a lot of people didn't think it should be on there and then the the second issue a more more uh popular quote unquote issue was uh in the southeastern part of uh Boomington where there was a large chunk of land that was shown as to be industrial uh and and and that got people alarmed and what it was just and I and I don't know if Anthony mentioned the last meeting uh earlier in September because the way that each parcel uh were drawn it's bipartial. So even though it wasn't anticipate the industrial development to be like say this large but then just because the parcel is this large so when when those parcels were colored then it shows up as huge uh and cause the the concern. So we'll see on the revised plan uh it will be scaled down. You'll in further

consideration and working with staff from city, town and county. Um so that's been reduced so that there won't be such a a misconception there like thousands of acres or hundreds of acres of development. It's just because the way uh those parcels are you know there some people that much parcel in color. So I think those are were two more major uh issues. There were other things uh like the billion uh motorway and there some people were concerned but I think people do recognize the the traffic and things like that and also some of the roads uh that were um were shown and people was concerned about where it goes that kind of thing. on the inside highway. Uh you'll see or you might have read the the revised draft already. So after further discussion with our partners, instead of showing the entire Norway uh more on the northeast terminus and the south east terminus of the of the uh the uh the railway then it'll be the row is no longer shown but then uh the terminus are are connected through the existing towanda bonds and So it's the further the circumferential what we call circumferential way is no longer uh shown on that uh strategic language plan and so it substantially scaled down. Now as you recall we're not expecting uh is how it's going to happen. it just been always in uh in the books and hasn't been called for removal by IDA or the feds and and that's why they were shown

initially uh uh and it was based on explosive uh population growth which we don't anticipate in the near future. Um so so the revised plan you know shows that scale down so so we'll see how people if that's still find that acceptable or so are they protecting any of that area right now it's not yeah not the east side highway it's not pro protected um yeah uh you know few months ago we talked with the guy the engineer it's not

so anybody wants to build something and that everything too. Yeah. Yeah. So, yes. Yeah. And that just guarantees that what is currently farmland will stay farmland. That's what's being proposed. Yes. Yes. For the future. Okay.

Yeah. And also uh we want people to realize there's a difference between the language plan and the Soning plan or Sony uh because the Sony has the the seing power, the regulations and the law. uh and that governs the the the use the uses it the the land use plane is a guide it's up to the individual uh elected bodies your city council town council county board to decide hey if there's an application comes in then they have to look at on case by case basis but the plan serves as a guide

any other questions for Ray is there anything else that needs to come before the committee If not, I'd entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion to Thank you. Second. All those in favor signify by saying I. All those opposed same sign. We stand adjourned. Thank you. Uh also just to remind people this was a special meeting for the October. So we will not be meeting uh in October. Our next meeting will be in November. Okay.