NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION FULL COMMISSION/EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

Thursday, November 21, 2019, 9:00 A.M.

NIRPC Lake Michigan Room, 6100 Southport Road, Portage Annotated Agenda

6100 Southport Road

Portage, Indiana 46368

(219) 763-6060

www.nirpc.org

1.0 Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance - Diane Noll

2.0 Roll Call - Candice Eklund

3.0 Public Comment

Members of the audience who have signed up to comment on agenda items will be recognized by the Chair. Time is limited to 3 minutes per commenter. Commenters must indicate on the sign-in sheet prior to the start of the meeting.

4.0 New Appointments to the Commission - Attorney Dave Hollenbeck

5.0 Approval of the Minutes of the September 19, 2019 Full Commission Board Meeting (pp. x-x)

ACTION REQUESTED: Approval

6.0 Meeting Notes of the October 17, 2019 Executive Board Meeting (pp. x-x)

INFORMATIONAL (No Action Required)

7.0 Report of the Chair - Diane Noll

8.0 Report of the Executive Director - Ty Warner

9.0 NIRPC Full Commission/Executive Board Meeting Calendar for 2020

ACTION REQUESTED: Approval

1. Finance and Personnel Committee - Justin Kiel

2. NIRPC Resolution #19-29: Calendar Year 2020 Budget (pp. (9)x-xx)

   ACTION REQUESTED: Approval

3. Procurement Recommendations: 18-09 and 19-24 thru 19-31 (pp. (3)xx-xx)

   ACTION REQUESTED: Approval

4. NIRPC Resolution #19-28: Extending Policies for Meetings of the Commission (p. x)

ACTION REQUESTED: Approval

11.0 Environmental Management Policy Committee - Kathy Luther

1. Technical Planning Committee - Kevin Breitzke

2. Public Comment Report on the FY 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program Amendment #2 (pp. xx-xx)

3. NIRPC Resolution #19-26, FY 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program Amendment #2 (pp. (2)xx-xx)

ACTION REQUESTED: Approval

13.0 INDOT, Matt Deitchley, La Porte District Deputy Commissioner

14.0 Other Business

15.0 Announcements

16.0 Adjournment

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, parental status, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program.

NIRPC Full Commission Meeting 6100 Southport Road, Portage, IN September 19, 2019

Minutes

Call to Order – Chairperson Diane Noll called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was streamed live on YouTube.

A moment of silence was observed for Mary Thorne. Mary was an Administrative Assistant with NIRPC for over 13 years.

Roll call was taken by Candice Eklund.

Commissioners present included Diane Noll, Jeanette Bapst, Geof Benson, Kevin Breitzke, Charlie Brown, Joshleen Denham, Bill Emerson, Don Ensign, Will Farrellbegg, Richard Hardaway, Jack Jeralds, Justin Kiel, Mark Krentz, Andrew Kyres, Tom McDermott, Sheila Matias, Lori Mercer, Edward Morales, Carolyn Saxton, Tom Schmitt, Dave Shafer, Gene Simmons, Brian Snedecor, Greg Stinson, Gerald Swets, Sharon Szwedo, James Ton, George Topoll and Mary Brown.

Commissioners absent included Kyle Allen, Sr., Christopher Allen, David Anderson, John Cannon, Robert Carnahan, Anthony Copeland, Michael Griffin, Tony Hendricks, Tim Jones, Jane Jordan, Steve Kramer, Jeff Larson, Nick Meyer, Matt Murphy, Jean Poulard, Mark Ritter, Michael Rosenbaum, Rick Ryfa, Ed Soliday, and Joe Stahura.

Guests present included Matt Deitchley, Jessica Miller, Tim Werner, Deb Backhus, Lauren Varga, David Wright and John Wotkan.

Staff present included Ty Warner, Kathy Luther, Mitch Barloga, Peter Kimball, Kevin Polette, Dominique Edwards, Scott Weber, Candice Eklund, and attorney Dave Hollenbeck.

New appointments – Dave Hollenbeck announced the appointments to the Commission of Mary Brown (City of Gary) and Gerald Swets (Town of St. John).

Minutes – The minutes of the August 15, 2019 Executive Board meeting were approved on a motion by Charlie Brown and a second by Geof Benson.

Report of the Chair – Diane Noll

Diane Noll turned the report over to Geof Benson for an announcement from NIRPC. Mr. Benson congratulated NIRPC on receiving approval for the Economic Development District Designation for Lake, LaPorte, and Porter Counties from the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Ty Warner, Geof Benson, Justin Kiel, and Dave Shafer were privileged to meet with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development of the EDA at the National Association of Regional Councils conference in Omaha this year. The opportunity to make the connection and explain the value of the designation is a prime value from NIRPC’s participation in this national organization.

Ty Warner thanked the many individuals who worked on the Economic Development Designation (EDD) documentation over the last 12 years. Mr. Warner stated former Commissioner Roosevelt Allen, who was a champion of this initiative, sadly passed away before seeing this designation. He also acknowledge the NWI Forum as being a partner in creating the original nonprofit board to support this initiative in the early days, and for identifying EDD designation as a specific goal within the Ignite the Region economic transformation initiative. Part of the reason for the length of time necessary to obtain the EDD approval was modifying the application to be solely vested in NIRPC and not the separate nonprofit board, which had been created to respond to rules for EDD board composition that had changed since the non-profit was

created. Warner reiterated to the Commission the purpose of NIRPC as stated in its state enabling statute, which is to develop “planning and programming processes for transportation, environment, and economic development.” While NIRPC’s role in transportation and environment has been clear, NIRPC has primarily been involved in economic development through indirect planning activities and partnerships. The EDD Designation now gives a defined role for NIRPC in economic development and affords greater opportunities for additional funding to the communities that currently don’t have access without the EDD eligibility.

Updates will be provided as the program is developed and administered.

Report of the Executive Director – Ty Warner

Ty Warner introduced Kevin Polette, NIRPC’s new Technical Assistant and James Gross, NIRPC’s new intern. Mr. Warner thanked the Shirley Heinz Land Trust for maintaining and mowing the prairie grass around NIRPC’s building. He also announced the Drive Electric event being sponsored by South Shore Clean Cities in NIRPC’s parking lot following today’s meeting, and encouraged the group to stop by after the meeting.

Finance & Personnel Committee – Justin Kiel

Justin Kiel stated Amendment #2, the proposed 2019 Budget Amendment, comes with a favorable recommendation from the F & P Committee. Kathy Luther provided details on the three revised additions to the budget, resulting in $210,690 in new revenue. On motion by James Ton and second by Greg Stinson, the Full Commission approved the adoption of Budget Amendment #2.

Legislative Committee – Ty Warner

Ty Warner thanked the Commissioners for their attendance at the meeting and for achieving a full quorum.

Warner presented Resolution 19-27 and noted it was a re-iteration of Resolution 19-06, which had already been approved at the Executive Board meeting on February 21, 2019 to support an increase to NIRPC’s per capita rate. With the adoption of Resolution 19-06, Resolution 19-27 is not technically necessary but expresses the urgency of the appropriation increase, given the new Economic Development District Designation, which will require local match to administer. The current allocation of $0.70 per capita is based on the last decennial census and is used to match NIRPC’s operating costs as an MPO to receive federal funding. The additional benefit of the $0.70 per capita is that these funds are unrestricted and unconstrained funds, as opposed to the federal funds received. The per capita has not changed since it was adopted in 1992 and has not kept pace with inflation, which currently translates to $0.96 per capita using the current value of 2003 dollars to be conservative. The current appropriations awarded to NIRPC, based on the $0.70 per capita is $540,000 yearly and the increase to $0.96 per capita would increase the yearly appropriations by $200,000. The additional funding would provide more programs and assistance desired by the communities, including the administration of the EDD. The 2020 budget for NIRPC is currently being drafted and will be very constrained under the current per capita amount. NIRPC needs a sponsor to move this request to the 2020 legislative session, and adopting the resolution will confirm the Commission's intent to move this forward this session.

Brian Snedecor clarified that the increase in Resolution 19-27 would not affect the counties’ budgets until FY 2021.

Tom McDermott stated Lake County is already facing tax caps, and though he is supportive of NIRPC’s work, he would throw in a dissenting vote regarding the increase of $120,000 for Lake County.

The Commissioners discussed and agreed the proposed increase should be addressed with the Chairman of each County Council due to budgets impacted and that a sponsor would be sought to advance the new per capita appropriation for the 2020 legislative session.

On motion by Geof Benson and second by Don Ensign, the Full Commission approved Resolution 19-27, with all in favor except for Tom McDermott and Bill Emerson.

Environmental Management Policy Committee – Jan Bapst

Jan Bapst reported the Calumet Heritage Area presented their events calendar at the last EMPC meeting. The calendar enables groups to search on various environmental and industrial events in the region. NIRPC also has a link to the calendar on their website.

Vehicle emission testing requirements in NWI were also discussed at the EMPC meeting. Concerns regarding the ongoing requirements to have vehicles emission tested were discussed due to the EPA changing their status from moderate to severe in their evaluation process. Some of the factors could be how the transportation component rating can be looked at within IDEM, unsafe chemical releases in the region by ArcelorMittal last month, and if chemicals released exceeded the limited amount, resulting in the fish kill. The main concern from the disaster is how it was communicated to the public officials and the general public. Kathy Luther is working with IDEM and the EPA to schedule a workshop with public officials.

Indiana Department of Transportation – Matt Deitchley

Since the departure of Rick Powers, Matt Deitchley confirmed he is the acting Deputy Commissioner for the time being. Mr. Deitchley reassured the relationship with NIRPC will not change. Mr. Deitchley introduced Jessica Miller, the Capital Program Management Director with INDOT, who will be present at NIRPC. INDOT will be completing projects for the season, preparing for the winter and hiring seasonal snow plow drivers.

Other Business –

Kevin Breitzke reminded the group of the 21-day public comment period on the draft amendment to the 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) ending September 25, 2019. The TPC Continuous Improvement working group is staying on schedule and has a target date of November to finalize the improved NOFA process for 2020.

Tom McDermott noted the Rail Crossings Task Force will meet October 1, 2019. The Task Force was formed when the Indiana Supreme Court ruled local municipalities could no longer issue tickets to trains sitting on the tracks longer than 10 minutes. A Bill was created at the state level but did not receive a hearing. This may be the final meeting of the Task Force as data is being collected on the crossings.

Dave Shafer discussed the relocation project of railroad tracks onto 45th Avenue in Munster while the underpass is being excavated. The cut over of the tracks will occur on October 8 and 10.

Adjournment-

Hearing no other business, Diane Noll adjourned the meeting at 10:11 a.m. The Full Commission/Executive Board will meet on October 17, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. at NIRPC.

A digital MP3 of this meeting is filed. Contact nirpc@nirpc.org should you wish to receive a copy of

it. Barring technical issues, the livestream video recording of this meeting is available on NIRPC’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/NIRPCPlanning.

NIRPC Executive Board Meeting 6100 Southport Road, Portage, IN October 17, 2019

Meeting Notes

Call to Order -

Acting Chairperson Karen Freeman-Wilson called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. The meeting was streamed live on YouTube.

Roll call of the Executive Board was taken by Meredith Stilwell. A full quorum of the Executive Board was not reached.

Executive Board members present: Karen Freeman-Wilson, Geof Benson (non-voting), Justin Kiel, Mark Krentz, Greg Stinson, and George Topoll.

Executive Board members absent: Anthony Copeland, Tom McDermott, Diane Noll, Ed Soliday, and Jim Ton.

Other Commissioners present: Kevin Breitzke, Charlie Brown, Bob Carnahan, Will Farrellbegg, Richard Hardaway, and Gene Simmons.

Guests present included Randy Strasser, Lauri Keagle, Lauren Varga, Jessica Miller, David Wright, and Ismail Attallah

Staff present included Ty Warner, Kathy Luther, Trey Wadsworth, Meredith Stilwell, Charles Bradsky, Lisa Todd, Kevin Polette, James Winters, and James Gross.

New Appointments -

Attorney David Hollenbeck announced the reappointment of Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson (City of Gary).

Report of the Chair - Karen Freeman-Wilson

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson shared she had the honor of testifying before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on October 16, 2019. There were discussions on the safety associated with accessibility for citizens with disabilities, availability, and the increased options with ride-sharing companies in our communities. Congress is considering new legislative regulations for these companies.

Report of the Executive Director - Ty Warner

Ty Warner referenced the corrective action NIRPC received during its certification review as a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) last year. NIRPC had objected to the corrective action as a misreading of its Public Participation Plan, but as a continued commitment to NIRPC’s public engagement, NIRPC nevertheless developed an action plan that included the adoption of a new Public Participation Plan following NWI 2050. After the Commission adopted Engage NWI in August, the corrective action was removed and NIRPC is fully certified by USDOT with no further action to be completed. NIRPC subsequently received the award for Outstanding Public Involvement at the Indiana MPO conference in Fort Wayne in September for its outreach activities related to NWI 2050 and for Engage NWI. Warner thanked Dominique Edwards, NIRPC’s Public Participation Planner, Trey Wadsworth, Director of Transportation, and all staff who contributed to help make NIRPC’s outreach efforts one of vigorous participation.

Mr. Warner announced that three NIRPC staff members are currently on local public radio this week. Eman Ibrahim discusses E-Commerce and its effects on NWI on the Green Fleets radio program from NIRPC’s partners at South Shore Clean Cities; Mitch Barloga is on the Regionally Speaking program discussing the upcoming Trail Towns workshop on October 31; and Ty Warner is covering a range of planning issues, including NWI 2050, on the new Building Northwest Indiana program, a new podcast from the Construction Advancement Foundation. All of these are available on demand on the Lakeshore Public Radio website.

Information was also distributed for the Purdue University Extension’s Planning Commissioner training offered biannually. NIRPC is also planning to offer localized training for Planning Commissioners in 2020 as part of the services it offers to its member communities.

Mr. Warner announced Trey Wadsworth’s resignation to join the team at Ford Mobility in Detroit, and thanked him for the impact he made as Director of Transportation, achieving the revamping of all of NIRPC’s Federally-required MPO work products during his relatively short tenure and ensuring that NIRPC was on top of all of its MPO-related obligations.

Finance & Personnel Committee - Justin Kiel

Justin Kiel stated the Finance and Personnel (F & P) Committee met before the Executive Board meeting. There were four motions to vote on for the F & P Committee, but due to the absence of a quorum, Mr. Kiel will present the motions at the Full Commission meeting on November 21, 2019.

Environmental Policy Committee - Kathy Luther

Kathy Luther said the EMPC group met with NIRPC’s federal partner, Urban Waters, to present the Living Streets Policy. LaPorte County presented the Septic Point of Sale Ordinance and how it will benefit water quality. The Environmental Protection Agency will present on their sub area regional planning for emergency responses in NWI at a workshop in January.

Technical Planning Committee - Kevin Breitzke

Kevin Breitzke said the TPC met on October 8 and staff presented the Living Streets policy. The working group meeting for this policy will meet on November 13, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. The TIP continuous working group created a survey and encouraged the recipients to complete it for continued improvement of the NOFA process. The one action from TPC that was on the agenda for today will be postponed until the Full Commission meeting on November 21, 2019. Mr. Breitzke also expressed his gratitude to Trey Wadsworth for all of the contributions he made to NIRPC.

Indiana Department of Transportation - Jessica Miller

Jessica Miller reported that INDOT is in the process of getting the La Porte District Deputy Commissioner position filled. She congratulated the communities who received Community Crossing funding and noted the next round will be in January 2020. Federal aid, Group 3 and 4 funds, will have a call opening November 1st.

Other Business -

Mr. Warner thanked the members of the Executive Board and other Commissioners for their attendance today, and conveyed that the responses of Executive Board members prior to today’s meeting had indicated that a quorum would be achieved. To aid in the assessment of a quorum for future Commission meetings, Candice Eklund has constructed an RSVP option through Constant Contact notifications as a further attempt to simplify replying to the Full Commission/Executive Board meetings. By simply clicking on the Yes or No button, it will inform NIRPC in advance if a quorum will be met. The notification sent for the meeting in November will include the RSVP option.

Adjournment

Having had no business that could be conducted without a quorum, Karen Freeman-Wilson adjourned the meeting at 9:34 a.m. The Full Commission will meet on November 21, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. at NIRPC with action items scheduled for today’s meeting carried over to the November Full Commission agenda.

A digital MP3 of this meeting is filed. Contact nirpc@nirpc.org should you wish to receive a copy of it. Barring technical issues, the livestream video recording of this meeting is available on NIRPC’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/NIRPCPlanning.

6100 Southport Road

Portage, Indiana 46368

(219) 763-6060

www.nirpc.org

2020

NIRPC COMMISSION MEETING DATES

10/18/2019

FY 2020 BUDGET ATTACHMENT A

NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

2020 GENERAL .FllND,A.PPR OI•R L.<\.Tl Q NS J!.t.=:.-.D= G=.E_T, _

ATTACHMENT B NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

CAPITAL OUTLAYS -TRANSIT EQUIPMENT

TOTAL FUND BUDGET

2,440,988

2,440,988

ATTACHMENT C

NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION 2020 TJk\ o · '.JNG P,RO J C TS _FUND J PPRO.PRI AT ONS BU

OTHER SERVICES AND CHARGES

TOTAL FUND BUDGET

4,485,932

4,485,932

ATTACHMENT D

NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

OTHER SERVICES AND CHARGES

TOTAL FUND BUDGET

85,000

85,000

f '' l

f '' l

NIRPC F 2020 l;ludget

Attachment A

Attachment A page 2

**

** new projects for 2020 not included

, ,, )l' .,. ,,. '

Attachment B

",, i

, CY 20 20 T1tANSIT Af '.J.: . P. O.JEC_TS FOND

'

'

"'

,. ,, "

Subrecipent Grant Project Letting Total Non-Federal Federal Funds

TOTAL BUDGET $ 2,440,988 $ 1,952,790

Attachment C

CY 2020 TRANSIT OPERATING PROJECTS FUND

City of LaPorte

Operating Assistance 265,000 238,190 503,190

City of Valparaiso

Capital Cost of Contracting 764,584 185,000 949,584 North Township

Opportunity Enterprises

Preventative Maintenance 111,545 26,486 138,031

Porter County Community Services

PMTF Funds (NT,SLCS,PCCS, OE & CV)

Public Mass Transportation Fund 529,213 529,213

TOTAL 3,124,750 1,264,286 4,389,036

Attachment D

CY 2020 LAPORTE COUNTY R,EV OLV G LOAN FUND

Per RLF Management Plan 50% of interest can be used for Administrative Cost

REVENUES

RLF INTEREST INCOME

4,862

CLOSING CHARGES

TOTAL REVENUES EXPENDITURES

SALARY

FRINGE BENEFITS ALLOC INDIRECT COST ALLOC

DEPARTMENTAL COMMUNICATION GENERAL USE SUPPLIES

CONTRACTUAL

LA PORTE RLF SERVICES

TOTAL EXPENSES

FUND BALANCE - ENDING

2,000

6,862

1,600

1,392

1,392

4,384

478

478

2,000

2,000

6,862

(0)

RESOLUTION 19-29‌

6100 Southport Road

Portage, Indiana 46368

(219) 763-6060

www.nirpc.org

A RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION ADOPTING THE YEAR 2020 APPROPRIATION BUDGETS FOR THE COMMISSION’S GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS

WHEREAS, a budget is required for governmental funds; and

WHEREAS, it is anticipated that sufficient revenues and other financing sources will be available to support the budgets herein proposed; and

WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the Commission, as a whole, to approve the appropriations budget of the Commission;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission adopt as its Year 2020 budget for the General Fund for the budget identified in Attachment A to this resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Commission adopt as its Year 2020 budget for the Transit Capital Projects Fund the budget identified in Attachment B to this resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Commission adopt as its Year 2020 budget for the Transit Operating Projects Fund the budget identified in Attachment C to this resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Commission adopt as its Year 2020 budget for the LaPorte County Revolving Loan Fund the budget identified in Attachment D to this resolution; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Finance and Personnel Committee of the Commission be designated to oversee the administration of these budgets within the framework of more detailed budget guidelines it might establish.

Duly adopted by the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission this 21st day of November 2019.

ATTEST:

Diane Noll Chairperson

George H Topoll Secretary

Procurement Recommendations October 17, 2019

Four (6) Replacement Vehicles – Procurement #19-24

• Purchase of:

  • Four (4) vehicle replacements for Lake County Community Services

  • Two (2) vehicle replacements for LaPorte TransPorte

• Vehicles being replaced will have met their useful life of 4 years or 100,000 miles at the time of delivery.

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-029 and local share coming from the above listed agencies.

• Recommendation to approve purchase of replacement vehicles not to exceed $433,684.00 in federal funds.

  
  

  One (1) Expansion Vehicle – Procurement #18-09

• Purchase of:

  • One (1) expansion vehicle (motorcoach) for City of Valparaiso ChicaGo Dash

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-029 and local share coming from the above listed agency.

• Recommendation to approve purchase of an expansion vehicle not to exceed $637,500.00 in federal funds.

  
  

  TOD - Construct Enhanced ADA Access – Procurement #19-25

• This is for a single project for the City of Valparaiso’s associated transit improvements at their transit-oriented development in downtown Valparaiso.

• The footprint of the affected building will not be altered. All work performed will be interior.

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-029 and local share coming from the above listed agency.

• Recommendation to approve construction of enhanced ADA access not to exceed $220,000.00 in federal funds.

  Acquire Miscellaneous Support Equipment – Procurement #19-26

• Purchase of:

  • Replacement office computer equipment for North Township Dial-

    A-Ride

  • Replacement office computer equipment for Opportunity Enterprises

  • Replacement office computer equipment for NIRPC

  • Replacement route scheduling tablets and vehicle securement devices for North Township Dial-A-Ride

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-029 and local share coming from the above listed agencies.

• Recommendation to approve acquisition of miscellaneous support equipment not to exceed $91,600.00 in federal funds.

  
  

  Four (4) Replacement Vehicles – Procurement #19-27

• Purchase of:

  • Two (2) vehicle replacements for Opportunity Enterprises

  • Two (2) vehicle replacements for Porter County Aging Community Services

• Vehicles being replaced will have met their useful life of 4 years or 100,000 miles at the time of delivery.

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration Funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-030 and local share coming from the above listed agencies.

• Recommendation to approve purchase of replacement vehicles not to exceed $260,000.00 in federal funds.

  
  

  Four (4) Replacement Vehicles – Procurement #19-28

• Purchase of:

  • One (1) vehicle replacements for North Township Dial-A-Ride

  • Three (3) vehicle replacements for Porter County Aging Community Services

• Vehicles being replaced will have met their useful life of 4 years or 100,000 miles at the time of delivery.

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration Funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-030 and local share coming from the above listed agencies.

• Recommendation to approve purchase of replacement vehicles not to exceed $227,200.00 in federal funds.

  
  

  Acquire Miscellaneous Support Equipment – Procurement #19-29

• Purchase of:

  • Replacement office computer equipment for Lake County Community Services

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration Funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-030 and local share coming from the above listed agency.

• Recommendation to approve acquisition of miscellaneous support equipment not to exceed $4,800.00 in federal funds.

  
  

  Acquire Signage– Procurement #19-30

• Purchase of:

  • Replacement bus stop signs for the City of Valparaiso for V-Line services

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration Funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-030 and local share coming from the above listed agency.

• Recommendation to approve acquisition of signage not to exceed

  $120,000.00 in federal funds.

  
  

  TOD - Construct Landscaping/Scenic Beautification – Procurement #19-31

• This is for a single project for the City of Valparaiso’s associated transit improvements at their transit-oriented development in downtown Valparaiso.

• This will include landscaping improvements around the existing parking lot.

• Paid with Federal Transit Administration funds (80%) out of grant IN- 2019-030 and local share coming from the above listed agency.

• Recommendation to approve construction of enhanced ADA access not to exceed $100,000.00 in federal funds.

RESOLUTION 19-28

6100 Southport Road

Portage, Indiana 46368

(219) 763-6060

www.nirpc.org

A RESOLUTION OF THE NORTHWESTERN INDIANA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION EXTENDING POLICIES FOR MEETINGS OF THE COMMISSION

WHEREAS, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (Commission) had previously adopted Resolution 14-01 to establish certain policies for Commission meetings; and

WHEREAS, such policies were and are necessary to ensure that Commission business may be conducted in a peaceful, orderly, and efficient manner, and so as to assure the safety of those attending Commission meetings; and

WHEREAS, the Commission holds various meetings throughout the region in the interests of engaging the public in its activities, as outlined in the Commission’s adopted Public Participation Plan (“Engage NWI”); and

WHEREAS, the Commission wishes to ensure that such policies extend to all public meetings of the Commission to ensure orderly conduct of its business, to provide a safe environment for those attending its meetings, and to encourage constructive contribution by meeting participants;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the policies regarding conduct at meetings of the Commission established in Resolution 14-01 apply to all the Commission’s meetings, regardless of location or purpose; namely, no shouting, name calling, or vulgarity will be permitted, and respect must be shown by all parties.

Duly adopted by the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission this 17th day of October 2019.

Chair

ATTEST:

Secretary

Technical Planning Committee NIRPC Lake Michigan Room, Portage, IN

October 8, 2019 Minutes

Kevin Breitzke called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and

Self-introductions. Committee members present were Kevin Breitzke, Tom MacLennan, Blossom Mabon, Will Farrellbegg, Tyler Kent, Mark O’Dell, Dean Button, Jessica Miller, David Wright, and Kelly Wenger.

Others present were Lauri Keagle, Sandy Kolb, John Cannon, John Harrison, Amanda Geary, Christopher Murphy, Jerry Siska, Claudia Taylor, Ismail Attalia, Steve King, Nick Bellar, Bob Casanyi, Jeff Huet, and Bruce Linder.

Staff present were Trey Wadsworth, Mitch Barloga, Kathy Luther, Peter Kimball, Charles Bradsky, James Winters, Kevin Polette, Eman Ibrahim, and Candice Eklund.

There were no requests for public comment.

The minutes of the August 13, 2019 meeting were approved on a motion by Will Farrellbegg and second by Dean Button.

Mitch Barloga presented on the Living Streets policy. NIRPC adopted the Complete Streets policy in 2010 and is now moving forward with the Living Streets policy due to the significant increase in green infrastructure planning over the last 10 years. The objective is to merge the Complete Streets and Green Streets policies into the Living Streets policy. To accomplish this objective, NIRPC will create a Living Streets workshop to review the draft document in detail. The first meeting is scheduled for November 13, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. in the Lake Michigan Room at NIRPC. The final draft document will be discussed at the topical committees before being presented to the TPC and Full Commission meetings.

Charles Bradsky reported on the one public comment received during the public comment period for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendment #2 FY 2020-2024. Charles and James Winters responded to the comment, which was also included in the meeting packet. On a motion by Will Farrellbegg and second by John Cannon, the Technical Planning Committee voted to recommend Resolution #19-26, the Transportation Improvement Program Amendment #2 FY 2020-2024, to the Executive Board at the meeting scheduled on October 17, 2019.

Charles Bradsky provided an update on the TIP continuous Improvement working group. The working group created a 2020-2024 NOFA evaluation survey that will be sent to the Commissioners, Transit Operators and the Employee in Responsible Charge (ERCs). The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and will be used to potentially refine programs, scoring criteria, funding targets, and project applications. The responses will be compiled and reviewed by the working group before being presented to the TPC group. Kevin Breitzke encouraged the committee to respond to the survey, as the input will greatly help to efficiently distribute the funding in the 2020 NOFA.

Topical Committee Reports

• Kathy Luther said the EMPC group met with NIRPC’s federal partner, Urban Waters, to present the Living Streets policy. This policy could be beneficial if the new MS4 rules acquire additional implementation. EMPC will work on the Transportation Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment when the Living Streets working group meetings conclude.

• Mitch Barloga said he presented the Living Streets policy at the 3PC meeting on October 3. Mitch also shared his experiences at the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals conference in Portland. The Next Level Trails applications are due November 1, 2019. Contact Mitch with any questions. TPC will be hosting a Trails Town workshop at NIRPC on October 31, 2019.

• James Winters said the 2019 FTA grants have been approved. One of NIRPC’s projects includes an ADA bus shelter inventory of every bus stop in the region. The completed inventory will be shared with TPC and the municipalities. James also discussed the nature of the Transit Operators Roundtable (TOR) meetings. TOR is currently a private meeting because each operator is required to hold public board meetings. TOR meetings at NIRPC typically discuss topics outside of what should be discussed publicly. Therefore, there will no longer be official TOR Committee meetings, but rather technical working group meetings that will still report to the TPC.

• Eman Ibrahim said LUC met on October 3 and also presented the Living Streets policy. Eman discussed the three projects derived from the 2050 plan that she is working on; E-Commerce, Sensible Tools and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).

• Peter Kimball reported for Scott Weber. The Living Streets policy was presented at the STC meeting on October 1. The CUFC working group will meet again on October 15 at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the criteria for corridors to be submitted. They will also meet with the FHWA to discuss NIRPC’s new Economic Development Designation since NIRPC is the first in the state to submit a designation.

• Charles Bradsky said the Transportation Resource & Oversight Committees will not meet again until November 26, 2019.

Jessica Miller, with INDOT, shared it is anticipated that the Governor’s announcement for the Community Crossings award notifications will be released by the end of the week.

Lauri Keagle reported the IDEM VW Committee is hosting an electric vehicle working group in Indianapolis today. Carl Lisek, Executive Director with SSCC, had IDEM Commissioner Bruno Pigott on his ‘Green Fleet Radio’ show last week to discuss the VW Mitigation Trust Fund. To listen to the radio shows and see a listing of upcoming free Green Fleet training events, visit SSCC’s website at southshorecleancities.org. Contact Lauri Keagle at 219-644-3690.

John Cannon requested support to move funding from Designation #1382010, Samuelson Road project to Designation #1173430, Central Avenue project. Kevin Breitzke suggested Mr. Cannon present his funding allocation request at the next TROC meeting on November 26. If the request is approved at TROC, it would then be presented at the following TPC meeting.

The next meeting of the Technical Planning Committee will be held on November 12, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. Hearing no other business, Kevin Breitzke adjourned the meeting at 10:46 a.m.

October 1, 2019

6100 Southport Road

Portage, Indiana 46368

(219) 763-6060

www.nirpc.org

Public Comment Report

Amendment #2 to the 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission

October 17, 2019

Amendment #2 of the 2020-2024 Transportation Improvement Program was released for a 21-day public comment period which began on September 4, 2019 and ended September 25, 2019. The amendments were made available at www.nirpc.org . One comment was received during the comment period on the proposed amendment.

The writer, Mr. Nicholas Vasil; wrote: Hi,

I would like to know why the municipalities of Griffith, Highland, Dyer and Schererville don't provide intra- and intercity public bus transportation between and among these towns in northwest Indiana? Many working and traveling people in these communities don't have privately owned vehicles to connect to their destinations and have to rely on Uber or Lyft to transport them from place to place in the northwest region of the Indiana. Car dealerships abound in these areas, but there is no alternative to what was described above. Air pollution would be greatly reduced if we would relieve the congestion on highway U.S. 30 and Indianapolis Blvd. Thank you.

NIRPC staff responded on September 30 via email to Mr. Vasil. The comment is not considered significant and no modification to the amendment is necessary. Staff response is shown here:

Mr. Vasil,

First, we would like to thank you for your comment.

Currently, there is a moderate amount of fixed-route inter-city bus service in some of the communities you mentioned. The Gary Public Transit Corporation’s (GPTC) “Lakeshore South” bus route (R4), provides some connections between Hammond, Highland, and Munster. An individual using the Lakeshore South bus can transfer to other buses within the GPTC system for connections to East Chicago, Gary, and other cities within the GPTC network. For more information on this route, please visit the following link:

www.gptcbus.com/routes-fares/

However, for the most part, you are correct. There are few fixed-route inter-city bus routes in Northwestern Indiana.

In order to fund new or existing public transit, the decision often starts at the municipal level of government. The federal government provides a significant amount of funding annually for urban public transportation systems in Northwestern Indiana. Roughly, $12 million dollars annually comes to Northwestern Indiana through the “Urbanized Area Formula Grants” program from the Federal Transit Administration. However, in order to use these funds, the federal government requires a financial commitment from a participating organization. This can be a non-profit, a university, or a business; but when considering urban bus systems, most of the time the commitment comes from a municipality. A municipality can provide up to 20% of a project’s cost for capital projects, so the federal government can provide 80% of funding. Or for operating costs, the municipality and federal government can split the costs 50/50.

To answer your question:”Why the municipalities of Griffith, Highland, Dyer and Schererville don't provide intra- and intercity public bus transportation between and among these towns in northwest Indiana?” The answer is that in order to start any type of bus system, these communities would first have to indicate that they want service. Usually this is done by creating a plan to create new services, or to partner with existing providers, like GPTC; then to provide financial support. As of today, only the municipalities of Gary, Hammond, and Merrillville offer financial support to GPTC to support bus service and the City of East Chicago contributes to its own bus service. None of the communities you mentioned have committed to supporting any kind of transit service through a transit development plan or through contracting an established transit operator.

If an expansion of bus service is important to you, reaching out to municipal leaders can be helpful in supporting local transit.

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact either of the following people at NIRPC:

James Winters Transit Planner jwinters@nirpc.org

Charles Bradsky

Transportation Projects Manager cbradsky@nirpc.org

NIRPC did not receive any technical comments from the IGC.