Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 9:00 am CST
Zoom Information: https://zoom.us/j/98490222316?pwd=DQjIxVDhUaEo5Y2ZJcWRaUHArbThnUT09
6100 Southport Road
Portage, Indiana 46368
(219) 763-6060
Meeting ID: 984 9022 2316
Meeting Passcode: 576536
Call in: (312) 626-6799
(This is a virtual meeting)
ACTION REQUESTED: Approval
This is an opportunity for comments from members of the audience. The amount of time available to speak will be limited to 3 minutes. Commenters must indicate their wish to comment on the sign-in sheet.
The NOFA Summary spreadsheet is available separately by clinking HERE. This spreadsheet is a summary of all applications.
ACTION REQUESTED: For Discussion
Highway Infrastructure Program - Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act 2021 (HIP – CRRSAA – 21)
Description:
Federal funds,
80/20 funds only,
Can be used in conjunction with other funds (CMAQ, TA, HSIP, STBG),
Can be used for any phase (PE, ROW, CN),
Cannot be used for new roads.
Guidelines:
2020 NOFA applications only,
Accelerate projects from 2025 & 2026 if possible,
Assess for risk (RR, ROW, ect),
No category will be favored (Tiers will not play a difference),
If a project slips, it will not be considered a legacy project,
Focus on: Score, Readiness, Equity among communities, Solution to an issue.
Discussion and choosing of projects.
ACTION REQUESTED: Approval & Recommendation to the TPC
Local Quarterly meetings are Mon Aug 3, Mon Aug 10, Tue Aug 11, or Thu Aug 13
Other Business not discussed earlier
The next regularly scheduled TROC Lake/Porter Meeting is scheduled for July 27, 2021 at 9 a.m. You will be informed of the location and format one week prior to the meeting.
This meeting was convened as an electronic meeting, pursuant to Governor Holcomb’s Executive Order 20-04, extended by Executive Order 20-52. All persons were meeting remotely on a Zoom platform that allowed for real time interaction and supported the public’s ability to observe and record the proceedings. When the agenda item was provided for public comment, this was supported as well.
Charles Bradsky called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was taken by Candice Eklund. In attendance were Duane Alverson (Lake County), Bob Thompson (Porter County), Kevin Breitzke (Porter County), Mark O’Dell (Chesterton), Blossom Mabon (Lake County Community Services), AJ Bytnar (Gary), Dean Button (Hammond), Adrian Vera (Lake Station), Sandy Kolb (Portage), Jeff Huet (Schererville), Nick Bellar (Winfield), George Topoll (Union Township), Beth Shrader (Valparaiso), Mike Jabo (Valparaiso), and Dennis Cobb.
NIRPC staff included Charles Bradsky, Ty Warner, Meredith Stilwell, Kevin Polette, Flor Baum, and Candice Eklund.
There was a change noted for the December 16, 2020 meeting minutes. The correction was a request to change the minutes to reflect the meeting month of December. Under General Consent, the minutes of the October 27, 2020 and December 16, 2020 TROC meeting minutes were approved on motion by Dean Button and second by Mike Jabo with Duane Alverson, Bob Thompson, Kevin Breitzke, Mark O’Dell, Blossom Mabon, AJ Bytnar, Dean Button, Adrian Vera, Sandy Kolb, Jeff Huet, Nick Ballar (Winfield), George Topoll, and Mike Jabo voting in the affirmative, and no one voting in the negative, the motion passed.
There were no public comments.
Charles Bradsky displayed the spending plan during the Zoom conference call. Charles notified the Committee there was a surplus of $1.4 million in FY 2020 as a result of two projects being down scoped. Charles has loaned this surplus funding to the Area Plan Commission of Tippecanoe County (APCTC) MPO. One half of the loan will be returned to NIRPC in 2022 with the other half being returned in 2024. The spending plan reflects a balanced budget in 2022 and available funding in 2023 and 2024.
Charles Bradsky stated the Technical Planning Committee (TPC) requested the TROC Committees make a recommendation of projects at the next TPC meeting. Charles presented the draft list of projects in the 2020 NOFA, which he reiterated was not a final document and was open for discussion. Projects were recommended based on the scores the projects received at each of the topical committees, available funding for the year requested, and the LPA’s preference. Charles noted the Next Level Trails (NLT) will be returning soon and said Crown Point and Hammond applied for funding. If one or both communities are granted NLT funding, there may be adjustments to the multi-use paths project submissions.
TROC will make the following recommendations to TPC:
Multi-Use Paths:
Hammond - Award $100,000 for PE for the Marquette Greenway Trail in 2023; creating a legacy project. (Note: After NLT was announced, CN for this project was funded fully -
$1,876,000 in 2025.)
Hammond and East Chicago are teaming up with INDOT to put a bike path on Michigan Street Bridge over Kennedy Ave ($720,000) in 2025.
Valparaiso - The TOD trail project was entered in both the STBG and 5307 categories. The project is categorized as STBG so it could be included in the TIP, but Charles is looking at options to place the project under 5307 if NIRPC receives the funding. This would allow for additional funding in the roadway projects. Charles stated there will be time to shift funding because public comments will not go out until March 5. Beth Shrader stated the priority is to get the project in sooner rather than later. (Award PE ($118,000 in FY 23 and $1,918,000 fo CN in FY 26)
Complete Streets:
Cedar Lake - sidewalks along Lake Shore Drive Phase 1; Award PE of $110,000 in FY 23 and CN of $1.751,000 in FY 25.
AIr Quality:
NIRPC - $360,000 yearly for South Shore Clean Cities air quality education.
Planning:
NIRPC - Road Safety audits yearly, starting in FY 2023 for $77,500 annually.
Quality of Place:
Schererville - Kennedy Ave, Phase III, Oak Street to Main Street; Award PE/ROW of $536,000 in FY 23 and CN of $5,673,000 in 2025.
Lake Station - Traffic calming; Award CN of $750,000 in FY 26.
Roadway / Bridge Improvements:
Chesterton et al. Multiple Signal Emergency Vehicle Preemption, Award$1,664,000 in FY 2025
East Chicago - Award CN of $6.3 million to fund their entire project in 2026.
Gary - 15th Ave Gateway Award $3 million in 2024
Griffith - Intersection Improvement, Award $110,000 for PE in 2023. Would create a legacy project.
Hammond - Road Rehab, Summer Street Phase 2; Award $3,714,000 for CN in 2026 - Charles will investigate possible errors on spreadsheet.
Lake County - $836,000 for Colorado street bridge over Deep River in 2025. (Note, this is partial funding.)
Merrillville - intersection Improvement - roundabout, Mississippi Street and 69th Avenue; Award $100,000 in PE in 2024.
Merrillville - Intersection Improvement - roundabout, Mississippi Street and 79th Avenue Award $3,900,000 in 2026.
Munster - Road Rehab, Main Street; Award $318,000 for PE in 2023 and $5,000,000 for CN in 2025.
Valparaiso - Intersection Improvement Roundabout, Lincolnway and Campbell; Award CN of
$2,216,000 in FY 25.
Valparaiso - Intersection Improvement Roundabout, SR 130 at 400N Road; Award $143,000 for PE. This will create a legacy project.
New Roadways Segment:
Porter County - New Roadway, WIllowcreek Road; Awarded CN funding of $5,226,000 in 2026 (per STC’s recommendation).
St. John - New Roadway, Cline Ave.; Awarded $559,000 for PE in 2025. This will create a legacy project.
Lake County - Duane Alverson said the Clay Street Bridge (over Deep River Bridge) for
$836,000 is only partially funded and requested additional funding if it becomes available in 2025.
Dean Button noted the surplus funding for the 2020 NOFA rolled down to the next program category and asked if that would remain consistent for the 2022 NOFA? Charles stated the surplus funding would not be rolled down, but an inflation calculator was used for out years, beginning with 2021.
Charles will send the updated spending plan to the TROC Committee after the meeting and will include the updated list of recommended projects in the TPC meeting materials for their meeting on February 9, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The committee decided to table the vote to recommend the approval of NOFA projects to the TPC.
Charles reminded the Committee of the virtual Local Quarterly Meetings that are scheduled for February 4, 10, and 11. The meeting schedule has been sent out and is also included in the meeting packet for today’s meeting.
Having no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:23 a.m. The next meeting will be held on April 27, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.