Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Board met May 8.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
Board Members Present: Gerald Bennett, Chair-representing southwest Cook County, Rita Athas representing the City of Chicago, Frank Beal-representing the City of Chicago, Matt Brolley-representing Kane/Kendall Counties, Franco Coladipietro-representing DuPage County, Andrew Madigan- representing the City of Chicago (via tele-conference), Mike Montgomery-representing the City of Chicago, John Noak-representing Will County (via tele-conference), Rick Reinbold-representing south suburban Cook County, Carolyn Schofield-representing McHenry County (via tele-conference), Anne Sheahan-representing the City of Chicago, Matthew Walsh-representing west central Cook County (via tele-conference), Terry Weppler-representing Lake County, and non- voting member, Leanne Redden-representing the MPO Policy Committee
Staff Present: Joe Szabo, Melissa Porter, Jesse Elam, Angela Manning-Hardimon, Stephane Phifer, Gordon Smith, Barbara Zubek and Sherry Kane
Others Present: Garland and Heather Armstrong-Access Living, Kelly Blanton-Metra, Stephanie Brown-Lake County Council, Elaine Bottomley-WCGL, Jack Cruikshank-WCGL, Jackie Forbes-Kane/Kendall County, Mike Klemens- Lake County Council, Daniel Knickelbein-DMMC, Kelsey Mulhausen- Southwest Conference, Ryan Peterson-Kane Kendall Council, Leslie Phemister-SSMMA, and Troy Simpson, Kane-Kendall Council
1.0 Call to Order and Introductions
CMAP Board Chair Mayor Bennett called the meeting to order at approximately 9:32 a.m., and asked Board members to introduce themselves.
2.0 Agenda Changes and Announcements
There were no agenda changes. Chairman announced that the Board would adjourn to an Executive Session immediately following the meeting, to discuss a personnel matter.
3.0 Approval of Minutes
A motion to approve the minutes of the CMAP Board meeting of April 10, 2019, as presented made by Mayor Terry Weppler was seconded by Rita Athas, and with all in favor, carried.
4.0 Executive Director’s Report
The Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program update was included in the packet, Executive Director Joe Szabo reported. Szabo also welcomed CMAP’s newest Board member, Mike Montgomery (and recognized Farzin Parang’s service) representing the City of Chicago. Szabo also reported he had met with the new FHWA Regional Administrator, Arlene Kocher, had testified at the Illinois Senate Joint Transportation and Appropriations Hearing on Capital Infrastructure Needs (along with former Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood), gave an update on CMAP’s coalition for a capital bill efforts and the County Board Chairs letter to the Illinois General Assembly. Finally, Szabo reported that Chief of Staff Melissa Porter had been in D.C. earlier in the month for the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) meeting, and that he too would be in D.C. later in the month for the Coalition for America’s Gateways & Trade Corridors (CAGTC) annual meeting.
5.0 Procurements and Contract Approvals
Deputy Executive Director for Finance and Administration Angela Manning-Hardimon presented the following for approval: a sole-source agreement with INRIX in the amount of $49,500, for truck data; a sole-source agreement with Liferay Inc., in the amount of $83,718.75 for the CMS software for the CMAP website; a contract with Omegabit, LLC, not to exceed $45,000 annually for website hosting and support; and, a contract amendment with Wright-Heerema, in the amount of $82,173 (a broker credit), for architectural design services for the CMAP move to the old Post Office.
A motion by Mayor Terry Weppler, seconded by Frank Beal to approve the procurements and contract awards as presented, and with all in favor, carried.
Briefly, Manning-Hardimon also gave an update on the architectural design services contract reporting that the contract with Cresa also included project management services, that the bid for a general contractor will be published in July, plan review is expected in November, and build out next March for the move next summer.
6.0 Committee Reports
The Coordinating Committee meeting of May 8, was cancelled. A written summary of the working committees and the Council of Mayors Executive Committee was distributed.
7.0 DRAFT FY 2020 Budget and Work Plan
Deputy Executive Director for Finance and Administration Angela Manning-Hardimon presented CMAP’s draft FY 2020 budget and work plan, highlighting the following: the budget allows CMAP to conduct its core MPO activities, coordinate projects that implement the plan recommendations of ON TO 2050, and provide funding for non- transportation planning work; total revenues are projected at $19,847,155 (up $1.4 million from FY 2019) and expenditures at $19,548,088 (up $1,227,261 from FY 2019); there is no increase in local dues seen in FY 20; CMAP, RTA, CDOT, and CTA were awarded 100% of their funding requests at $1,316,200 for competitive projects under the Unified Work Program (UWP); there is a 5% decrease in personnel costs due to a new salary calculation based on average turnover rate, with associated reduction in retirement/pensions, FICA, and Medicare expenses. There is an 8.5% increase in operating expenses, primarily due to the move to the Post Office; a 3.5% increase under occupancy expenses; and a 37% increase in contractual services related to year one implementation activities for ON TO 2050, the Pavement Management Program, Truck Routing Studies, development of a Port Master Plan, and additional funding for the Local Technical Assistance (LTA) Program, as well as completion of MPO required activities related to the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Infrastructure Project, the Travel Survey, and the Land Use Model all of which will occur in FY 20. Finally CMAP was not able to use FY 20 local dues to offset operation costs as was done in FY 19. Rather in FY 20, local dues will be used as match for state awarded projects and payment of occupancy expenses that are no longer eligible as indirect costs based on GATA guidelines.
Responding to a question related to the average turnover rate, Manning-Hardimon maintained that staff are budgeted at 107, and yes the budget includes merit increases. The Board will be asked to approve the budget at their meeting in June. Staff was asked to show “actuals” to budget in future reporting.
8.0 CMAP-MPO Policy Committee Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Proposed Update
Chief of Staff/General Counsel Melissa Porter presented the mark-up of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the CMAP Board and the MPO Policy Committee, reviewing the edits: changes to CMAP’s Committee structure; reduction to one Coordinating Committee; references to the Policy Committee changed to MPO Policy Committee; defining the levels of committees that are more flexible and changing the top committee level from Policy to Governing; clarifying the Transportation Committee as a working committee of both the CMAP Board and the MPO Policy Committee; and deleting a historical reference to the Regional Planning Board. Members of the MPO Policy Committee had been consulted on the changes and staff will return in June with a final MOU for Board and MPO Policy Committee approval.
9.0 Overview of MPO Programming Responsibilities
CMAP staff, Barb Zubek, presented an overview of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the means of tracking the region’s transportation projects. Zubek gave a number of reasons for the TIP (i.e., manage the region’s access to federal transportation funding, manage fiscal constraint, and use data and criteria to evaluate projects), defined the TIP as two parts (the FFY 2019-2024 TIP document that describes the planning and programming process and a list of federal transportation projects in the region), covered the federal requirements (covers a minimum of 4 years, determines conformity, documents progress toward performance targets, and follows ON TO 2050’s financial plan). Zubek explained how programming decisions are made (covering performance- based programming and performance targets), what was obligated in 2018 ($1,601,275,670), the eTIP (tools for programmers), TIP amendments (through the Transportation Committee), who is involved and the level of involvement (public, subregional Councils of Mayors, and Programmers), the approval process (state, FHWA, and FTA), and finally, CMAP’s Master Transportation Schedule (showing due dates, working backwards from IDOT’s letting schedule).
10.0 ON TO 2050 Update
Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programming Jesse Elam, requesting feedback from the Board, reported that CMAP’s plan development cycle overlaps with the state election cycle (particularly the governor’s race). It happened with GO TO 2040, the GO TO 2040 Update, ON TO 2050, and will impact the ON TO 2050 Update. Elam asked if (a) the situation causes a problem, and (b) we would change the plan cycle? Elam covered a number of options based on how the federal law requires an MPO to update its plan: earlier (October 2021—how timing affects implementation); later (after statewide and city of Chicago mayoral election – the plan might better reflect the initiatives of those elected officials); stay on the current cycle (has the benefit of shaping policy agenda for newly elected statewide officials). Feedback from the Board included the following: never felt it was a problem, CMAP is independent, choice would be to stay non-partisan; should not be planning based on election cycles; this agency drove performance-based programming with the state of Illinois, not the other way around; the value of the CMAP planning process is that it transcends any political cycle; debate over plan priorities is good. The MPO Policy Committee will be asked to consider the matter at their next meeting with a recommendation, Elam concluded, presented at the joint meeting of the CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee in October.
11.0 Legislative Update
CMAP staff Gordon Smith reported that legislative report was included in the Board packet (in its usual state of expanding and contracting—this time contracting with some legislative pieces missing deadline) and reported the following: that the General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on May 31 (may come in a few days longer); still has a budget to pass with key initiatives the governor is trying to accomplish (medical marijuana, graduated income tax, transportation infrastructure); the state’s recent windfall should make the budget easier to accomplish; and finally, next month’s meeting will see a final report of the session. Comments by the board included: the Treasurer’s office had announced an additional $1.5 billion in state income tax had been received; the governor had announced there would be no pension holiday and would use that money to make the obligatory annual payment; sorting out transportation capital is a tough task sorting with the implementation of the lock box; there’s a lot to do in a short period of time.
12.0 Other Business
There was no other business before the CMAP Board.
13.0 Public Comment
Heather Armstrong, on behalf of Access Living reported that the state definitely needs a capital budget, citing the recent train bridge collapse—many seem unsafe particularly along the UP-North and the UP-West lines, as well as BNSF at Cicero.
Garland Armstrong, Access Living, weighed in on the state capital bill, the needs of the disability community, the recent matter regarding DCFS, and the need for mentors and skilled training
14.0 Next Meeting
The Board is scheduled to meet next in June.
15.0 Executive Session
At 10:29 a.m., a motion by Rita Athas was seconded by Mayor Rick Reinbold to adjourn to an Executive Session. All in favor, the motion carried.
At 10:47 a.m., and following the Executive Session, Chairman Bennett announced that the Board had received an update from the Board’s search committee for a new Executive Director, there was a recommendation that the Board change its regular meeting date in June from the second Wednesday to the third—June 19, at 9:30 a.m to accommodate the hiring schedule. A motion by Rita Athas to change the date of CMAP’s June Board meeting from June 12 to June 19, was seconded by Mayor Rick Reinbold, and with all in favor, carried.
16.0 Adjournment
At 10:48 a.m., a motion to adjourn by Mike Montgomery, seconded by Frank Beal, and with all in favor, carried.
https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/documents/10180/1004443/BoardMinutes05-08-2019.pdf/d73b61d4-541c-e6f1-4d29-6bbd9acdf2f4