MD PoliBlog

Region $10.8 billion short of meeting transportation needs

Region $10.8 billion short of meeting transportation needs:

 The Kansas City area has $21.5 billion in transportaton needs during the next 30 years and is about $10 billion short of picking up the tab.

The numbers were assembled by regional planners at the Mid-America Regional Council, which is putting together new 30-year transportation plan through 2040.

 The plan is more than just an academic exercise. Its part of a federal planning requirement that lays the groundwork for what might eventually get funded as federal dollars come into the region.

Planners estimated that the regions top transportation priority -- maintenance and upkeep of what we have -- will cost $12.6 billion  over the next 30 years.

In terms of projects -- your I-70s, your K-10s,   your bus rapid transit lines and your bike trails -- the regions needs total $19.2 billion, including 170 projects in Kansas and 226 in Missouri.

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(Via KansasCity.com Prime Buzz - Today's political intelligence and insight.)

OP layoffs within weeks

The clock is ticking for some OP employees...

The city is within weeks 'or less' of laying off up to 50 employees because of tough economic times, City Manager John Nachbar said today.

'Were pretty close,' Nachbar said.

Nachbar wasnt prepared to disclose where the jobs would be cut.  He did say  the cuts would be made across the board and would affect managers and supervisors as well as the rank and file.

'Its really kind of spread across the city,' he said.

Overland Park is having to slash jobs because the city is expected to run a $69.5 million budget deficit from 2011-15. The layoffs will cover about half the amount of the deficit.

This isnt the first time, Overland Park has had to lay off employees because of tight financial times.

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(Via KansasCity.com Prime Buzz - Today's political intelligence and insight.)

A veep announcement today on visiting OP?

A veep announcement today on visiting OP?: "

UPDATE: (5:30 p.m.) The White House just confirmed the visit on Thursday. Gov. Mark Parkinson is to attend. So is HHS Secretary, and former governor, Kathleen Sebelius.

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Word continues to swirl in the suburbs that VP Joe Biden could be making a stop in Overland Park this week to visit the U.S. 69 project.

The $80 million-plus project was one of the biggest projects in Kansas to get stimulus money. Its the biggest stimulus project (in terms of money) in the Kansas City area. The other, if youre curious, is at I-435 and I-70 in east Jackson County. But alas, its only estimated at $27 million.

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(Via KansasCity.com Prime Buzz - Today's political intelligence and insight.)

The great infrastructure gold rush of 2009

Cities and counties across the metro have submitted potential stimulus program projects totalling $5.7 billion.

Overall, 91 local government agencies from Kansas City to Lee's Summit to Overland Park to Olathe to the Sni Valley Fire Protection District have submitted projects they would like to see get money from the proposed stimulus.

A total of 959 projects have been submitted, according to a list assembled by the Mid-America Regional Council.

Local governments in Kansas submitted 414 projects worth $2.7 billion, according to MARC. Missouri governments submitted 545 projects worth about $3 billion.

Only 338 projects can get started in three months and 336 can get done in six months. One hundred and nine projects would take more than a year to get started, according to MARC's breakdown.

The chance of getting most of these projects funded has got to be slim. The bill unveiled by House Democrats last week only contained about about $90 billion for infrastructure, including $40 billion for highways, bridges, transit and passenger rail service.

There's another $31 billion for "modernizing federal and other public infrastructure with investments that lead to long-term energy cost savings." There's also $19 billion for clean water, flood control and environmental investments.

To view the list of projects by city go to MARC's web site here.

Mayoral wish list for infrastructure stimulus

Here are the links to selected cities’ infrastructure stimulus wish list as compile by the United States Conference of Mayors and released 12/19:

Denver – http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=Denver&State=CO

Des Moines - http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=Des+Moines&State=IA

Lenexa - http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=Lenexa&State=KS

KCK - http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=Kansas+City&State=KS

KCMO - http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=Kansas+City&State=MO

Omaha - http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=Omaha&State=NE

St. Louis - http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=St.+Louis&State=MO

Other Cities - http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipants.asp

Overall plan is here: http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery

The MainStreet Economic Recovery Plan was assembled by America’s mayors to attempt to influence the economic stimulus package now being assembled in Congress. It builds upon the House-passed stimulus package and would amount to $180 billion over two years. The goal would be to have at least some of the stimulus package come directly to the cities rather than going entirely through the DOTs.

OP's Gerlach makes it official

Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach is running for a second term. He announced by e-mail Tuesday. By the way, the primary is in March and the general in April.  

The former K-State hoops star won the office in 2005 by defeating fellow Democratic Councilman  Neil Sader.

MARC’s draft position on the next federal transportation authorization

Here’s a quick summary of MARC’s draft position on the next federal transportation authorization. :

·         The draft calls for a national transportation plan composed of a national:

o        Highway system plan

o        Passenger rail plan

o        Freight/goods movement plan

o        Passenger aviation plan and

o        Metropolitan strategy for the nodes where all of these systems interconnect

·         The plan should be built on detailed state and local performance measures that coordinate with national objectives, with local jurisdictions given maximum flexibility on how they achieve the performance outcomes.

·         Regions and modes should be assured of guaranteed funding amounts to facilitate long-term planning and investment. 

·         System expansion should not come at the expense of maintaining existing infrastructure.

·         Since many transportation challenges transcend local or state boundaries, the federal government should provide leadership in convening clusters of regions or states to tackle multi-state corridors for freight and passenger movement.

·         The country should significantly increase its transportation investments through a long-term, dedicated, predictable and sustainable revenue stream.  

·         Funding should come from transportation-related sources supplemented by new (unspecified) transportation resources to stimulate economic recovery; this should include maximum flexibility for states and regions to implement their own additional funding mechanisms.

Greater KC PIO list

The Regional Association of Public Information Officers (RAPIO) was formed in 2000 to give area PIOs an opportunity to share information, work cooperatively on regional issues and network with their peers.

New OPCC eco-devo director

The Overland Park Chamber of Commerce announced a new director for its Economic Development Council on Friday.

Lavern Squier will succeed former Kansas Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer, who is cutting back his involvement with the chamber to take on the new role of chairman for the Midwest Cancer Alliance Partners Advisory Board. Sherrer, who also was named to the Kansas Board of Regents recently, will remain with the EDC in a consulting role.

Squier has nearly 20 years of economic development experience. Squier's past roles include vice president of business development for the Wichita/Sedgwick County Partnership for Growth Inc., executive director of the Ellis County (Kan.) Coalition for Economic Development and president/CEO for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.

Democrat joins race for Allen's Overland Park Senate seat

The field of candidates for Overland Park’s 8th Senate District got a little bigger today.

Judy Macy, a Democrat and former state representative, has filed for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Allen, a Republican.

So far, one Republican has filed for the position_ Rep. Tim Owens, a former Overland Park city councilman. Ben Hodge, a former GOP state representative, plans to file.

Macy, a retired attorney, previously served two terms in the Kansas House from 1991 to 1994.