Minutes

Connecticut River Estuary Metropolitan Planning Organization

April 8, 2009

 

Attendance:

Chester:                       Tom Marsh                  

Clinton:                      

Deep River:                 Dick Smith

Essex:                          Phil Miller

Killingworth:               Richard Cabral

Lyme:                         Ralph Eno

Old Lyme:                   Tim Griswold

Old Saybrook:            Mike Pace

Westbrook:                 Noel Bishop

CRERPA                    Bruce Edgerton, Board Member

ETD:                           Joseph Comerford, Executive Director

Guests:                        Carla Iezzi, DOT Representative                               

                                    Jeff Nelson, Governor Rell’s Representative                                    

                                   Judge Deborah Pearl               Judge Patricia Damon

                                   Judge Roger Goodnow           Judge Bill Koch

                                   Rep. Jamie Spallone                           

                                   Paula Ferrara, ESCI, Executive Director

                                   Barbara Breslin, Bill Gordon, FHWA/FTA   

CRERPA Staff:           Linda Krause, Janice Ehle-Meyer, Jean Davies, Margot Burns

 Call to Order:

1.         The meeting of the Connecticut River Estuary Metropolitan Planning Organization was called to order by Chairman Mike Pace at 8:00 a.m. in the CRERPA conference space, Old Saybrook, CT

 

2. Approval of Minutes:  Motion to approve minutes of March meeting was made by Richard Cabral and seconded by Ralph Eno.  All were in favor.

 

3. Federal and State Programs:

             b. Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding:

                        The funding is for the Old Saybrook bike overlay and the Killingworth bridge project.  Should these projects not be feasible, there are backup projects.

                        Jeff Nelson noted that there are various “pots of money” for stimulus funding.

            Jean said that if the towns have shovel ready projects, try to get them to Carla Iezzi ASAP. They must be for transportation unless it’s a pavement overlay.

            c. STIP Amendments

                        1. Installation & Revision of traffic control signals:  20 per district, 80 statewide.

                        2. The issue of traffic signals was revisited.  

                        3. Replacement of joints, Baldwin Bridge

            Motion to approved made by Dick Smith, seconded by Rich Cabral.  All were in favor with exception of Tom March

            Jean will email each town a list of connector roads that would qualify for pavement overlay.  The towns can decide if they want to participate in the project.

            d. REPT

                        The REPT Steering Committee met last month and voted to put $150,000 into the fund for ESF#1, transportation.  If approved, work will begin on a database.  REPT will meet again on May 4th in Guilford.

            e. ETD Update:  Municipal Grant Program has been proposed.  Money was deleted.  Joe Cumerford, ETD Executive Director, has been putting together packages for towns.  Joe will be happy to answer any questions concerning the grant program

            Motion to forward the application from MPO to CT DOT regarding the Municipal Grant Program was made by Rich Cabral and seconded by Ralph Eno. All were in favor.

            Joe and Jean have been working on the Old Saybrook to Middletown bus service.  Jean distributed a map of the new route.

            f. CTDOT/CREMPO Correspondence:

                        Two letters were forwarded to Jim Redeker, Bureau Chief, CTDOT.  One was regarding the Rail Parking Task Force appointing Willie Fritz and Bill Peace as members of the task force, and the other was a request to complete a Maritime Study on the lower CT River regarding boat traffic.

            Safe Route to School Program:  Deep River, Chester and Old Saybrook have contacted Jean so far.  All requests must be received by August for approval.  

            g. UPWP Reauthorization

                        Jean will be contacting the public works directors to create a database to monitor freight within the region; i.e., height of bridges, traffic flows.  Truck traffic in towns is a key issue.  The database will be helpful to fully understand the problems concerning freight traffic. The Essex transportation study is moving along.

                        Linda noted that she had been asked by Chuck Beck to serve on the Maritime Commission and has been duly appointed to the Commission by Governor Rell.

            a. Special Guests:  FHWA/FTA: Barbara Breslin, Bill Gordon and others

                        Certification Review Report – Results of Review

            Barbara Breslin, Senior Transportation Planner FTA/CT: Barbara said the review is done every four years and is executed to understand the process.

            The review for the MPO was done on November 18, and the results were very favorable.  Transportation products are being developed. Recommendations would be the following: examine freight planning locally, identify public participation opportunities, maintain a list of underserved populations (communications should be sent to these people), attend the CMP Workshop being held in the CT/FTA office where congestion management issues will be addressed, continue to work on safe walks to school program, and coordinate with the South Central Region on their transportation modeling software.  This region does not have an MOU.  Therefore, FTA has decided to do it in the UPWP – add the amendment.

            Bill Gordon said he was impressed with the way the ETD turned around.

            Overall, the review went very well, and it was a review of 14 pages which is also an indication of how well it went.

 

            The motion to adjourn was made at 8:45 by Mike Pace and seconded by Rich Cabral.  All were in favor.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Pat Anthony, Clerk