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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 2025 Meeting MinutesFRANKLIN COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION POLICY BOARD MEETING August 20, 2025 – 10:00 am Franklin County Administrative Building, Room 824 272 North 2nd Street Chambersburg, PA 17201 Minutes Voting Members in Attendance: Sam Cressler, Bob Ziobrowski, Carey Mullins, David Mackley, Humaira Nabeela(v), Phil Wolgemuth Staff in Attendance: Quentin Clapper, Colleen Tidd and Matthew Romero I.Welcome and Introduction – Sam Cressler – Sam calls the meeting to order at 10:02am, and thanks everyone in attendance for coming. II.Moment of Silence III.Pledge of Allegiance IV.Approval of Meeting Minutes – May 15, 2025 – Meeting unable to reach quorum – May 15th and August 20th minutes will be held for motion at the November meeting. V.Business a.2025-2028 TIP Modifications – Quentin Clapper outlined that the 2025-2028 TIP modifications included in the packet represent a standards increase/decrease in given project phases, and to refer questions to him should any arise. b.2027-2030 TIP Development – Quentin reported that the TIP is in development, including the new Tip at a Glance format. Staff have reached out to Municipalities for candidate projects and will be working with PennDOT to program projects based on funding availability. c.MPO On-Call Consultant RFP – Quentin announced that Larson Design Group has been selected for the new On Call contract. Whereas LDG will be the main consultant, they will coordinate with other subconsultants from Martin and Martin, WSP, Drive Engineering, and Imperial Traffic & Data Collection for their expertise on specific tasks. d.TASA Update – Nabeela provided an update on TASA – this program is part of the federal service transportation program established to enhance user connectivity, sidewalk conditions, the Safe Routes to School program, and preservation efforts for transportation structures. Draft applications for eligible projects will be accepted through September 5, with final applications due by October 31. The selection committee will then meet in March. VI.Partner Updates a.Commute PA Update – Matt Boyer shared updates of their work in Franklin County, including a new partnership with Franklin County Housing Authority. He also announces several upcoming events to promote alternative transportation. He also stated that the regional congestion management project was finalized as of June, allowing Franklin County and other member MPOs to have access to the related data through the hub portal. Quentin asked for an explanation of what partnership with Commute means. Matt Boyer explained that Commute PA works with employers and community members of any size. FCHA was signed on as a community partner, which is listed on the Commute PA website – such partnerships are established to not only help those without a partner, but also to show members of the community at large the help that Commute PA can provide. b. Rabbittransit Update – No update. c. PennDOT Update – Jeff Puher shared recent press releases for active work. He also shared updates on projects that are in design and construction phases. Some projects are facing continued delays due to utility companies and railroads. David Mackley asked when the new estimated construction let date was for Exit 12, as well as if Route 16 would be closed during construction on the SR16 project. Carey Mullins responded that the Exit 12 construction let date is anticipated for December 11 of this year and confirmed that there will be a closure on SR16 during construction, but not sure currently sure how long it will be. He will coordinate with the project manager about the concerns brought up about SR 16. Sam Cressler expressed concerns about I-80 getting widened. Carey pointed out that the referenced reconstruction project (located in PennDOT District 10, Jefferson County) maintained 4 lanes as requested by the interstate – the district as result had to build out to 6, but after striping out, will be down to 4 lanes. d. FHWA Update –Ronnique Bishop shared that staffing is still thin at FHWA, but that she is available if we need anything or want her to be a part of any upcoming meetings. Carey Mullins commented that FTA has supposedly started hiring and asked if FHWA is seeing any movement toward the same. Ronnique relayed that she was not sure at the time as to her knowledge they were still under a hiring freeze but will follow up with leadership. Sam Cressler mentioned current issues with the need for Franklin County’s I-81 expansion, to which Ronnique answered that such projects are for the most part the responsibility of each state to prioritize and not, primarily with federal entities, but they are doing best to support state priorities. e. State/Federal Legislative Update – Rebecca Countess of Senator Fetterman’s office asked Ronnique to write to their office about stories regarding highway blockages and other related issues to contribute to the need to unfreeze federal funds. She relays that Fetterman has supported the Reinforced Railway Safety Act to protect against trains with hazardous materials and helped secure funding infrastructure around Pennsylvania. She also mentioned that now would be a good time to meet to discuss I-81 concerns with a new staff member. Josh Peters of Representative Reichard’s office stated there was still an impasse on the state budget at this time and announced the regional Auditor-General will be hosting an event titled “Be Audit Smart” in order to inform constituents on the auditing process and how to go about it properly. f. Director’s Report – Quentin Clapper informs members that Melanie Smith has been brought on for the CDBG position. The COG Breakfast/Municipal Summit will be taking place on September 5. Work is also currently underway to build a new planning tool for digital plan submission, which is scheduled for rollout by the end of the year. g. Staff Report – Matthew Romero says that Traffic Impact Studies and Highway Occupancy Permit reviews have been continuing as per usual. Following a training for Highway Performance Monitoring System data collection by PennDOT on July 22, County data sampling and recording will soon be underway. He also says that coordination will soon begin on the next Long Range Transportation Plan update. VII. Future Meetings a. November 20 – Policy Board Meeting 10:00 A.M. VIII. Public Comment IX. Adjournment –Meeting concluded at 10:43AM. “The FCMPO is committed to complying with the nondiscrimination requirements of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations prohibiting discrimination in all programs and activities. All locations for meetings open to the public will be accessible to persons with disabilities. With advance notification, accommodations may be provided for those with special needs related to language, speech, sight, or hearing. If you have a request for a special need, wish to file a complaint, or desire additional information, please contact the Franklin County Planning Department at (717) 261-3855; FAX (717) 264-8667; email: planning@franklincountypa.gov.”