Posted on June 10, 2011 11:25 AM
June 10, 2011
Table of Contents
First Off...
CMAP meetings recap.The Board met this past Wednesday and approved the agency’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget and Work Plan, the Unified Work Program (UWP), and the Title VI Plan. Also, in the state legislative update agenda item, discussion focused on two issues of concern that directly affected CMAP when the General Assembly adjourned last week. First, an amendment was adopted with language concerning our Comprehensive Regional Planning Fund (CRPF). The amendment legislatively swept funds from a number of programs and transferred the balances to the General Revenue Fund. This happened to the CRPF dollars, and it also dissolved the Fund. This does not impact our funding this year, since those dollars are coming from the Road Fund through IDOT. We are trying to determine why the CRPF was dissolved and are considering next steps.
Additionally, the Capital Appropriations bill was not passed due to an amendment that the Senate added, and the House voted to non-concur, sending the bill back to the Senate. The Senate adjourned without taking final action. The Governor has announced that the state’s highway program will shut down on June 17, unless further legislative action takes place. This is of great concern to the CMAP Board, the MPO Policy Committee, and the region. We urge our legislative leaders to work to remedy this problem.
Prior to the Board's meeting, the Local Coordinating Committee met, with updates on the Community Planning Program Grants, the DCEO “Ike” Planning Program (see item below), and the status of the Local Technical Assistance (LTA) Program Update. The committee also heard presentations about partner involvement in the LTA program from the Metropolitan Planning Council and The Chicago Community Trust.
The MPO Policy Committee met on Thursday, voting to approve the UWP, Title VI plan, modifications to the National Highway System Intermodal Freight Connectors, and the Capital and Planning funds for designated recipients. The Committee also discussed the legislative update and the CMAQ program status, in addition to hearing a presentation on the Stearns Road Bridge Corridor.
The CMAP Board will not meet in July; its next meeting is August 10, 2011. The MPO Policy Committee’s next meeting is October 13, 2011.
HUD Preferred Sustainability Status. CMAP’s successful application for a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grant, which supports the Local Technical Assistance program, has also given our region “Preferred Sustainability Status.” This means that for certain competitive programs, HUD will award bonus points to applications from our region that further the goals of GO TO 2040 and federal livability principles. For more details, please see this CMAP fact sheet.
DCEO "IKE" Planning Program. CMAP intends to apply in late June for $4 million through the Illinois Disaster Recovery “IKE” Planning Program administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The proposal would create a program of grants for local governments to support community redevelopment and hazard mitigation. Eligible projects would address stormwater management, flood prevention, and green infrastructure through comprehensive planning. CMAP is seeking support from government or nongovernmental partners. To discuss potential roles, please contact Stephen Ostrander (sostrander@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8696) by June 24. Read more in a staff memo to the CMAP Board.
GO TO 2040 Portrait: Rick Helwig. Fourteen years ago, with the field of weatherization in its infancy, Rick Helwig saw an opportunity for innovation. He soon found himself taking the lead to help build a market for making homes more energy efficient. Read more and see a video in our latest GO TO 2040 portrait series, featuring the stories of metropolitan Chicago residents whose experiences help to bring the plan's concepts to life. In case you missed them, be sure to also see the five original portraits that were published as part of the comprehensive regional plan in October 2010.
Policy Updates. This week we posted an update on the proposed CTA Red Line South Extension, which is the latest in a series on how the GO TO 2040 capital projects are developing. (The first examined Elgin O'Hare Expressway and West O'Hare Bypass Improvements, and the second was about the Central Lake County Corridor project). We also posted about plans to transform education in Illinois by coordinating programs related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at all stages, from pre-school through adult.
Other News and Announcements
Norridge planning. On June 15, the Village of Norridge will kick off the work of creating a comprehensive plan with a public meeting to solicit feedback from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Estelle Sieb Community Center (7774 West Irving Park Road, Norridge). With CMAP staff funded by the HUD grant, our Local Technical Assistance program is helping the village in this effort.
Water 2050 newsletter. The latest Water 2050 newsletter includes information on the final water resource forum, updates on local watershed planning, and more.
Renewing Will County. With an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Will County has begun to revise its zoning and building ordinances for unincorporated areas. Called RenewingWill County, the project will focus on energy efficiency and sustainable development practices that remove barriers and provide implementation incentives. Read more about the project’s direct public engagement website in Moving Forward.
Water efficiency and management. The U.S. Green Buildings Council Illinois Chapter's West Suburban Branch will host "Water Efficient Landscaping: From Airports to Your Own Backyard" on June 16 in Chicago. Registration and event information is available on-line.
CMAQ forum for Contingency Implementation Projects. CMAP’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program Project Selection Committee is considering a new strategy to assure that the region loses none of its highly-valued federal CMAQ funds. They will consider recommending that these funds be programmed for large, CMAQ-eligible construction/implementation projects that support GO TO 2040 and that can begin construction before the fall of 2013.
EI2 in the News. Energy Impact Illinois (EI2) debuted last week, and both the Morton Grove and the Crystal Lake Patch.com websites described the new site as a one-stop resource for making energy-efficient changes to residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. The site also offers a Ways to Save widget and a Find Energy-Saving Actions tool, helping users identify incentives, rebates, financing, and other ways to improve their buildings to save energy and money.
Quiet cars. After a pilot project earlier this year on the Rock Island Line, Metra has now implemented a limited number of "quiet cars" on all its lines during peak travel times. Just under 84 percent of respondents in the trial run expressed support for the cars, where cell phone calls are prohibited, among other rules intended to improve riders' commuting experience. Read more in the Tribune.
Funding the Tollway. The Illinois Tollway is considering new ways to generate and maintain a steady revenue flow. From congestion pricing to new, high-tech ways to collect tolls, the Daily Herald covers what a future highway might look like.
Air quality contest. Design Makes Change, a non-profit, volunteer-run initiative, in collaboration with Unit 2 Collective, launched The Air We Breathe: The Chicago Clean Air Design Challenge. Contest winners proposed creative and innovative solutions to address air quality issues in the neighborhoods of Little Village and Pilsen. An exhibition will be held on June 10 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., with a symposium on June 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 1915 South Halsted, Chicago.
CMAP Blogs
Soles and Spokes. CMAP’s bike-ped planning blog announced a new report released by the National Complete Streets Coalition surveying policies around the country at all levels of government to ensure that streets are designed for all users and not just for automobiles. We also alerted readers to applications for recognition under the Walk Friendly Communities program, which are due June 25.
Reminders
Apply for FLIP. The 2011-2012 FLIP (Future Leaders in Planning) application is now available. Please share materials with local high school students who would like to learn about planning and contribute to a better future for our region. Keep up with FLIP at its Facebook page.
Case study library. CMAP is building a searchable web database of completed local projects that reflect recommendations of the GO TO 2040 plan. If you know of an exemplary project that should be included, please contact Lindsay Banks (lbanks@cmap.illinois.gov or 312-386-8826).
Events
"Leave No Child Inside" Month
June 2011
Various dates and locations
Hosted by Chicago Wilderness partners
More information
Grant Writing Workshop
June 13 and 14, 2011
1401 Maybrook Drive, Maywood
Hosted by Cook County Sheriff's Police Headquarters
More information
Sustainability Plans That Work
June 24, 2011
233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago
Hosted by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, CMAP, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus
More information
Health in All Policies Symposium
June 28, 2011
9:00 a.m. to noon
233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago
Hosted by Illinois Public Health Institute and others
Registration
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