IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION expressing the support of the Legislature for the Greenwood Connector Project and authorizing a grant application for a Federal Highways Surface Transportation Program (STP) Fund Grant for fiscal years 2021 and 2022, representing Phase One of a multi-phase strategy to complete the Greenwood Connector.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 19783, March 19, 2018
INTRODUCED BY Theresa Galvin and Crystal Williams, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, in 2016 the County issued $51,950,000 in bonded indebtedness to purchase and develop the Rock Island Rail Corridor into a bicycle and pedestrian Shared Use Path that would eventually connect to the KATY Trail and to preserve the Corridor for future Multi-Modal Transit; and,
WHEREAS, the County was awarded $10,000,000.00 in Federal Surface Transportation Program grant funds in 2014 for construction of the Rock Island Rail Corridor Shared Use Path; and,
WHEREAS, the Rock Island Rail Corridor Shared Use Path is currently under construction to its southern terminus near the intersections of Scherer Road and Jefferson Street in southern Lee’s Summit; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Pleasant Hill has built and is building trails (the “MOPAC” trail) to the north from the Missouri State Parks “Rock Island Spur of the Katy Trail”; and,
WHEREAS, there remains an eight-mile gap between the southern terminus of the Rock Island Rail Corridor and the KATY Trail system, passing through Lee’s Summit and Greenwood, both Jackson County municipalities; and,
WHEREAS, the construction of the Greenwood Connector is vital to the goals of the Rock Island Shared Use Path, and to the many Jackson County communities that will benefit from being connected to the KATY trail; and,
WHEREAS, the County led a multi-jurisdictional effort over several months to develop a Greenwood Connector strategy, which effort included the County, the City of Greenwood, the City of Pleasant Hill, the City of Lee’s Summit, the City of Kansas City, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the Missouri Department of Conservation; and,
WHEREAS, the aforesaid stakeholders and public meeting attendees support the most direct connection between the Jackson County Rock Island Shared Use Path and the Pleasant Hill MOPAC trail; and,
WHEREAS, the aforesaid stakeholders and public meeting attendees support separated facilities that accommodate both bicyclists and pedestrians; and,
WHEREAS, the Rock Island Rail Corridor Authority wishes to pursue a Surface Transportation Program grant in the sum of $2,000,000.00 through the Mid America Regional Council to fund the first phase of the Greenwood Connector project available in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, which would require a local match of $400,000.00 to be appropriated in those fiscal years; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri that the Legislature supports the completion of the Greenwood Connector project and authorizes the submission of a grant application to the Mid-America Regional Council for Surface Transportation Program funds for the implementation of the Greenwood Connector project.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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Chief Deputy County Counselor County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution No. 19783 of March 19, 2018, was duly passed on March 19, 2018 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas__________7__________ Nays_______0__________
Abstaining ______0_________ Absent _____2____________
____________________ _______________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of the Legislature