North-central Alabama Rural Planning Organization Annual Report Fiscal Year 2017 October 1, 2016 September 30, 2017 North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments Positively Impacting People and Communities P.O. Box C 216 Jackson Street SE Decatur, AL 35602 256-355-4515 www.narcog.org Jeffrey Pruitt, AICP Executive Director Joey Hester, AICP Director, Regional Planning Agency Robby Cantrell Director, Regional Transit Agency Christina Argo Associate Planner Paula Garrett - Planner Shelby Selman - Planner This report was financed in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Alabama Department of Transportation, and produced by the North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG) in fulfillment of requirements set forth in Title 23 USC 134 and 135 (as amended by MAP-21 Sections 1201 and 1202). The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Introduction The North-central Alabama Rural Planning Organization was organized in order to conduct a rural transportation planning process in Cullman, Lawrence and Morgan counties in Northcentral Alabama. The planning process is sponsored by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and the North-central Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG). The goals of the North-central Alabama Rural Planning Organization are to provide: 1) a wellmanaged rural transportation planning process; 2) an effective transportation committee structure; 3) a comprehensive data library and distribution source; 4) reports that are useful to the ALDOT and the local governments; and 5) a well-informed Rural Transportation Planning Organization Committee who actively participates in the rural transportation planning process. The work program was divided into five (5) tasks. The tasks outlined the rural transportation planning work to be performed by the staff at the North-central Alabama Regional Council of Governments during Fiscal Year 2017. The information included in this document describes the work performed and products produced for each task as proposed in the Fiscal Year 2017 Work Program. The tasks are identified as: Task 1 Administration and Management; Task 2 Committee Service; Task 3 Data Management; Task 4 Reports; and Task 5 Public Involvement. Bridge Replacement on State Route 67 over Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River in Cullman County (ALDOT Rural Highway Planning Project Inventory) Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 2
Task 1 Administration and Management Objective: To effectively manage the rural transportation planning process Work: Completed all necessary administrative and management tasks to ensure the planning process worked properly Organized and developed FY 2017 RPO administrative files Developed and completed monthly ALDOT invoices Completed RPO timesheets and work logs on a monthly basis Completed and reviewed the NARCOG financial report on a monthly basis Attended NARCOG Planning Department meetings Maintained staff computers Updated and maintained NARCOG websites with RPO news, documents, and maps Maintained a RPO planning calendar and project prioritization list Researched potential funding sources for transportation related projects Organized and maintained files on each of Cover Page FY 2018 RPO Work Program the 23 municipalities and each of the 3 counties in the Region Met with elected officials in the Region to discuss the purpose and benefits of the RPO Attended NARCOG staff meetings Met with Marshall Farmer and Laurel Land from the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to discuss RPO initiatives and past projects Gathered information and data for a potential Industrial Access Grant in relation to a project for the Morgan County Economic Development Association Reviewed the NARCOG/ALDOT RPO contract revision Prepared for field work in the City of Hartselle (Town Center Assessment Update) Attended the Morgan County "State of the County" Breakfast Communicated with Zagster about bike share programs Communicated with Scott Hercik, Transportation and Trade Advisor, Appalachian Regional Commission about potential ARC Transportation-Based Development Strategy Grant Project Viewed the Converting Roads to Unpaved Roads webinar from the Rural Road Safety Center Completed and submitted the Fiscal Year 2018 RPO Work Program to the ALDOT Attended the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA) Leadership Institute, Building Communities Workshop in Cullman Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 3
Attended the Alabama Recreational Trails Leadership Workshop at Monte Sano State park in Huntsville Attended an ArcGIS Pro workshop in Montgomery Contributed to planning for potential projects for FY 2018 Attended the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association Annual Meeting in Huntsville Reviewed and contributed to the NARCOG Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) final document Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 4
Task 2 Committee Service Objective: To conduct RPO Committee meetings concerning the Rural Transportation Planning Process Work: Maintained the RPO Committee contact info and mailing list Developed and updated materials for RPO meetings and presentations Provided information and RPO meeting notices on the agency website Provided the ALDOT with documentation of RPO stakeholder meetings Attended NARCOG Planning Department meetings and full staff meetings Met with NARCOG board members Maintained a project development/priority list for the RPO Provided technical assistance to the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA) in regard to The Jesse Owens Parkway project with the Appalachian Regional Commission Obtained information from the AMLA to be used in the mapping of tourist destinations in the NARCOG Region Reviewed documents from OnTrack North America in preparation for meeting with Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling, to discuss potential rail project development Participated in conference calls with representatives from OnTrack North America and Strategic Rail Finance to discuss potential local freight study Met with Tom Erickson, Strategic Rail Finance, to discuss potential rail project development Met with Wally Terry, City of Decatur Economic Development, to discuss the RPO, potential projects, and the City s future involvement with project development Attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hartselle Farmers Market Discussed potential ARC Transportation-Based Development Strategy Grant Project with NARCOG Planning Staff Visited Oakville Indian Mounds to discuss trail and GIS updates Met with Jeremy Nails, Morgan County Economic Development Association to discuss the development of the Transportation-Based Economic Development Strategy for the NARCOG Region Discussed a potential Bike-Share program with Wally Terry, Economic Development, City of Decatur Attended the One Decatur Summit for a new comprehensive plan for the City of Decatur Attended a Main Street Alabama program presentation in the City of Hartselle Met with Jeremy Griffith, City of Hartselle, to discuss an update to the Town Center Assessment from FY 2016 Attended the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association Quarterly Meeting in Athens Communicated with Scott Hercik, Transportation and Trade Advisor, Appalachian Regional Commission and provided technical assistance for potential Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) project - Transportation-Based Economic Development Strategy Communicated with potential financial contributors for the potential ARC project Met with Falkville Town Officials and engineer from Goodwin Mills Cawood concerning Falkville Town Center Assessment in support of CDBG application Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 5
Met with Courtland Town Officials concerning Courtland Town Center Assessment in support of CDBG application Met with Hanceville Town Officials concerning Hanceville Town Center Assessment in support of CDBG application Attended an historic marker ceremony in the City of Hartselle Attended and participated on a panel for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) application workshop in Cullman Attended a public meeting for the NARCOG Region s Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 6
Task 3 Data Management Objective: To collect, maintain, and distribute data related to the Rural Transportation Planning Process Work: Produced base maps of the Region for transportation planning purposes Updated and maintained maps of the functional classification of roads in the RPO planning area for the GIS database Updated and maintained municipal boundaries for the GIS database Updated information related to the RPO project prioritization list Produced community location maps for planning purposes Updated trail maps and GIS for Oakville Indian Mounds Education Center Performed transportation system assessments for the City of Hartselle Continued use of the NARPO web page/blog; uploaded maps, documents and resources Gathered data and produced maps exploring the potential for an inland port in the NARCOG Region Map produced for the NARCOG Aging Area Plan Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 7
Met with Alabama Representative Corey Harbison and officials from the Town of Good Hope to discuss updating GIS files, base map, and parcel data, performed mapping and updated NARCOG GIS files Updated GIS Data for the Town of Good Hope Completed updated base maps for the Town of Good Hope and delivered hard copies Performed GIS Updates for Calhoun Community College route map planning Produced a base map for transportation planning for Calhoun Community College Completed updated Base Map and GIS data for the Town of North Courtland and delivered hard copies Performed GIS Updates for the the Town of Courtland, The City of Hartselle, and the NARCOG Regional Transit Agency Performed field work in the City of Hartselle to update the FY 2016 Town Center Assessment Began utilizing location data on behalf of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association in regard to future tourism related to highway signage Updated GIS data for the Oakville Indian Mounds trail map production Performed preliminary route mapping and updated GIS data for the NARCOG Regional Transit Agency Updated GIS data for Region base maps Updated GIS data for Hartselle Town Center Assessment Obtained GIS data from the Decatur Area MPO for Decatur zoning and base map used for planning purposes Answered a GIS request and provided parcel data to the State Products Mart - Celebration Arena - Morgan County Performed mapping, analysis, and GIS updates for the NARCOG Regional Transit Agency Updated maps for the NARCOG Aging Area Plan with information on storm shelters, nutrition/senior center locations, medical facilities, and other relevant facilities and demographic information Completed field work for Falkville Town Center Assessment in support of CDBG application Completed field work and data collection for the Hanceville Town Center Assessment in support of a CDBG application Completed field work and data collection for the Courtland Town Center Assessment in support of CDBG application Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 8
Task 4 Reports Objective: To prepare Rural Transportation Planning Process reports and documents for the RPO committee and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Work: Completed the FY 2016 2nd Half Semi-Annual Report (April 1- September 30) Completed the FY 2016 Annual Report Completed the FY 2017 1 st Half Semi-Annual Report (October 1 March 31) Completed the FY 2017 1 st Half Semi-Annual Report (April 1 September 30) Completed the FY 2017 Annual Report (October 1 September 30) Completed monthly RPO work logs Contributed to monthly NARCOG board reports Completed reports of community interaction for the NARCOG Planning Department Illustration produced for a proposed feasibility study for a potential inland port in the NARCOG Region along the CSX Railroad Produced documents for the NARCOG RPO website Produced a white paper discussing the potential of locating an inland port in the NARCOG Region Contributed to NARCOG website updates Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 9
Provided documents and data for final reporting for the transportation element of the South Bank Economic Recovery Plan Updated Freight Study White Paper for communication with the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and provided technical assistance in support of a potential ARC project Provided technical assistance related to a potential Appalachian Regional Commission application for a Transportation-Based Development Strategy for the NARCOG Region Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 10
Task 5 Public Involvement Objective: To inform the public about the Rural Transportation Planning Process and to actively seek public involvement Work: The planning staff continues to meet with local chamber of commerce members and elected officials concerning the rural transportation planning process Provision of RPO information and RPO meeting notices on the agency website Maintained the Public Participation Plan Contact List Continued full revision of the RPO Public Participation Plan Attended public hearing at Decatur City Hall concerning I-65 construction Attended Hartselle Historical Society Meeting and made a presentation on RPO Initiatives Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 11
Meetings and Conferences Attended February 21 - Attended the Morgan County "State of the County" Breakfast February 24 - Attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Hartselle Farmers Market April 4 Attended the One Decatur Summit for a new comprehensive plan for the City of Decatur April 6 - Attended a Main Street Alabama program presentation in the City of Hartselle April 20 - Attended the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association Quarterly Meeting in Athens April 26 - Attended a public hearing at Decatur City Hall concerning I-65 construction May 4 - Attended the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA) Leadership Institute, Building Communities Workshop in Cullman May 18 - Attended the Alabama Recreational Trails Leadership Workshop at Monte Sano State park in Huntsville August 10 - Attended Hartselle Historical Society Meeting and made a presentation on RPO Initiatives September 21 - Attended the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association Annual Meeting in Huntsville September 22 - Attended and participated on a panel for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) application workshop in Cullman September 25 Attended a public meeting for the NARCOG Region s Human Services Coordinated Transportation Plan Fiscal Year 2017 Semi-Annual Report: Oct 1 Mar 31 Page 12