MEETING NOTES
►MEETING: / Bastrop County Comprehensive Transportation Plan – Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting►DATE: / October 9 , 2008
►PLACE: / County Courthouse Annex / ►TIME: / 3:00 – 4:30 pm
►Distribution/Attendees (8)
Kreis Alyea / Elgin ISD / 8 / Jeff Coffee / City of Elgin / Joe Cooper / Lost Pines Ground Water
Mike Fisher / Bastrop County / Karen Friese / Karen Friese and Associates / Henry Gideon / Bastrop ISD
8 / Stevie Greathouse / CAMPO / Zach Harris / Smithville ISD / 8 / Edna Johnson / CARTS
Bill Kelly / McDade ISD / 8 / Eric Kocian / Bluebonnet Electric / Dave Marsh / CARTS
8 / Tex Middlebrook / City of Smithville / 8 / David Fleming / Aqua Water / 8 / David Fowler / CAPCOG
8 / Diana Schulze / TxDOT / 8 / Dennis Sheehan / City of Elgin / 8 / Stacy Snell / City of Bastrop
8 / Julie Sommerfeld / Bastrop County / Mike Talbot / City of Bastrop / 8 / Joe Ternus / Bastrop County
Sonia Thomas / Bastrop County / 8 / Adena Lewis / City of Smithville / Sara Wilson / Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management
Gary Cooke / City of Elgin
8 / Judge Ronnie McDonald / Bastrop County / Gayle Willhelm / Bastrop County / 8 / Sean Moran / CAPCOG
8 / Elizabeth Ascott / TxDOT / Ed Collins / TxDOT / 8 / Tina Geiselbrecht / TTI
8 / Arin Gray / CD & P / Joe Holland / TxDOT / 8 / Keith Dewey / URS
Vanessa Owens / TxDOT / Darcie Schipull / TxDOT / Tina Walker / URS
MINUTES /
The objectives for this meeting were to review the community and public meetings and discuss Technical Memoranda and Phase II activities.
Welcome
· Elizabeth Ascott welcomed the TAC members and announced that TxDOT has received funding for the consultants through the end of the project. She also mentioned that Joe Ternus has resigned from chairing the TAC but will still be involved in the project. The Steering Committee will appoint a new chair.
· Dave Marsh announced that Edna Johnson has moved for a new position as the General Manager of Transit in Asheville, North Carolina. Both CARTS and the TAC wish her the best of luck in her new position.
1. Overview of Open Houses (Elgin, Smithville, Bastrop)
· Elizabeth Ascott commented that the Open Houses ran smoothly and that the attendance was 25 in Elgin, 19 in Smithville, and 24 in Bastrop. It was noted that only a small amount of questionnaires were collected from the Open Houses and the events were not as well attended as the Project Resource Team had hoped.
· Adena Lewis commented that there was a good representation at the Open Houses and the public understood the larger picture in transportation planning. Attendees in Smithville has several questions.
2. Status of Questionnaire
· Casey Dusza announced that 80 Questionnaires have been collected (56 online and 24 paper versions). All 5 zones have been represented but most have been from rural areas.
· 70% of respondents commute 30 to 60 miles roundtrip daily. There was a discussion about the question not being clear regarding round trip versus one way and all future questionnaires will be updated to be more understandable.
· Sidewalks, bike lanes and transit were rated the poorest.
· Most important issues was providing passenger rail to Austin. The least important issue was building a second bridge over the Colorado River.
· The committee discussed a goal number of 700 to 800 questionnaires being returned to get a more accurate representation.
· TAC members will distribute the questionnaire.
· It was discussed that the libraries and chambers would be a good place to distribute questionnaires.
3. Discussion of last Technical Memoranda
· Elizabeth Ascott distributed Safety & Alternative Transportation and the Roadway Network Memoranda.
· The committee discussed the best way to receive electronic versions of the memoranda would be via an FTP site.
· The committee also discussed the best and most convenient way to review these would be through a working session. The PRT will plan a working meeting.
4. Review Outline of Phase II Activities
· The Outline was distributed and committee members were asked to review and comment on material. Elizabeth will send an electronic version to all.
· Jeff Coffee asked about CAMPOs involvement in Phase II and Elizabeth explained that the plan will incorporate their modeling efforts.
Action Items
5. TAC Members Needed to Attend Community Meetings
· There was a brief discussion on how successful the community meetings have been thus far and then TAC members were asked to volunteer for the following:
· Tahitian Village POA – October 21, 6:30
· Hunters Crossing HOA – October 27, 6:00 --- Stacy Snell volunteered to attend
· Elgin Ward Meetings (November 3, 6, 10, 17 at 7:00) --- Jeff Coffee volunteered to attend all
· The Colony – November 11, 6:00
· Bluebonnet VFD – Date and time to be determined
6. Approve Revised Technical Memoranda for Steering Committee Approval
· This item was tabled until TAC members had more time to review.
These notes are an interpretation of discussions held. Please provide any corrections to the preparer, otherwise they will be assumed correct as written.
Action Items:
TAC: Volunteer to attend Communit Meetings.
Review any Technical Memos in your sub-committee.
►Prepared By: / Arin Gray / ► Date: / October 17, 2008►Reviewed By: / PRT / ► Date: / October 17, 2008
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