County Commission talks transportation issues

Nevada Daily Mail

Two transportation items were on the agenda at Tuesday's Vernon County Commission meeting, including updating of current road needs and possible funding for future projects.

The Vernon County Commission met with representatives from the Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission and a Missouri Department of Transportation consultant to discuss projects on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Project.

Regional STIP projects are given to MoDot for completion, and are projects that affect county roads and bridges. Compiled by the county commission, the list is revisited each year, and items that were not completed the year before can be prioritized for hopeful completion in the current year.

At the end of 2013, at least one project -- straightening a curve on Highway W north of Nevada -- was not completed, and the county commissioners prioritized this roadwork as a top necessity for the coming year. Additional projects were added to the 2014 list, such as paving several side roads near Interstate 49 to increase highway visibility.

Commissioners acknowledged that dust from side roads affected drivers on the interstate. "There's so much dust that it was causing a sight problem on I-49," Vernon County Presiding Commissioner Bonnie McCord said. Northern Commissioner Neal Gerster agreed that the visibility issue was a top priority.

Other projects on the 2014 STIP for Vernon County include guardrail improvements for safer travel of farm equipment, bridge repair and construction of a truck access on Highway 54.

Not all items added to the STIP for Vernon County may make it to the completion stage. A meeting of officials from counties in southwest Missouri will be held on Thursday, to determine which items are crucial throughout the entire area. Selected projects will be funded and completed by MoDot.

Beyond updating the area STIP, the Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission representative asked the county commission to consider regional projects that could be funded by a proposed statewide sales tax initiative. The 1-cent sales tax would be used to fund transportation projects of all kinds, including road and bridge work, bike travel and pedestrian accommodations such as crosswalks and signals.

Supported by Missourians for Safe Transportation and New Jobs, the 1-cent sales tax is currently in the petition stage. If the measure receives 200,000 signatures before May, it will be included on the November 2014 ballot for voters to decide.

Austin Mount, executive director of the Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission, said the tax would apply to retail items, but would exclude items such as food, prescription medications and utilities. According to Mount, MoDot's southwest district, which includes Vernon County, could collect around $1 million to use toward transportation projects.

A starting list of proposed projects was presented, with projects suggested to MoDot by Vernon County residents, Nevada administrative services director Randy Marti, and other regional officials. These projects include a variety of bike pathways, sidewalk connections, signals and sign improvements.

Jerany Jackson, a management consultant hired by MoDot, encouraged the Vernon County Commission to speak with county residents, school administrators, hospitals and emergency management officials to determine what projects should be included if the tax initiative were to pass.

Jackson suggested the projects be discussed among area residents. "These need to be a benefit to the community as a whole," she said.

A narrowed-down list of ideas will then be submitted to MoDot, which will determine projects for completion if the tax measure goes into effect. Mount said that if the 1-cent tax measure does pass in November, work on selected projects could get moving quickly, but no specific timeframe has been determined.