The Jefferson City Public Works and Planning Committee affirmed Thursday morning a proposed development agreement with Helias High School which could reach $700,000, advancing the pact to the Feb. 20 meeting of the full City Council.
The deal recommended by the city's professional staff and green-lighted by the Council committee Thursday is necessary for the Catholic institution to proceed with major improvements to the Myrtle Avenue neighborhood of which Helias is a prominent fixture. If the Council agrees with the current suggestions from its staff and Helias leaders, an all-out change in the visual look of the neighborhood will emerge as a pedestrian underpass is constructed.
David Bange, the manager of the engineering sector of the city's Public Works Department, told the Council members, "City staff would like the committee to affirm the recommendation to allocate a maximum of $500,000 to the development agreement with Helias for necessary improvements to Myrtle Avenue, as was presented and discussed at the December 2016 committee meeting. In addition, staff would ask the committee to recommend that we pursue the establishment of these improvements as a joint city/county sales tax project."
Bange explained he and his colleagues in the planning and public works departments have continued to work with Helias representatives and their constituents to refine the ideas presented. The one significant change being considered, he said, "is the installation of a pedestrian underpass in lieu of the raised pedestrian crosswalk that had been previously contemplated.
"Helias representatives believe that the underpass will better serve their needs in connecting the two parts of their campus. Given that this will add to the overall cost of the project, Helias is intending to pursue private donations to cover the costs incurred by its construction. If this option is ultimately chosen, the overall project cost, including the road work and underpass, is estimated to be $650,000 to $700,000. We would anticipate that language of the development agreement would include the establishment of Helias as the owner of the underpass in terms of its operations and maintenance."
Thursday's committee focus was on the arterial system around Helias. Other aspects of the multi-pronged improvement plan for the school include an adjoining sports complex, the opening of which factors into the late summer road work.
"While we would like to move this forward with haste given the anticipated opening to the sports facility," Bange said, "the final wording of the development agreement and details of the exhibits remain to be finalized."
The agreement could be presented to the Council at the Feb. 20 meeting.
In other developments from the Thursday committee session, Bange announced "the city's grant application for sidewalks along Missouri Boulevard from Waverly Street to Beck Street was viewed favorably and was selected for funding by the Missouri Department of Transportation."
Bange said the grant includes a 5-foot-wide sidewalk stretching along Missouri from the Chipotle restaurant to the Sub Shop, as well as improvements to four bus stops, including pads, shelters and bike racks. The grant also will be sufficient to provide for signalized pedestrian crosswalks across Missouri at Southwest Boulevard and across Beck Street at Missouri.
"The next step in the process is to enter into an agreement with MoDOT concerning the project," Bange said. "It is anticipated that this agreement will appear before the Council at the Feb. 6 meeting."
The committee also learned JeffTran began offering its promotional $3-fare for an All-Day Pass on Monday. The fare currently is $1 for each segment of any trip, although JeffTran does offer free transfers to riders.
Mark Mehmert, the city's transit director, explained, "Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations allow promotional fares for up to but not exceeding a six-month period. The promotion will be evaluated on an ongoing basis during the time period it's offered. Depending on how the promotion is received, JeffTran may explore additional promotional/pass options in the future."
Mehmert also had news Thursday about JeffTran's HandiWheels buses, which, he said, "are beyond their useful life benchmarks." Funds for the news buses would come from FTA. "These funds are administrated by MoDOT" and "must be used for the transport of senior citizens and the individuals with disabilities."
If approved, the grant would replace the two oldest HandiWheels buses, which have an average of more than 160,000 miles each. The federal share of the grant would be $97,465, and the city would provide $40,396. If the grant is approved, Mehmert expects the buses to be delivered in Jefferson City by late summer.
The Public Works and Planning Committee, which is chaired by Councilman Larry Henry, will meet again Feb. 23. Other members of the committee are Councilmen Ken Hussey and Rick Prather and Councilwoman Laura Ward.