Approval Timeline for the New Lawrence-Douglas County MPO

June 5, 2007

• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) recommends that the MPO staff investigate alternatives for restructuring the MPO so that it complies with current federal regulations
• TAC recommends that the new MPO be designated three months following the adoption of T2030
• MPO staff begins work on a designation agreement for a new MPO

March 26, 2008

• Lawrence-Douglas County MPO approves the T2030 document as the new Long Range Transportation Plan for the region

April 23, 2008

• L-DC MPO receives a draft MPO designation agreement from the MPO staff and begins the official process of creating a new MPO for the region

May-June 2008

• MPO staff continues to review the draft designation agreement and takes comments from TAC members
• MPO staff reviews the draft designation agreement and recommends changes to incorporate comments offered by TAC members and to clarify the relationships between the MPO, Lawrence and Douglas County
• Changes are incorporated into the draft designation agreement and it is sent back to the TAC for a final review

June-July 2008

• MPO staff contacts the three small cities in Douglas County (Baldwin City, Eudora, Lecompton) and the University of Kansas to inform them about the new MPO and to schedule meetings with elected and appointed officials from those groups
• MPO staff sends the three small cities and KU a draft copy of the MPO designation agreement
• MPO staff sends KDOT, FTA, FHWA, Lawrence City Manager, Douglas County Administrator, MPO members, and TAC members a draft copy of the MPO designation agreement with a request to review and comment on it by August 1, 2008

• MPO staff meets with representatives from Lecompton, Eudora, Baldwin City, and the University of Kansas to brief them on the new MPO and their requested role in it
• MPO staff decides the order of approvals and signatures for the agreement
• MPO staff posts the draft MPO designation agreement on the web and at the Lawrence Public Library for a 30-day public review and comment period

July 8, 2008

• TAC meets to discuss the MPO designation agreement, offer final comments/changes on the draft agreement before it is posted on the web for public review

August 2008

• 30-day public review period with the draft agreement posted on the web and available at the Lawrence Public Library and the MPO office ends
• MPO staff reviews all comments received on the draft agreement since its posting on the web and revises the agreement if necessary
• Draft agreement is sent back to the TAC for a final review before it is sent on to the local governments and KDOT for approval

September 2008

• Douglas County and the Cities convene public hearings and approve the MPO designation agreement

October 2008

• The agreement is signed, dated and executed by Secretary Miller
• The executed agreement is distributed by MPO staff to all of the signatory agencies and other interested parities and posted on the web site for public viewing
• MPO staff contacts all of the agencies with members on the new MPO to request their selection of representatives
• MPO member agencies select their representatives
• MPO Chair announces the date for the first meeting of the new MPO