2002-03-18 (study) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Session 1834 MINUTES OF THE UNIVERSITY CITY COUNCIL March 18, 2002 At a duly posted study session of the City Council of University City held in Room 6, second floor of City Hall, Monday, December 3, 2001, Mayor Joseph L. Adams called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. In addition to Mayor Adams, the following members of the Council were present: Ms. Colquitt, Mr. Munkel, Mr. Robert Wagner, Mr. Larry Lieberman, Mr. Paul Schoomer, and Mr. Arthur Sharpe, Jr. Also present were City Manager Frank Ollendorff and Assistant City Manager Julie Szymula. AGENDA #1 - LOOP FIXED 'TRACK TROLLEY: Mayor Adams said that everyone had received communication and reports from both Joe Edwards and Mr. Ollendorff on the issue of installing a vintage fixed track trolley system in the Loop area. The need for the resolution stems from the fact that Washington D.C. is about ready to reintroduce a new TEA-21 bill. The current one is expiring next year. It is approximately a five year bill and it has to be re-authorized after each period to be active. If you want something in parti'cular to be included for funding you must begin to start getting authorization for it now, which means a feasibility study must be done for it. This is what the resolution asks support for. Hopefully, the study will produce results that will help Congress look favorably upon it by allocating funding for it in the new transportation bill. Responding to Mr. Lieberman, Mayor Adams explained that a preliminary study was done, yet it did not contain enough detail to satisfy this particular requirement to receive federal funding. A much more formal and precise study must be completed. This is per Congressman Gephardt's phone conversation with him and Mr. Ollendorff. Responding to Mr. Wagner, IVlayor Adams said that the funds would go to East-West Gateway and then they would hire the consultants to perform the study. Mr. Ollendorff explained that it was possible that this project could get started by the end of the year. Congressman Gephardt stated that this study was needed by January of next year, when Congress is ready to finish the new transportation bill, before we could ask for the big money needed to actually build this project. Mr. Ollendorff said that it is even a possibility that these two steps could overlap - which may or may not cause problems. Mr. Ollendorff felt that his version of the resolution, which broadens the options to vintage vehicle lines, helps to keep more options open for us, whereas the proponent's version settles only on fixed track. There are still some problems with fixed track that need to be worked out.