Bay-Lake RPC December 2020 Newsletter

E-Newsletter Volume 10, Issue 12 / December 2020

Contact Our Staff

Services

Plans & Maps

Sheboygan MPO

News & Funding

Happy Holidays!

The Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission staff would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season! Please note that our office will be closed on the following days:

Thursday, December 24th, 2020
Friday, December 25th, 2020
Thursday December 31st, 2020
Friday January 1st, 2021

New Job Openings!

It is an exciting time to work for Bay-Lake RPC; we're looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued staff. Currently Bay-Lake RPC has openings for following positions:

Environmental Planner

This position is full-time and will work closely with local communities and Bay-Lake RPC staff members to create planning documents for a variety of natural resource-related projects, including coastal resiliency, outdoor recreation, water trail, and restoration planning work. The position will remain open until filled.

Economic Development Assistant (LTE)

This position is a flexible (20-40 hrs/week) LTE position through July 2022 and will provide services to support the Commission's COVID-19 response and recovery efforts and other economic development related work. The position will be responsible for basic office and economic development related tasks, document management, reporting, and other specialized technical and operational duties.

Please visit our website for details!

Technical Assistance Grant

We are once again offering our Technical Assistance Grant Program to our member communities where they could receive free professional planning assistance on small-scale plans or projects. Eligible projects must fit within the Commission's work program and fall under the categories of community planning, economic development, mapping/visualization, environmental, or transportation.

Up to three projects from throughout the Bay-Lake Region will be selected to be carried out by Commission staff at no cost. Projects will be limited to a maximum of five days (40 hours) of staff time. Larger projects are also eligible as a means to get a project underway. Projects must begin and end in 2021.

Please visit our Technical Assistance Grant Program webpage for more details. Applications are due by Friday, January 29, 2021.

Disaster Recovery Microloan Created for City of Oconto Business

Bay-Lake RPC has created a Disaster Recovery Microloan for a business in the City of Oconto that was impacted by major flooding due to an ice jam event in early 2020.

The BLRPC Disaster Recovery Microloan (DRM) Program works to create microloans for small businesses that have been impacted by natural and man-made disasters. This program is funded by WEDC and administered by Bay-Lake RPC. To learn more about this program, please see our website or contact Sydney Swan at [email protected].

Sheboygan MPO Update

The final Sheboygan Metropolitan Planning Area Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): Calendar Years 2021 – 2024 was approved in late October. The final 2021 – 2024 TIP can be found here. An interactive dashboard showing projects from the 2021 - 2024 TIP and from two previous TIPs can be found here.

The final 2021 Sheboygan Metropolitan Planning Area Transportation Planning Work Program was approved by the MPO advisory committees and by the Commission in late October. This document will be posted to the Commission website as soon as it is approved by USDOT and WisDOT.

The Sheboygan Transit Commission approved 2020 TAM plan and targets for Shoreline Metro in late September. The plan and targets can be found here. These targets were also approved for the MPO in September.

Commission staff assisted the Sheboygan County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) with preparation of the 2020 Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan for Sheboygan County. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to survey stakeholders on transportation coordination issues and the action plan rather than hold the traditional stakeholder meeting; this survey was open from late August through mid-September. Commission staff prepared the plan and reviewed it with Sheboygan County ADRC and Shoreline Metro staff. The Sheboygan County Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) reviewed and approved the plan in mid-October. The plan was submitted to WisDOT in late October. The plan can be found here.

The 2020 update to the Public Participation Plan (PPP) for the Sheboygan MPO was approved in September. The PPP update went through a 30-day public consultation period as well as a 45-day public comment period, along with review of the document by the Sheboygan MPO Technical and Policy Advisory Committees over several meetings. The PPP update can be found here.

Other items that are underway include: finalization of the Shoreline Metro Transit Development Program (TDP) Update; the Shoreline Metro Public Transit Agency Safety Plan (PTASP); the annual system performance indicator report; and the 2021 highway safety performance targets for the MPO.

Please contact Jeff Agee-Aguayo or Chris Garcia if you have questions regarding any of these activities.

Recent Plans Completed

The Bay-Lake RPC has completed a number of projects over the past few months. These projects include the following:

Oconto County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

In September, Oconto County board members adopted the Oconto County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2021 - 2026 and have since been approved by WEM and FEMA. This document will serve as a foundation for the long-term strategy to reduce disaster damage within the County for years to come.

Florence County Comprehensive Plan Update

In November, Florence County board members adopted the Florence County 20-Year Comprehensive Plan Update. This document will serve as a guide to the County's growth and development for the next 20 years.

Kewaunee County Coordinated Public Transit - Public Services Transportation Plan

Bay-Lake RPC staff assisted the Kewaunee County Human Services Department with creation of the 2021-2025 Coordinated Public Transit — Human Services Transportation Plan. The Kewaunee County Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) reviewed the plan and provided feedback incorporated into the final document approved in November. The plan was submitted to WisDOT who approved the plan in November.

We Value Your Opinion!

Want to help make an impact in our region? Below are links to the open public input and surveys that are currently available.

City of Two Rivers Comprehensive Plan Update Survey

Kelly Lake Sanitary District Sewer Use Ordinance

Upcoming Events & Meetings

Available Grant Opportunities

Economic Development Administration, Economic Adjustment Program & CARES Act Recovery Grant

(Currently Available)

FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program Grant

(Through 1/29/2021)

Hazard Mitigation Grants Through FEMA

(Currently Available)

Community Development Block Grant - Planning Grants

(Continuous Basis)

Economic Development Administration: Public Works Program

(Continuous Basis)

Water & Wast Disposal

Loan & Grant Program

(Accepting Applications)

BLRPC Technical Assistance Grant

(Through 1/29/2021)

Additional Ongoing Grant Opportunities

Do you want to know more about planning services or grants available?

The staff of the Bay-Lake RPC are happy to speak to your boards/councils, committees, organization, or community groups about what is happening in our region. We are also available to assist communities and counties with meeting facilitation.

Please contact us at (920) 448-2820 or [email protected].

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