The Hernando/Citrus Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) met on Thursday, March 18, 2021, in a public meeting at the Lecanto Government Center, 3600 W Sovereign Path, Room 166, Lecanto, FL. The points of interest from the meeting are below:

Hernando Citrus Metropolitan Planning Organization March Meeting Summary

• The MPO Board appointed Mr. Walter “Bud” Osborn to the Citrus County Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board (LCB) to fill the Veterans Services Representative position.

• Ms. Cara Lee Brunk, with The Department of Elderly Affairs, was appointed to both the Hernando County Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board (TDLCB) and to the LCB as the agency representative.

• The MPO Board appointed Ms. Shavonna Maci Reid to the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), filling the Minority Representative position for Citrus County at large. Ms. Reid’s appointment will expire on 3/18/2023.

• The request to extend the MPO’s lease agreement with Hernando County BOCC/Building Division for office space was authorized by the MPO Board for a period of one year.

• MPO staff presented the MPO Board with project suggestions for incorporation into the second year update of the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) FY 2021-2022 which will be formally reviewed and approved on May 13, 2021.  The MPO Board endorsed including a Crystal River Bypass Study, a Resiliency Study, an Autonomous, Connected, Electric, Shared Vehicles (ACES) review and update for the MPO Study Area, and an Interactive Geographical Information System (GIS) for Mapping and Enhanced public communication project. This authorization also includes moving funds into task 3.4 for the Complete Streets Project, balancing the funding shift for the Congestion Management Process (CMP).

• The MPO Board approved an Amendment to the FY 2021-2022 UPWP to remove the local match and state match funds from FY 2021 5305(d) grant funding.  An associated grant application and Public Transportation Grant Agreement (PTGA) were approved consistent with the amendment in the amount of $91,108.

• The FY 2021 Certifications and Assurances for the Federal Transit Administration were approved by the MPO Board which is an annual requirement as a recipient of federal transit funds. MPO staff was authorized to proceed with finalization in the Federal Transit Administration’s electronic systems as required.

• The MPO Board canceled their April meeting by consensus.

The next MPO meeting is scheduled for: Thursday May 13, 2021, at 1:30 pm in the Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W Sovereign Path, Room 166, Lecanto, FL 34461.

Please contact the Hernando/Citrus MPO at (352) 754-4082 for more information