TPO Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) · Jan. 23, 2025
Meeting date: Jan. 23, 2025Summarized 2026-09-01 18:04
## Polk County TPO Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) — January 23, 2025
**Meeting details:** Called to order 9:30 a.m. by Chairman Bob Wiegers at the Polk County Administration Building, Bartow; adjourned 11:23 a.m. Quorum confirmed by roll call. 14 members present, plus TPO staff, FDOT representatives, consultants, and members of the public.
### Votes Taken (all passed; no dissent recorded on any item)
| Item | Motion / Second | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Approval of December 5, 2024 minutes | Carlie Flagler / Ben Ziskal | Carried without dissent |
| Election of Chair — Tess Schwartz | Nominated by Chuck Barmby / seconded by Ben Ziskal | Approved unanimously |
| Election of Vice-Chair — Carlie Flagler | Nominated by Tess Schwartz / seconded by Ben Ziskal | Approved unanimously |
| TPO Resolution 2025-01, adopting FDOT Safety Performance Targets | Julie Womble / Tess Schwartz | Carried unanimously |
| Amendments to Momentum 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (I-4 Moving Florida Forward projects) | Richard Ranck / Carlie Flagler | Approved unanimously |
| Amendments to FY 2024/25–2028/29 Transportation Improvement Program | Jay Jarvis / James Philips | Approved unanimously |
**TIP amendment contents:** North Lake Fitness Trail; Capital for Alliance for Independence; and the I-4 Moving Florida Forward initiative — amending project 201210-8 and modifying project 431456-6. **No dollar amounts appear anywhere in the agenda or minutes.**
### Procedural note (unusual)
Under Item 5, outgoing Chair Bob Wiegers "ask[ed] approval to remain Chair through the remainder of the meeting due to an agreement made with a member of public who came to speak at today's meeting" — i.e., he presided after the election of his successor. He later exercised that role to allow a member of the public, Sharon Garrett, to speak during Item 10.
Also of note: Item 6 minutes state the Best Foot Forward presentation by Vince Dyer (Bike/Walk Central Florida) occurred *after* the vote, but the recorded motion (Womble/Schwartz) is listed after that presentation in the text — the sequence as written is internally inconsistent.
### Presentations / Status Reports (no votes)
- **SunRail Extension PD&E Study** (Charlene Ross, FDOT): recommended station locations at Davenport, Haines City, and Loughman. Ross said weekend service "probably would not" be in the operating plan, and that increased Amtrak service "was not being considered." Jeffrey Ball asked to be included in future study conversations; Jay Jarvis raised local road access and outreach to Loughman representatives (Ross was uncertain whether they had been included).
- **Central Polk Parkway East ACE, SR 60 to US 17/92** (Jazelyn Haywood, FDOT): four corridors (A, B, C, D) under evaluation; final selection may combine portions and depends on evaluation, funding, and area development. US 27 was considered but deemed not feasible. Sean Byers questioned the 400-foot proposed corridor width. Public commenter Sharon Garrett said her family's properties would be directly impacted, stated Corridor D would be least impactful, and raised concerns that connecting roads are too small for the added traffic.
- **TPO Board Safety Discussion** and **Safe Streets for All (SS4A) project status** — verbal summaries only.
### Member comments
Jeffrey Ball noted Mr. Leonard's retirement. Richard Ranck asked about online availability of the RND; Ryan Kordek said it will be emailed on request pending ADA compliance review before web publication.
**Overall:** A routine meeting. All six votes were unanimous or without dissent, no contested items, no withdrawals, and no expenditures or contract amounts disclosed in the record.