Updates and outcomes from MARC's November Board meetings

Dec 01, 2022
| Posted in
News
A walking path leads toward the Bond Bridge in Kansas City, Missouri.

Thanks to everyone who joined the MARC Board of Directors and Budget and Personnel Committee meetings on Nov. 22. We’re sharing selected highlights from the meetings for your awareness and use in regional conversations.

The MARC Board heard a variety of updates, including:

  • Climate and environment: Staff shared updates on the Climate and Environment Committee, which provides implementation oversight to the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan. The committee is supporting a variety of priorities, including equity, communications efforts and performance metrics. Staff also invited Board members to register for the Resilient Success Stories event at the Kauffman Foundation on Friday, Dec. 9.
  • Budget and Work Plan: Board members received a draft of the MARC 2023 Budget and Work Plan, which aims to clearly communicate MARC’s financial condition and operations to the public. The proposed 2023 budget includes $109,520,234 in expenditures with 74% of these funds being passed on to partners in the region. Staff reviewed work plans and highlighted projects that will be particularly impactful in 2023, such as advancing a long-range transportation plan update, implementing the regional climate plan, developing economic forecasts, expanding housing accessibility, coordinating 911 system priorities, strengthening care for older adults and growing health initiatives for Head Start students.
View the presentation
  • Digital equity: Staff shared an update on regional efforts to provide quality, reliable and affordable internet for businesses and residents. In partnership with KC Rising and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, MARC is working to identify existing assets among local governments and libraries, and gaps in broadband infrastructure.
  • Respiratory illnesses: Health care providers in the region are reporting steep increases in COVID-19, flu and RSV cases. In response, the MARC Region Health Care Coalition is increasing communication and pre-planning activities to prepare for impacts to the health care system. See the COVID-19 regional dashboard.
View the presentation
  • Ozone season: The 2022 ozone season, which ran from March 1 to Oct. 31, resulted in two ozone alerts and six days where the region exceeded the national air quality standard. The Air Quality program is also tracking particulate matter and its impact on communities. Since 2002, there have been 10 years where the region exceeded the national ozone standard, with the highest being 2012 when there were nearly 30 exceedances during the season.
View the presentation

At the MARC Budget and Personnel Committee meeting on Nov. 22, attendees heard reports on:

  • 988 suicide and crisis lifeline: Committee members strengthened the region’s mental health mobile crisis response system by authorizing MARC to pass through a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to five mental health partners. The funding will support staffing and equipment to enhance mobile crisis response capabilities and better address 988 calls.
     
  • 911: B&P members approved a five-year plan for a $7 million router upgrade that will help ensure 911 calls are handled correctly and effectively. The routers handle more than 90% of 911 calls made from wireless devices in the region. The upgrade will also advance the region’s move to Next Generation 911, with geospatial routing and future support for multimedia.
     
  • Community health workers: Regional efforts to establish community health workers as a key part of the health care system are advancing after members voted to accept $200,000 in additional funding from the state of Kansas to support training, convening, communications outreach and evaluation.
     
  • Operation Green Light: Committee members authorized MARC’s Operation Green Light program to initiate two $700,000 contacts to improve regional traffic flow and air quality by installing fiber optic cable and traffic signal controllers on both sides of the state line. The project will include the Kansas cities of Lansing, Leawood, Merriam, Mission and Kansas City, and Missouri cities of Belton, Gladstone, Independence, Lee’s Summit, North Kansas City and Raymore.
     
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