Recap: First Annual Licking County Infrastructure Luncheon
On May 16th, GROW Licking County, Licking County Area Transportation Study (LCATS), and the Licking County Transportation Improvement District (TID) hosted the first annual Licking County Infrastructure Luncheon. This sold-out event featured presentations from planning and engineering experts on recent and ongoing studies that look to address current infrastructure needs while preparing for future growth.
The first session, moderated by GROW Executive Director Alexis Fitzsimmons, included an overview of American Structurepoint’s Comprehensive Water and Sewer Study for the county. The purpose of this study was to help identify water and sewer health concerns, treatment and service capacity of all providers within the county, and mitigate risk. Once completed, the results of this study will serve as a project planning tool and will help inform policy decisions to improve water and sewer service in the county. Bricker Graydon also provided an overview of federal legislation affecting development, including the CHIPS Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik was the event’s keynote speaker. She provided insight on statewide development and trends, as well as initiatives to encourage continued growth and development. While the state population is declining, Licking County is fortunate to be one of the growing counties in the state.
The second session, moderated by Bill Lozier of Licking County TID, focused on the conditions of the county road systems and prioritized improvements. The TID also discussed recent projects, and explained how the TID serves an important function in moving priority projects forward, especially across jurisdictions. Jim Gates, ODOT Deputy Director of Planning, provided information on the Silicon Heartland Transportation Partners and projected traffic impacts.
The final session, moderated by Matt Hill of LCATS, featured speakers from MS Consultants and Licking County Transit. Launch LCA is the latest Metropolitan Transportation Plan in the LCATS region. Through scenario planning, Launch LCA will guide transportation spending in the region. For more information on this important effort and to stay updated on ways to provide input, please visit launchlca.com. Wrapping up the final session, Matt Allison of Licking County Transit announced the launch of a deviated fixed-route service coming later this year. Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb concluded the luncheon with a positive message for the future of Licking County.
The presentation slides are available for download, which include more information on these recent Licking County infrastructure initiatives.
