Curmudgeon ‘splains a few things: or, whattda ya do with $9 million in “free” funding?

Curmudgeon hears people offering other options for spending the $7 million in funding that the City of Copperas Cove was awarded from the State of Texas (via the Killeen Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization), along with the $2 million that the Texas Department of Transportation kicked in as financial support of the Business 190 median project. (The other $1 million is/has/will be kicked in by the City of Copperas Cove for the design aspect of the project.)

Curmudgeon has come to the conclusion that Copperas Cove doesn't want to have nice things. Because, we go elsewhere to do things. Places that are prettier, with more atmosphere to shop.

Take a look at Business 190 and see what you find for businesses.

Don't get me wrong; I'm thankful for what we have, but we're not a destination because we don't create the atmosphere to be one.

But, here's what Curmudgeon has heard:

“We should use that median money for sidewalks and the parks and other things we need, like a….(fill in the blank)… ”

We can’t. I think most people understand that now. The key to the city receiving this funding was the WALKABILITY and SAFETY of the Business 190 corridor. KTMPO is a PLANNING organization made up of reps from cities  and also counties, Bell and Coryell. Sidewalks are a key component of this project. We take the sidewalks out, and the funding goes away.

Let’s face it, our city is the result of a lot of piss-poor planning from decades ago and in the meantime, we deal with the unintended consequences. More about that below!

“Why can’t we use this money to construct more lanes on the 190 bypass, or an exit from Highway 9 to HEB?”  

This is a two-part answer, dear readers.

“Let’s widen the bypass.”

As a matter of fact, at the tippity-top of the city’s priority list of transportation projects it submitted to KTMPO in 2016 was widening the Highway 190 bypass from two to four lanes. It was NUMBER ONE! Yes, indeed. 

The Business 190 median project was actually farther down on the list. You can see the priority list in the photo below. This priority list was approved by the Copperas Cove city council in 2016, before it was submitted to KTMPO. 

Please see #4 and #5 on the list above. Also, #1.

Cities in the KTMPO area each submitted their lists of priority projects to KTMPO, and the projects were all scored by the KTMPO committee - again, made up of those city and county representatives.

How were they scored? I’m sharing this in case you dear readers would like to know. Also, to prove to you yet again I am not making this up! Curmudgeon may joke about the council members and give them special pet nicknames, but the information I give you is VERIFIABLE and no joke.

Basically, the criteria for the projects includes:

•Be consistent with KTMPO longrange goals;

•Have an identified local funding source for match requirements and

•Have a project readiness and implementation timeline.

The above was taken from here:

https://ktmpo.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/TIP-2017-2020-Final.pdf

Same thing for the Highway 9 exit to HEB, as it is for the bypass. For one thing, Highway 9 was not listed as a priority project when it was submitted to KTMPO.

Again, part of the issue lies with funding. And, no one really knows how much adding two more lanes to the bypass would cost. Also, again, funding of WALK-ABLE, BIKE-ABLE, SAFETY IMPOVEMENTS for transportation projects score higher.

Adding two lanes doesn’t score as high right now. I’m guessing – and this is just a guess – other projects were/are higher scoring than making the bypass safer.

 Maybe, someday down the road (ha ha ha) the additional two lanes will score high enough and there will be enough for Copperas Cove to get a chunk of funding for the bypass and for State Highway 9. Someday.

“But those UGLY buildings on Business 190 – Why can’t we just tear those down and build something else with that money like a (insert favorite restaurant of choice here)?”

Again, here’s the piss-poor planning consequences that our city now suffers from. Have you ever looked at the buildings on Business 190, really looked at what they are made of? Tin-can metal buildings with the flat corrugated metal-trimmed roofs, that were “so hot” back in the 70s. Not much has changed on Business 190 in yearssss and yearssss. Who knew, that those buildings would live so long? Larger companies and corporations have constructed and renovated their own structures, and it shows. Even Burger King looks better now.

But, dear readers, we can’t use this money on buildings. Again, this is TRANSPORTATION FUNDING.We use it as it's been designated or lose it. It is what it is.

Also, buildings on Business 190 are PRIVATELY OWNED. As long as they are up to city code and legal, there’s nothing to force property owners to change their buildings. 

The old men of 1970s built like they knew. And, we’re stuck with it.

Sadly.

Curmudgeon sez: Here’s a thought. What would be spectacular is a GRANT or loan program that would help these business property owners with façade makeovers for those structures. Maybe the old tin can buildings are almost as old as the pyramids of Giza, but at least they’d look better.

Now, Curmudgeon asks: WHY DOESN’T THE COPPERAS COVE CITY COUNCIL ENCOURAGE THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER (AND PLANNER), OR SOMEONE, TO LOOK INTO A GRANT PROGRAM OR DESIGN ONE TO HELP THESE PROPERTY OWNERS? Just putting that out there. The EDC can't because fixing up buildings "doesn't create primary jobs."

Well, why hasn't the council done this? 

Quite frankly, the Copperas Cove city council has been busy with, ahem, other matters.

Like kicking cans and paying homage to the Chamber of Commerce and Rabbit Fest and shooting ‘zingers’ about upcoming elections at the ones they’re axe grinding about. And popping TUMS over city manager recruitment RFQs instead of dealing with what's been given and gettin' goin' on it.

There’s been a ‘whole new batch’ on the council and that’s all they’ve done in six months.

A lot to be proud of, boys.