Martin City CID Meeting discusses Holmes Rd
By Kathy Feist
Sixth District City Councilmember at Large Andrea Bough was the guest speaker at the Martin City Community Improvement District (CID) meeting on Thursday, October 21, at Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse in Martin City.
by Kathy Feist
She reported that the Holmes Rd. design which would expand the street as well as add sidewalks from Blue Ridge to 137th St., is 60 percent completed according to her discussion with Chad Thompson, city engineer with KC Public Works. The design, which has been in the works for the past two years is expected to be completed by the first of the year. Construction, budgeted at $7.5 million, will be funded through the GO Bond for years 2023/24 and should start sometime then, according to Bough. About $150,000 of PIAC money has been budgeted to purchase easements along the road. Members of the CID board discussed the possibility of property owners donating their easements to the city for rights of acquisition, which had previously been done for the 135th Street Improvements. When completed, the road will include three lanes, a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side, a 10-foot multi-use trail on the west side, new curbs and gutters, new street lights, and an extension of 135th street east to accommodate new apartment/retail development.
Bough also discussed city redistricting, which she reported should be voted on by the city council in mid-December. “It’s not an easy task,” she said.
Other topics included improving CID oversight by the city, an ordinance she introduced. “There are 75 CIDs in the city,” she said. “Not every one of them is doing what they should be doing.” By charging an annual fee to the CIDs, the city could hire personnel to oversee the CID reporting process, should the ordinance pass.