New CAC Members for the MPO
The Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) is beginning 2018 with new members. During the past few months, the CAC membership subcommittee was tasked with the difficult assignment of narrowing down several qualified applicants to fill two vacancies on the CAC. As a result, the MPO’s governing body, the Urbanized Development Commission (UDC), approved the appointment of David Jackson, Eric Majeres, and Kevin Smith. In addition, Kim Cerwick, Cory Diedrich, Thomas Murphy, Chris Parsley, and Koni Sims were appointed to serve an additional three-year term on the CAC.
David Jackson has been involved with his 5th generation family-owned business, Haegles Western Wear, for over 45 years. He has also previously served for several years on the CAC. In his application, David stated, “I have always had a concern for the transportation system for Sioux Falls, being a retailer. Being a businessman, I believe the planning and execution of projects should be done in a timely and cost-effective manner. Therefore, the citizens on the CAC have an important part in the planning process with input from the layman’s standpoint.”
Eric Majeres is a South Dakota Office of Highway Safety community grant recipient and Program Coordinator at Volunteers of America – Dakotas, “where he has devoted the past 11 years to reducing traffic related injury/death on South Dakota roadways.” “His recent activities include co-facilitating the Choices and Consequences traffic program for youth at McCrossan Boys Ranch, instructor for AAA SD Driver Improvement Course, and planning committee/emcee at the upcoming 3rd Annual Mocktails Mix-off competition.” “Eric also serves as the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Liaison for the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety.”
Kevin Smith is the Operations Manager for Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services (AE2S). Kevin “has over 20 years of experience and a broad background in local government, including specific experience in the fields of public works and planning. He has managed the development and administration of capital and operating budgets for various municipal functions including the Sioux Falls portion of the MPO’s Transportation Improvements Program (TIP) and the Long-Range Transportation Program (LRTP). Kevin also has direct experience developing growth-related policies and long-range transportation planning efforts, as well as possessing knowledge of land use planning and transportation issues in southeastern South Dakota.”
The CAC is an important component of the MPO’s transportation planning process, which directs and oversees all transportation planning and programming activities within the official metropolitan planning area, including the Cities of Brandon, Crooks, Harrisburg, Hartford, Sioux Falls, and Tea, as well as portions of Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties. The CAC is the committee established to solicit public participation into the local transportation planning process with membership comprised of interested citizens representing various segments of the population within the planning area. The CAC serve as liaisons between the general public and the formal transportation planning process. The CAC, along with the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) serve as advisory committees to the Urbanized Development Commission, the decision making board of the MPO, which is primarily comprised of elected officials from the government participants of the MPO. To learn more, or become involved with the MPO planning process, please visit the MPO’s website at www.siouxfallsmpo.org.
