John M. Sharp has been named Deputy Director of the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments. He will maintain his current responsibilities as the organization's Division Director of the Transportation and Planning Services Division. 

Originally from Bristol, England, he is a graduate of Oklahoma State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography. While at OSU, he was a member of the Men's Track and Field Team. 

Mr. Sharp, who also holds a Master's Degree in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma, joined ACOG in 1985. He was named Division Director of Transportation and Planning Services  in 2016. On a daily basis, he oversees a number of programs, projects and planning functions that receive local, state and federal funding. These include the Bicycle and Pedestrian program, which includes the popular Bike To Work Day program; congestion management, which includes traffic counts, incident management, snow routes and crash analyses; maps and data including a GIS resource center; long and short range planning, which includes the current 2040 plan; the Unified Planning Work Program and much more. 

Every month, he provides guidance to numerous ACOG Boards and Committees including the Intermodal Transportation Policy Committee and the Intermodal Transportation Technical Committee. He provides the same for other bi-monthly and quarterly committees including the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Areawide Planning and Technical Advisory Committee. In addition, as a member of ACOG's senior staff, he collaborates with executive leadership on the Regional Transit Authority Task Force. 

Mr. Sharp's new areas of responsibility will include assisting the executive director with implementation of policies particularly in relation to human resources and strategic planning.

Mr. Sharp lives on a farm in rural Southeast Oklahoma City with his wife Fran. 

Urgent Call For Local Governments To Review Census Addresses

The 2020 Census  Local Update of Census Addresses Operation (LUCA) is the only opportunity offered to tribal, state, and local governments to review and comment on the U.S. Census Bureau's residential address list for their jurisdiction prior to the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau relies on a complete and accurate address list to reach every living quarters and associated population for inclusion in the census. 

Census Workshop

ACOG, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau - Denver Region, will host a workshop on the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA), 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Tuesday, October 31. Online registration via Eventbrite will be available very soon.

For more information, contact Jennifer Sebesta, Program Coordinator, Transportation and Planning Services, ACOG. 

Teaching Toddlers About 9-1-1

Robin Murray, 9-1-1 Training Manager, 9-1-1 & Public Safety, ACOG, has written a blog post about teaching toddlers about 9-1-1. Learn what you can do to help teach the little ones in your life about 9-1-1. 

CONTINUE READING

Panel on Comprehensive Planning

ACOG's Areawide Planning & Technical Advisory Committee (APTAC) will host a four-member panel on comprehensive plans, 9 a.m., Thursday, October 12. Communities featured on the panel include Bethany, Choctaw, Edmond and Midwest City. Guests are encouraged to attend and learn about the community development goals and aspirations of these cities. 

For more information contact Jennifer Sebesta, Program Coordinator, Transportation and Planning Services, ACOG.

Local Foods, Local Places

Healthy Places for Healthy People

Economic Development Planning

ACOG has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for update of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Central Oklahoma (CEDS). The CEDS is a locally-initiated planning process designed to provide a mechanism for guiding and coordinating the efforts of Central Oklahoma individuals, municipalities, counties and organizations concerned with economic development. 

$2 Million Grant for Aerospace Sector

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded a $2 million grant to the Oklahoma City Airport Trust to expand hangars at Will Rogers World Airport. 

REAP Applications Due October 31

Applications for Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants from ACOG are due October 31. These grants require no match and may fund projects such as road and street construction or repair; drainage projects; rural highway improvements; county bridge construction or repair; industrial access road construction or repair and more.

For more information, contact Barbara Hurdman, REAP Coordinator, ACOG.

Safe Routes To School

The next round of Safe Routes to School grant applications kicks off in January. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation will host a workshop in December. Watch for more details in the November newsletter.

Recreational Trails Grants

The Recreational Trails Program is a federal assistance program of the Federal Highway Administration. It provides funds to states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. In Oklahoma, it is administered by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD). 

According to Charlotte Adcock, Assistant Planner - Multimodal, Transportation and Planning Services, ACOG, this reimbursement-type grant program is part of the Transportation Alternatives formula funding. The RTP provides for 80 percent federal share and requires a 20 percent local match. The match may be either in cash or in value of documented contributions. Other sources of federal funds may also be used for the match up to 95 percent of the total project cost.  

The application deadline is 4 p.m., Wednesday, January 31. For more information contact Susan Henry, OTRD.