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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-R-23 RESOLUTION NO. 201I -R- 23 A RESOLUTION OF THE JEFFERSONVILLE COMMON COUNCIL TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO IMMEDIATELY COMMENCE WORK UPON THE EAST END BRIDGE AND TO COOPERATE WITH STATE, FEDERAL, AND OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO ARRANGE THE FUNDING AND COMMENCEMENT OF THE BRIDGE PROJECT WHEREAS, the Sherman Minton Bridge was closed indefinitely as of Friday, September 9, 2011, due to concerns about the structural integrity of the bridge, which spans the Ohio River; and WHEREAS, the Sherman Minton Bridge carries Interstate 64 across the Ohio River, and, until its closing, was one of the three (3) bridges that currently allow travel between Southern Indiana and Louisville Kentucky; WHEREAS, the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, is vitally and inextricably connected to the Louisville Metropolitan Area, and much of the area's commerce, employment, recreation, and culture depends upon readily available automobile transit across the Ohio River, WHEREAS, the closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge has drastically increased the volume of traffic and congestion on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (the Second Street Bridge) and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge, the two remaining spans which connect Southern Indiana and the Louisville Metropolitan Area, both of which are located within the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana; WHEREAS, the dramatic increase in the volume and congestion of traffic upon the Jeffersonville Bridges and the Jeffersonville roadways approaching the bridges has resulted in a myriad of economic costs, including, but not limited to, the following: additional working hours and employment costs for Jeffersonville Police, Fire, and other emergency responders; accelerated depreciation upon vehicles and equipment utilized by such emergency responders; increased wear and damage to the infrastructure of the City of Jeffersonville; lengthened commute times; decreased interaction between Jeffersonville and the Louisville Metropolitan Area; decreased patronage of Jeffersonville retail, dining, and other service establishments; increased fuel costs to the citizens of the City of Jeffersonville. WHEREAS, in addition to the above - mentioned costs, the long -term closing of the Sherman Minton Bridge will deter the growth of industrial, commercial, and residential developments in Jeffersonville, Indiana; WHEREAS, the far - reaching costs of the closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge upon the City of Jeffersonville, as well as its citizens and businesses, are impossible to calculate with any degree of accuracy, but can be reasonably expected to have a cost of many millions of dollars; WHEREAS, that the closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge, and the resulting increase in volume and congestion upon the remaining bridges, will also have significant deleterious effect upon interstate commerce, not only between Indiana and Kentucky, but also upon the commerce of those numerous States which rely upon transit along Interstates 1- 65,1 -64, and 1 -71; WHEREAS, Interstates 1-65,1-64, and 1 -71 connect numerous and diverse metropolitan areas, including, but not limited to, Indianapolis, Indiana, Chicago, Illinois, Nashville, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, St. Louis, Missouri, and Cincinnati, Ohio, and the increased congestion of traffic at the conjunction of these Interstates will have a negative effect upon the commerce and transit between these and many other metropolitan areas; WHEREAS, the far - reaching effects of the closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge require immediate action on the State, local and federal levels in order to alleviate the increased volume and congestion of traffic crossing the Ohio River between Southem Indiana and the Louisville Metropolitan Area; WHEREAS, the construction of the East End Bridge, connecting Southeastem Clark County, Indiana and Eastern Jefferson County Kentucky, currently proposed as an aspect of the Ohio River Bridges Project of Kentucky and Indiana, would significantly alleviate the increased volume and congestion of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge (the Second Street Bridge) and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge; WHEREAS, construction of the East End Bridge would accommodate greater travel between Southern Indiana and the Louisville Metropolitan Area, and would improve commerce between the State of Indiana and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as well as commerce with those numerous States that rely upon Interstates 1 -65, 1-64, and 1 -71 for transit and the transportation of goods; WHEREAS, the Common Council for the City of Jeffersonville has previously adopted Resolution 2010 -R -33, in which the Council expressed disapproval for any plan to finance new bridge construction by placing tolls upon already existing Ohio River Bridges or Interstate connectors thereto; WHEREAS, the indefinite closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge represents an emergency on a local, State, and national level requiring that those entities concerned immediately cooperate to fund the commencement of the East End Bridge; WHEREAS, the present emergency notwithstanding, the logic and fairness of the Council's previously stated disapproval of such tolls upon already existing Ohio River Bridges or Interstate connectors thereto continue to be apparent to the Council; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, hereby resolves to cooperate with all interested State, local, and federal authorities affected by transit across the Ohio River to commence and fund the construction of the East End Bridge; IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council authorizes the delivery of the present resolution to the representatives of all such State, local, and federal authorities, and that the delivery of this resolution of the Council be accompanied by correspondence communicating the importance of funding and commencing the East End Bridge project and the urgency with which it must be commenced; IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council continues to disapprove of the institution of any tolls upon existing bridges and /or Interstate connectors thereto for the purpose of funding the East End Bridge project, the urgency of the, project notwithstanding; /r� Passed and adopted this 3 day of l lc'>`.nbe. f , 2011. ATTEST: Ad/ A t ip pl/// omas R. Galli I.: Peggy er Presiding Officer / Clerk- Treasurer Presented by me as Clerk and Treasurer to the Mayor of said City of Jeffersonville this ha' day of WAro ss%) ,2011. Pec ilder Clerk- Treasurer Approv . and signed by me this 7 day of 0 r , 2011. !/ / omas R. Galli _ an, or