borderless transit / borderless region

Judge hears Motion To Transfer for TDD lawsuit

Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem heard a request today to transfer the Transportation Development District (TDD) lawsuit to Jackson County, where the district has continuing jurisdiction. At the end of the hearing, the judge asked the movants (the parties requesting the Motion to Transfer) for a proposed order.

The lawsuit was filed Sept. 5 by plaintiffs claiming the mail-in election held earlier this year was unconstitutional. All of the plaintiffs were able to vote in the mail-in election, which is allowed by the state’s TDD Act.

70% of voters in the new TDD — which will help fund the Main Street streetcar extension — approved the district’s formation in August. In October, the same district elected seven pro-streetcar candidates to a board of directors that will govern the new district. The new TDD Chair is former Kansas City Councilwoman Jan Marcason.

The Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance funded the district’s formation costs, but the Board of Directors is now overseeing the rest of the process (except for this lawsuit).

If a draft order to transfer the case to Jackson County is received, Judge Beetem could issue a ruling by the end of next week. The case would continue in the Jackson County Circuit Court.


TDD Board of Directors meets, elects officers

The newly-elected Kansas City Main Street Rail Transportation Development District (TDD) Board of Directors held its first meeting on October 31. The Board approved bylaws, elected officers, and set a 2018 budget of $0 income and expenses.

No dates were set for the final TDD “funding election” to approve the revenue sources that were proposed in the district’s formation. A previously published schedule from KCRTA proposed a mail-in election starting in late 2017.

The TDD is a separate entity from the nonprofit Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance. KCRTA provided the funding and oversight for the TDD formation and the first two elections on behalf of 64 petitioners. All actions were authorized by the State of Missouri’s TDD Act (RSMO 238).

TDD Officers are:

Chair – Jan Marcason
Secretary – Crissy Dastrup
Treasurer – Leonard Graham
Executive Director – Ruben Alonso III

The next TDD Board meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday, November 17 at Boulevard Brewing Company, 2501 Southwest Boulevard. Meetings are open for the public to observe.