The Mid-America Regional Council is looking to Cass County to sign off on an agreement that would lead the effort in developing a new regional bikeway transportation plan.</p><p>MARC is looking to the county to contribute a share of $3,600 to join seven other Kansas City area counties to hire a consultant that would develop a comprehensive bike path plan.</p><p>Aaron Bartlett, representing the council, introduced a proposed professional services agreement to the Cass County Commissioners during the March 7 meeting. </p><p>&#x201C;It has been quite a long time since we have done a planning effort like to look at bikeway planning across the region,&#x201D; Bartlett said. </p><p>Park directors Todd Spaulding from Belton and John Kennedy from Raymore were present to show their support for the agreement.</p><p>In introduction to the proposal, Presiding Commissioner Jeff Cox said the agreement is merely a discussion that the Commissioners would like to have before signing off as a resolution during a future Commissioner&#x2019;s meeting.</p><p>To date, Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri have already committed $3,600 each toward the project. Leavenworth, Johnson, Miami and Wyandotte have also made a financial commitments in the shared endeavor. </p><p>Bartlett said he&#x2019;s been able to obtain $96,000 in federal grant money on both sides of the state line to assist with the cost of doing a regional bikeway plan, but is looking for matching donors to cover 80-20 percent cost share.</p><p>Bartlett said Cass County is the final community that they are seeking support from.</p><p>If approved, the committee would work directly with the various counties involved within the area to put together a RFQ to bring on a consultant, Bartlett said.</p><p>Should the county sign the agreement, MARC said they would like to have the project underway by summer, and then come back within a year with a adopted bike path plan.</p><p>According to Bartlett, the counties wouldn&#x2019;t be any under obligation to build the proposed trails if they chose not to participate. </p><p>Cox said they may draw on the support of the Cass County Park Board, as well as area municipalities to invest in the development of bike trails once a plan is drafted.</p><p>Bartlett also said Cass County could have more of an advantage to be more competitive with available grants to build paths and trails through participation in the regional effort.</p><p>Associate Commissioner Jimmy Odom, who represents Cass County, along with Raymore Mayor Pete Kerckhoff, on the MARC board, voiced his support for the initiative, as did Associate Commissioner Luke Scavuzzo.</p><p>&#x201C;I would like to see it get done, too, as long as we don&#x2019;t neglect the southern part of the county - Archie, Creighton and Drexel,&#x201D; said Scavuzzo, who is elected from residents in the south district.</p><p>In other meeting business, the Cass County Commissioners took the following actions:</p><p>-Received the 2012 Financial Report from Treasurer Steve Cheslik. The report indicated that the county had a balance of $12.7 million as of Dec. 31, 2012.</p><p>-Authorized payments of invoices to Pulse Broadband and Finley Engineering in the total amount of $132,473. The payments, which were eligible for USDA funding before it was frozen, will be made through the county&#x2019;s COP funds.</p><p>-Heard a brief presentation from Doris Sherrick and the South Grand River Water Alliance.