Amanda Brower, county transportation staff, told the St. Charles County Council on Dec. 1 that the county received 32 project applications from eight jurisdictions and recommended county funding or partial funding for 27 of them. “So this year, we had 32 project applications from 8 jurisdictions,” Brower said, and the recommended county contribution for construction projects totaled about $17.9 million against roughly $46 million in new project costs.

The plan pairs sizable federal contributions with county support: Brower said federal funds covered more than 40% of eligible costs overall and that several projects received 65%–80% federal shares. The presentation singled out the Marley Drive extension, a new road to be built as part of the I‑70 improvement effort, with a $5.2 million price tag and county funding proposed at 40% (the city would contribute 10% and the remainder would come from cost share). Brower also described pedestrian and bike projects tied to the I‑70 work, including a pedestrian bridge east of Route Z and a 10‑foot sidepath through a planned interchange.

Councilmembers pushed for examples of how the county’s $10 million economic‑development reserve has been used in the past. Brower and other staff cited prior transfers, including a $3 million contribution to the Northpointe/Spencer Road extension in St. Peters, and said the reserve is intended to let the county respond quickly to major opportunities. “We keep $10,000,000 in the fund every year…so that if a major project comes up that’s significant, jobs, significant…that money is there to support that effort,” Brower said.

The council also discussed a petition for a short trail on Upper Bottom Road. Councilman Baker said residents had collected signatures and asked whether a standalone trail would be eligible for road‑board funding. Brower said standalone sidewalk/trail projects have been funded in the past but that such requests compete against other projects and often require additional engineering and scoring by the road board.

The TIP will move forward in the county’s three‑year plan; several projects are expected to rely largely on federal cost participation, and staff said construction years for federally funded elements often fall beyond the TIP’s three‑year horizon. The council scheduled further consideration of the TIP during upcoming budget and work‑session meetings.