The Metropolitan Planning Organization still is in its infancy and is ironing out some details.

For example, it remains to be determined how each city will participate in the decision making.

“We want it in place before January,” said Paul Rasmussen, community development director.

Rasmussen explained that it is important that the MPO is established and functioning correctly as soon as possible to ensure that certain state funds will be secured.

With the election of a new governor, Rasmussen made it clear that he would like to see the MPO fully functioning by January, but is fearful because when a new governor is elected, a possible loss of funds could occur.

A meeting on 1:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St., will determine the voting structure of the fledgling MPO.

“The City of DeKalb will be the lead agency involved,” Mayor Greg Sparrow said.

Sparrow has a plan that he will propose at the meeting that consists of an eight-vote system where the City of DeKalb would control four votes, Sycamore one vote, NIU one vote, DeKalb County one vote, and the Illinois Department of Transportation would have one vote.

“I think that we [the City of DeKalb] ought to have half of the voting members,” Sparrow said.

Sparrow explained that he did not foresee any problems with working with the various agents of government, as they have been working together in regards to transportation for the last 30 years.

Initially, NIU and Cortland were to take on advising roles without any voting power in regards to policy decisions of the MPO.

The new plan to be purposed by Sparrow would allow NIU to have a formal vote on policy while leaving Cortland in an ex officio advising role.

The increase in population has forced the City of DeKalb and the surrounding towns to establish the MPO to address the problems associated with transportation.

Areas, not necessarily cities, that reach populations of 50,000 people or more, must create these types of organizations.

DeKalb makes up 71 percent of the population of the local area. DeKalb County, Sycamore and Cortland make up the remaining 29 percent.

The MPO will consist of two parts, a policy committee and a technical staff.

The policy committee will decide how state and federal funds will be allocated. The technical side will determine how the new roads and other transportation related projects will be built.

The City of DeKalb’s four voting members of the MPO would consist of two alderman, one from a student ward, and one from a non-student ward, Sparrow and a top administrator. The alderman and top administrator are to be appointed by Sparrow.

The mayor explained that City Planner Ray Keller has had more than four years of experience working with MPOs in Minnesota, and has been instrumental in the planning of the DeKalb area organization.