FOR BUSINESSES, NON-PROFITS, AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

Do you own or manage one of the 400+ businesses, non-profits and religious organizations along the North Monroe corridor? Or if you're not located near the corridor, do you believe the success of your organization -- and our entire community -- is impacted by the condition of Tallahassee's #1 gateway? If so, please consider writing a short letter, with your company letterhead, that describes why the North Monroe upgrades are important to you and your organization. A template, with some sample language, is provided below.

Please email your letter to Commissioner Rick Minor at MinorR@LeonCountyFL.gov by 5pm ET, February 27th, and we'll include it in a materials packet for review by the Blueprint Board of Directors. Thank you for adding your voice to make the North Monroe corridor something we can be proud of!

PLEASE NOTE: Per Florida’s Public Records Law (Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes), most written communication to or from local elected officials and their staff regarding government business are public records available to the public and media upon request. Your letter may therefore be subject to public disclosure.

Letter Template with Sample Language

Please feel free to use the following template as a guide, replacing the [bracketed text] with your own and of course changing anything else so that the letter accurately represents your views and your voice.

[Insert your company letterhead here]

[Date]

Blueprint Board of Directors

Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency

315 S. Calhoun Street, Suite 450

Tallahassee, FL 32301

Dear Blueprint Board of Directors,

I want to thank you and your teams for all of the previous and ongoing efforts to improve the North Monroe corridor. Your work to date -- within Blueprint, the City of Tallahassee, and Leon County and in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation -- is providing a noticeable improvement. However, there are still major problems with safety and usability that require our community's attention.

[Please describe why you believe an upgrade for North Monroe is important to you, your organization, and/or the community at large. A personal observation or anecdote related to the corridor's infrastructure will likely make a big impression upon the Blueprint Directors.]

With this in mind, I respectfully urge you to designate the budgeted amount of Blueprint's North Monroe Gateway project to serve as the required 20% match for the CRTPA's Safe Streets for All grant application. If the grant is awarded, we'll have $21 million for upgrades such as improved intersections, new sidewalks, better lighting, and safer street crossings. These improvements will improve usability and save lives on North Monroe. Moreover, it would draw down nearly $17 million in U.S. Department of Transportation funds, providing a 1-to-5 rate of return on Blueprint's investment in this project.

Let's make the North Monroe corridor a source of pride for Tallahassee. Thank you very much for your consideration, and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

[Your signature]

[Your name]

[Your title]

[Your contact information]