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Idaho Transportation Department
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SPECIAL
MEETING OF THE
January 7, 2009
Idaho
Transportation Board Chairman Darrell V Manning called a special meeting of the
Idaho Transportation Board at 2:05 PM on Wednesday, January 7, 2009. The
following were present at the Idaho Transportation Department in
Darrell V Manning, Chairman
Monte C. McClure, Vice Chairman –
District 3
Pamela Lowe, Director
Scott Stokes, Deputy Director
Sue S. Higgins, Board Secretary
The
following participated via videoconference or teleconference:
Jim Coleman, Member – District 1
Bruce Sweeney, Member – District 2
Neil Miller, Member – District 5
Lee Gagner, Member – District 6
Chairman
Manning welcomed Senator Chuck Winder and Representative Phylis
King to the meeting.
Proposed FY09 Transportation
Infrastructure Economic Stimulus. Dave Amick, Manager, Transportation Investments
(MTI), said Congress has been discussing an economic stimulus package targeted
for infrastructure improvements. Although the dollar amount has not been
finalized and there are other unknown factors, such as guidelines or
requirements for spending the federal dollars, staff has been reviewing
potential projects that could be ready for construction by June 1, 2009. Six
emphasis areas to direct the additional one-time money, estimated at $100
million for Idaho, were considered. No match is anticipated.
MTI Amick provided a list of local projects estimated
at $48 million. The intent is to provide 12.6% of the total stimulus funding
for local projects. This would be consistent with ITD’s long-held practice to
proportionately share additional federal highway funding with local agencies in
accordance with Board Policy B-11-04, Allocation of Surface Transportation
Program Apportionments to Local Public Agencies. This proposal will be
re-examined if the final economic stimulus legislation provides funding for local
public agencies.
Chief Engineer Tom Cole
elaborated on the other emphasis areas to fund: GARVEE projects; unfunded
expansion projects; a combination of preservation, restoration, and expansion
projects; pavement preservation; and bridges. Although no formal criteria has
been established by which states should determine projects for economic
stimulus funding, staff believes constructing unfunded expansion projects would
provide the most economic stimulus and benefits to the state. He added that a
combination of projects from different emphasis areas could be funded.
Member Gagner asked if
consideration was given to how many jobs each emphasis area would create. MTI
Amick responded no; staff did not specifically look at the number of jobs each
emphasis area would generate. As a rule, for every $1 million spent on
transportation construction projects, 20 to 40 jobs are created. The number
varies based on the type of project.
Member Sweeney expressed
support to distribute the additional funding statewide. He does not favor funding
GARVEE projects with this one-time additional money.
Member Blick believes expensive,
unfunded projects should be the highest priority for the economic stimulus
funding because it is difficult to fund those in the regular Program. He also believes
the legislature needs to provide additional, on-going revenue to the Department
to address the preservation needs.
Vice Chairman McClure
concurred with the desire to expend the money statewide and to fund large,
costly projects. Additionally, funding for GARVEE projects has been identified
through bonding in the GARVEE Program, so he does not support funding those
projects. He expressed concern with funding $100 million in preservation
projects, as he does not believe the state’s contractors can handle a workload
of that magnitude in addition to all of the other preservation projects
currently scheduled in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. Although
preserving the existing system is the Board’s highest priority, Vice Chairman
McClure believes the existing highway Program can address the preservation
needs. He suggested funding the US-2, Dover Bridge and US-93, Twin Falls
Alternate Route, Stage 2, because the Board has been struggling with
identifying funds for those two important projects.
Member Sweeney expressed
concern with funding only two projects with the anticipated $100 million in additional
money.
Member Gagner voiced support
for the pavement preservation option. That would address concerns with the
existing system and distribute the funding statewide.
Member Coleman supported distributing
the funds statewide and also believes additional state funding should be
provided to fund the preservation needs.
Although Member Miller
supported funding the Dover Bridge and Twin Falls Alternate Route projects, he
believes the money should be distributed throughout the state.
Vice Chairman McClure
proposed funding a combination of projects on the unfunded expansion list. The
projects, totaling approximately $94 million, would be: US-93, Twin Falls
Alternate Route, Stage 2; US-95, Moscow Mountain Passing Lanes; US-95, Top of
White Bird Grade to Chainup Area; I-86, Chubbuck Interchange Bridge to Pocatello
Creek Interchange; SH-48, Rigby High School to Yellowstone Highway; and US-20,
Henry’s Lake Flat Passing Lanes. He removed the Districts 1 and 3 projects,
US-2, Dover Bridge and I-84, Vista Interchange, because those areas have GARVEE
projects and the $100 million Sand Creek Byway project.
Members Gagner and Sweeney
expressed concern with not funding any preservation projects. Member Sweeney
also questioned expending $50 million for one project, the US-93, Twin Falls
Alternate Route. He suggested providing District 4 with some economic stimulus funding
and having the District identify the additional money needed for the project.
District 4 Engineer Devin Rigby reported that the additional funding for the
US-93 project could be identified; however, other projects currently programmed
in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program would need to be delayed.
Vice Chairman McClure said
the intent of the economic stimulus package needs to be considered. He believes
expansion projects would provide the most economic benefits, particularly in
the long term.
Member Blick made a motion
to make the following unfunded expansion projects the highest priority for
preparation for construction with anticipated federal economic stimulus funding:
US-93, Twin Falls Alternate Route, Stage 2 ($51 million); US-95, Moscow
Mountain Passing Lanes ($5 million); US-95, Top of White Bird Grade to Chainup Area ($4 million); I-86, Chubbuck Interchange
Bridge to Pocatello Creek Interchange ($25 million); SH-48, Rigby High School to
Yellowstone Highway ($5 million); and US-20, Henry’s Lake Flat Passing Lanes
($4 million), totaling approximately $94 million. Vice Chairman McClure
seconded the motion.
Member Miller noted that the
economic stimulus package has not been finalized. This is to provide guidance
to staff to prepare for the final legislation. When the final package is
available, the plan may need to be revisited.
The motion passed 4-2 with
Members Sweeney and Gagner dissenting.
Director Lowe asked for
additional guidance in the event that Idaho receives more than $100 million in
federal economic stimulus funding. Without objection, the US-2, Dover Bridge
was added to the list of projects to get ready for construction if more money
is received.
Executive
Session on Legal Issues, Section 67-2345(d), Idaho Code. Member Blick made a motion
to meet in executive session at 3:15 PM to discuss legal issues. Vice Chairman
McClure seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
A general discussion was held on the draft findings of
the ITD performance audit, which has been embargoed until January 19, 2009.
The Board came out of
executive session at 4:05 PM. No decisions were made.
WHEREUPON the special session of the
Transportation Board adjourned at 4:05 PM.
________________signed______________
DARRELL V MANNING, Chairman
Read and Approved
January
22, 2009
Boise,
Idaho