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As you can see, today we are using our new video teleconferencing system. We anticipate that this new system will provide much more reliability during our transportation board meetings than what the previous system provided. This system will also be available for other public meetings as well. Note that the microphones are much more sensitive than what you are used to. You may want to take this into account during sidebar conversations or when we break.
A lot of research went into finding the right equipment to meet our needs. I would like to thank Reid Lamson, Jeff Carpenter, Rachelle Swanson, Glenn Roberts and Chris Alden for all their work to make this a success.
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On February 13, 2012, ITD leadership met with representatives from the local agencies. I also met with Stuart Davis, the Executive Director, of the Idaho Association of Highway Districts separately on February 23, 2012. Department staff also participated in the quarterly meeting with the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council on March 9, 2012. These meetings are held regularly basis to strengthen our partnership with the locals. We have many common issues and goals we are all trying to achieve in the transportation area; most notably continuing to maintain services during an era of declining revenues.
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On December 28, 2011, I received a letter From the Legislative Services Office of the Idaho State Legislature. The letter stated that their audit has been completed for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. The conclusion was that ITD has complied with all laws, regulations, rules, grant agreements, and contracts which were audited for compliance. There were no findings or recommendations to report. This is a direct reflection on all the employees at ITD that take very seriously their job to protect the taxpayer’s money, invest it as wisely as they can, and comply with all laws and regulations. This is another indication of ITD’s smart fiscal management.
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I completed my annual employee meetings this month in Districts 5 and 6. My goal is to offer all 1,800 employees in the department an opportunity to meet with me. That has been accomplished.
While it is a challenge, I plan to continue the employee meetings next year with a goal of visiting with every employee prior to Labor Day.
I also met with the supervisory and non-supervisory Direct to the Director employee groups on Dec. 5.
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Three documents will be forwarded to the Governor and Lt. Governor, and handed out to our legislators at the legislative outreach meetings that start at the end of this month. I wanted to review these in advance with the Board.
The three documents are:
1. The 2011 Idaho Transportation Department Annual Accountability Report.
2. The Five Year Idaho Transportation Department Investment Plan.
3. The Idaho Transportation Department Strategic Plan.
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During last month's meeting, both Deputy Director Stokes and I commented how we covered for each other these past couple of months as we both dealt with personal losses. But I have found that this is not just about the two of us. Covering for fellow team members happens on a regular basis at the Idaho Transportation Department.
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On August 23rd, we had our second briefing session with State Representatives Joe Palmer and Julie Ellsworth who respectively chair and vice chair the House transportation committee. We provided updates on our Strategic Planning, performance management, ITIP and how we select projects, and a briefing on the GARVEE program.
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Last month, the Idaho Transportation Department announced that an additional $5.7 million was put back on the street or invested in equipment as a result of cost savings due to realignment and other efficiencies. This investment directly supports the mission of ITD.
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On June 21, 2011, ITD leadership and District Three Engineer David Jones met with Mayor Tammy de Weerd and other officials from the City of Meridian to discuss the maintenance facility located within the city. Mr. Jones will continue to meet with the city in an effort to blend the existing facility into the area or relocate the facility.
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On May 20 and 23, 2011, the first sessions of the Direct to the Director meetings were held. Fifteen employees representing a cross section of the department, both geographically and functionally, met with me for about one-half day to discuss issues pertinent to the employees.
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The month of May started with the spring meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and a renewed focus on what is happening with transportation at a national level. Most of the discussion involved funding.
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On March 21, 2011, the ITD budget for fiscal year 2012 passed the House by a 64 to 6 vote. The same budget passed the Senate unanimously with 35 votes on March 29, 2011. I believe that the combined approval of 99 to 6 is an indication of the strong support we have in the legislature. What makes this even more impressive it that the budget bill included increased flexibility to align the budget without the limitations that exist in current Idaho Code.
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On February 22, 2011 I met with Idaho State Police Director Jerry Russell to discuss how our departments could work more closely together. Our partnering efforts will continue with the State Police and involve additional staff at future sessions, including one on March 28, 2011 where ITD, the State Police, and the Ada County Highway District will meet to discuss traffic operations in the Treasure Valley.
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The January Transportation Board meeting concluded with ITD's presentation to the joint House and Senate Transportation Committees. Deputy Director Stokes and I had the pleasure of presenting on behalf of the Department. Many of the questions focused on three areas; GARVEE, the condition of our roads and bridges, and transportation funding.
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On January 10, the 2011 Legislative Session kicked off with the State of the State address. I was pleased that the Idaho Transportation Department was mentioned as one of the agencies which is becoming more efficient and saving the taxpayers money. Our department was only one of four agencies highlighted in this portion of the Governor's remarks. A video is available on our web site.
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Starting this month, my Director's report to the Board will be a little different. Our Executive Officers will have a greater role in presenting pertinent information to the Board. This is an important step as we move the entire organization forward in a coordinated and cohesive manner with the Board, the Director, and through the front lines of the organization. We cannot separate the policy level from the implementation level.
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On November 10th, the department issued permits for over-sized loads to travel from Lewiston to the Montana border on U.S. 12. Shipping the loads was suspended pending a hearing.
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