South East Area Commission on Transportation
Regional Partner with
South East Regional Alliance
Grant, Harney, and Malheur Counties
BOARD MINUTES
Jan 26, 2015 Ontario, OR
Board Members:
Grant County:
Sally Bartlett
Boyd Britton
Patrick Bentz
Peggy Gray
Doug Ferguson
Harney County:
Joan Davies
Malheur County:
Dan Joyce
Linda Simmons
Lynn Findley
Ken Freese
At Large Positions:
Angie Jones
State/Regional Agencies:
Sean Maloney, ODOT (Project Leader)
Monte Grove, ODOT
Mike Barry, ODOT
GEODC Staff
Judy Moore
Guests:
Andy Lindsey, Anderson Perry & Assoc.
Larry Meyer, Argus Observer
Dave Van Wagoner, CH2MHill, City of
Ontario
Justin Walker, Keller Assoc.
Mike McLaughlin, City of Vale
Ronald Verini, City of Ontario
Doug Argo, Holladay Eng. & Nyssa
The meeting was called to order by Co-Chair Boyd Britton. Self-introductions were made;
Quorum present. Joan Davies from the City of Hines is now a voting member from Harney
County.
Approve the minutes of Nov 24, 2014 meeting, as distributed:
Motion: Ken Freese
2nd: Sally Bartlett
Motion Carried: Unanimously.
Christy Jordan, Freight Mobility Coordinator for the State of Oregon: Freight Permit
Process- power point presentation
Question: How do you go about ascertaining a cost? Is there no cost?
Answer: It’s by statue and its $8 for one vehicle. The counties add a variety of fees in order to
use their county roads. The single trip permits that are overweight, and exceed over 98,000lbs
in gross weight and have heavy axels they get charged a road fee by the mile.
Question: Do you have a way of knowing how many annual permits have been issued to a
single user?
Answer: No. We know how many annual permits are issued and we can tell how many are
issued to a company for “x” amount of trucks, but we don’t know which route the carrier is
taking.
Question: If you allow any big load through the county, how do you make sure it’s not going to
damage the roads and bridges.
Answer: We use weight tables and go through a weight analysis and the Bridge Highway office
uses weight tables to determine ahead of time if the bridges will adequately support the weight.
They also look at each culvert and structure on the route to determine if it’s capable of bearing
weight.
Question: Do you have anybody that does a weight rating on the County bridges.
Answer: There are. ODOT’s Bridge office evaluates the situation and any weight restrictions
are included as an attachment with the annual permit.
Comment: Malheur County is different than all the other counties in the state in that they have
Road Maintenance Districts. They should be contacted if there is a large load going through the
county.
Question: Is there a certain amount of liability insurance to be carried by each one of the
carriers on a single load?
Answer: Yes. There is a permitting and driver responsibility form that covers any damages to
highways, roads and bridges, etc.
Monte Grove, Rough Roads Ahead, Economic Impacts of Highway Conditions;
Rough Roads.pdf
Question: What did ODOT use to figure 100,000 fewer jobs?
Answer: It’s an algorithm, showing an impact of higher transportation costs on the ability of
firms to grow projected over a period of time. It’s a guess based over a 20 year projection.
Firms can’t grow as fast with an old transportation system which means they aren’t hiring.
Co-Chair Britton; discussed the new gas tax formula presented at the last SEACT meeting by
Tom Fellows from NEACT. The formula consists of increasing the gas tax 4-6 cents per gallon,
but after a discussion with Steve Grasty, they agree to start the conversation with Rep. Cliff
Bentz with 10 cents per gallon increase. Questions or Comments?
Comment: It has to be agreeable to more than just this group. The difference between 10 and
6 cents it would be good to see the revenue equated back to the counties. Also, would like to
see it called a “user fee”.
Comment: I would think they want a sunset clause on it and index it. We need to encourage
our legislatures to make it appealing to all the counties.
Question: The Association of Counties (AOC) and the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) is
working on presenting a package to the legislature is this the same? We need to be united with
the other organizations.
Answer: Not sure.
Question: Is the current formula 50/30/20 still going to be in affect after this goes through?
Discussion followed.
Co-Chairs Boyd Britton and Steve Grasty, would like to draft a letter addressed to the
transportation commission to take a look at the proposed formula if the committee agrees.
Regional Updates:
ODOT Small Cities Allotment (SCA)-Mike Barry;
 Awarded 5 out of the 26 applications. Continue to apply the goal is to get 30
applications submitted so we can award 6 cities.
 Cities that were awarded: Ukiah, Wallowa, Haines, Monument and Joseph.
 Selected Anderson Perry as the consultant for the Harney County bridges.
 Assisting with the Federal Land Access Program (FLAP) application for the Juntura
Road project.
 Connect OR IV projects are about complete.
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Connect OR V projects in this region are: a taxiway at the Burns Airport, a remodel at
the John Day and Ontario transit center, and Grant County Airport is working on their
master plan.
The letters are out for the fund exchange.
Update - Monte: The Connect Oregon group reconvened. At their last meeting in December
they didn’t approve the Port of St. Helens berth 2 project. There is about $4M to reallocate.
They prioritized the remaining projects and identified the top 6 projects. One project from our
district is at the top of that list. OTC did a public hearing in January and about 100 people
showed up of which the majority gave testimonies on the impacts of greenhouse gases and the
berth 2 project in St. Helens. The group is to meet again in February to make a final decision.
More than likely it will not be a project from our area.
District Update and Local Projects; Sean Maloney –
 US20 Black Canyon to Harper pavement project scheduled for construction this year.
 I84 Nelson point to Lime is pavement project from Ashgrove to the old Lime plant
scheduled for construction this year.
 Sign upgrade project this summer. Replacing signs on US395 from John Day going south
to US20 scheduled for construction this year.
 Burns signal improvement, replacing the signal on Highlander in front of the high school
and communication upgrades at Egan and replacing the signal pole at Monroe &
Broadway in addition we will be upgrading the signal communication and traffic detection.
There will be a detour involved and working with the City of Burns. This project is
scheduled for construction this year.
 The John Day sidewalk project is finishing up, there’s about 3 weeks left on that project.
The work will resume when weather permits.
 Region 5 ITS 2014 project is installing drum signs, snow zone signs. ODOT has placed a
total of 10 up in the Region as part of this project. There are 3 we are still working on in
District 14. Two of them in the SEACT area. Two between Juntura and Burns and one on
I84. Work will resume when weather permits.
2015-2018 Enhancement Schedule – Sean Maloney
OTC approved the final STIP on December 2014. Currently waiting on the Federal Highway
Federal Transit Division to adopt and distribute. Should be sometime this spring.
Question: Did the 2018 schedule get moved up?
Answer: The commission gave staff the authority to do administrative amendments in
advance, if funding allows, in case the project can’t be completed within the time frame.
2018-2021 STIP schedule – Sean Maloney – Handout
2018-2021 STIP
schedule.pdf
Enhance-it letters have been sent out. See attached hand out for timeline.
Applications are due by August 1st, 2015. The OTC wants to see projects that have more of a
greater impact and less of the smaller projects.
Question: What do you mean by more of a greater impact?
Answer: OTC is looking for projects that are beneficial for the region and statewide.
OTC Update – Monte Grove:
 The Commission met, Governor Kitzhaber appointed Tammy Baney as the OTC Chair.
They are short one member now. The Governor will be appointing someone in the future.
 Presentation on Region 1 who doesn’t have an ACT, and a push to establish one.
 Presentation on DMV’s computer conversion. Roughly $32 million will be included in the
Governor’s budget for the first phase of the project.
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Presentation on Orphan Highways which is the highways in local communities that are not
ODOT’s priorities, however they are a priority to the local jurisdiction. The discussion was
how to fund transferring the highways to the local jurisdictions.
A Public Hearing was held on the draft Oregon Transportation Options Plan.
Connect Oregon 5 Public Hearing (discussed earlier)
OTC invited all the ACT Chairs to attend the next meeting in February. Co-Chair Boyd
Britton will be attending this meeting for SEACT.
In the legislature now is Connect Oregon VI for $58 million, DMV’s computer upgrade, and
the Transportation Package.
Proposing to include installing a type of barrier that would prevent cross over crashes in
opposing lanes.
In the region there has been 3 large truck crashes in the last year.
City/County Reports:
Lynn Findley/Mike McLaughlin, City of Vale,
 City of Vale is dealing with some water/infrastructure issues. Working on updating the
master plan, going through the public hearing phase currently.
 The gold mine south of town is still moving forward with their permitting process.
 In the past we’ve chipped sealed a few side streets here and there, this year we are
going to try something new and crack seal the all the streets in town. Would like Mike
Barry’s advice if we are moving in the right direction.
 2015-2018 STIP Safe Walk to School project, putting in a sidewalk from the middle
school to the high school.
 Zoned industrial lands within the city limits around Eastern Ore Railroad that runs from
Eagle Pitcher to Kyro Junction we will continue to use the rail line and hope to update it
to continue to use it anyway we can to further our industries.
Question: When you chip seal do you hire that out or do you partner with the county?
Answer: It’s a partnership with the road district, the county, the Cities of Nyssa and Ontario.
City of Nyssa,
 Working with IFA for a new water treatment facility funded with Community Development
Block Grant funds. Looking to be constructed by 2016.
 Dealing with deteriorating streets.
Dave Van Waggoner of CH2MHill, City of Ontario,
 CH2MHill has been here for about 6 months. Just completed an inventory of all the
streets and realized with some pavement preservation processes, we will change the
frequency of chip seals from 8 years to 10 years.
 Upgrading the snow and ice sweep.
Comment: On the chip seal CH2MHill used a product called FOG that helped solidify the chip
seal.
City of John Day, Peggy Gray,
 Construction to begin this summer on the new fire station. Bid for Construction
Manager/General Contractor when to Kirby Nagelhout Construction Co.
 Working with Anderson Perry on alternatives for the wastewater treatment plant.
 Street project is on hold until the weather gets better, but looking at a March completion.
 The 2015-2018 STIP project will be coming up for new sidewalks to the high school.
 Meeting with Sean and Craig for an enhancement project on the next 2018-2021 STIP
City of Hines, Joan Davies,
 Some of our city streets are now to the point they are unrecoverable.
 Working with Doug Ferguson on a master plan for work on the water lines.
 Originally we were addressing the issue of the 80 year old elevated water tower but we
discovered the ground tank is leaking, divers found 24 holes.
Regional Solutions Team-Update,
Email from Craig Sipp,
 The Malheur County Regional Significant Industrial Area (RSIA) nomination which will go
before the review board for approval on Jan 28th
 FLAP application for the Juntura cut off road Mike Barry has been helping with, which
has already been mentioned.
Email from Scott Fairley,
 The Regional Solutions Advisory Committee project within the region is the Grant
Biomass Utilization project which has recommended funding of $1.1 million (in the
Governor’s Budget). The project will support forestry related job retention in Grant
County and is proposed to create 160 direct and indirect jobs.
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The Governor’s proposed budget for rural economic development in this region:
 $7 million: patient capital (no interest charged until a business is located) for
industrial land infrastructure
 $10 million for infrastructure for job retention and creation in rural communities.
Aimed at supporting Regionally Significant Industrial Areas – i.e. Malheur County
sites.
 $5 million to create natural resource related jobs in rural communities
 $6 million to increase forest restoration on federal forest lands
 $51.6 million for water development projects
 $2 million per region to support multiple outcomes in education, workforce, and
economic development
 $22 million for regional economic development priority projects – this includes the
funding for the Grant County biomass project
Regional Solutions Advisory Committee members will be meeting with legislators to
support funding for regional priorities and projects
The next Regional Solutions Advisory Committee meeting is February 19 from 1-3pm at
the Greenwood Resources tree farm near Boardman
Grant County Regional Airport-Patrick Bentz,
The aviation community is trying to push through an increase in the Jet tax. Currently in the
state of Oregon it’s 1 cent per gallon. In the State of Washington it’s about 45 cents per gallon.
The proposal is to raise it by 4 cents. The revenue would go to the Dept. of Aviation to be used
as grants for different airports. It would not be used within the department itself. Senator Betsy
Johnson is supporting this.
Angie Jones, Transit Representative Transportation between Walla Walla and John Day and Burns and John Day is now
available.
 Working on the Connect Oregon V project, bidding closes this week. Will be awarded in
February.
 Working with Senator Wyden’s office on the process of getting a Motor Carrier Authority
through the Federal Motor Carrier Association courtesy of a Rural Transportation Grant.
Judy Moore, GEODC Staff Report:
 GEODC has completed the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
 The Executive Committee has assigned a search committee to hire an Executive Director
Business:
 Sean presented we do an Amendment to the SEACT Charter on page 4 under section
IV, B. Membership. The Amendment will add the word freight where appropriate.
It was moved and 2nd by: Linda S./Lynn F. MC: Unanimous
Discussion followed on finding a person to fill the at large position for a freight
representative.
 Co-Chair Britton, announced the Bike/Pedestrian At Large position is open and
suggested the group try to solicit somebody from the 3 county area for the position.
 Discussion held on the vacant positions on the SEACT committee. Each county will try
to fill the vacant positions by the next meeting.
 Discussion held on the 2015 meeting schedule. It was discussed we will try to have a
video conference for the November meeting.
 The 2016-2018 SEACT Charter should be reviewed and adopted prior to the OTC
meeting in August. It was suggested to have Sean, Judy and Co-Chair Steve Grasty
work on the SEACT Charter.
 Suggestions for guest speakers on the next meeting:
1) Presentation on the Road Usage Charge Program
2) An update on the State Highway Distribution fund (Tom and Burke’s
presentation)
Next meeting is on March 23, 2015, Burns, OR
Meeting Adjourned
Respectfully submitted