South East Area Commission on Transportation
Regional Partner with
South East Regional Alliance
Grant, Harney, and Malheur Counties
BOARD MINUTES
Jan 27, Burns, OR
Board Members:
Grant County:
Sally Bartlett
Boyd Britton
Patrick Bentz
Harney County:
Kenton Dick
Steve Grasty
Randy Fulton(alt)
State/Regional Agencies:
Sean Maloney, ODOT (Project Leader)
Monte Grove, ODOT
Tom Strandberg, ODOT
Mike Berry, ODOT
Malheur County:
Alan Daniels (alt)
Lynn Findley
Ken Freese
Roberta Vanderwall
At Large Positions:
Angie Jones
Matthew Harris, Senior Financial Analyst,
ODOT
Rich Brock, Senior Financial Analyst, ODOT
GEODC Staff
Judy Moore
Guests:
Lonnie Debban, Malheur Express
Kraig Cutsforth, City of Burns
Jeff Cotton, Burns Airport Manager
Don McGinn, Oregon Trucking Association
(OTA)
Move/ second/pass—Finley/Dick —approved the minutes of Nov 25, 2013 meeting, as
distributed. Minutes were approved unanimously.
The meeting was called to order by Co-Chair Steve Grasty. Self-introductions were made;
Quorum present. Alan Daniels is voting for Dan Joyce, Randy Fulton is voting for vacant seat.
Sean Maloney is replacing Tom Davis.
Power Point Presentation by Matthew Harris:
 Low interest loans for transportation projects across the state. Guaranteeing with gas
tax. It can be used as matching funds for grant projects.
 Currently $18M available; $3.5M for transit projects.
 Interest rates are fixed, ½ % for a 1-2 yr loan up to 2 - 3% for 20 yrs, depending on the
length of the loan.
 No prepayment penalty.
Question: Is this eligible for non gas tax projects such as Connect Oregon?
Answer: No, but it is being debating internally.
If you have an idea for a project, contact Matthew at ODOT.
Rich Brock: Direct & Indirect costs for invoicing ODOT
Mike Barry, ODOT Small Cities Allotment;
 46 small cities in Region 5.
 Received 21 applications this year vs. 18 last year.
 $1M is divided between 20 applicants chosen from the applications.
 Eligible if you don’t have an existing open project.
 Can be used as a match not necessarily for a project
 Two highway bridge projects in Harney County

Hines had an SCA awarded several years ago to be used for match for a street project
but they didn’t use it. Currently rewriting the agreement with them so they can go back &
use it for another project.

Federal Emergency money available if there is a catastrophe. The process has changed
for applying. When you get money from FHWA the match is 10.27%. If you go through
FEMA the mach is 30%. Greg Collins, Emergency Mgr, ODOT, will provide Emergency
Relief Training. Recommended for Emergency Managers, & Road Masters. (Sean will
set up a ERT training)
Comment: Funding needs to increase. It’s been at $1M for a long time.
Comment: City of Vale appreciates Mike for letting them know have $12,500 left from a project
5 years ago they didn’t spend. They can recoup that money if they turn in their receipts.
Comment: There is a lot of interest from the cities for SCA and the state low interest loan
program.
Southeast Area Commission on Transportation:
Monte Grove gave an update on happenings in the Region and Oregon Transportation
Commission (OTC)
 The Commission met & approved the draft 2015-18 STIP to go out for public review.
 Setting up public hearing process through video conference in each county.
 Changes on the Transportation Commission; Mary Olsen resigned for health reasons, Pat
Egan, Chair, resigned; he has moved to Las Vegas to run a natural gas co.
 The legislature is working on the Columbia River Crossing project in their short session.
 The Park N Rides across the states will be getting some minor improvements, signage &
marketing.
 Effective March 14th, the last of the rest areas on I-5 and I-84 will be turned over to Travel
Information Council to manage. In Region 5 the only rest area left is Deadman’s Pass on I84.
 2017-2020 STIP will be coming up.
 Over the next year or two working on getting a LIDAR on all our state highways.
Question: Does ODOT have any concerns with what’s going on with the Sage Grouse issue?
Answer: There are issues and we’re working on it.
It was suggested that a letter be sent from the SEACT group addressing solutions and
concerns in the area. Roberta Vanderwall made a motion for Judge Grasty to draft a letter
to be signed by Commissioner Britton then distribute it to the group. Alan Daniels
seconded. Motion carried unanimous.
District Update and Local Projects; Sean Maloney –
• Megaload update: the first 2 loads are in Montana. The 3rd load will be coming through
sometime in March. No date yet.
Comments:
Grant Co; the first load went through smoothly & very organized even donated to the
community. The 2nd load there was one complaint. It was not organized as well as the first
load.
Ontario; the 2nd load went through & nobody even knew it happened.
ODOT is doing a great job of keeping communities informed of where the loads are.
 Connect Oregon 5 project list handout. Six projects in the SE area.
 Select a subcommittee from the SEACT group to review Connect Oregon 5 projects.
Subcommittee members are: Co-Chair Boyd Britton, Grant County, Alan Daniels, Malheur
County, Randy Fulton, Harney County, Mike Cosgrove, Bicycle/Ped Rep, Angie Jones,
Transit Rep.
 The first Joint Act meeting will be March 27th in John Day & the Grant County Airport. The
SEACT Subcommittee will meet on April 7th, 10am at the Grant County Airport.
 2015-2018 STIP (Handout) Enhance It Project Schedule.
 John Day sidewalk beautification project is in the advanced planning. Will go out for bid in
May to start in the summer 2014.
 ITS, Intelligent T Signs, are snow zone signs have to be manually changed, they will be
converted to remote drum signs. In the SE region there is 1 on I-84 & 2 on US20.
 On 395 MP31curve realignment. Bid going out in March. Anticipate construction between
June-Oct.
 Concrete patching on I-84 at Farewell Bend.
 Burns signal improvement at Monroe & Broadway project for 2015.
 Overlay on US20, Eastbound, from Black Canyon to Malheur River, approx 20 miles.
Project 2015.
 Pavement preservation & new sidewalk in Nyssa. Project for 2015.
City/County Reports:
Alan Daniels, Ontario, Airport,
 Finishing up on an urban growth boundary expansion for heavy rail dependent about 250
acres. Ontario, Vale & Nyssa are working on becoming regional significant industrial
areas.
 Finishing up on the Washington Street project. Deadline is 4/15
Lynn Findley, Vale,
 Received the keys to the new Senior Center. Grand opening in March.
 City of Vale, the other cities & the county all cooperate together in chip sealing the
roads.
 Updating the Cities’ public facilities zone and working together with Nyssa & Vale on
land use planning to expand Vale’s industrial lands. Vale is targeting 99 acre tract west
of town & 117 acre tract east of town.
Robert Vanderwall, Nyssa,
 Working with Vale & Ontario on expanding the urban growth boundaries.
 Moving forward on a $6.4M water improvement project with CDBG funds & a 1% loan.
Kraig Cutsforth, Burns,
 Laying pavement at the airport.
 Possible drought situation.
Boyd Britton, Grant County,
 Current water situation has everyone concerned.
 Moving forward with the Stewardship project.
 Looking at the legislature for bio-mass credits.
Ken Freese, Malheur County,
 There is some interest in some silver farms.
 Sage Grouse issue can be devastating to the county.
 Concerned with the allotment of gas tax directly tied to populations.
Question: Does anybody know anything about the Tiger Grant program?
Answer: The federal bill takes us through September a portion was to fund the Tiger Grant
program. It’s been funded before so this takes us to the next round of solicitations.
Question: Is there any opportunity here?
Answer: Yes, the projects that compete have a large match, projects that involve more than
one mode.
Steve Grasty, Harney County,
 Will be talking with the Portland City club & would like everyone’s feedback on: “Why do
you think people in urban Oregon care that your community exists?
 Sage Grouse issue.
 Working on FEMA flood plain.
 Randy’s been working on a project that can bring a lot of jobs to Harney Co.
Randy Fulton
Lewis & Clark Machinery, engineer & fabricate machinery mostly for sawmills. The owner has
the opportunity to expand because of some long term contracts & he can increase his work
force by 5 if we could help by getting some training for some welders. The 5 day class was
taught by a man from Treasure Valley Community College. There were 10 training slots
available. Partnering with Worksource Oregon, the students would have to be in their system &
unemployed. The owner of the company would choose 5 of the 10 that complete the course.
The class was last week and the results from the class are not available yet. For about $5,000
five people will get a job & five more will have some training.
Sally Bartlett,
Grant County ED is close to getting the cosmetology college approved through the state. It’s
been a 2 year project, consisting of a 101 page application. After sending in the initial
application, the state changed their process which meant having to submit the application in
sections, plus the staff turnover at the Dept. of Ed. has made this a difficult process. It will be a
private career school, starting out with cosmetology, adding a culinary arts piece, a natural
resource piece & a trades piece. All under the private career school license.
Angie Jones, Transit Representative

Grant County Transportation District is working with the ODVA (Oregon Department of
Veterans) for a $50,000 transportation grant. This would be used to open up the US395
route to Walla Walla. The grant process has been extremely complicated.
In the next few weeks we will be receiving our 1st 5 station wheelchair bus.
Judy Moore, GEODC Staff Report:
 GEODC has begun working on the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. We
are planning on doing a training/presentation in as many cities as we can in March/April.
We will be coming to Burns & John Day on April 2nd & 3rd.
 GEODC’s Annual Membership meeting will be in John Day this year on April 4th from 1012. Invitations will be going out shortly.
SRA meeting tabled until next meeting
Next meeting is a Joint Act meeting on March 27, 2014, Grant County Regional Airport,
John Day, OR
Meeting Adjourned 1:20pm PST