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Board schedules Tuesday workshop, Wednesday meeting

The Idaho Transportation Board will discuss the Idaho Corridor Analysis and Planning System (ICAPS), potential impacts of the new federal transportation bill and contractual agreements during a Tuesday workshop in Boise. The discussion will be a prelude to the board’s monthly business meeting that begins at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Darrell V Manning boardroom and auditorium at Headquarters.

Good decision-making tools, such as corridor planning, are key to developing a statewide transportation strategy. ICAPS will help that process by identifying public preferences, highway needs and fiscal opportunities. The new corridor-planning tool will serve as a roadmap for accomplishing the needs and desires for Idaho’s system. It also will determine how to proceed and allows the department to better focus its resources, funds, staff and technology.

After that discussion, ITD staff members will explain policies impacted by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), federal funding authorized last summer by Congress. MAP-21 reduced the number of programs but provides more flexibility in how states use the transportation funds.

For example, the new act no longer includes a Safe Routes to School Program or Transportation Enhancement Program. However, the new Transportation Alternatives Program allows states to fund projects that were previously allowed in those deleted programs, such as sidewalks and bicycle/pedestrian pathways. Board guidance will be needed when ITD updates the Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP).

The last topic on the workshop agenda relates to agreements, including the process to secure professional services. ITD personnel will explain for board members the differences between the qualification-based selection requirements and the price-based professional agreements.

The former is used for federally funded projects in the ITIP involving professional engineering, landscape architecture, architectural, construction management, professional land surveying, or similar services. It is used to ensure that a qualified firm is chosen to perform the work. ITD works closely with the Department of Administration on price-based agreements.

Business meeting topics

Tax Commission’s use of highway funds
ITD provides federal funds to the State Tax Commission to combat motor fuel tax evasion. A special report on the project will be provided at the board meeting on Wednesday.

The motor fuels tax evasion project began in 1992. In the past two decades, the Tax Commission spent $939,590, most of which was for personnel costs. Some funds also were devoted to training and office expenses. The Tax Commission recovered nearly $7 million since the program began, or a return on investment ratio of 7.37.

Report from Dealer Advisory Board (DAB)
The Dealer Advisory Board (DAB) was established to assist and advise the department in the administration of the Idaho Dealer and Salesman Licensing Act and other motor vehicle-related programs. The governor appoints the 11 members. Five represent new vehicle dealerships, four represent used vehicle dealerships. It also includes one member from the recreational vehicle dealerships, new and used motorcycles, and All-Terrain Vehicles dealers.

The DAB is required to report to the board annually. Following are some of the topics it will discuss with the transportation board:

Efforts continue on the amending of Idaho Code to require continued education for all licensed wholesale vehicle dealers in the state. Legislation was not introduced in 2012; however, there are plans to proceed with it in 2013. Work also has been done to address the “principal place of business” definition in Idaho Code, but, the DAB has not reached a consensus yet.

The DAB generally meets three times a year to review reports, such as the number of licensed dealers by vehicle type and county, the number of titles issued by month, the number of consumer complaints and the average time it took to close each complaint, dealers whose licenses were revoked, and any hearings to be conducted.