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Department properties, a funding request and leasing will lead board agenda

A report on state-owned dwellings, funding for a parking lot in Pierce and lease of transportation department property for oil and natural gas exploration will be discussed during the Idaho Transportation Board’s monthly business meeting. The meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 20, in the Headquarters’ auditorium.

Annual report on state-owned dwellings
The annual report on state-owned dwellings will be presented to the board.

The department owns three stick-framed houses, 17 manufactured homes, five bunkhouses, and two apartments at Johnson Creek and Cavanaugh Bay Air Strips, plus 19 trailer pads, of which 12 currently have employee-owned manufactured housing on them. ITD also owns nine trailer pads and three houses at rest-area locations around the state.

The department may rent dwellings to employees in situations where the best interests of the department are served. ITD also has locations where employees reside in a state-owned dwelling as a condition of employment. These locations are Powell, Lowman, Riddle, Cavanaugh Bay Airstrip and Johnson Creek Airstrip, although the last two are seasonal.

State Institution Road Improvement project
In accordance with Idaho Code, Board Policy 4045 State Institution Road Improvement provides $30,000 for the construction, alteration, repair or maintenance of roadways in, through, or around the grounds of state institutions annually.

The Department of Administration’s Division of Public Works is requesting funds to build a parking lot at the Idaho Youth ChalleNGge campus in Pierce. The project is estimated to cost $32,012; however, the Idaho Military Division will provide funding above the $30,000 ITD grant. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has approved this recommendation, which will now be submitted to the board for approval.

Lease of ITD real property for oil and natural gas exploration
The board will hear a presentation on efforts with the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) to lease certain ITD-owned real property for oil and natural gas exploration.

Idaho Code authorizes IDL to lease lands owned by the state for oil and natural gas exploration. Two years ago, an exploration company identified several tracts of land owned by ITD that it was interested in. State highways run through all of those properties.

ITD and IDL are working on a Memorandum of Understanding to allow IDL to lease 225 tracts. The provisions will ensure the safety of the highway infrastructure by prohibiting drilling within highway clear zones or with potential horizontal offsets. Additionally, a precondition geological survey may be required to identify probability and mitigation strategies associated with potential subsidence.