7/15/2011

Revenue
State budget ends fiscal year ahead of expectations
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter this week announced the state ended Fiscal Year 2011 on June 30 with significantly more General Fund tax revenue than expected, but not enough to warrant big changes in the cautious, conservative approach to budgeting that yielded such a positive result.
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Planning
Comments accepted on four-year transportation plan
ITD is seeking public comment beginning Friday (July 15) and continuing through Aug. 15 on the FY2012-16 draft of the Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). The draft provides details on projects planned for construction through 2016 and the GARVEE Transportation Program, a construction program that relies on federally backed bonds to expedite projects in six key Idaho highway corridors.
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Efficiency
D-5 capitalizes on rebate program, energy-efficient lights
Replacing all of the D-5 Headquarters light fixtures and installing new energy efficient eco-fluorescent light tubes is generating savings of more than a $1,000 each month on the facility’s electricity bills.
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Adopt-A-Highway
Coeur d'Alene woman honored for highway cleanups
A stretch of highway in the Moses Lake, Wash., area is cleaner today because of Katie Burke’s dedication. So is a highway in Whitefish, Mont. And so is U.S. 95 in northern Idaho. Although she is a member of the Coeur d’Alene Rotary, Katie undertakes the District 1 highway cleanup campaigns as a solo endeavor.
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Volunteers
Octogenarian honored for volunteer services in District 1
Don’t talk to Ernie Carr about retirement. Granted, he no longer fills out a time card and reports for duty every morning, but he’s anything but retired. For his continuing dedication and service, the Idaho Transportation Board this week presented Carr with the District 1 Volunteer of the Year award. It was given during the board’s business meeting in Coeur d’Alene.
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Motor carrier safety
Young artist earns national recognition for safety message
When a “Be Ready, Be Buckled” national poster contest urging commercial drivers to use their safety belts was announced this year,Hannah Goertz answered the call for entries and didn’t give it a second thought until a package arrived by mail.
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Accolades
'Warm-mix' asphalt project garners Build America Award
A "warm-mix" asphalt overlay project last summer on Idaho 78 near Givens Hot Springs in rural Owyhee County was chosen recently for a 2011 Build America award from the Association of General Contractors of America and Aon Construction Services Group.
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Bicycles
Nine riders brave elements to reach Bogus Basin Ski Resort
Nine peddlers survived a challenging vertical climb Saturday (July 9), traveling from north Boise to Bogus Basin Ski Resort. Absent from the annual bicycle ride this year – and not missed much – were the near 100-degree temperatures that sapped riders the previous year.
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Employees
Take precautions when working outdoors in high heat
The dog days of summer have arrived along with rising temperatures and increased heat-related health risks. If your work takes you outdoors under the beating sun, here are a few suggestions from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) for avoiding heat-related illness.
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Training
HRS announces schedule for computer classes
Human Resource Services offers a variety of computer classes this summer, beginning with a session on Microsoft PowerPoint Wednesday (July 20) and Microsoft Word mail merging on Thursday (July 21).
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Employees
Idaho pension fund posts record year
Idaho’s public-employee pension fund posted its best fiscal year in 25 years, gaining 20.7 percent in value for the 12-month period ended June 30. This allowed the fund to recover all losses suffered during the recession and hit an all-time high in total value -- about $12 billion.
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Highway safety
Encore (7-8-11): Study reveals factors leading to motorcycle crashes
Lane Triplett, SHSP Motorcycle Team Member For the past few months, I have been gathering data from the State of Idaho Vehicle Collision Reports for Motorcycles for the years 2009 and 2010. This project began during one of the initial planning sessions for the Idaho Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Motorcycle Safety Committee.
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Motor Vehicles
Encore (7-8-11): Central issue process heading into home stretch
ITD’s Division of Motor Vehicles staff embarked on a monumental task in May – introducing a new way of issuing driver’s licenses and identification cards statewide. The migration to a central-issue system for preparing and delivering licenses and ID cards required half-day closures of county licensing offices throughout the state and staff training.
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Highway safety
Encore (7-8-11): ITD joins campaign to reduce speed-related crashes
Excessive speed is a leading cause of motor vehicle crashes resulting in serious injuries or deaths on state highways, so ITD is partnering with Idaho law enforcement agencies to “Stop Speeding Before it Stops You.” An aggressive statewide education and enforcement campaign is planned for July 15-26. Law enforcement officers will watch for drivers speeding on all roads in Idaho.
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Communication
Encore (7-8-11): Transporter survey designed to make improvements
The Transporter has been an important information tool for employees since the Department of Highways became the Idaho Transportation Department in the 1970s. Like the department and the industry, the Transporter has steadily evolved. In 2002 it moved from a twice-monthly printed publication that was distributed to employees on payday weeks to a weekly online publication accessible on the Intranet and Internet.
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