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Board to consider several annual reports

The Idaho Transportation Board will spend much of next Wednesday (March 21) looking back when staff members from three offices present annual reports on their 2006 activities. Conforming to ITD policy, representatives of the Risk Management Office, Internal Review and Human Resource Services will provide reports.

The one-day meeting will begin at 8 a.m. in the Headquarters auditorium.

Cheryl Rost, Safety and Risk Management Manager, will summarize the activities in the Safety Program during the past year. One of Risk Management’s priorities is preventing employee injuries and equipment damage by educating employees in safe work practices, ensuring the provision of adequate protective gear, and communicating regulatory compliance information.

Industrial injuries and illnesses totaled 122 in FY06, resulting in 809 lost workdays. The FY05 incidents resulted in a total of 809 lost workdays. A total of 145 vehicle collisions were reported during FY06 resulting in $265,160 in equipment damage. The previous year, 133 accidents were reported with equipment damage of $196,800.

The program also includes identifying hazardous work sites and practices, investigating tort claims, informing ITD management of losses and potential losses, and providing supervisors with consultative services.

Internal Review Manager Carri Rosti will present the annual report on audits. Her office conducts independent reviews to assess the effectiveness, compliance, and efficiency of department programs, procedures, and controls.

It also reviews records and financial reports for specific third parties that contract with ITD. Some of the office’s activities in 2006 included reviews of a previous legislative audit on the Division of Aeronautics, the claims process to ensure compliance with procedures, the Division of Motor Vehicles digital license plate costs, and a public transportation sub-grantee.

The annual report from Human Resource Services, to be given by Manager Mary Harker, includes training and equal employment opportunity activities.

In FY06, the department’s hiring goals for EEO included three females in both the professional and technician categories. Harker’s report indicates that 10 professionals and two technicians were hired. The goal also was to hire three minority males in the skilled craft category. ITD exceeded the goal by hiring four.

Three EEO complaints were filed during the year, a decline from nine the previous year. Five job accommodations were made related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the installation of electric windows in a vehicle, the purchase of voice recognition software and a job reassignment.

Other discussion

A team from the Design, Right-of-Way, and Legal sections will outline the project development procedures and right-of-way and land acquisition process.

The presentation will start with an overview on funding, public hearing and environmental clearance processes that ITD follows. The steps and timelines that Right-of-Way goes through leading to the issuance of a right-of-way certificate will be explained. The condemnation process also will be discussed, followed by case examples of projects that fall outside the model that result in a time lag between right-of-way acquisition and the beginning of construction.