The Idaho Transportation Board will receive annual reports from a number of presenters when it convenes next week for its monthly business meeting in Boise. The two-day meeting will begin Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the Headquarters auditorium. The meeting will conclude with a late afternoon tour of the Human Resource Services (HRS) office.

Formal business will resume at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and should be concluded by early afternoon.

Business discussion

Wellness program
Wellness volunteers have coordinated the ITD Wellness Program, offering employees preventive care resources, health information and motivation the past 19 years.

The 2010 exercise challenge celebrated the centennial of the first powered flight in Idaho with the “Fly Idaho Exercise Challenge.” The 10-week fitness program set another record for participation with 780 employees reaching the goal of at least 30 hours of exercise.

Other highlights of 2010 include:

• There were 235 participants in Headquarters’ Employee Appreciation Walk in May.
• Idaho State Police employees joined ITD personnel to form a team for the “Women’s Celebration” fun run/walk in September.
• In May, District 1 hosted a health fair that included screenings for vision, glaucoma, hearing, diabetes, blood pressure and body mass testing.
• District 2 employees continue to walk during their breaks and lunch period. A wellness library is available for employees to use, and health newsletters are distributed regularly.
• New blood pressure monitors were added in the District 3 office. Its newsletter includes a wellness column covering current health topics.
• The annual on-site mammography clinic and bone density testing were well attended in District 4. The district also had a good turnout for the blood screen clinic that was held along with the on-site flu shot clinic.
• District 5 won the “Districts’ Best Team” participation in the Fly Idaho challenge with 51 percent of its staff finishing. Of the 102 employees that participated, 87 completed the challenge.
• District 6 sponsored several blood drives throughout the year, collecting a total of 80-100 pints. Weight scales and blood pressure monitors are available for preventive health care.

Employee Safety and Risk Management
The Safety and Risk Management team develops and initiates the department’s loss control program. The 2010 program consisted of preventing employee injuries and equipment damage, identifying hazardous work sites and practices, thoroughly investigating tort claims, informing management of losses and potential losses resulting from hazards and exposures to assist in planning and decision making, and providing supervisors with consultative services to evaluate their areas of responsibilities and provide the necessary assistance to attain the safest work environment possible.

The department recorded 173 vehicle collisions in FY10, a slight increase from a five-year average of 168.

Employees were involved in 100-work-related injuries during the fiscal year, down from the five-year average of 111.

Audits
The annual report from the Office of Internal Review will include an overview of the office, audit and review services provided in 2010, and work planned for 2011. Some of the activities the past year include:

• A review of public transportation grants, where systems, processes, and procedures were evaluated to determine the adequacy of internal controls and compliance with Federal Transit Administration regulations and requirements.
• In conjunction with FHWA, a review of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act construction projects to ensure compliance with federal requirements was conducted.
• Earlier, a joint review with the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council recommended improvements in the accounting process. A follow-up review was performed in 2010.
  
  

Published 3-11-2011