Minutes of a Public Meeting

 

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING

OF THE

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

10:30 a.m., Thursday, April 22, 1999

Arizona State Capitol

Executive Tower

Phoenix, Arizona

The Governance Committee met in official session for a Regular Meeting at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, April 22, 1999, with Chairperson Kurt Davis presiding. Other members present were Vice-Chair Lisa Atkins, Cecil Antone, Tom Browning, Patrick Carlin, , John Hudson, Dave Olney, Jim Shipman, Sharon Megdal (ex-officio) and Martin Shultz (ex-officio). Also present were Stephanie Bondeson, Transportation Planner, John Carlson, Executive Assistant, Transportation, Office of the Governor, and Jennifer Macdonald, ADOT Legislative Liaison.

Pledge of Allegiance, Welcome

Mr. Davis called the meeting to order and all present joined in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Remarks and Charge of this Committee

Mr. Davis outlined the charge of the committee. He explained how the committee would approach their task and what information would be provided them to do so. Committee members were encouraged to submit suggestions. Ms. Atkins confirmed for a member that the committee could look at transportation bodies outside the United States. Ms. Megdal suggested, however, that the process should begin in the U.S. because of the federal requirements involved with transportation. Mr. Davis said that while he didn’t want to close any doors, he felt it important for the members to get up to speed on how transportation is governed in Arizona currently. Mr. Shipman suggested the Council of State Legislatures as a source of information. Mr. Shultz recommended that the committee members come to understand the legal constraints of statutory requirements from a federal and state standpoint. He requested that the committee be advised on the efficiency of the system as well. Ms. Megdal said she expects the final recommendation to be formulated by the full task force. Mr. Shultz commented that there should be no predilection as to the nature of the governance system. The process should produce an efficient, effective structure. It was recommended that the committee look closely at the policies that drive the current governing structures.

Legislative Update

Mr. Carlson presented a detailed summary of selected transportation related bills. There were a total of 40 transportation bills introduced this legislative session. A major issue this year was the make-up of the State Transportation Board and the desire to increase the urban representation. The bill was held once the Vision 21 Task Force was formed.

Ms. Atkins asked about the court case involving the vehicle emissions requirement. Mr. Carlson discussed the sunset provisions of the vehicle emissions requirement and the potential impact to construction projects. He noted that Arizona is the only state with a sunset on its vehicle emissions statutes. The program funding is still under review and may still be short of full funding.

Presentation and Discussion: Current Structures and Relationships

Ms. Macdonald, Legislative Liaison, Arizona Department of Transportation, provided and reviewed in detail an outline of the major players involved with transportation at all levels of government from the U.S.. Department of Transportation to the cities and counties. She provided an overview of what the various levels of government own in terms of transportation infrastructure.

Mr. Browning noted that the federal government owns the air space and the federal installations. He asked who owns the reservation roads. He noted that there is a significant amount of real estate in Arizona not owned by the state, i.e., it is owned by the federal government and Indian nations. Mr. Antone explained the reservation/tribe specific issues. He suggested it would be a good idea to discuss transportation on the reservation specifically. He offered to provide an overview at a future meeting.

Ms. Macdonald continued with her presentation discussing the responsibilities of the various levels of government relative to transportation. She confirmed that once the MPOs develop their long-range plans, ADOT is responsible for the execution of the plan. Mr. Browning asked how mismatches are handled. Mr. Bourey, Executive Director for MAG, explained that federal law sets out guidelines requiring that there be agreement between the state and metropolitan planning regions. There is key involvement between the local governments and the state in the planning process, and it has worked well. He stated that projects must be part of an MPO’s Transportation Improvement Plan, and if they are not executed the TIP must be changed.

Ms. Macdonald reviewed the federal and state laws and regulations that govern transportation. She discussed the implications of funding to relationships between the state and federal government. She presented a pie chart, which depicted the break out of highway funding sources in Arizona.

Closing Remarks and Preview of Next Meeting

Chairperson Davis encouraged committee members to submit their questions in written form through Ms. Bondeson. In response to his call for materials required for the next meeting, Mr. Shipman asked for a matrix showing who has control over what funds. He felt it would be important for the committee to consider what resources are available and how they are accessed on a timely basis. He requested that transportation funding through the Department of Economic Security also be included in the matrix. He would like to know who pays for that funding and who makes the transportation decisions. He also requested a comparison on where lines of authority lie to execute plans and a comparison between an MPO’s plan and the construction program, which is limited by the availability of resources. He stated his suspicion that there are a lot of mismatches.

Ms. Atkins requested information on who is responsible for meeting federal requirements. She asked that staff define where the authority originates. Ms. Megdal added a request for information about where there is discretion about who fulfills the federal mandates. Ms. Bondeson offered to get a copy of Dale Buskirk’s presentation on planning and programming for the committee.

Ms. Megdal suggested that staff focus on providing information on the larger issues: who pays for what, duplication in the planning process, decision-making lines of authority, and how federal mandates are fulfilled.

Chairperson Davis requested that the information requested be compiled and disseminated before the next committee meeting. He requested that a panel be available to answer questions on the information provided in preparation for the next meeting.

In response to a question posed by Mr. Shipman, Ms. Bondeson explained the process by which the committees’ recommendations will be presented in public meetings around the state. The format for those meetings has not yet been set and committee members were encouraged to provide input.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 12:12 p.m.

KURT DAVIS, Chairperson