Nebra$ka S Commission

Chair, Greg A. Wolford, District 7, reconvened the Commissioners of the Nebraska StateHighway Commission and called to order at 10:05 a.m. on the 26th of January 2007, themeeting of the State Highway Commission. This meeting was held at the Nebraska Departmentof Roads' Central Complex, Room 103, 1500 Highway 2, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Roll CallResponding to the roll call included:

Commissioner Duane W. Acklie District 1Commissioner John F. Kingsbury District 3Commissioner Douglas C. Leafgreen District 5Commissioner Ronald W. Books District 6Commissioner Greg A. Wolford District 7Commissioner Jerome A. Fagerland District 8

Commissioners Richard S. Reiser, District 2, and Donna M. Wanitschke, District 4, were not inattend,ance; however, Director John L. Craig, ex-officio member was in attendance. Theagenda, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, and all handouts relevant to thebusiness of the meeting are a part of the permanent minutes of record and are on file at theCommission Office, Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the December 2006 Meeting MinufesThe Chair asked for corrections or additions to the December 2006 meeting minutes assubmitted by the Executive Secretary for the Commission. Being none, CommissionerLeafgreen made a motion to accept the minutes as distributed and Corrlmissioner Booksseconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken, and the six attending Commissioners votedAYE unanimously to approve.

Age~da TopicThe Functions and Responsibilities of the NOOR's Safety Committee were detailed by BobGrant, NDOR's Highway Safety Manager. The origin of the committee, the membershipcomposition of the committee, the responsibilities of the committee, the funding mechanismavailable to the comrrlittee and the primary purpose of the committee were featured as thehighlights of the presentation. It was noted that the goal of the Safety Committee is to reducethe number and severity of traffic crashes or the potential for such crashes on all publicroadways throughout the State. It was otarmed that the Intersection 136 and Highway 81 nearHebron, previously deemed the "Most Deadly Intersection in North America" by local residents,has had a good safety record in recent years. In addition, the federal funding source allocatedto the NDOR's Safety Committee, is' an investment to be used for statewide safetyimprovements similar to the application of Enhancement Funds.

Election of 2007 Commission Chair and Vice-ChairCommissioner Fagerland nominated Commissioner Acklie, District 1, and CommissionerLeafgreen, District 5, to serve, as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, for the year 2007.Commissioner- Leafgreen .seconded the nomination. A roll call vote was requested. Fiveattending Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the nomination. Commissioner Acklieabstained. Commissioners Reiser and Wanitschke were absent and not voting. The policy thatthe Chair is of the same political party as the Governor of the State of Nebraska and theVice-Chair is of the opposite political party of the Governor of the State of Nebraska remainedin tact.

Project ApprovalThe details of the location study of the "Louisville Bypass" were explicated by Steven McBeth,NDOR's Planning and Location Studies Engineer.

After many public meetings and agreement with Louisville's City Officials, it was determinedthat the preferred location of the bypass will begin at the South Junction of Highway 66 andHighway 50 and proceed west bypassing the City of Louisville on th~ south.

Earmarked Funds, State funds, and City funds will be used to finance the Louisville Bypass.John Mueller, Mayor of Louisville, and John Plucknett, Chair of the Cass County EconomicDevelopment Council, and Lou Allgayer, former Cass County Commissioner, confirmed that therelinquishment agreement had been signed, matching funds would be available, andsubstantiated the importance of the bypass for the anticipated economic development of thenorthern Cass County corridor. It was also affirmed that if the bypass is constructed, the AshGrove plant would seriously consider relocating access to their facility to n~ar the east end ofthe bypass.

After a lengthy discussion of the importance of this project, the economic developmentadvantages, the school safety concerns addressed, Commissioner Fagerland made the motionto approve location approval, approval of the access control and approval of the relinquishmentfor the "Louisville Bypass" and Commissioner Leafgreen seconded the Fagerland motion. A rollcall vote was taken and the six attending Commissioners voted AYE. .

Commissioner Kingsbury requested that consideration be given to providing larger, full-scalemaps when projects impacting the metro areas are presented for approval in the future.(Attachments #1 and #2 resolutions and the engineer's statement are part of the minutes ofrecord and on file at the Commission office.)

Public InputLou Allgayer of Elmwood approached the Commission again and introduced his innovation ofthe "Depletion Tax". The intention of the proposal would impose a four-cents-a-ton extractionfee, depletion fee, for mined rock and gravel. It was explained that 25 percent of the moneywould remain in the County Highway Funds from the county where the rock or gravel wasextracted and 75 percent of the money collected would be distributed into the State HighwayTrust Fund and divided amongst the state, cities" and counties. The question of the cost ofcollection, the monitoring of the program, the administration of the plan were questioned;however, it was reiterated that this concept is just a proposal and that a Legislative Committeewould introduce a resolution to study this issue.

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AdjournmentPrior to the 11 :20 a.m. adjournment of the Commission, Commissioner Acklie proposed that aresolution endorsing Senator Carol Hudkin's Legislative Proposal to increase by four cents theState's Fuel Tax be submitted by the Commission. Allocation options, Le. completion of theState's Expressway System, for the additional money, if received, were considered anddiscussed. The consensus of the Commission was to prepare and to present an endorsementof the four-cent fuel tax increase as proposed.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments1-26-07{Hwy1-pg)

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Nebraska 5 Commission

On Friday, February 23, 2007, the Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Commissionreconvened for the 10:00 a.m. monthly meeting. The meeting was held at the NebraskaDepartment of Roads' Central Complex, 1500 Highway 2, Room 103, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Roll CallDuane W. Acklie, Chair presiding, requested a roll call and the attending responded.

Comrrlissioner Duane W. Acklie District 1Commissioner Richard S. Reiser District 2Commissioner John F. Kingsbury District 3Commissioner Ronald W. Books District 6Commissioner Greg A. Wolford District 7Commissioner Jerome A. Fagerland District 8

Commissioners Donna M. Wanitschke, District 4, and Douglas C. Leafgreen, District 5, werenot in attendance. However, Director John L. Craig, ex-officio member was present. Theagenda, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, and all handouts relevant to thebusiness of this meeting are a part of the permanent minutes of record and are on file at theCommission Office, Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the January 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting minutes of the January 2007 monthlymeeting had been mailed prior and asked for additions, corrections, and a motion to 'approve.Being no changes, Corrlmissioner Books made the motion to approve and CommissionerFagerland seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and the six attending men1bers votedunanimously to approve the January 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed by theExecutive Secretary.

Introductions/Correspondence/An.nouncementThe Chair asked the attending guests to introduce themselves, and Erin Jeffery of SenatorHagel's office responded.

Agenda TopicNDOR's Rail and Public Transportation Division Manager, Ellis Torrlpkins, presented to theCommission the objectives, programs, prt>jects, and funding issues of NDOR's Rail Program.

It was noted that the two primary railroads, Burlington Northern and Union Pacific, as well asthe seven short-line railroads in Nebraska are private organizations responsible to theirshareholders and profit driven, which is vastly different from the NDOR's primary purpose, tomove goods safely and efficiently. The primary mission is communication and the necessity topartner one with the other when coordinating construction projects, rail safety programs, rulesand regulations, safety funding, and grade separation projects.

." Project ApprovalBrian Johnson, NDOR's Roadway Design Assistant Engineer, proposed approval of the locationand design features of 1) the 1-80 WB Bridge over the Missouri River and BNSF RR; 2) 1-80 EBBridge over the Missouri River and BNSF RR; 3) Riverview Bridge over 1-80; and 4) MissouriRiver to 24th Street in Omaha. These projects are located on 1-80 within Douglas County,Nebraska and Pottawatomie County, Iowa. The proposed improvements will include grading,concrete pavement and asphalt, storm sewers, sidewalks, lighting, retaining walls, widening thebridges over 16th Street on 1-80, a new longer span Riverview Boulevard Bridge, building a newfive-lane westbound 1-80 bridge over the Missouri River, and redecking and widening theexisting 1-80 Missouri River Bridge to accommodate five eastbound lanes. Additional right-of­way will be needed. Relocation will be necessary. Reclassification and relinquishment ofsegments of the existing highway will not be necessary, and access control has been previouslyacquired. The total cost is estimated to be $92.9 million. (Attachment #1, the Engineer'sStatement detailing the projects, is a part of the permanent minutes of record and on file at theCommission Office.)

Commissioner Reiser made the motion to approve the location and the design features of theabove noted -projects and Commissioner Kingsbury seconded the Reiser motion. A roll call wasrequested and the following Commissioners voted AYE: Acklie, Reiser, Kingsbury, Books,Wolford, and Fagerland. Commissioners Wanitsctlke and Leafgreen were absent and did notvote.

AdjournmentChair Acklie asked for Public Input. Being none, for the record, he read a letter from SenatorLeRoy J. Louden, District 49, commending Commissioner Leafgreen and the Commission forencouraging statewide economic development, particularly the Heartland Expressway, whenconsidering construction projects. Deputy Monty Fredrickson then announced that the "YanktonBridge" is scheduled for the April 2007 letting, and the letting for the "South Omaha Bridge" isscheduled for August 2007. The public meeting schedule for March 2007 was noted and theChair adjourned the meeting at 10:48 a.m. (Attachment #2, Senator Louden's letter; is a part ofthe permanent minutes of record and on file at the Commission Office.)

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments2-23-07(Hwy1-pg)

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Nebraska S Commission

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The Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Commission reconvened at 10:08 a.m.,March 23, 2007, Room 103 of the Nebraska Department of Roads' Central Complex, 1500Highway 2, Lincoln, Nebraska, for continuation of the monthly meeting.

Roll CallThe Chair, Commissioner Duane W. Acklie, District 1, called this meeting to order andrequested roll call. The following Commissioners in attendance responded:

Commissioner Duane W. Acklie District 1Commissioner Richard S. Reiser District 2Commissioner John F. Kingsbury District 3Commissioner Donna M. Wanitschke District 4Commissioner Douglas C. Leafgreen District 5Commissioner Ronald W. Books District 6Commissioner Greg A. Wolford District 7Commissioner Jerome A. Fagerland District 8

Director John L. Craig, ex officio member also attended. With a quorum present, the businessof the agenda proceeded.

The agenda, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, and all handouts relevant tothe business of this meeting are a part of the permanent minutes of record and are on file at theCommission Office. Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the February 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting minutes of the February 2007 meetinghad been distributed prior and asked for additions, corrections, and a motion to approve. Beingno changes, Commissioner Kingsbury made the motion to approve and Commissioner Booksseconded the motion. A roll carr vote was taken and· the attending members voted unanimouslyto approve the February 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed by the ExecutiveSecretary.

Introductions/Correspondence/AnnouncementsChair Acklie acknowledged those in attendance and specifically welcomed Nance Harris of theNebraska Truckers Association. Being no new correspondence, no old business to address, thepresenter of the agenda topic was introdlfCed.

Agenda Presentation"Nonconstruction Strategies"

Jim McGee, NDOR's IT Highway Program Manager, with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation,educated the Commission on the endeavors of the NDOR's Operation Division to facilitatebetter freeway management, corridor management, multi-agency incident management andinvolved partnerships. The primary purpose of this technical operation is to optimize the

movement of traffic through a variety of techniques in an attempt to provide more informationand better strategies when managing incidents on the State's roadways. (Attachment #1,printed slides of the PowerPoint presentation, is a part of the permanent minutes of record andon file at the Commission Office.)

Needs CriteriaChair Acklie announced that a thorough and intense discussion on the "Needs Criteria" for theNebraska Department of Roads has evolved at the 8:30 a.m. Educational Briefing andDiscussion and requested a motion to employ the suggested changes necessary for the NDOR·to concur with the reality of today's 'financial situation.

Commissioner Wolford made the motion to change the present criteria for addressing theneeds of the State's roadway system as presented and Commissioner Reiser seconded themotion. A roll call vote was requested, and the following Commissioners voted AYE: Acklie,Reiser, Kingsbury, Wanitschke, Books, Wolford, and Fagerland. Commissioner Leafgreenvoted NAY. Therefore, the Commission, giving an advisory opinion, endorsed changing the"Needs Criteria" for constructing and maintaining the State's roadways.

Public Input and AdjournmentChair Acklie presented the opportunity for Public Input, being none, proceeded to announce thedate for the next scheduled Commission meeting in April 2007, and adjourned this March 2007meeting at 10:35 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments3-23-Q7(Hwy1-pg}

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Nebraska S Commission

The Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Commission reconvened at 10:00 a.m.,Friday, April 20,2007, in Room 103 of the Nebraska Department of Roads' Central Complex,1500 Highway 2, Lincoln, Nebraska, for the continuation of the monthly meeting.

Roll CallThe Chair, Commissioner Duane W ~ Acklie, District 1, called this meeting to order andrequested roll call. The following Commissioners in attendance responded:

Commissioner Duane W. Acklie District 1Commissioner Richard S. Reiser District 2Commissioner John F. Kingsbury District 3Commissioner Donna M. Wanitschke District 4Commissioner Douglas C. Leafgreen District 5Commissioner Ronald W. Books District 6Commissioner Greg A. Wolford District 7

Commissioner Jerome A. Fagerland, District 8, was absent. The ex-officio member, DirectorJohn Craig, also responded to the roll call.

Wi~h a quorum present, the business of the agenda proceeded.

. The agenda, a recording, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, and all handoutsrelevant to the business of this meeting are a part of the permanent minutes of record and areon file at the Commission Office, Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the March 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting minutes of the March 2007 meeting hadbeen distributed prior and asked for additions, corrections, and a motion to approve. Being nochanges, Commissioner Leafgreen made the motion to approve and Commissioner Booksseconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and the attending members voted unanimouslyto approve the March 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed by the ExecutiveSecretary.

Legislative UpdateDusty Vaughn, Legal Counsel for Nebraska's Legislative Transportation and Tele­communications Committee, provided background information about himself as well as Chair ofthe Committee, Senator Deb Fischer. He"noted the following bills as pertinent to the NebraskaDepartment of Roads: LB 35, was passed by the Legislature and approved by the Governorand will raise the maximum speed limit to 65 mph on rural Douglas County Freeways. LB 164,Nebraska Relocation Assistance Act, to comply with the Federal Uniform Relocation AssistanceAct; LB 165; a measure to eliminate the Midwest Interstate Railway Compact; LB 43, permittingm.owing and harvesting of hay on the State Highway System; LB 182, altering the grant

. provision of the Transportation Assistance Program; LB 276, to rename the NebraskaDepartment of Roads; LB 277 amending the procedure required for <?ounties and cities when

submitting.a six-year plan to the Nebraska Board of Classifications and Standards; and LB 676,. prohibiting the blocking of railroad crossings for an extended time frame.

Measures addressing the Open Meetings Act were defined, as well as the stipulations for theFederal Real ID Act, which mandates the procedures for issuance of driver licenses inNebraska. Highway Funding measure, LB 35, directing the sales tax and use tax collected fromleased vehicles from the General Fund to the Highway Trust Fund, is the only funding proposalthat survived this Legislative Session. It was announced that the Appropriations Committee hasset the preliminary budget for roads for $356 million for the first fiscal year and $370 for thesecond year, an increase of $23' million over the Governor's proposal, which, if passed, couldincrease the gas tax. During the Interim, the Transportation and TelecommunicationsCommittee will research and consider the possibilities of alternative funding for roads, as wellas, consideration of creating a Highway Finance Task Force. In response to an inquiryconcerning the Committee, time spent on transportation vs. telecommunications, Mr. Vaughnreplied, "...85 to 90 percent of our session was spent on transportation this year." TheCommission was encouraged to participate in the legislative process and assist in educatingthe State Senators about the relevant issues pertaining to the Nebraska Department of Roads.

Nebraska Interstate Construction and ExpansionAssistant Design Engineer, Terry Gibson, provided the specifics of the Nebraska 1-80expansion from Omaha to Lincoln, the Kennedy Freeway Study, and west from Lincoln to Yorkand on to Kearney. The detailed presentation noted step-by-step the timeframe, the anticipatedproblems, ·and the funding obstacles which must be endured during the construction processand prior to completion. The topic of adding interchanges, replacing rest areas and closing restareas prompted the response, "...the Federal Highway encouraged us to have a long-rangeplan on the potential of new interchanges on the interstate system in the growth areas,...economics to upgrade...and the need to meet AASHTO standards. A suggestion waspresented to "look down the road", and consider advising Nebraska's Congressional delegationof the need to provide funds to separate the driving areas for cars and trucks on the Interstate,"...we need to be looking proactive now ... as this is a nationwide issue as much as a Nebraskaissue, .... I'm not sure we don't need to be thinking bigger" were the words of advice fromCommissioner Wolford. Commissioner Reiser concurred saying, " 80 percent of the goods inour country move on trucks ... we move the freight quickly and we need more lane miles,and we're just absolutely not building them at the levels that we need them. Director Craigadvised that a program called "Corridors of the Future" will receive Congressional attention astwo SAFETEA-LU Commissions have been designated to determine the future of the Interstateand how to fund the prospective improvements.

Moment of SilenceUpon the recommendation of Governor Heineman, at 11 o'clock, the Commission paused for amoment of silence to remember the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy.

Project ApprovalAssistant Design Engineer, Don Turek, came before the Commission to request approval of thedesign features of a roadway construction project "In Alliance".

Project NH-2-1(115), C.N. 50718, is located on Nebraska Highway 2 in Box Butte County andconstruction will begin 250 feet west of Howard Street and extend east for about 3/10th,s of amile ending 150 feet east of Black Hills Avenue. The proposed improvement will includegrading, concrete paving, storm sewers, sidewalks, lighting, and a new BNSF railroad structureover Nebraska Highway 2. Additional right-of-way will be needed. Relocation will not benecessary. Access control will not be reqUired nor will reclassification and relinquishment ofsegments of the existing highway be necessary. The project received support at theNovember 14, 2006, public meeting and is programmed for 2011; however, the BNSF has

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indicated preference to advance the construction date to 2008. This request may be.acknowledged if the BNSF is willing to fund the project with delayed reimbursement until 2011.The BNSF may also elect to widen and fund the widening of the three or four tracks to sixtracks. The City of Alliance will pay 20 percent of the estimated cost. A detour will be located onKansas Avenue as Highway 2 will be closed during the time of construction. (Attachment #1,the Engineer's Project Statement is a part of the permanent minutes of record and on file at theCommission Office.)

Commissioner Leafgreen made the motion to approve the design features as presented for the"In Alliance" project and Commissioner Wolford seconded the Leafgreen motion. A roll call votewas requested and Commissioners: Acklie, Reiser, Kingsbury, Wanitschke, Leafgreen, Books,and Wolford voted AYE. Commissioner Fagerland was absent and did not vote.

Old BusinessReferring to a letter from the Yankton Bridge Committee, Commissioner Kingsbury announcedthat the committee is proposing to informally name the Yankton Bridge, The Discovery Bridge.A plaque will be placed at Riverside Park in South Dakota. No request to officially name the

. bridge will be presented to the Highway Commission for consideration.

AdjournmentChair Acklie announced the public meeting schedule for the month ahead, asked for additionalnew business, and adjourned the April 2007 meeting at 11 :15 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

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Nebraska SeCommission

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On Friday, June 29, 2007, the Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Commissionreconvened for the 10:00 a.m. monthly meeting. The meeting was held at the NebraskaDepartment of Roads' Central Complex, 1500 Highway 2, Room 103, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Roll CallDuane W. Acklie, Chair presiding, requested a roll catt and the attending responded.

Commissioner Duane W. Acklie District 1Commissioner Richard S. Reiser District 2Commissioner John F. Kingsbury District 3Commissioner Donna M. Wanitschke District 4Commissioner Douglas C. Leafgreen District 5Commissioner Ronald W. Books District 6Commissioner Greg A. Wolford District 7Commissioner Jerome A. Fagerland District 8

Director John L. Craig, ex-officio member was also present. The agenda, a transcript of therecordihg, the attendance sheet, and all handouts relevant to the business of this meeting are apart of the permanent minutes of record and are on file at the Commission Office, Room 105,NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the April 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting rrlinutes of the April 2007 monthlymeeting had been mailed prior and asked for additions, corrections and a motion to approve.Being no changes, Commissioner Leafgreen made the motion to approve and CommissionerWanitschke seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and the eight attending membersvoted unanimously to approve the April 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed bythe Executive Secretary. (The May 2007 meeting was cancelled.)

Introductions/Correspondence/AnnouncementThe Chair announced that having no correspondence or announcements that the agenda topic,"Storm Water Management Program" would be heard at this time.

Agenda TopicRon Poe, NDOR's Roadside StabilizatiQn Unit, explained the Department's role in erosioncontrol and seeding, and introduced Jesse Poore, consultant, from Felsburg, Holt & Ullevig,responsible for assisting with the NDOR's development of the State's comprehensive StormWater Management Program. It was explained that by regulations of the Clean Water Act, thefederal program is mandated for the purpose of maintaining clean water for fishing andswimming nationwide. Regulation of storm water runoff is through permits issued to protectprecipitation, sediments and pollutants that washes into the waterways. The permit demandsthat six programs be implemented to control the quality of urban stormwater, and the specificgoal of the MS4 permit is to keep urban pollutants out of streams, lakes, and rivers. Sedimentfrom construction sites, heavy metals, nutrients, oils and greases, as well as the day-to-day

deposits accumulat~ and r:nust be controlled and coordinated. It was established that thisparticular environmental regulation would increase the construction process costs initially, butover time with implementation, the costs should decrease.

Project ApprovalThe "Scottsbluff West Viaduct" project was introduced by Assistant Design Engineer, LouLenzen, who requested approval of the design and relinquishment of a segment of Highway 92.The project will remove an at-grade railroad crossing and replace such with a viaduct over theUnion Pacific Railroad located on Nebraska Highway 92 in Scotts Bluff County, two miles westof Scottsbluff.

Several design alternatives were considered but the area county officials and general publicand landowners concurred that the most cost effective plan which provides for a .shorterroadway, a shorter bridge structure over the railroad, sweeping curves of the Oregon Trailconnection and additional safety features would be the acceptable plan.

Commissioner Leafgreen, District 5, made the motion to request the Governor's approval of thedesign and relinquishment of the "Scottsbluff West Viaduct" as presented, and CommissionerReiser seconded the motion. A roll call vote was requested and the Commissioners: Acklie,Reiser, Kingsbury, Wanitschke, Leafgreen, Books, Wolford, and Fagerland voted AYE. TheGovernor will be notified of the action of the Comrnission and presented a request for finalapproval.

Public InputThe Executive Director of MAPA, Paul Mullen, and Matt Tondl, HDR, briefed the Commissionon the MAPA Outer Loop Feasibility Study. The suggested concept would explore the variablesfor constructing a Loop Freeway around the Omaha and Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area. Theissues of affordability, the need for such a roadway, reshaping transportation in the metrovicinity, the population factors, the living styles of the area residents, the land use, roadwaycapacity, and gas prices, all will be key points as the entities explore the long-range planningoptions with the area partners in transportation. A report on the study will be available by theend of the year 2007 or the first of 2008.

AdjournmentPrior to adjournment, Art Yonkey's retirement from the NDOR was recognized; congratulationsextended to Randy Peter's for the selection as the Project. and Planning Division Manager, anannouncement that a group picture would be taken following the meeting, and the publicmeeting schedule were acclaimed by the presiding Chair.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

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Nebraska S~~~~~w~we

Commission

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On Friday, July 27, 2007, the Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Corrlmissionconvened for the 10:00 a.m. annual outstate meeting. The meeting was held in Grand Island,Nebraska, District 4, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Room. The meeting agenda, as distributed, isattached to the permanent minutes of record and on file at the Commission Office.

Roll CallDuane W. Acklie, Chair presiding, requested a roll call and the attending responded:

C6mmissioner Duane W. Acklie District 1Commissioner Richard S. Reiser District 2Commissioner John F. Kingsbury District 3Commissioner Donna M. Wanitschke District 4Commissioner Douglas C. Leafgreen District 5Commissioner Ronald W. Books District 6Commissioner Greg A. Wolford District 7Commissioner Jerome A. Fagerland District 8

Director John L. Craig, ex-officio member, was also present. The transcript of the recording, theattendance sheet, and all handouts relevant to the business of this meeting are a part of thepermanent minutes of record and are on file at the Commission Office, Room 105, NDORCentral Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the June 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting minutes of the June 2007 nl0nthlymeeting had been mailed prior and asked for additions, corrections and a motion to approve.Being no changes, Commissioner Kingsbury made the motion to approve, and CommissionerLeafgreen seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and the attending members votedunanimously to approve the June 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed by theExecutive Secretary.

Introductions/Correspondence/AnnouncementThe Chair expressed gratitude for the hospitality of the host, District 4, and announced thatDonna Wanitschke, the District 4 Commissioner, would preside. Commissioner Wanitschkeintroduced the Commissioners, the NDOR staff in attendance, and the District 4 participants.

Welcome to District 4Robert Meyer, President of the Grand Island City Council, and Cindy Johnson, Grand IslandArea Chamber of Corrlmerce, extended a hearty welcome to the City of Grand Island andacknowledged the city's many transportation enhancements that the Nebraska Department ofRoads had cooperated with the city in providing.

Legislators/Public Officials Speak OutSenator Annette Dubas; Mayor Stan Clouse, Kearney; Alicia Toczek, Mayor of Loup City; JohnWebster, Mayor of Wood River; Jane Mann, Aurora Area Chamber of Commerce andDevelopment; and Darla Svoboda, Hamilton County; expressed appreciation for the investmentin the road work that had been accomplished in District 4 and encouraged continuedcommitment from the Nebraska Department of Roads.

District 4 Construction HighlightsThe District 4 Engineer, Wes Wahlgren, extensively elaborated the specifics of the district. Hedetailed the following: 1) geographic area; 2) the history of the major transportation routes;3) the population and average daily traffic count of the major cities; 4) the number of bridges;5) the notable project managers; 6) maintenance activities and construction facilities; 7) roadsensors and devices used; 8) the management of processing permits; 9) the coordination ofincident and weather management with surrounding districts and states; 10) the environmentalimpact of the Whooping Crane migration; 11) storm water pollution prevention and erosioncontrol; and 12) the projects programmed, the maintenance necessary, and the anticipatedcosts for District 4 in 2"007 and 2008. Wes concluded by saying: "Our construction programfaces many challenges coming up in the future. We have the challenge to maintain ourpavements and bridges with decreasing revenues and increasing costs. For future projects,folks should expect less capital improvement type projects and expect more systempreservation and safety enhancement type projects."

Questions concerning the estimated project costs vs. the actual cost of the awardedconstruction contracts, the effectiveness of centerline rumble strips, the status of crumb rubberroadways, and the reality of declining funds were addressed.

State of Affairs - Transportation DataDirector John Craig's presentation addressed 1) the High Water Mark and 2) We Really Are AtA Crossroads as it pertained to the Nebraska Department of Roads. To validate his topics, itwas announced that in 2006, the NDOR published and produced the largest constructionprogram in the history of the state, and the anticipation that declining revenues will have acompounded effect, reducing, not only the size of the program, but diminishing the number ofprojects and including a "system preservation era." In closing, the Director alluded to theimportance of safety and commended the NDOR staff for the efforts being made to providesafety measures for those driving the state's roadways.

AdjournmentThe presiding chair, Commissioner Wanitschke, again announced and thanked all of thesponsors of this outstate meeting, referenced the public meeting schedule, named the date,time, and place for the August 2007 Commission meeting, and at 11 :05 a.m., proclainled theannual outstate meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

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Nebraska SeCommission

Chair, Duane W. Acklie, reconvened the Commissioners of the Nebraska State HighwayCommission and called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. on the 24th of August, 2007. Thismeeting was held at the Nebraska Department of Roads' Central Complex, Lincoln, Nebraska,in Room 103.

The Chair welcomed the meeting attendees and asked for the roll call. The Executive Secretaryfor the Commission complied, and the following Commissioners replied:

Duane W. Acklie District 1Richard S. Reiser District 2Donna M. Wanitschke District 4Douglas C. Leafgreen District 5Ronald W. Books District 6Greg A. Wolford District 7Jerome A. Fagerland District 8

Director John L. Craig, ex-officio member, also responded. Commissioner John F. Kingsbury,District 3, was absent.

The agenda, a recording, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, and all handoutsrelevant to the business of this meeting are a part of the permanent minutes of record and areon file at the Commission Office, Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the July 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair asked for corrections or additions to the July 2007 meeting minutes as submitted bythe Executive Secretary for the Commission. Being none, Comrnissioner Books made a motionto accept the minutes as distributed and Commissioner Leafgreen seconded the motion. A rollcall vote was taken, and the seven attending Commissioners voted AYE unanimously toapprove.

Introductions/Correspondence/AnnouncementsChair Acklie read a note received from Governor Heineman's family expressing appreciation forthe bouquet acknowledging the passing of the Governor's father.

Old Business/New BusinessRelinquishment of the "Yutan Spur" S-78$3, was requested by Dave Brokaw, NDOR's Materialsand Research Division. The Saunders County officials have agreed to accept therelinquishment of the section of roadway and Chair Acklie, District 1, also concluded that theState should relinquish the roadway to the county under the terms of the contract.Commissioner Wolford made a motion to approve the "Yutan Spur" relinquishment andCommissioner Reiser seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and Commissioners:Acklie, Reiser, Wanitschke, Leafgreen, Books, Wolford, and Fagerland voted AYE.Commissioner Kingsbury was absent and did not vote. (Attachment #1, a map designating thelocation of the relinquishment is attached to the minutes of record and on file at the CommissionOffice.)

Agenda Topic"Nebraska Safe Routes to School Initiative" was introduced by Kelly Morgan, Sinclair Hille, andMark Perington, Snyder & Associates. The purpose of this program is to encourage and betterenable children to walk and bike safely to school. The Nebraska Department of Roads wasawarded more than $2 million in Federal Safe Routes to School Program to fund 23 communityprograms statewide. The program, as described, is to focus on promoting physical activity,improving health, making routes to school safer and reducing traffic congestion around schoolsby encouraging children to walk or ride bicycles to and from school. The federal governmentfunds the initiative 100 percent, requires no matching funds by local entities, and is divided intotwo categories: 1) infrastructure, sidewalk and street crossing improvements, traffic diversionand bicycle facilities, and 2) noninfrastructure, promotional materials, student bicycle andpedestrian safety educational programs. (Attachment #2, a handout describing the "SafeRoutes to School Initiative" is attached to the minutes of record and on file at the CommissionOffice.)

Project ApprovalsNDOR's Assistant Design Engineer, Lou Lenzen, requested of the Commission design andaccess control approval for "Gretna East" and corridor location approval for "Kearney EastBypass". .

Gretna East, C.N. 21543 This project is located on Nebraska Highway 370 in Sarpy Countyand will commence at the junction with U.S. Highway 6 and proceed east, ending at theinterchange with Interstate 80. The details of this roadway project were noted and withoutobjection, Commissioner Reiser made a motion to approve the design and access control aspresented. Comrnissioner Leafgreen concurred and seconded the Reiser motion. A roll call votewas requested by the Chair. Voting AYE to approve were the following Commissioners: Acklie,Reiser, Wanitschke, Leafgreen, Books, Wolford, and Fagerland. Commissioner Kingsbury wasnot in attendance and did not vote. (Attachment #3, the Engineer's Statements and a maprelevant to the project are attached to the minutes of record and on file at the CommissionOffice.)

Kearney East Interchange and Bypass, C.N. 42103A For the purpose of improving trafficflow and safety in the vicinity of the City of Kearney, the Federal Highway Administration andthe Nebraska Department of Roads studied the possibility of constructing a high-speed bypass,as well as improve regional and location transportation in the Kearney vicinity. Several optionswere considered; however, based on the public consent, the Cherry Avenue Corridor has beenidentified as the preferred alternative. This corridor begins three miles east of the existingKearney Interchange and proceeds north from Interstate 80 for five miles and then curves tothe west for three miles. The proposed corridor will end at the junction of NebraskaHighways 10 and 40. Following the question and answer period, Commissioner Wanitschkemade the motion to approve the Cherry Avenue Corridor as proposed and CommissionerLeafgreen seconded this motion. Commissioners Acklie, Reiser, Wanitschke, Leafgreen,Books, Wolford, and Fagerland voted AYE. Commissioner Kingsbury was absent and did notvote. (Attachment #4, the Engineer's Statement, details of the project, and a map of the siterelevant to the project are attached to the minutes of record and on file at the CommissionOffice.) ~

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AdjournmentThe Chair asked for additional Public Input, read the public meeting schedule for the comingmonth of September, 2007, announced the September meeting date change, and adjournedthe meeting at 11 :00 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

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Nebraska Se

~ Commission

a

The Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Commission reconvened at 10:00 a.m. forthe September 2007 meeting on the 21 st in Room 103 of the Nebraska Department of Roads'Central Complex, 1500 Highway 2, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Roll CallChair, Commissioner Duane W. Acklie, District 1, presiding called this meeting to order andrequested a roll call. The following Commissioners in attendance responded:

Commissioner Duane W. Acklie District 1Commissioner Richard S. Reiser District 2Commissioner John F. Kingsbury District 3Commissioner Donna M. Wanitschke District 4Commissioner Ronald W. Books District 6Commissioner Greg A. Wolford District 7Commissioner Jerome A. Fagerland District 8

COnlrTlissioner Douglas Leafgreen, District 5, was absent. A quorum was present. DirectorJohn L." Craig, ex officio member was also in attendance.

The agenda, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, and all handouts relevant tothe business of this meeting are a part of the permanent minutes of record and are on file at theCommission Office, Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the August 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the August 2007 had been mailed prior, asked foradditions or corrections and a motion to approve. Being no changes, Commissioner Booksmade the motion to approve and Commissioner Reiser seconded the motion. A roll call votewas taken and the seven attending Commission members voted unanimously to approve theAugust 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed by the Executive Secretary.

Introductions/Correspondence/AnnouncementsThe Chair welcomed those in attendance which included members representing the NebraskaCongressional staff, the Governor's staff, the Nebraska Legislature, former Governor CharlesThone, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, and others interested in the scheduled agenda topicpresentation.

Old Business/New BusinessThe Chair announced that Commissioner Richard S. Reiser, representing District 2,Commissioner Ronald W. Books, representing District 6 and Jerome A. Fagerland,representing District 8 had been appointed by Governor Dave Heineman to serve another six­year term respectively as members of the Nebraska State Highway Commission.

Agenda TopicNDOR's Deputy Director, Monty Fredrickson, introduced the agenda presenter, Mr. JohnConrad, Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Regional Operations for the Washington StateDepartment of Transportation.

"It's Your Nickel, Watch It Work", was the topic addressing the strategy implemented byWashington State Department of Transportation to convince Washington State's Governor andthe Legislature of the need to increase the State's User Fuel Tax.

Mr. Conrad gave the historical background of the cause and presented incidents impacting theefforts pursued, the repeal of the motor vehicle excess tax, formation of a Blue RibbonCommission, challenged to provide benchmarks, adaptation of in-house uniformity, andvalidation of all department activities, in an attempt to identify the rationale for a fuel taxincrease.

The primary emphasis was to convince the voting public that delivering projects on time andwithin budget, being accountable, publicizing project reports, utilizing the website and televisionwere communicated statewide with a "No Surprises" mantra. Trust and accountability were theprimary focus as the budget was presented to the Legislature, tools of the managementsystems were refined, highlighting performance to the public, and the investment in credibility tothe general public through demonstration and implementation of "It's Your Nickel, Watch ItWork" were the key factors focusing on the mission to increase the fuel tax. It was noted thatthe noble venture to increase the fuel tax for the purpose of maintaining and improving thetransportation system within Washington State was successful. (Attachments #1, #2, #3,and #4)

AdjournmentThe Chair welcomed questions and replies from the Commissioners and attendees, referred tothe scheduled meetings for the month of October 2007, asked for additional public input, andadjourned the September 2007 meeting at 11 :15 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

9-21-07(Hwy1-pg)

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On Friday, October 26, 2007, the Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Commissionreconvened for the 10:00 a.m. monthly meeting. The meeting was held at the NebraskaDepartment of Roads' Central Complex, 1500 Highway 2, Room 103, Lincoln, Nebraska. Theprepared meeting agenda, as distributed, is attached to the permanent minutes of record andon "file at the ComrTlission Office.

Roll Call

Duane W. Acklie, Chair presiding, requested a roll call and the attending responded:

Commissioner Duane W. AcklieCommissioner Richard S. ReiserCommissioner John F. KingsburyCommissioner Douglas C. LeafgreenCommissioner Ronald W. BooksCommissioner Greg A. WolfordComrTlissioner Jerome A. Fagerland

District 1District 2District 3District 5District 6District 7District 8

Commissioner Donna M. Wanitschke, District 4, was absent. Director John L. Craig, ex officiomember was also present. The agenda, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, andall handouts relevant to the business of this meeting are a part of the permanent rTlinutes ofrecord and are on file at the COrTlrTlission Office, Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the September 2007 Meeting Minutes

The Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting minutes of the September 2007 monthlymeeting had been mailed prior and asked for additions, corrections, and a motion to approve.Being no changes, Commissioner Kingsbury made the motion to approve and ComrTlissionerLeafgreen seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and the attending members votedunanimously to approve the September 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed bythe Executive Secretary.

Introductions/Correspondence/Announcements

The Chair announced that ComrTJissioner Wanitschke was absent and enjoying her recentlyborn grandson in California. COrTImissioner Leafgreen also announced that this wasCommissioner Books' birthday.

Agenda TopicAn Introduction to UNL's Nebraska Transportation Center and the

Regional University of Nebraska's Transportation Center

Dr. Dean Sicking and Dr. Larry RHett, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of Engineeringand Technology, shared the many challenges and opportunities provided by the Transportation

Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Mid-America Transportation Center, Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln.

The primary objective of the centers is to provide for the state and for the county a safer andmore efficient transportation system. It was cited that infrastructure renewal and operations andsafety are the key areas of the researched conducted. In addition, technology transfers are afacet that can be implemented for the purpose of fielding the research.

The Nebraska Department of Roads was recognized as one of the integral means for theadvancement of the centers, as well as encouraging the challenges and goals when training theaspiring engineers. In conclusion, it was noted that transportation is an important key to theoverall economy of the State of Nebraska and with the university, industry, and public sectorworking as partners, this objective will be recognized nationwide.

Questions concerning the research on truck safety, the inclusion of behavioral studies, thenumber of graduates employed by the NDOR and why the necessity of research when servingas a teaching professor were pondered. (Attachment #1 "Nebraska Transportation Center"overview is part of the permanent minutes of record and on file at the Commission Office.)

Project Approval

Assistant Design Engineer, Lou Lenzen, approached the Cornrrlission and requested approvalfor Access Control and approval of the Design Features of the project, Lincoln South Beltway,84th to 134th

, C.N. 12578B. (Attachment #2, the Engineer's Statement and map of the project,are pa,rt of the permanent minutes of record and on file at the Commission Office.)

This project is the east segment of the Lincoln South Beltway in Lancaster County. The projectbegins between Saltillo Road and Bennet Road, east of 84th Street and will extend northeasterlyto 134th Street. The project is about three miles in length. The proposed improvement will bedesigned to freeway standards with access provided by interchanges and includes grading andsurfacing for a four-lane divided roadway. Additional right-of-way will be needed, relocation willnot be necessary for the east segment of the Lincoln South Beltway, but relinquishments ofsegments of the existing highway will be necessary. Access control will be required for thelength of the project.

The Chair announced that he had attended the public information meeting for this project andprimarily those in attendance supported the construction of the Lincoln South Beltway. It wasquestioned if this project is included as part of the Expressway System and if so, why was thedesign built to facilitate a freeway design. It was questioned why funds were being spent, duringa time of funding shortages, on a preliminary design which may be "shelved" and not built foryears. It was defined that funds had been earmarked for this project, and it was necessary toproceed to protect the corridor and accommodate the utility companies. The rationale for thedesign of this freeway facility around Lincoln would be to move traffic quickly, safely during thehigh volume of traffic movement. In addition, a cost sharing agreement with the City of Lincotnhad been defined, as well as the relinquishment agreements signed.

The Chair asked for a motion to approve the access control and the design features of LincolnSouth Beltway, 84th to 134t

\ C.N. 12578B as presented, and Comrrlissioner Booksaccommodated. Commissioner Kingsbury then seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken.Voting AYE: Commissioners Acklie, Reiser, Kingsbury, Leafgreen, Books, Wolford, andFagerland. Commissioner Wanitschke was absent and did not vote. The request for theGovernor's approval will be forwarded.

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Adjournment

Commissioner Acklie asked for Public Input, read the scheduled public meeting calendar,announced the meeting time and place of the November 2007 meeting, asked for anyadditional business, and then adjourned the meeting at 11 :00 a. m. on the 26th of October, 2007.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

10-26-07(Hwy1-pg)

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The Commissioners of the Nebraska State Highway Cornmission reconvened at 10:00 a.m.,Noven1ber 16, 2007, Room 103 of the Nebraska Department of Roads' Central Complex,1500 Highway 2, Lincoln, Nebraska, for continuation of the monthly meeting.

Roll CallThe Chair, Commissioner Duane W. Acklie, District 1, called this meeting to order andrequested roll call. The following Commissioners in attendance responded:

Commissioner Duane W. AcklieCommissioner Richard S. ReiserCommissioner John F. KingsburyCommissioner Donna M. WanitschkeCommissioner Douglas C. LeafgreenCommissioner Ronald W. BooksCommissioner Greg A. WolfordCommissioner Jerome A. Fagerland

Director John Craig, ex-officio member, also responded.

District 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7District 8

The agenda, a transcript of the recording, the attendance sheet, and all handouts relevant tothe business of this meeting are a part of the permanent minutes of record and are on file at theCommission Office, Room 105, NDOR Central Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the October 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting minutes of the October 2007 meetinghad been distributed prior and asked for additions, corrections, and a motion to approve. Beingno changes, Commissioner Leafgreen made the motion to approve and Cornmissioner Booksseconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and the attending members voted unanimouslyto approve the October 2007 meeting minutes as prepared and distributed by the ExecutiveSecretary.

Introductions/Correspondence/AnnouncementsDirector Craig announced that Randy Needham, Manager, NDOR's Right-of-Way Division,planned to retire and commended him for forty years of service.

Agenda Presentation:District Operations and Maintenance Management

Kris Winter, District 3 Engineer, thoroughly illustrated the responsibilities of the maintenancestaff in all districts saying, "I've developed a very deep appreciation for the folks on the frontline: their capabilities, their skills and also their spirits." With the aid of a PowerPointpresentation, she outlined the four main areas of maintenance: physical maintenance, trafFiccontrol, winter operations, and disaster operations. Inquiries concerning maintenance and themilling of roadways as cost effective were questioned. It was noted that when comparing theconstruction program and the operation/maintenance program of the transportation districts, theconstruction program is huge but in terms of asset management, maintenance is a majorcomponent of roadway preservation. (Attachment #1, a chart "Routine Highway Maintenance" isa partot-the permanent minutes of record and on file at the Commission office.)

Project ApprovalMike Owen, Assistant Design Engineer, requested approval of two projects: "PlattsmouthBridge Rehabilitation" and "US-34 Missouri River Bridge". The Engineer's Statements wereread, and it was announced that approval for the design of the "Plattsmouth BridgeRehabilitation" project included the relinquishment of Highway US 34 through Plattsmouth, andthe US 34 Missouri River Bridge project would require two separate letting packages, the bridgeand the Nebraska Approach. Approval would include the relinquishment of US 34 in southSarpy County and the relinquishment of N-370 through Bellevue, which has been signed by theCity of Bellevue and received. (Attachments #2 and #3, Engineer's Statements, are a part of thepermanent minutes of record and on file at the Commission office.)

It was' announced that the Plattsmouth Bridge, now privately owned, would become a publicly­owned bridge under the auspices of the Plattsmouth Bridge Commission. The unsignedrelinquishment agreement· from the City of Plattsmouth was of concern to CommissionerWolford and he requested that the motion to approve the "Plattsmouth Bridge Rehabilitation" beconditional upon the receipt of the signed relinquishment agreement.

Commissioner Reiser presented to the Commission for the record his analysis of the projectsand his consensus of the relinquishments to the City of Bellevue and City of Plattsmouth.(Attachments #4 and #5, Commissioner Reiser's summaries of relinquishment, are a part of thepermanent minutes of record and on file at the Commission ~ffice.)

Comrnissioner Leafgreen moved to approve the two projects as proposed, and CommissionerReiser seconded the motion. Additional concerns relating to the maintenance, operation, andliability of these bridges were addressed by the City of Plattsmouth's City Administrator, IrvinPortis. It was determined that both bridges would remain toll bridges, and the futuremaintenance, operation, and liability would be under the guise of the· Plattsmouth BridgeCOITlmission and the Bellevue Bridge Commission, respectively.

The Chair announced that the motion to approve these two projects would be simultaneous, asamended and approved conditionally peQding the receipt of the signed relinquishment from theCity of Plattsmouth. A roll call vote was taken, and the following Commissioners voted AYE:Ackile, Reiser, Kingsbury, Wanitschke, Leafgreen, Books, Wolford, and Fagerland.

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Public Input and AdjournmentChair Acklie presented the opportunity for Public Input, being none, proceeded to announce thedate of the December, 2007 meeting and adjourned this November, 2007 meeting at11:05 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

11-16-07(Hwy1-pg)

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Nebraska S ~ Commission

On Friday, December 14, 2007, the Commissioners of the Nebraska State HighwayCommission reconvened for the 10:00 a.m. monthly meeting. The meeting was held at theNebraska Department of Roads' Central Complex, 1500 Highway 2, Room 103, Lincoln,Nebraska. The prepared meeting agenda, as'distributed, is attached to the permanent minutesof record and on file at the Commission Office.

Roll CallDuane W. Acklie, Chair presiding, requested a roll call and the attending responded:

Commissioner Duane W. AcklieCommissioner Richard S. ReiserCommissioner John F. KingsburyCommissioner Donna M. WanitschkeCommissioner Douglas C. LeafgreenCommissioner Ronald W. BooksCommissioner Greg A. Wolford

District 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7

Commissioner Jerome Fagerland, District 8, was not in attendance. However, Director John L.Craig, ex-officio member, was present. The agenda, a transcript of the recording, theattendance sheet, and aft handouts relevant to the business of this meeting are a part of thepermanent rrlinutes of record and are on file at the Commission Office, Room 105, NDORCentral Complex, Lincoln.

Approval of the November 2007 Meeting MinutesThe Chair announced that a rough draft of the meeting minutes of the November 2007 monthlymeeting had been mailed prior and asked for additions, corrections, and a motion to approve.Being no changes, Commissioner Leafgreen made the motion to approve and CommissionerWolford seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and the seven attending membersvoted unanimously to approve the November 2007 meeting minutes as prepared anddistributed by the Executive Secretary.

Introductions/CorrespondencelAnnouncementsThe Chair announced that having no correspondence or announcements that the agenda topic,"Highlights - National-Local Review" would be heard at this time.

Agenda TopicWilliam Brownell, the Nebraska FHWA Division Representative, presented to the Commissionthe objectives and rationale for the annual risk assessment required of each FHWA division.The primary concern of the assessment was the program aspects of the federal highwayprogram administered by the local agencies, counties and cities. The many findings weresimilar with all of the seven states participating, and the comprehensive review quickly revealedthat there was a wide diversity in the capacities of staff, the responsibilities of state agencies to

oversee the local projects, the lack of funds, compliance issues, the problematic earmarks andthe lack of knowledge of the administrative policies of the federal government. The primaryfinding was that an emphasis on the distribution of information and more training is necessary~

An additional need found that a risk assessment of the bridges in Nebraska was a priority.During a three-year compliance with the NDOR, of the 15,000 bridges in the state, 4,500bridges were rated, leaving 543 that need to be posted. (Attachment #1, "The Administration of

Local Public Agency Federal-Aid Projects" is a part of the permanent minutes of record and onfile at the Commission office.)

Comment concerning the need to identify bridges for safety purposes: the method used by theNDOR to notify counties and cities of the need to repair or replace bridges; the liable source ofresponsibility and authority for bridges; and undetected project deficiencies were questionedand respectfully answered.

Adjournment

Chair Acklie asked for Public Input, announced the public meeting schedule for January 2008,wished everyone greetings for the holiday season, and adjourned the final meeting of 2007 at10:55 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:

Shirley K. SchaferExecutive Secretary

Attachments

12-14-07(Hwy1-pg)

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