HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5612

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to the membership of the transportation improvement board.

Brief Description:  Reorganizing the transportation improvement board.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Erwin, Skratek, Prentice, von Reichbauer, M. Rasmussen, Nelson, Sellar, Vognild, Winsley, Hochstatter, Barr and Oke).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, April 1, 1993, DPA.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 27 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Jones, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Mielke, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Brumsickle; Cothern; Eide; Finkbeiner; Forner; Fuhrman; Hansen; Heavey; Horn; Johanson; J. Kohl; R. Meyers; Miller; H. Myers; Orr; Patterson; Quall; Sheldon; Shin; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Roger Horn (786-7839).

Background:  The Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) provides state grants to local jurisdictions for transportation projects in large and small cities and urbanized areas outside of cities.

The board is comprised of 17 members, including three city-elected officials, three city engineers, three county-elected officials, two county engineers, the County Road Administration Board director, three Department of Transportation (DOT) assistant secretaries, one public transit member, and one private sector member.  The county, city, transit and private sector members are appointed by the secretary of transportation.

The private sector and public transit members were added to the TIB in 1991.

Summary of Amended Bill:  The TIB is increased to 18 members and is modified as follows:  1) A public member appointed by the secretary of transportation is added; 2) the DOT assistant secretary for highways is removed; 3) a governor appointee who must be a state employee with transportation responsibilities is added; 4) one of the three county-elected officials must serve on a transit board; 5) the number of county-elected officials who must represent counties with population of 125,000 or more is reduced from two to one; 6) the number of county engineers/public works directors is reduced from two to one; 7) one county planning director or planning manager is added; 8) one of the three city-elected officials must serve on a transit board; 9) the number of city-elected officials who must represent cities with population of 20,000 or more is reduced from two to one; 10) the number of city engineers/public works directors who must represent cities with population of 20,000 or more is reduced from two to one; 11) one city planning director or planning manager is added; 12) at least one of the three county-elected officials and at least one of the three city-elected officials must be from each side of the state; and 13) no appointed member may serve more than two consecutive four-year terms.

Requirements for the public member position include experience in transportation or land use planning, a demonstrated interest in transportation issues, and involvement in community or grassroots organizations.

Applicants for the public member position will be sought through advertisements in newspapers reaching all urban areas of the state.  All applicants must provide a letter of interest and a resume.  The same process for seeking candidates is applied to the private sector position.

Conditions for determining vacancies of the private sector and public member positions are added, including resignation or inability or unwillingness to serve.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  A technical correction restores language that was inadvertently stricken in the drafting process.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 1993.

Testimony For:  The TIB will be more effective with the addition of a public member and transportation planners, and with greater transit representation.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Jerry Fay, Transportation Improvement Board; and Vern Wagar, County Road Administration Board.