AN
ACT Relating to the freight mobility strategic investment board; and amending
RCW 47.06A.020, 47.06A.030, and 47.06A.040.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
47.06A.020 and 1998 c 175 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
The board shall:
(a)
Adopt rules and procedures necessary to implement the freight mobility
strategic investment program;
(b)
Solicit from public entities proposed projects that meet eligibility criteria
established in accordance with subsection (4) of this section; and
(c)
Review and evaluate project applications based on criteria established under
this section, and prioritize and select projects comprising a portfolio to be funded
in part with grants from state funds appropriated for the freight mobility
strategic investment program. In determining the appropriate level of state
funding for a project, the board shall ensure that state funds are allocated to
leverage the greatest amount of partnership funding possible. After selecting
projects comprising the portfolio, the board shall submit them as part of
its budget request to the office of financial management and the legislature.
The board shall ensure that projects submitted as part of the portfolio are not
more appropriately funded with other federal, state, or local government
funding mechanisms or programs. The board shall reject those projects that
appear to improve overall general mobility with limited enhancement for freight
mobility.
The
board shall provide periodic progress reports on its activities to the
((governor)) office of financial management and the legislative
transportation committee.
(2)
The board may:
(a)
Accept from any state or federal agency, loans or grants for the financing of
any transportation project and enter into agreements with any such agency
concerning the loans or grants;
(b)
Provide technical assistance to project applicants;
(c)
Accept any gifts, grants, or loans of funds, property, or financial, or other
aid in any form from any other source on any terms and conditions which are not
in conflict with this chapter;
(d)
Adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to carry out the purposes of
this chapter; and
(e)
Do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly granted
or implied under this chapter.
(3)
The board shall designate strategic freight corridors within the state. The
board shall update the list of designated strategic corridors not less than
every two years, and shall establish a method of collecting and verifying data,
including information on city and county-owned roadways.
(4)
From June 11, 1998, through the biennium ending June 30, 2001, the board shall
utilize threshold project eligibility criteria that, at a minimum, includes the
following:
(a)
The project must be on a strategic freight corridor;
(b)
The project must meet one of the following conditions:
(i)
It is primarily aimed at reducing identified barriers to freight movement with
only incidental benefits to general or personal mobility; or
(ii)
It is primarily aimed at increasing capacity for the movement of freight with
only incidental benefits to general or personal mobility; or
(iii)
It is primarily aimed at mitigating the impact on communities of increasing
freight movement, including roadway/railway conflicts; and
(c)
The project must have a total public benefit/total public cost ratio of equal
to or greater than one.
(5)
From June 11, 1998, through the biennium ending June 30, 2001, the board shall
use the multicriteria analysis and scoring framework for evaluating and ranking
eligible freight mobility and freight mitigation projects developed by the
freight mobility project prioritization committee and contained in the January
16, 1998, report entitled "Project Eligibility, Priority and Selection
Process for a Strategic Freight Investment Program." The prioritization
process shall measure the degree to which projects address important program
objectives and shall generate a project score that reflects a project's
priority compared to other projects. The board shall assign scoring points to
each criterion that indicate the relative importance of the criterion in the
overall determination of project priority. After June 30, 2001, the board may
supplement and refine the initial project priority criteria and scoring
framework developed by the freight mobility project prioritization committee as
expertise and experience is gained in administering the freight mobility
program.
(6)
It is the intent of the legislature that each freight mobility project
contained in the project portfolio submitted by the board utilize the greatest
amount of nonstate funding possible. The board shall adopt rules that give
preference to projects that contain the greatest levels of financial
participation from nonprogram fund sources. The board shall consider twenty
percent as the minimum partnership contribution, but shall also ensure that
there are provisions allowing exceptions for projects that are located in areas
where minimal local funding capacity exists or where the magnitude of the
project makes the adopted partnership contribution financially unfeasible.
(7)
The board shall develop and recommend policies that address operational
improvements that primarily benefit and enhance freight movement, including,
but not limited to, policies that reduce congestion in truck lanes at border
crossings and weigh stations and provide for access to ports during nonpeak
hours.
Sec.
2. RCW
47.06A.030 and 1998 c 175 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)
The freight mobility strategic investment board is created. The board shall
convene by July 1, 1998.
(2)
The board is composed of twelve members. The following members are appointed
by the governor for terms of four years, except that five members initially are
appointed for terms of two years: (a) Two members, one of whom is from a city located
within or along a strategic freight corridor, appointed from a list of at least
four persons nominated by the association of Washington cities or its
successor; (b) two members, one of whom is from a county having a strategic
freight corridor within its boundaries, appointed from a list of at least four
persons nominated by the Washington state association of counties or its
successor; (c) two members, one of whom is from a port district located within
or along a strategic freight corridor, appointed from a list of at least four
persons nominated by the Washington public ports association or its successor;
(d) one member representing the office of financial management; (e) one member
appointed as a representative of the trucking industry; (f) one member
appointed as a representative of the railroads; (g) the secretary of the
department of transportation; (h) one member representing the steamship
industry; and (i) one member of the general public. In appointing the general
public member, the governor shall endeavor to appoint a member with special
expertise in relevant fields such as public finance, freight transportation, or
public works construction. The governor shall appoint the general public
member as chair of the board. In making appointments to the board, the
governor shall ensure that each geographic region of the state is represented.
(3)
Members of the board ((may not receive compensation. Reimbursement for))
shall be reimbursed for reasonable and customary travel ((and other))
expenses ((shall be provided by each respective organization that a member
represents on the board)) as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
(4)
If a vacancy on the board occurs by death, resignation, or otherwise, the
governor shall fill the vacant position for the unexpired term. Each vacancy
in a position appointed from lists provided by the associations and departments
under subsection (2) of this section must be filled from a list of at least
four persons nominated by the relevant association or associations.
(5)
The appointments made in subsection (2) of this section are not subject to
confirmation.
Sec.
3. RCW
47.06A.040 and 1998 c 175 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
The
board ((shall)), at its option, may either appoint an executive
director, who shall serve at its pleasure and whose salary shall be set by the
board((. Staff support to the board shall initially be provided by the
department of transportation, the transportation improvement board, and the
county road administration board or their successor agencies. The board shall
develop a plan that provides for administration and staffing of the program and
present this plan to the office of financial management and the legislative
transportation committee by December 31, 1998)) or make provisions
ensuring the responsibilities of the executive director are carried out by an
existing transportation-related state agency or by private contract. Staff
support to the board shall be provided by the department of transportation, the
transportation improvement board, and the county road administration board, or
their successor agencies.
