TAPE/#

Speaker

Comments

TAPE 42, A

003

Chair Verger

Calls the meeting to order at 1:31 p.m.  Makes opening remarks about meeting in Dundee.  Opens a public hearing on SB 865.

SB 865 – PUBLIC HEARING

030

Judith Callens

Committee Administrator.  Describes the provisions of SB 865.  Defers to Senator Bruce Starr to explain his proposed amendments.

037

Sen. B. Starr

Explains the proposed -1 amendments to SB 865 (EXHIBIT A).  Presents written testimony of Charlie Tindall in support of SB 865 (EXHIBIT B) and a traffic planning map (EXHIBIT C).

100

Sen. B. Starr

Continues to testify in regards to SB 865 and its amendments.

135

Chair Verger

Asks if he has invited transportation personnel to speak on this subject.

140

Sen. B. Starr

Observes some individuals who are present to testify.

143

Chair Verger

Notes the presence of Rep. Donna Nelson and Rep. Kim Thatcher.

153

Bruce Warner

Director, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).  Presents written testimony in favor of SB 865 (EXHIBIT D). 

200

Warner

Notes he hasn’t had much time to consider the -1 amendments but observes they add some additional clarity to the legislation.

221

Chair Verger

Considers that he check for duplication of services by ODOT.

230

Sen. Whitsett

Observes that they need to learn from lessons in the past and not repeat mistakes.

240

Warner

Concurs.  Discusses the need of focusing on the future using prior knowledge.

269

Bob Russell

Oregon Trucking Association.  Submits written testimony in favor of SB 865 (EXHIBIT E).

285

Sorin Garber

Sorin Garber Consulting Group.  Presents written testimony in support of SB 865 with some recommendations (EXHIBIT F).

320

Garber

Discusses logistics of shipping in the modern marketplace.

350

Garber

Talks about the relationship between investing in transportation infrastructure and economic growth.

380

Chair Verger

Considers the points Mr. Garber is making.

387

Tom Potiowsky

State Economist, Office of Economic Analysis.  Testifies in regards to the Highway Cost Allocation Study, conducted by the office.

403

Chair Verger

Remarks that they just received their report. 

TAPE 43, A

005

Potiowsky

Informs that they are working on a fiscal impact statement for the study.

009

Chair Verger

Comments on the proposed estimates.

010

Potiowsky

Provides additional details of the study.

015

Sen. B. Starr

Regards the helpful nature of the independent data provided.

027

Ann Gardner

Schnitzer Investment Corp.  Testifies in support of SB 865.  Offers that an outside third party study would be valuable.

057

Chair Verger

Discusses the value of “Connect Oregon” program.

065

Donald Alexander

Citizen of Newberg.  Testifies in support of SB 865.

075

Allen Holstein

Granville Winery.  Notes he is present for the informational hearing.  Voices his support for the Newberg/Dundee bypass.

080

Chair Verger

Closes public hearing on SB 865.  Opens a public hearing on HB 2115.

HB 2115 – PUBLIC HEARING

085

Callens

Explains the provisions of HB 2115 and the proposed -A2 amendment (EXHIBIT G).

110

Chair Verger

Comments on the measure.

115

John Jackley

Presents written testimony in favor of HB 2115 (EXHIBIT H).  Favors the -A2 amendments, noting the correction made to the language in the bill.

155

Chair Verger

Discusses the Coos Bay meeting and the facility they visited.

160

Jackley

States they are conforming with state requirements.

165

Sen. B. Starr

Asks about the decision making process.

167

Jackley

Replies that the commission approves the decisions.

169

Sen. B. Starr

Observes it doesn’t affect ODOT’s ongoing budget.

171

Jackley

States they are not allowed to take a loss on the project.

173

Sen. Whitsett

Considers the trading of property.

177

Jackley

Replies the additional money would go back into the highway fund.

180

Chair Verger

Closes public hearing on HB 2115.  Opens a work session on HB 2115.

HB 2115 – WORK SESSION

185

Sen. Whitsett

MOTION:  Moves to ADOPT HB 2115-A2 amendments dated 3/31/05.

187

VOTE:  4-0-1

EXCUSED:  1 – Metsger

Chair Verger

Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.

191

Sen. Whitsett

MOTION:  Moves HB 2115 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.

195

VOTE:  4-0-1

EXCUSED:  1 – Metsger

Chair Verger

Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.

SEN. WHITSETT will lead discussion on the floor.

205

Chair Verger

Closes work session on HB 2115.  Opens a public hearing on HB 2116.

HB 2116 – PUBLIC HEARING

210

Callens

Explains the provisions of HB 2116.

221

Jackley

Submits written testimony in favor of HB 2116 (EXHIBIT I).  Offers further explanation of the measure.

249

Chair Verger

Notes her initial confusion on why this bill was needed.  Appreciates the explanation.

257

Jackley

Mentions the unintended consequences of HB 2661 from the previous legislative session.  Notes how HB 2116 would clear up the problem.

275

Chair Verger

Closes public hearing on HB 2116.  Opens an informational hearing on the Dundee/Newberg Bypass Project Update.

INFORMATIONAL HEARING – DUNDEE/NEWBERG BYPASS PROJECT UPDATE

290

Diane Ragsdale

Mayor of Dundee.  Greets the committee.

295

Chair Verger

Introduces the mayor.

310

Ragsdale

Notes that many individuals wish to comment on the bypass.  Gives a handout on the bypass vision (EXHIBIT J).

337

Ragsdale

Introduces the Dundee city officials present.  Defers to local representatives who are present to testify, introducing them.

375

Jeff Dyck

Cascade Steel Rolling Mills, McMinnville.  Testifies on the operations of his company.  Comments on the road and rail infrastructure he relies upon.

407

Chair Verger

Notes the goal is to improve the economy.

417

Brent Adams

Chair, McMinnville Chamber of Commerce.  Supports the bypass.  Feels it crucial to the development of McMinnville.

TAPE 42, B

010

Adams

Comments on the varying travel time it takes to reach Portland for the medical treatment he needs.

017

Jeff Palmer

President, Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce and Rex Hill Vineyards.  Discusses his reasons for moving to Oregon and all it has to offer.  Adds his support for the need for a traffic bypass.

045

Chair Verger

Comments on the presence of Paul Warner of ODOT.  Relates she is glad he is here to listen to the testimony.

053

Rollin Soles

Argyle Winery.  Introduces himself.

055

Sen. Prozanski

Notes the acclaim of Mr. Soles' winery.

061

Soles

Comments on the high quality of life in his county.  Notes how easy it is to travel into and out of Portland, but the difficulty of getting people to visit wine country.

090

Soles

Discusses the need for a balance between business and residential.  Talks about the terrible traffic problems that limit freight options.  Points out that very few businesses could make it as things stand now.

120

Nancy Ponzi

Dundee Bistro, Owner.  Relates her experiences in the wine business and the growth of Dundee.   

125

Sen. Prozanski

Relates the factors that draw businesses to Oregon.

130

Ponzi

Outlines the shift in their business focus to Dundee despite the difficulties.  Notes the reluctance to invest money in Dundee businesses due to the traffic situation.

167

Wayne Stocks

City Council Member, McMinnville.  Concurs with previous comments.

200

Stocks

Discusses the comments from his community over the gridlock they are suffering as a result of traffic.

243

Chair Verger

Wonders when the major problems with gridlock started to occur.

247

Stocks

Observes that it first started about 10 years ago, but has become especially bad in the last 4 to 5 years.

272

Chair Verger

Notes that aside from the traffic issues McMinnville is a great community.

285

Ragsdale

Outlines the next part of their presentation.  Introduces Mr. Worrall.

320

Roger Worrall

Former mayor of Dundee.  Presents his written testimony in favor of the bypass (EXHIBIT K).

370

Worrall

Provides a history of the Dundee bypass proposal.

TAPE 43, B

005

Worrall

Continues his presentation.

011

Chair Verger

Regards the efforts in Coos Bay to build a bypass and the protests involved.  Describes ODOT’s challenge of working with the unique wishes of each community.

023

Worrall

Offers that the bottom line is they want to get their town back.

033

Chair Verger

Asks about the origins of the name Dundee.

037

Worrall

Comments that the founder of Dundee came from Scotland.

039

Sen. Whitsett

Asks about the date of the meeting that drew 400 people.

043

Worrall

Replies that it was in March or April of 2001.

050

Ken Austin

Owner, Austin Dental Equipment Company, former Newberg city council member. Begins offering a comprehensive history of the development of Dundee and Newberg.

090

Austin

Talks about the history of the bypass problem.

126

David Haugeberg

Chair, Yamhill County Parkway Committee.  Offers additional testimony on the prior history and discussion of a bypass.  Notes Newberg and Dundee are drowning in traffic.

160

Haugeberg

Describes the formation and history of the parkway committee and the traffic design proposals.

193

Chair Verger

Observes that sometimes the discussion of the common good is lost.

198

Haugeberg

Continues discussing the process.  Details the Policy Oversight Steering Team (POST). 

230

Haugeberg

Discusses the fund raising that helped start the project in motion.

260

Sen. Whitsett

Observes that this process started 33 years ago.  Wonders what is holding the process up.

270

Austin

States traffic design considerations have been proposed for over 50 years.

300

Austin

Notes the very strong conservative nature of Newberg and the reluctance to expand the city.  Talks about the barriers they faced when setting up their business.  Feels that opinions have changed recently.

340

Chair Verger

Appreciates the efforts of the Austin family.

350

Ragsdale

Introduces the next segment of testimony and Ms. Lewis

379

Leslie Lewis

Yamhill County Commissioner.  Details the reasons why the bypass project hasn’t moved forward.  Welcomes Senator Gary George, who has just arrived.

TAPE 44, A

010

Lewis

Continues to testify in relation to previous legislative actions.

040

Lewis

Describes the attempts to fund the project with tolls.

070

Lewis

Talks about not receiving the needed funds from the Oregon Transportation Investment Act (OTIA).

087

Chair Verger

Wonders if they thought the toll would be enough to pay for the project.

089

Lewis

Relates that their estimates were conservative and that they knew they would need both public and private funds.

107

Mike Sherwood

Chair, Dundee Planning Commission.  Details the development of their vision statement for the city.  Provides an overview of transportation studies they have held and a planning map they have developed.

157

Bob Stewart

Mayor, City of Newberg.  Endorses the phasing of the program.  Relays the concerns of the community.  Talks about the impact of large volumes of vehicles passing through the city.

185

Sen. B. Starr

References a similar situation with large trucks passing through Redmond, Oregon.

195

Stewart

Discusses the use of alternative roads in an attempt to get around Dundee causing high traffic loads in unintended areas. 

240

Stewart

Talks about their city transportation plans.

281

Chair Verger

Asks if the city plans are connected to the bypass plans.

287

Stewart

Affirms they are connected.  Further details their cooperation.

315

Chair Verger

Observes the bypass is not just moving traffic, but economic development as well.

323

Sen. B. Starr

Asks if they have the resources for such an ambitious project.

325

Stewart

Replies it is a 20 year project and that they will need partnerships to accomplish it.

352

Rep. Nelson

Notes she has to depart shortly.  Discusses 2001 legislative efforts to finance transportation improvements.

361

Sen. B. Starr

Details the funding made available.

364

Rep. Nelson

Comments on the legislative intent of their proposals.  Grapples with her frustration in moving this project forward.

390

Sen. B. Starr

Points out the passage of OTIA III to address bridges and highways.

393

Rep. Nelson

Considers the division and distribution of the funds.

TAPE 45, A

003

Rep. Nelson

Expounds upon the need to move freight and allowing access to the state’s top tourist attractions.

015

Chair Verger

Hopes to find out why it is being held up.

023

Rep. Nelson

Reiterates the efforts that have gone into this project.

027

Mike Ragsdale

Chair, Citizen Task Force.  Details the plans for future development of Dundee. 

097

Chair Verger

Appreciates his efforts.  Recalls her experiences as mayor of Coos Bay.  Feels that ODOT’s primary mission is to move traffic.

107

Mike Ragsdale

Replies that with the bypass in place, reduced traffic will make 99W a true “main street” for Dundee.

119

Chair Verger

Asks for clarification on the change to 99W.

123

Mike Ragsdale

Recognizes that with the bypass in place they may change the designation of 99W from a highway to a main street.

125

Chair Verger

Offers that they have made similar changes before with great success.

130

Mike Ragsdale

Compliments the recent cooperation with ODOT. 

143

Bruce Warner

Director, ODOT.  States the department is trying to move this project forward.  Details that the design of this project should begin this summer. 

159

Chair Verger

Asks about financing possibilities.

161

Warner

Notes financing and the approach to the project.  Comments on OTIA I and II phases.  Discusses the OTIA III bridge studies and the use of funds that could be moved to the bypass project.  Notes they are only one year into the eight year bridge program.

195

Chair Verger

Elaborates on the statewide impact of this project.

197

Warner

Restates the need for funding on bridges, but replies it will be up to the legislature.

211

Chair Verger

Feels there should be come criteria for determining the most needed traffic projects.

233

Sen. B. Starr

Praises the consistency of Mr. Warner’s work.  Comments on the spending of excess revenues.

257

Chair Verger

Observes the importance of legislative members visiting various regions of Oregon firsthand.

261

Rep. Nelson

Thanks Mr. Warner for his assistance.  Notes her appreciation for the committee’s work.

275

Sen. B. Starr

Asks Mr. Warner about a proposal to use federal funds.

296

Warner

Answers that he is correct.  Refers to congressional efforts making additional resources available. 

315

Chair Verger

Wonders about the potential use of tolls.

317

Warner

States they are still being considered.

327

Lewis

Begins a conclusion of their presentation with the public and private funding options.

370

Lewis

Talks about the projects available for private sector investment.   Discusses the number of finance proposals regarding the Newberg/Dundee bypass.

TAPE 44, B

005

Lewis

Continues discussing the design phase of the project.

006

Chair Verger

Asks who is preparing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

007

Lewis

Replies.  Discusses the EIS process.  Talks about all the projects competing for funding.

050

Chair Verger

Feels the process is wonderful in coming up with ideas that ultimately don’t have any funding.

056

Lewis

Comments on the difficulty in moving this forward and the critical infrastructure needs.

069

Chair Verger

Notes the difficulty of relying on state income tax for funding.

073

Lewis

Concludes her testimony.

075

Sen. B. Starr

Thanks her for the testimony.  Points out the need for local advocacy to make sure if additional funding comes from congress that they highlight the need for modernization.

099

Lewis

Relays her commitment to move this forward.

115

Chair Verger

Discusses the efficiency of placing legislative members engaged in policy into the ways and means process.

121

Haugeberg

Summarizes the presentation.  Showcases support of the numerous people in favor of this project.  Presents the committee with jars of “Traffic Jam”. 

155

Ragsdale

Thanks them for their visit.

165

Chair Verger

Thanks Mayor Ragsdale.  Voices her appreciation for being able to bring the process to the people. 

193

Chair Verger

Observes the need to prioritize the state’s problems.

207

Lewis

Notes the legislative support from Sen. George and Rep. Thatcher.

219

Rep. Thatcher

Emphasizes that changes have to be made to take advantage of the assets available in this region of Oregon.  Asks if they had the money, is there anything else that would be a barrier to this project.

252

Lewis

Notes the Land Use System could be a risk to this project.  

289

Haugeberg

Makes additional comments.

313

Sen. Gary George

Senate District 12.  Notes the need for a more efficient tax structure.  Talks about infrastructure development he observed in Alaska.

345

Sen. Whitsett

Comments on his rural background and the importance of hearing from small communities like Dundee.

The following material is submitted for the record without public testimony:

Jim Morrison

Submits written testimony for the record (EXHIBIT L).

Donnald Alexander

Submits written testimony for the record (EXHIBIT M).

Merilyn Reeves

Submits written testimony for the record (EXHIBIT N).

377

Chair Verger

Voices her hope for policies that support the beauty of their environment.    Thanks them all.  Closes the informational meeting, and reopens the public hearing on SB 865 to allow one more person to testify.

SB 865 – PUBLIC HEARING

TAPE 45, B

007

Rod Park

Councilor, Portland Metro.  Voices his concerns with SB 865 as written.

045

Park

Talks about examining previous transportation related decision making.

095

Park

Offers that the private sector is realizing the opportunity of investing in transportation related projects.

112

Chair Verger

Asks that he send them copies of his testimony.  Wonders about his position on the width of bill.

120

Park

Clarifies his thoughts. 

131

Sen. B. Starr

Inquires about the 60% figure.

135

Park

Replies it refers to the federal and state funds going into transportation.

137

Sen. B. Starr

Appreciates the figures he has provided.  Wonder about the percentages of federal “flexible” funds.

147

Park

Reiterates the 60% figure. 

161

Sen. B. Starr

Points out that they don’t have a huge say on transportation projects funded through the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

165

Park

Notes there is mutual approval of projects.

173

Sen. B. Starr

Appreciates his testimony and his perspective on this issue.  Suggests that they need to look back and well and looking forward in the planning process.

199

Sen. Whitsett

Concurs with Sen. Starr’s comments.  Wonders how much the movement of freight and people coincide with the 60% investment as opposed to the 40%.

210

Park

Responds.

240

Chair Verger

Voices her concerns of duplicating processes. 

245

Park

Replies it is purely an economic study.

260

Chair Verger

Closes public hearing on SB 865.  Adjourns the committee at 5:01 p.m.