ALC-Highway Commission Review and Advisory Subcommittee

Subcommittee called order the. Ron you got anything you need to share. How do not deserve to be here thank everyone for being here we've had a had a little bit of a break during the session little little bit behind on our reports the but I thank rex's going news caught up today. And Affairs No other business the. We will we will begin with C. the quarterly quarterly land conveyances report exhibit C.. Come on up and introduce yourself correction. If you wanna say something for the director. Everybody know what's going on sure rex finds the chief engineer of operations for or not the director is in DC this week meeting with our delegation there so she's asked me to step in setting for your. All right of thank you good afternoon. we I would like to before you still recognize the Commissioner holder here with us today miss Marie holder is in in an audience with this. I in your packets there are three sections and you'll notice can three categories the first is exhibit C. as a centre Johnson mentioned in this is the a quarterly report for lan conveyances for the first quarter of twenty twenty three if required by thirteen fifteen I do not have a a presentation go with that they would be happy to build any questions. Three questions from members. Then we'll go room. No questions I move on. Okay next on the agenda it is exempt exhibits D. one and D. two which are the quarterly progress report for projects of two million dollars or more. There are two reports for the second and third quarter state fiscal year twenty three. we did not present to this committee during session so this is the first time these representative. And I don't have a presentation for these other just if anyone has any questions regarding these projects. Getting presentations and I'll I do have one flight one. What about here my business is about is about done or. I would like a Phoenician. Your hand. Yes Sir representative race. I know I gotta find. That you. All right. Register. Let me be the. It's all it's all messed up. Senator Hammer okay you know I'm not in a recognized to ask questions representative ray okay whenever and get it. Okay well I was just gonna ask about what you. Thanks to the. For their. Why yes. Line. Yes Sir I agree I agree the just recently in the last month Johnson brothers filed a claim against department. So we just wrote to the prime contractor on that position apologist they filed a claim against department so as far as causation we are hesitant to make any comments in this forum Their claim is over time so we we really can't say a lot of big a lot of detail we are meeting with the prime contractor leadership and they're sure the next week. To try to find a way to progress shall pass. Senator Hammer. Thank you any and you may have to answer the same way so with what you just said have the reach the point where they forfeited on their budget are you able to answer that no Sir. Not not that point yet they have they are in liquidated damages in being charred road user cost okay so they are in liquidation there in overtime yes Sir is that the seventy seven thousand dollar day seven seven thousand seven or fifty dollars a day. Okay and do you know that all the subs are being paid in early they're being kept to our knowledge they are destroyed yes okay how would you not know that to be paid if the court us normally there's several reporters they don't get paid okay or thank you yes Sir. Representative Crawford. Thank you Mr chair on page forty nine also you guys are behind one highway two fifty three to fifty five do you have any information on that and it's completion date. Page forty nine forty nine okay my number my pages must be numbered differently okay this is a mass aren't Creek highway twenty two okay that's the other was Yes ma'am I'm I'm very familiar with that job there were some significant utility delays. The project was not able to even start for two years because the utilities were not getting out the way for us to start until I mean it's two years after the contract it'll at so the contractors just begun work Love thank last fall. So we have follow up please do you have a completion date. should be. Let me find a job my numbers are different the worst. Okay it's early twenty five that that should be the spring of twenty five early twenty five yes ma'am thank you. Thank. Your any other questions. Go ahead Senator Hammer thank you thank measure only go back to sleep County for a minute I'm looking at the Page eighteen. And. The the contracted amount one eighty seven. Current contract now one eighty nine which that would mean that they there were some add ons that they were allowed for is that correct. yes that's what the main server change orders and added to the contract today we paid a hundred twenty four and the amount remains sixty five. If if they have forfeited their bond just explain to me processes for how with the balance that they have remaining they forfeited their bond is there is there a new. Of any state new complete date. The what when it when we say forfeits bond that just means bonding companies required to finish the project okay so they would have to hire a construction contractor coming in finished contractor we would at that point get a new baseline to establish a completion date. so it's kind of at this point the completion date is scheduled for I believe November twenty four. And with current contractor but they have not pole for on yet okay but Bonnie companies taken over well we're meeting with by the company we have we have not gone to the we have not got to that stage. So now The New completion date because up I was asked about this this last week because we got that new school out there and so now The New completion date is November of twenty four yes Sir. That's what our current schedule showing and how do you go selecting the new contractor so we know we get somebody that can get it done on time if if we go to that state we will be heavily involved with the bonding agent. Okay Mr chairman I am not at all member this committee but that's my neck of the woods down there. Once they have that meeting with the chair consider adding this specific item back on ruby and report or when when will this committee may next Brandon can get with them and make sure we have the. Okay I just like it to be a item of interest if the place and I appreciate all the parts you know it's it's a hard spot we're in a bad way making the best of the bad situation yes but open communication we appreciate that Sir thank you senator reviewed because. Thank you Mister chair Mister vital here yes of Garland County. We had a project on we call it sunshine relatively that's two twenty seven or two twenty two out there violate campus school between seventy west of two seventy west that has been in repair zone for over a year. they've been doing a lighting and a re service or something we do not really know what they're gonna do to that road but it's not really good what's been happening it's been three years since I started that project got pushed off of it. Barrels and and banner settlements on the road for a long time can you tell me what the situation is on that road and what's going to happen with that eventually yes Sir that that project was also delayed significantly by utilities there were in the way and they have recently of we got all the utilities relocated they ran into a lot of a reporter. Hill the hill country is scattered with really bad for building roads so let that slow the progress down even when they had areas to work but they have picked up the pace And a believer moving forward now and and for C. R. I don't recall the this might completion date but I know they they started making progress lease ups to is it going to be a complete overlaid with asphalt you know that yes we will we will we'll after they get the safety aspects done they'll do a full overlay of the at least the second up to select section process but the lease so section one full of Health people off as long as I can and I know answers but I till I till people in my district that we are very lucky in garland county and in in Arkansas to have really good roads and on account is really blessed with what shall have done for us over there so to be patient but I just want to know what's going to happen kind of when it's going to be so I thank you for your answers thank you Sir thank you Mister representative right. Thank you Mr chairman there's a couple of acronyms on here that I'm just not familiar with under when it when it describes the funding for a particular project it'll say federal state federal state and then cap and I RP what is our connecting Arkansas program okay and then our peers interstate. resurfacing servicing our rehab rehabilitation program okay thank you and then what are the connect Arkansas program that's the half cent yes Sir that's have synthetics fired into expires this month and then we the temporary have Sam's will pay for the cap and the I. R. P. approved by bonding okay all right thank you. Senator Payton. Thank you Mr chair so on page fifty five it's got a thirteen and a half million dollar project for cable barriers in the media how many it doesn't say how many miles that covers can you give us kind of how much a per mile it costs to do those cable barriers at I can't get that to you right this second but I can get I can get to the committee okay yeah I don't I don't know that one of top my it yes Sir thank you. Three any other questions members on Second quarter third quarter report. The nun will move on to the. Thank you Mr chairman again the the next if you look exhibits E. one three five. Or monthly progress reports for the A. L. C. fish to stay recommendation. Of your notice again that we of we've got five here because we did not meet during session in the report are cumulative in nature so the the may twenty twenty three I believe it's labeled monthly may. Is the most current report that we have and I will I will I would like to with chairs permission just go just highlight a few things that have significant changes have been made since our last report to this committee. So I will be referring to page numbers throughout this and they're all will be your very last section the very last even my monthly monthly by the five the five. So all the page number for to be in a five the five three six U. six is not smaller. Eighty five. All they have to June okay okay. With the five the five the. Okay on page four recommendation number four under organizational structure categories he said we should strengthen knowledge management. In anticipation of increased retirement and since that we have a gun just recently having monthly series lunch and learn sessions with subject matter experts in order to share knowledge across the agency. Moving on to page six. Which the recommendation number three. Under portfolio planning categories said we should publish status of construction projects and maintenance activities we have selected the contractor or consultant to begin this process we've Been negotiating a contract we finally reached a negotiated contract we will be going out for public comment on that contract and then bringing it back before this committee for approval. So we're moving on that. What what time frame would I believe the comment thirty days so prob possibly the next meeting. Senator Chesterfield you wanna wait on your question or. Now okay Senator Chesterfield yeah that was it thank you Mr vice for being here I remember when we were dealing with the steady of what you should and should not do that me compliment you first on having completed some of the recommendations from from the subcommittee and and and the study that was performed by the national group one of the things that we talked about was that we would we would tell people about people who were doing a good job. Am I correct in that. Yes I believe so okay but if my memory serves me correctly we do know that we have not been served well by the contractor that has that contract between Benton and hot springs exit so are we are we waiting for the litigation to land before we just say publicly they have done a lousy job. Parking we say that in you can't. I would prefer you say that okay they've done a. Okay. So I'm going to say it because I don't want you to say it but anytime a project is going on that long. And has not reached the level of completion that I believe it should have a I can say I think up for myself and maybe others that they have not done the job they should have so as we go through this process and we continue this process the right process of evaluation dealing with the recommendations from the previous committee. We need to be looking at making sure. When we can as a body that folks know these folks do not do as they say they're going to do. And you don't have to say I agree but if you not to be okay yes thank you Mr yes thank you. Soon. I know that was part of the deal is the for an evaluation for those contractor yes Is that but is work in progress yes Sir that's still a work in progress. Yes thank you Sir go ahead. A recommendation for on page nine. Under the portfolio planning categories if we should implement a platform that tracks all stakeholder increase. To resolution of the department staff has began using what is currently called gov Q. a which is a database that collects and we start using it internally so we're taking Calls or emails oral or whatever and we're including in into this system and tracking it and took the resolution and as part of this so we are are currently we have taken in two thousand entries from the public and any input in the system we're still working out some of the vote before we go completely live with it but we're we're getting very close on that one. Okay the necks of the two thousand in the resolution. A majority you know a lot of are a lot of them are potholes or Karen wrote thanks that nature that that we can take care quickly. Our recommendation number five on page eleven. Under pressure make category said we should implement efficiencies in procurement and purchasing. We have surveyed state DOT's or part of transportation across the country and based on responses provided we have selected three DOT to go into more detail in our project delivery systems our selection processes. We've had interviews with Minnesota DOT in Washington DOT based on their responses and have determined and how to determine the methods project delivery they use each one the information gained from these interviews will be used to help guide us as we develop process of project delivery selections. And then. Lastly on on my part that I would have prepared and recommendations twelve and thirteen on page twenty nine. Under people care capabilities categories. Recommendation said that we should ensure staff and develop in their careers at the Department improve staff capabilities to align with current and future organizational needs. A state fiscal year twenty twenty twenty twenty four twenty twenty five we submitted a plan to expand the existing pools and add additional pools for employees are budget proposal was approved and enacted which means approximately ninety seven percent of our appropriate positions will be pooled this gives us much greater flexibility and provided more opportunity for employees to advance in their careers and stay within budget constraints. And Furthermore we have a total of seventy six managers who have been come have complete the leadership development program and have more scheduled. Is this have you seen any kind of retention Most during a retention. Not not a not a huge of change. To date. Our our largest Retention areas are entry level positions and have a lot of turnover there. Thank you Sir. That Mr chairman I completes my report behalf nature more questions. Questions from members. Senator Chesterfield and then senator us. Thank you Mister chair Mister funds as we talk about turn over which is more entry level in any place else are we able to give our staff already T. raises there are commensurate with their experience. Any decision yes ma'am we we are we we have a policy that allows us to increase entry level salaries for exceptionally well qualified applicants we have recently with the the direction of Director tutor and approval commission approved a regional races that allows areas where we have trouble hiring The Little Rock metro area of the northwest Arkansas area where there's a lot of job competition. we increase salaries and then in areas where our employees are working in multi lane high speed freeway system we've increased their pay to help compensate for the more danger for the day one of the issues that I brought up with the with director was the subjective. Criteria that is being used in many places to determine whether or not an individual is meritorious and I had suggested that we create a more objective evaluation predicated on days at work educational whatever but you make it more objective that we changed at all how we are dealing with determining what is meritorious and what is not. I know man we're still using that same of Maris's Tom are a but we will take that in consideration what you tell me that a couple years ago so I'm just concerned because our our our staff is being evaluated on sometimes the whims of the individuals in charge of their particular division and that's always troubling to me that we don't have an objective criteria this is if you do this this and this no matter where you are you're going to get a the raise that you deserve rather than my boss likes me because of this and therefore that individual gets the race so it's still a concern of mine because I think we need to be more objective and I criteria for not only department of transportation workers but all about workers so that they know exactly what they need to do in order to be detained meritorious I'm not meritorious yes ma'am thank you yes ma'am. Right. Thank you revise is there anything that the commission's report on thank. Your that. And for of which about I would just add one of the commission had any reports or anything are any concerns on funding Session we. We've I guess took care of our match better still coming through as families exposed to yes any concerns there and the other thing if you don't have it now is fine but I I like David a future report could Kentucky member the details on like the casino money they've they've done quite well through co within all eight we hit that were. Right to a percentage in the hunt goes road to we haven't got any that yes Sir we we get that at the beginning of the fiscal year and yes we we have been receiving that we have not had any of funding issues of their part of the reason The Director tutor in is in the C. as we did not get some grants that we have to apply for the federal government and they just going to get a brief you know why but otherwise funding all the funding mechanism for working you do thank you yes Sir Mr. Represent all. Thank you Mr chairman I just wanted to go on record because I said ahead of the meeting and I really want to thank you Mr vines but also your us new associate a return to DOT Michelle Davenport that you stole from the alarm was really a great person to work with here at BLR and certainly made I'm sure many of us myself included you know just very a great person to work with and I'm glad that you have her at DOT so just wanted to thank and congratulate you on that thank you thank you Michelle I'm not going records so you still or first okay so I'm record. Senator Stubblefield. Thank you Mr chairman. Correct. Well I've I've served on this committee for many many years. And I'm not complaining because I'm well aware of the number of miles we have in this state to surface and the number of people we have persons of the state. but one of the and all I'm also aware of the influx of people we have coming in from other states moving into rural areas in Arkansas won the most frequent complaints I get. Is is not the primary road but it's a secondary roads the little branches that branch off and go to Scranton or go to Cecil and they're absolutely falling apart I don't want to drive home. Just when I get the complaints are going drive and they really are so member becoming hazard if you got the little concrete barriers or a of water goes under and two two trucks can't cross that same time without hitting those. Is that how much attention is being paid to these. The second roads. Well that's the the primary function of our might necessary eight quarters in our districts might as division just to take care of those we're we're spending seventy five percent approximately own pavement preservation on primary system which allows frees them up to work on those secondary routes but as we mentioned we have a shortage of employees and and we of Kept up with some but there are others admittedly that are just woefully far behind and we are anticipation is it is as we continue to spend the money on our primary network and get it in good condition and we can the internal focus more attention. With construction work on the secondary routes in these lower volume routes and that that's really are hoping we believe that's the direction we're headed in. Well I've seen spots for their patch you know temporarily stage where you can. Maybe get the people to come down a little bit but there's really not been any major I mean I haven't seen a lot of major overlays or construction and those secondary. And some go to cities that are two thousand fifteen hundred five hundred yes Sir and the I was just curious as to how much how much emphasis is placed on the secondary road versus of primary respite people travel. every day. So but I appreciate what you do yes Sir thank you. Senator Payton. Thank you Mr Mysterons This a recommendation number five on page eleven I'm just curious. Of what drove us to choose Washington Minnesota North Carolina as examples of what type of questions are we pose into armor. is there something that in their program similar to ours that drove us to those decisions or what I would like to thank the chair permission call someone up to help me with that I was not directly involved in that part so I'd like to because one of for that. Whenever you get to sit down just push a button and introduce yourself and. My name is Tom Fisher I'm not turning project delivery ministry for the department. Okay if you could slow down just a little bit and tell me what you are yeah my name is Tom Fisher I am the alternative project delivery ministry for the department okay can you a. Maybe help solve my curiosity is to. Why we chose Washington Minnesota north Carolina's are examples and and what type of information we're trying to glean from them yes Sir so we sent out a survey to the various DOT's and receive twenty two responses from repair agencies from those twenty two responses we selected North Carolina Washington and Minnesota Minnesota DOT because they seem to fit the attributes that we were looking for for our program in our tool to be able to do to to develop a Project selection tool. Okay we'll pardon my ignorance but can you explain a little bit more about what we're trying to find out from yes Sir so. Under our under our program will take projects their estimated be ten million dollars or more in we would use a workshop to determine what happened delivery method we would use for a project whether it be design bid build which is our traditional method that you that we use for probably ninety five percent of our projects and we also have design build projects which is the thirty crossing project the I. thirty two little rock and north little rock we also have the construction manager general contractor delivery method or the C. M. D. C. which is the project that's on highway ten how we can't roll that's currently wrapping up and then our or other method is the progressive design build project. So basically we're asking these three states how they need to make their determinations and how they have with their. Evaluation of the projects and and we're trying to model ourselves after that or well that's correct we we took the attributes that they did And kind of mold it to fit our needs we were not mimicking there is we just we want to land on their process to kind of see what processes they use that we lacked what processes they use that we didn't feel meet our needs and then from that develop our own Project selection tool. Okay thank you thank you Mr. Representative Watson. Thank you Mr. Mr vines I was. Sure where those gonna bring this up or not of a little committees that I had this morning from hope to the capitol one of take me three hours and eighteen minutes I want to focus in on the thirty with the concrete concrete barriers on each side if you will just visualize for just a minute eastbound northbound whatever you wanna call it before you get into the branch of Bryant to didn't area it's just a thought. I work that area before. What I'm looking at right now is some more possibly. We don't want too much signage. But ex specially when the traffic is slowing down. I don't know I have not had a report that's not my job anymore but I just wonder if they were any at a major accidents through that area today that was unbelievable that was unbelievable dangerous again concrete barriers on both sides of law enforcement could not respond they sure cannot work right are in there because it's so many miles you go through there you cannot do a traffic stop but I'm really really really of always had a nightmare about getting rear ended and I made sure several times and I use my four ways to to to warn the the other truckers behind me my point is yes Is inconvenience as part of this part of a prosperity but when it comes to the major safety part that's where you know just wanna visit just to give you some thoughts on there is there anymore there is signage there are there is a signage but is there anything else maybe more clear is far as the motors go to warn them three days ago they wish three motorcycles right in the middle that on the left side and I thought it was a major accident I think I think they had motor problems it's a wonder all three of these did not get run over it was label now what when I drove up there I look to my left lying it was locally was kinda like Martin the seat in everybody you know kind of was being behaving got in the right lane any thoughts on that. yes Sir we have this morning what caused that back up was the dropping the set were there for permanent drainage. Have a mental I'm sure it's still in place the sealed lately yes he'll play to the steel plates to come have broken loose the traffic in there repairing those emergency repairs we're traffic did you. Of drop off into or the drop analysts and that's what caused that delay this morning yes so we can look at see if there's a way we can add some signage we do a publish this on our idrive Arkansas and we encourage that but under sometimes it's too late of all of all time I drive was not working I don't know I I I deleted it and brought it back but anyway of it where the exits are they will want to not say anything about this because I mean this morning could absolutely have been a major major chain reaction accident and yes Sir I appreciate you yes Sir thank you. Representative Michael. Thank you thank you chairman of first I wanna just commend you all I had the opportunity to attend a couple of your at north south quarter meetings up in northwest Arkansas and lot of a lot of interested participants there but the people who attended from are not very patient and very well informed so I just want to commend your your office for that second on highway seventy two up in kind of Bentonville Centerton area there between ten or black and I wanted to be a lot of accidents of that same curve right every about six or seven so far this year taking under guard rails including one death there I spoke with Is tutor who spoke with Steve Frisbie I believe in us as we looking to that wanted to see if you just had it's been a week or so I wanted to see if you had any update on that issue at all no ma'am I did not but I can get that I can find to get an update we get back okay thank you ma'am. Your your questions remembers. Seeing none of the. Are you I'm done done. You're in the business. Seeing none we are adjourned thank you.