MINUTES OF THE meeting

of the

ASSEMBLY Committee on Transportation

 

Seventy-First Session

May 22, 2001

 

 

The Committee on Transportationwas called to order at 3:54 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, 2001.  Chairwoman Vonne Chowning presided in Room 3143 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Guest List.  All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Mrs.                     Vonne Chowning, Chairwoman

Ms.                     Genie Ohrenschall, Vice Chairman

Mr.                     John Carpenter

Ms.                     Barbara Cegavske

Mr.                     Jerry Claborn

Mr.                     Don Gustavson

Mr.                     John J. Lee

Ms.                     Kathy McClain

Mr.                     John Oceguera

Ms.                     Debbie Smith

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS EXCUSED:

 

Mr.                     Tom Collins

Mr.                     Dennis Nolan

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Paul Mouritsen, Committee Policy Analyst

Geri Mosey, Committee Secretary

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

Sandi McGrew Stanio, Statewide Transit Coordinator, Nevada Department of Transportation

 

            Stephanie Licht, representing Elko County and the Northeastern Nevada                       Historical Railroad Museum

 

 

 

Chairwoman Chowning called the meeting to order and opened the hearing on S.J.R. 13.

 

 

Senate Joint Resolution 13:  Expresses support for certain applications for capital grant funding from Federal Transit Administration and urges Nevada Congressional Delegation to pursue attainment of these grants. (BDR R-1522)

 

Sandi McGrew Stanio, Statewide Transit Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), made the presentation on S.J.R. 13.   She explained in 1998, the NDOT had approximately $400,000 available to provide public transportation to the small urban (under 50,000 in population) and rural areas of the state.  She said with the passage of the Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty-First Century (T-21) the state’s allocation from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) increased to $600,000 and a new grant became available called “Job Access Reverse Commute.”  The purpose of that grant was to provide transportation to and from work for welfare clients in the rural areas.  She pointed out, however, that because the state of Nevada lacked public transportation in those areas, the NDOT was allowed to use the funds to develop public transportation for all residents, not just welfare clients.

 

Ms. Stanio explained the first grant the NDOT received covered operating costs for the buses, such as driver salaries, fuel, and maintenance.  Congressman Jim Gibbons subsequently earmarked an additional $1.5 million to the NDOT. The first allocation received was in the amount of $848,000.  Of that amount, a portion was designated to capital needs, with the majority designated for operating costs.  She pointed out that since 1998, the NDOT went from $400,000 to $4 million in federal funds for public transportation.  The NDOT had funds for operating costs, but lacked the capital for infrastructure, which included vehicle replacement costs, bus garages and maintenance facilities in the rural areas.

 

Continuing with her presentation, Ms. Stanio referenced the material distributed to the committee as Exhibit C that listed all the different points of the FTA capital program grant.  She noted the grant was for all the rural areas, and took in 17 counties, 26 cities, and 9 Indian Reservations.  The grant request was for $16 million, of which the NDOT was asking for $4 million annually over a four-year period.  The grant was a federal earmark made by the U.S. congressional delegation, not a grant or an allocation specifically made to the state of Nevada.  The Nevada Department of Transportation had to compete nationally for the funds, as well as compete with local transit providers in Las Vegas and Reno.  Both Reno and Las Vegas had submitted requests for funding; therefore, the total amount of appropriations referenced in the resolution included the requests from the NDOT, Reno and Las Vegas.

 

Ms. Stanio said another project fundable through the grant monies was the construction of transit centers in the rural areas.  The transit centers could serve as multipurpose facilities that would include uses such as private offices, retail shops and museums, depending on the community’s needs.  In terms of developing bus-related facilities for the rural counties, Ms. Stanio noted Elko County was interested in providing bus services from a transit center to the Amtrak station since the train station was located in an area residents felt was not safe.  The NDOT was working with the small urban centers to explore how they would spend the funds and to examine possible joint ventures.  She noted both Carson City and Elko County were pursuing funding to expand their existing bus maintenance facilities.

 

Ms. Stanio concluded her presentation stating the NDOT would appreciate the support of the Nevada State Legislature to attain the grant funding by the adoption of S.J.R. 13.  She emphasized the grant funds were earmarked allocations and not specific allocations typically made to the state.

 

Chairwoman Chowning asked Ms. Stanio to clarify that she was asking for legislative support to the U.S. congressional delegation to secure those grant funds for Nevada projects, of which $4 million was to be used for the small and rural areas.  Ms. Stanio indicated that was correct, and the NDOT would also request another $4 million annually over the next three years.

 

Stephanie Licht, representing Elko County and the Northeastern Nevada Historical Railroad Museum, urged support of S.J.R. 13.  She explained Elko County, in consort with the Railroad Museum, would use a portion of the requested capital grant funding to build a multipurpose building for use as a transit center and a railroad museum.  She submitted as Exhibit D a copy of a letter from Elko City Mayor Michael Franzoia to Senator O’Donnell requesting support for S.J.R. 13.

 

Chairwoman Chowning inquired if the federal funding could be used to assist the railroad facility in Ely.  Ms. Stanio said Ely was scheduled to have a transit center, and could use funds to develop the railroad museum area as a transit center.  Chairwoman Chowning noted the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means just passed a bill that would allow slot machines on trains used to transport tourists to and from the railroad museum.  The train tracks in Ely were in poor condition and asked if the grant funds could also be used to refurbish the train tracks.  Ms. Stanio said she doubted that would be an eligible use, but the NDOT could examine other grants for that purpose, particularly if the train was used for public transportation.  She suggested the federal grant funds could help release other monies, which Ely could then use to repair the tracks. 

 

Chairwoman Chowning encouraged that approach.  She said the transit center should draw more people to the area, which in turn would benefit the railroad museum.  Chairwoman Chowning felt the Federal Transit Administration capital grant funding would help all areas of the state, and noted the Assembly Committee on Transportation recently passed authorization for purchase of the Civus bus to be used in Las Vegas.  Ms. Stanio mentioned that part of the FTA fund request was designated for relocation of the downtown transit center in Reno and for bus purchases in Las Vegas.  FTA funds were set-aside monies to be used specifically for bus and bus-related facilities.

 

Assemblyman Carpenter commented the bus service in Elko had been very successful.  He had recently received a phone call from a disabled constituent who was upset because the agency from which she received her health care service said they could no longer pay her cab fare to the clinic and informed her she had to start taking the bus.  Assemblyman Carpenter said after the woman’s first bus ride, she thought it was a great experience and enabled her to see parts of Elko she had not seen in years.  Assemblyman Carpenter said he wanted to see the funds made available to build the bus center and railroad museum in Elko.

 

 

ASSEMBLYMAN CARPENTER MOVED TO DO PASS S.J.R. 13.

 

            ASSEMBLYWOMAN SMITH SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

            THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY THOSE PRESENT.

 

Chairwoman Chowning closed the hearing on S.J.R. 13.  Ms. Stanio said if any of the committee members were interested, she could provide them the full application for the FTA grant.  Chairwoman Chowning asked Ms. Stanio if there were grants available to construct sound-walls.  Ms. Stanio said she would have to check with the “highway side” of the NDOT; she was not sure what was available. 

 

There being no other business before the committee, Chairwoman Chowning adjourned the meeting at 4:13 p.m.       

 

 

                        RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

Mary Drake

Transcribing Secretary

 

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

 

                       

Assemblywoman Vonne Chowning, Chairwoman

 

 

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