MINUTES OF THE
SENATE Committee on Transportation
Seventy-First Session
May 29, 2001
The Senate Committee on Transportationwas called to order by Chairman William R. O'Donnell, at 3:23 p.m., on Tuesday, May 29, 2001, in Room 2149 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Agenda. Exhibit B is the Attendance Roster. All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman
Senator Lawrence E. Jacobsen
Senator Maurice Washington
Senator Raymond C. Shaffer
Senator Terry Care
Senator Maggie Carlton
COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Mark Amodei, Vice Chairman (Excused)
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Donald O. Williams, Committee Policy Analyst
Joan Moseid, Committee Secretary
OTHERS PRESENT:
Ruedy Edgington, Assistant Director, Operations Division, Nevada Department of Transportation
Tom Stephens, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation
Bobbie Gang, Lobbyist, Nevada Women’s Lobby and American Association of University Women, Nevada
Chairman O’Donnell:
We will open the hearing on Assembly Concurrent Resolution (A.C.R.) 37.
ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 37: Expresses support for goals of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and contract compliance programs of Nevada Department of Transportation and urges creation of statewide task force to expand diversity in work force. (BDR R-1556)
Ruedy Edgington, Assistant Director, Operations Division, Nevada Department of Transportation:
I was not sure if our position was for, or if we were just neutral, with this bill. We do have outreach programs currently for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program contractors, and we do not do quite as much in the Affirmative Action realm, where it actually looks at the employees of a contractor. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) would be very much in support of this bill because we are always looking to increase our minority and women’s participation on projects. The only comment I would like to make is the resolution, as it currently states we are very low, with the federal targets or federal mandates on the percentage of minorities is 13.9 percent in the state of Nevada. We were at 16.7 percent in 1997, 16.4 percent in 1998, 23 percent in 1999, and 24.7 percent in 2000. I believe we have done a very good job on that aspect, and we have exceeded all of our DBE goals, also.
I would like to make one more statement about the Nevada Small Business Development Center. The Nevada Department of Transportation currently has an agreement with the development center to provide outreach for DBE contractors. I believe we could modify that agreement and increase its scope to include Affirmative Action in specific employees’ training along those lines, to get individuals up to speed and in the skilled labor market, as well.
Tom Stephens, Director, Nevada Department Of Transportation:
We do not have any problems with the resolution as it is written, and we certainly support those programs on a federal level and would be happy to try and pursue them more on the state level, and work with the council that was set up. It is set up under a different department, but there is no problem with that. Again, we are very happy to work with this program as long as they are not setting quotas. I believe this is an encouraging training program.
Senator Jacobsen:
I have one question, not in regard to this bill, but with the same type of situation. You indicated earlier in one of the hearings there was a shortage of engineers, is this still true today?
Mr. Stephens:
Yes, we do have real problem recruiting and retaining our engineers and the employees who do support work. Let me give you an example. Last year we had 111 employees in the Roadway Design Division. They are not all engineers, but there are 111 employee positions in the Roadway Design Division, and 77 of the positions became vacant last year. This does not mean 77 people left the department, there was some domino effect with promotions. But 77 people within our 111 positions in the Roadway Design Division were in their jobs less than a year. This was a big change for our agency. We have been traditionally fairly stable, but our salaries are significantly lower than salaries paid by private industries, counties, and cities.
The Legislature, in the Budget Committee Hearing for closure of our budget, has included an extraordinary 10 percent salary increase for those positions.
Senator Jacobsen:
How many engineers do we have at NDOT?
Mr. Stephens:
There are 300 or more engineering positions, some of them are registered engineers and some of them are engineers who are not yet registered. I do not have the exact figures, but I can get the information for you.
Bobbie Gang, Lobbyist, Nevada Women’s Lobby, American Association of University Women:
Both organizations are very pleased to see this resolution. It supports the missions of both organizations and we do encourage you to pass the resolution.
Chairman O’Donnell:
We will close the hearing on A.C.R. 37. Committee members how do you feel about A.C.R. 37?
SENATOR CARE MOVED TO DO PASS A.C.R. 37.
SENATOR SHAFFER SECONDED THE MOTION.
THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATOR AMODEI WAS ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)
*****
Chairman O’Donnell:
We have a couple of bills to concur or not concur with and the first one is Senate Bill (S.B.) 219.
SENATE BILL 219: Revises manner in which department of transportation is required to dispose of certain property. (BDR 35-476)
Mr. Stephens:
As far as S.B. 219, we are in accordance with this bill as amended. I believe the procedures which were allowed to be established under the terms of this bill would be similar to what was described and the procedure we used when there was a disagreement with people in the past.
What NDOT objected to was the thought that they would hire an appraiser, and then we would have to use their appraisal. Of course, if they still do not like the appraisal we could go to auction on the property.
Chairman O’Donnell:
Would you be able to auction for less than your established appraised price?
Mr. Stephens:
That is correct. In the case of this particular piece of property we are talking about with the proponents of the bill, we are talking about a piece of property worth over $10 million.
Chairman O’Donnell:
To you or them?
Mr. Stephens:
To anyone, it is worth over $10 million. Perhaps it could be offered for less if there is not a bid at auction. I do not believe this provision would be used on very many pieces of property because it is very rare we would end up with a remnant of this value.
Chairman O’Donnell:
I would have to agree with you.
Senator Shaffer:
Is this an absolute auction when you auction off? Yes, or No?
Mr. Stephens:
There is a minimum bid, and it has to be 90 percent of the appraised value. And if it is below the bid, we do not have to sell it.
Chairman O’Donnell:
Does the committee wish to concur or not concur?
SENATOR JACOBSEN MOVED TO CONCUR WITH AMENDMENT NO. 814 TO S.B. 219.
SENATOR WASHINGTON SECONDED THE MOTION.
THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATOR AMODEI WAS ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)
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SENATE BILL 524: Authorizes electronic submission and storage of documents relating to vehicle registration. (BDR 43-1222)
Donald O. Williams, Committee Policy Analyst, Research Division, Legislative Counsel Bureau:
My colleague in the Assembly Transportation [committee], Paul Mouritsen, advised me this was something the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety (DMV/PS) had planned to include in regulation. There was a question raised on it and the Assembly decided to put it in the statute, and it is my understanding the representatives of the DMV/PS and of the Credit Union League (California Credit Union League) support this bill.
Chairman O’Donnell:
The chair will accept a motion to concur.
SENATOR CARE MOVED TO CONCUR WITH AMENDMENT NO. 1011 TO S.B. 524.
SENATOR CARLTON SECONDED THE MOTION.
THE MOTION CARRIED. (SENATORS AMODEI AND WASHINGTON WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.)
*****
Chairman O’Donnell:
This hearing is adjourned at 3:39 p.m.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
Joan Moseid,
Committee Secretary
APPROVED BY:
Senator William R. O'Donnell, Chairman
DATE: