OACES Newsletter for February 28, 2023 |
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Upcoming OACES Meetings:
Chip Seal Conference, March 21-22
Eastern Oregon Road Officials Meeting, April 12
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Legislative Update: AOC and OACES Advocate for Road Department Priorities |
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The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and Oregon Association of County Engineers and Surveyors (OACES) have been busy providing testimony and participating in workgroups to inform the legislature and build consensus for county priorities at the Capitol in Salem, including:
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HB 2101: Codifying the STBG Fund Exchange Program
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SB 635: County Right of Way Permit Cost Recovery
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LC 1841: Abandoned Recreational Vehicle Disposal Program
AOC and OACES are actively pursuing these legislative priorities, while also monitoring and advocating on other bills and important issues impacting county road departments. Such issues as public contracting, environmental regulations, traffic safety, bridges, and road operations and maintenance funding. ...[Read More]
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Counties Could Bring in More PILT Funding from New SRS Road Districts Law |
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The Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has begun the implementation of an innovative policy to support increased revenue for public lands counties.
Under the 2021 legislation, HB 2174, DAS, upon the request of a county, is required to credit forest reserve funds that would otherwise be credited to a county road program, to a separate public entity. This new policy provides flexibility for county governments to increase federal dollars from Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) to support critical needs in rural communities by diverting the 75 percent of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Title I payment to a separate public entity. ...[Read More]
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Fiscal Year 2023-2024 County Road Revenue Forecasts |
In total, State Highway Fund (SHF), Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Act, and Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) payments in FY 2023-2024 are estimated to increase by $7.4 million (+2%) over the previous estimates.
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FY 2024 SHF estimate Increased by $9.2 million (+3%) to $355.6 million.
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FY 2024 SRS estimate stayed the same (+0%) at $33.9 million.
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FY 2024 STBG estimate Decreased by 1.4 million (-7%) to $19.2 million.
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FY 2022 Annual County Road Funding and Financial Legislative Report |
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Annually, as required by ORS 366.774, AOC is required to submit a fiscal year report to the Legislative Assembly outlining Oregon county road funds and authorized expenditure use.
As transportation costs continue to rise faster than revenue, counties have
prioritized a state of good repair focusing their limited resources to operate and maintain the current system, increasing repair and preservation spending by $8 million in FY 2022.
With HB 2017 (2017), the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the accompanying increase in Secure Rural Schools Act funding, counties have modestly increased needed repair and preservation projects. However, in FY 2022 rapid inflation in construction prices delayed many planned projects, dropping construction and expansion spending by six million dollars from the previous year. ...[Read More]
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Funding Available for Transportation Projects Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
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The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has announced funding for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These funds are available through an ODOT-managed competitive grant program, with federal funds coming from the new federal Carbon Reduction Program.
Oregon will be receiving $82 million over five years, with $13 million available in 2023 for “small urban and rural” projects. Eligible projects must reduce emissions from transportation and be in urban and rural areas of the state with a population of less than 200,000. Examples of eligible projects include public transit, bike infrastructure improvements, low-emission vehicles or fuels, and intelligent transportation systems. Eligible applicants include cities, counties, tribal governments, and local and state transportation agencies. More details are available [HERE]. The application window runs from February 28 to May 31.
Please contact AOC County Road Program Director Brian Worley with any questions.
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USDOT Announces Upcoming Funding Opportunities |
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Current Open NOFOs Include:
Technical Assistance Resources:
Please contact AOC County Road Program Director Brian Worley with any questions about USDOT grant funding opportunities.
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OACES Environmental Workgroup, February 28 at 2 P.M. |
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The OACES Environmental Workgroup will hold its first meeting of road officials and environmental staff to discuss environmental permitting, legislation, rulemaking, training, and share best-practices across counties.
OACES Environmental Work Group Meeting
Tuesday, February 28,
2 - 3 p.m.
Phone: (US) +1 402-751-0291 PIN: 751 007 700#
The workgroup's first virtual meeting is intended to serve as a planning and discussion roundtable. Current agenda items include:
- Introductions and roundtable
- Call for chairs and vice chairs
- Meeting planning and scheduling
Please contact AOC Policy Analyst Jordan Cole with questions.
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OACES Chipseal Conference, March 21-22 |
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This is a continuation of the OACES series of workshops previously hosted by Marion and Linn Counties in 2011, 2013, 2016, and 2019. Although some vendors will be invited to offer a presentation, the primary goal of these workshops is to allow county road departments to share best practices. Please consider providing a presentation on what your agency is doing with its chip seal program. To sign up to present or participate on a panel, visit [HERE].
More information is available [HERE], registration is open, and the conference agenda will be posted when available.
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Join NACE 2023 in Orange Beach, AL, April 16-19
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Join your colleagues nationwide at the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) Conference and Annual Meeting in Orange Beach, Alabama, on April 16-19!
[Register HERE]. Early-Bird discount on all delegate registrations ends March 8, 2023.
OACES hopes to have a strong Oregon delegation attending NACE this year. If you or your county need financial support to attend you are encouraged to apply or nominate fellow OACES members for the Education & Leadership Scholarship Program.
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Value Capture Strategies: Developer Impact Fees and Other Fee-Based Development Charges Webinar |
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Spaces are still available for the FHWA’s upcoming Value Capture Strategies: Developer Impact Fees (DIF)-The Primer National Webinar on March 15 at 10 a.m. PST. To reserve your space, register today.
Developer Impact Fees (DIF), also known as Street Impact Fees, Transportation Impact Fees, Mobility Fees, or System Development Charges, are one-time fees assessed by local governments on developers to offset the costs of new or expanded infrastructure.
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Oregon Bridge Maintenance Workshop, April 11-13 |
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ODOT is hosting the Oregon Bridge Maintenance Workshop on Tuesday, April 11, through Thursday, April 13, at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center in Albany, Ore.
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2023 Forth EV Roadmap Conference Program, May 15-17 |
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Save the date for Monday, May 15-17, in Portland, for the nation's premier electric transportation conference, where leaders convene to transform how people and goods move.
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2023 PNW SnowFighters Conference, June 6-7 |
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The 2023 Pacific NW SnowFighters Conference in Portland this year, June 6–7. The PNS is a non-profit organization that focuses on bringing winter maintenance conferences to the PNW.
More than 350 transportation maintenance professionals from around the Pacific Northwest are expected to attend, including city, county, and DOTs from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and Montana. More conference info can be found [HERE], registration is now open.
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County Engineering, Road Department, and Surveyor Jobs
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The AOC job posting page provides counties and other government organizations with a method to advertise job opportunities while also providing a resource for job seekers looking for a new challenge.
Current engineering, road department, and surveyor postings include:
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Jackson County is Hiring Engineers! |
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Jackson County Roads, Engineering Division is recruiting for several engineering positions, including:
- Engineering Associate I, Engineering Associate II, or Engineering Technician III.
- Construction Manager, Construction Engineer
- County Engineer
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County Road Program Director
Legislative Director
Transportation Policy Analyst
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Senior Administrative Manager
IT Trainer and Communications Specialist
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