With transportation funding from the federal stimulus package now available, Commissioner Tom Sorel and Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Feb. 25 announced 60 state highway projects that are slated to begin construction in Greater Minnesota as early as this spring. Stimulus funds targeted for the Greater Minnesota highway construction, paving, bridge and safety projects total $180 million.

Projects for the Twin Cities metro area are being finalized and will be announced in March.

“These projects will mean jobs in Greater Minnesota and lasting improvements in our state’s transportation infrastructure,” said Pawlenty, who traveled with Sorel to Rochester, Mankato, Cambridge and Duluth to make the announcement.

According to Federal Highway Administration estimates, the Greater Minnesota transportation projects will create approximately 5,000 jobs.  

Greater Minnesota projects range from concrete rehabilitation on Interstate 94 near Monticello to repaving Hwy 75 north of Ortonville to heavy asphalt and concrete replacement work on stretches of I-90 in southern Minnesota.

Contractors for the first round of projects will be selected March 13, with work beginning in May.

"We will make sure that Minnesota’s share of the federal stimulus funds is used efficiently and effectively on shovel-ready transportation projects around the state,” Sorel said. “We are optimistic that Minnesota will meet the required federal deadlines and we appreciate the support of our local partners and stakeholders.”

Minnesota is expected to receive more than $596 million for state and local highway and transit projects during the next two years as a result of the federal legislation. The bulk of the money will go for roads and bridges, with half of the funds targeted for projects that must start within 120 days.

Approximately 30 percent of the highway funds are available for local units of government and the remaining 70 percent is for projects Mn/DOT identifies that meet the goal of the federal legislation to create jobs and improve the nation’s infrastructure.

Mn/DOT used the following criteria in selecting the Greater Minnesota projects:

• Project readiness, based on status of environmental review, percent of right of way purchased, etc.
• Consistency with performance-based plans (e.g., State Transportation Improvement Program and the Long Range District Plans)
• Statewide coverage
• Work type balance, such as concrete and bituminous or preservation and safety  
• Project advancement, that is, the projects represent new or increased work and, therefore, result in job creation. Projects already funded in FY 2009 are not included in the economic recovery program.

These projects are in addition to the annual list of projects that Mn/DOT announces each spring.

More information is available on Mn/DOT's Web at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/federalrecovery/.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced March 4 the appointment of Commissioner Tom Sorel to the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission.

Sorel, who has more than 30 years of experience in transportation and highway engineering, replaces Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau as the governor's designee on the commission. He will complete a four-year term that expires Jan. 3, 2011.

The commission is composed of 12 Midwest states whose purpose is to promote the development and implementation of improvements to intercity passenger rail and to long-range plans for high-speed rail passenger service in the Midwest, as well as coordinate interaction among Midwestern state elected officials.

Membership from each state includes the governor or the governor's designee; one member of the private sector appointed by the governor; one senator; and one member of the House of Representatives.

Jan Charchenko, transportation materials technician in District 2/Crookston, has been approved for the state vacation donation program, which allows employees to donate up to 12 hours of vacation per fiscal year for approved recipients who have exhausted their sick and vacation leave due to illness.

Charchenko is currently off work and receiving chemotherapy for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

To donate vacation hours, go to the Employee Self Service Web site and click “Other Payroll” and then “Leave Donations.” The site also allows employees to view a list of all state employees eligible for the program and enroll as a recipient.

Related information:

• Vacation donation: a worthy program for worthy people (Newsline, June 21, 2006)—Read a viewpoint from one Mn/DOT recipient.

Rebecca Fabunmi, senior engineer in Metro District Design, has been named as the special assistant to Commissioner Tom Sorel and Deputy Commissioner Khani Sahebjam. Her appointment is effective March 4.

Fabunmi brings to the position 13 years’ experience in transportation engineering, including highway design, hydrology, project management and traffic. Most recently, she was part of the Seeds project team that assisted in the development of the Mn/DOT Strategic Vision.

Fabunmi has a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in geological/environmental engineering from the University of Minnesota. She currently is pursuing a master’s in business administration from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Her office is located in the Transportation Building; her new phone number is 651-366-4808.

By Lisa Yang

This year, Mn/DOT will teach employees how to drive more safely, act more ethically and navigate an ever-changing working environment more successfully as part of seven mandatory training courses offered through the Office of Human Resources.

Pam Newsome, librarian and management analyst for 23 years, recently took the business ethics class and found useful information and clarifications about Mn/DOT’s ethics policy.

“It went into great detail,” said Newsome. “Most of it is common sense, but it also goes through whether it’s okay to participate in prize drawings or accept gifts, and covers other conflicts of interest.”

Along with business ethics, six other courses are currently required: new employee orientation, defensive driving, drug and alcohol policy education, appropriate and secure use of electronic equipment, national incident management system and diversity. Each class has a different timeframe for completion. Training representatives are responsible for making sure employees get the training they need and that training records are established and kept for all employees.

The mandatory classes stem from the needs identified annually by the agency.  

“Around the beginning of the fiscal year, Mn/DOT’s Office of Human Resources takes a look at what courses can be added or deleted,” said Tony Cairns, employee capability management systems administrator. “Decisions are tied to legal mandates, funding program requirements and senior management’s business priorities for Mn/DOT.

“Defensive driving, for example, is mandatory because many employees drive DOT vehicles,” said Cairns. “By having employees take the training, it helps reduce insurance costs, reduce the number of accidents and reinforces safety practices, such as wearing seat belts.”

Training is offered online and in classroom sessions, depending on the course. Training that is taken and finished online will automatically be added to employees’ training records.

“The online training is very convenient and took me about 50 minutes to complete,” said Newsome. “You can page back and forth during the training, and it’s easy to go back and review.”

Since February 2009, 2,352 employees have taken and completed at least one course.

To enroll in a class, contact your training representative or administrative manager.

For further information about the courses, contact Linda Hinrichs at 651-366-5244 or Linda.hinrichs@dot.state.mn.us.

Craig Wilkins contributed to this article.

By Della Ljungkull

Six students enrolled in the Hennepin Technical College’s public works program will receive $1,000 each toward their education, thanks to a scholarship program established with funds from last fall’s Maintenance Expo in St. Cloud, according to Tom Tufenk, Office of Maintenance and one the event’s organizers.

The expo provides state, city and county maintenance employees with the opportunity to see and test new technology and products. More than 100 vendors sponsored the two-day event.

Eligible students must be obtaining their degree from the public works program, be in their second year of the program and rank at the top of their class. Mike Colestock, public works coordinator for Hennepin Technical College, will select the scholarship winners.     

Plans are to continue the scholarship program next year, Tufenk said.

Hello,

This week, the Minnesota Department of Finance announced that the state budget deficit for the 2010-2012 biennium will be more than $4.57 billion in the general fund, which, although not as large as some feared, is still a significant number.

The February forecast has implications for state transportation funding resources. We are not immune to the economic pressures that have brought on the state and national economic challenges. Those pressures are reducing the transportation revenue streams, which included the gas tax, the motor vehicle sales tax and vehicle registration (tab) fees. As a result, we are seeing our projected trunk highway fund balances in FY 2010-2013 fall to unacceptably low levels that will require us to take action to restore this balance. These actions may affect our construction program and operating budgets.

The governor and the state Legislature are hard at work on how to overcome the general fund deficit. Mn/DOT is also building a plan to address the transportation revenue shortfalls. Ironically, as a result of last year’s state legislative transportation bill, Chapter 152, and the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, we are now busier as an agency than perhaps we have ever been.

Last week, Gov. Pawlenty announced the first list of 60 projects in Greater Minnesota that are funded by ARRA (see article in today’s Newsline). We are advertising the first 11 projects and will let them on March 13. In the coming weeks, we will announce the list of recovery act projects in the Twin Cities metro area, as well as the state aid projects. In order to properly administer this program, we are increasing the number of project lettings so we can meet the timing requirements for spending that have been set by the federal government. All told, ARRA will bring almost $600 million into the state for roads, bridges and transit. And, more funding will be available through several discretionary grant programs that are part of the recovery program.

I truly appreciate all that you have been doing, and thank you in advance for your work in helping Mn/DOT to deliver this challenging program. The strength of this organization lies in you, Mn/DOT’s employees. We will continue to keep you informed as developments occur.

Thank you again for your efforts and commitment to Minnesota transportation.

Respectfully, Commissioner Tom Sorel