WYDOT meets with commission for STIP presentation, budget

Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) staffers presented the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) during the Jan. 6 meeting of the Big Horn County Commission.

“Not much has really changed since we were here in July,” said Pete Hallsten, the district engineer. “We are changing the timing of these meetings to January. So that we have them immediately before we populate our STIP for the next fiscal year. In March we will get our budget numbers. Then we will fill in year 2032 this year.” 

WYDOT’s fiscal year starts Oct. 1. 

They previously would do the meetings in October after already populating the STIP but never had a problem incorporating the public comment that came later. The Commission Road Improvement Program (CRIP) between WYDOT and Big Horn County hasn’t changed. WYDOT is still working on the right-of-way issues on Golf Course Road and the pipe replacement on the Foster Gulch Road. Cannery Road is also a part of the program. The process is scheduled to be completed in 2028.  

WYDOT’s District Construction Engineer Randy Merrit presented a PowerPoint. Like Hallsten he noted that the date change of the meeting date is with the hope of getting more public involvement. 

BUDGET 

Merritt said WYDOT’s funding has stayed constant over the last 10 years, but its buying power has not due to price increases. The bottom line is that the agency is not getting as much done per dollar as they were 10 years ago. 

WYDOT receives about $6.2 million in Surface Transportation Federal Funds that are passed on to towns. “Of the $6.2 million, all of it is optional. WYDOT has said to keep our local municipalities going,  we’ve been able to pass these funds on historically. Same thing with some of the bridge replacement. You have about $53 million in funds coming from WYDOT into local municipalities. Over $36 million of those are optional.” 

He continued there is
discussion that as their budget gets tighter, how much longer can WYDOT provide funds? “If our budget does not go as far as we need to, how much of these optional dollars are we going to be able to pass on to the municipalities?” 

 The department is moving towards more of a data-based budget. Not every district is going to get the same amount of money. “What that means for us here in District 5 is we have the most rural two lane roadways, but we don’t have any interstate. So, when there is funding that is earmarked for interstate, as I-80 continues to age, we see that pinch up here. Because some of the funds end up heading down in that direction, which makes some budgetary decisions in our area for sure.” 

Merritt mentioned that sometimes people question why one project is being done before another project that may seem more pressing. He explained that there are different funding pots. Sometimes there is money in one pot and not another pot. 

BHC PROJECTS

The list of projects for Big Horn County have not changed since the July meeting. Those projects include bridge replacements in Rairden and Shell. Pavement rehabilitation: U.S. Highway 14/16/20 (Cody to Greybull), U.S. Highway 310 (Greybull to Lovell), U.S. Highway 14 (Shell to Burgess Junction), Willwood to Emblem/Coon Creek section/WY32 and U.S. Highway 14A (Lovell to Burgess Junction) Pavement rehabilitation/maintenance at both airports. Slide repair U.S. 14 (Greybull to Burgess Junction) 

Merrit shared statewide numbers for WYDOT. “What is on the landscape for today is 16,000 lane miles of roadway. About 6000 bridges and structures. Well over 42,000 culverts, 800 miles of guardrail, 80,000 signs and 12,000 miles of fence. There is quite a bit on the landscape that we are trying to manage without building more. Just keeping up.”  

WYDOT is planning on spending a little over $400 million in construction dollars in this fiscal year. “That is dollars actually on the roadway to contractors. We are building infrastructure.”  

One of the Big Horn Co-op buildings in Worland was purchased by WYDOT. They will move patrol, driver’s services and their maintenance department into that building. Hopefully, within the next year. 

OTHER COMMISSIONER BUSINESS 

• An executive session was held with Mike Jameson-County Coroner for contractual discussion. 

• Paul Thur and Stephanie May gave the airport and land planning department updates. 

• Emergency Management Coordinator presented a department update, Homeland Security grant updates and resignation of LEPC Vice Chair, Ken Blackburn. 

•  Ken Blackburn and Mark Raymond of the sheriff’s office  requested an executive session. It was cancelled as the topic didn’t meet the requirements. Per the minutes, Blackburn, Raymond and N. Wardell attended with D. Carter, assistant field office director - ICE  Denver field office.   Mr. Carter outlined three programs being offered to all counties in Wyoming and requested that the county consider participation in one or more of the programs.  By Consensus the commission requested Blackburn and the county attorney gather further information to determine what benefit and concerns county participation may provide.   That information will be presented at a future meeting.