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Board Information
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Appointments and Briefings
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When
a new Transportation Board member is appointed by the
governor, the director and board chairman will contact
the new member to offer assistance through the Senate
confirmation and final appointment.
The
director, after conferring with the chairman, will
schedule a briefing session as soon as practical
with the chairman and the new board member. This
briefing session may precede Senate confirmation
in order to enable the new member to be prepared
fully for voting membership once the appointment
process is concluded.
On
behalf of the board, the director will forward
to the new member copies of appropriate printed material
about the department, including the board's most
recent five-year construction program for highways
and airports, instructions from the Assistant to
the Transportation Board on details of board membership
such as expense claims and travel orders, and detailed
information regarding the time and location of
the next board meeting.
The
director, when possible, will schedule for the
new board member a tour of his/her district and a walking
tour of the ADOT Headquarters facilities.
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Meetings
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Historically,
it has been the responsibility of the vice chairman
of the board to maintain the board's calendar. Any
invitations for meetings outside Phoenix should be
directed to the vice chairman's attention for discussion
with the board under the appropriate agenda item. In
the interest of the time of both board members and
the executive staff, the board strives to keep meetings
to once each month. Meeting dates are established at
the January organizational meeting of the board.
All
comments of board members, staff, or the public attending
official meetings should be made through the presiding
chair.
It
is important that all meeting agendas and supporting
materials be sent to members of the board one full
week in advance of meetings, even though this often
requires preparation of a revised agenda. Any material
for this initial mailing of agendas should be in the
director's office a full week in advance of meetings.
A
member wishing to have an item added to an agenda should
first discuss the item with the chairman. The director
should then be notified so that the item will be included
when the agenda is prepared in his office. Any background
information on the item may be supplied to the director's
office to be distributed with agenda material. Agenda
material must be received for mailing one week before
the scheduled board meeting.
After
receiving the agenda and supporting material, each
board member is expected to review carefully items
to be covered, making note of questions, and to otherwise
prepare for the voting responsibility. Staff will be
available at meetings to clarify any items in question
or may be contacted prior to meetings as appropriate.
Prior to a formal meeting, questions relating to the
agenda should be directed only to the director's office
or the appropriate division head. |
Membership
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The
Transportation Board consists of seven members appointed
by the Governor. Six of these members represent specific
transportation districts; one serves at large. The
Governor appoints members of the Transportation Board
for terms of six years each, with terms expiring on
the third Monday in January of the appropriate year. |
Powers and Duties
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Athough the
administration of the Department of Transportation is
the responsibility of the Director, the Transportation
Board is granted policy powers and duties in addition
to serving in an advisory capacity to the Director.
In
the area of highways, the Transportation Board is responsible
for establishing a complete system of state highway
routes. It determines which state highway routes are
accepted into the state highway system and which state
highway routes are to be improved. The Board has final
authority on establishing, opening, relocating, altering,
vacating, or abandoning any portion of a state route
or state highway, including establishment of parkways
and historic and scenic roadways. The Transportation
Board awards construction contracts and monitors the
status of construction projects.
With
respect to aeronautics the Transportation Board distributes
monies appropriated from the State Aviation Fund for
planning, design, development, land acquisition, construction
and improvement of publicly-owned airport facilities.
The board also approves airport construction.
The
Transportation Board has the exclusive authority to
issue revenue bonds for financing needed transportation
improvements throughout the state.
As
part of the planning process, the Board determines
priority program planning with respect to transportation
facilities and annually adopts the five-year construction
program. |
Board ~ Director ~ Staff Communications
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Arizona
law is clear in placing all administrative responsibilities
for the department with the director. The board, however,
is advisory to the director, and its members represent
an important "conduit" to the director for observations
and matters arising in the individual board districts.
Board members can also assist the department in sharing
their knowledge of board and department policies and
functions with the public as well as relaying accurate
information on current issues. Operational,
non-policy matters that have been brought to the members'
attention may be referred to the director, deputy director,
the assistant directors in charge of the divisions,
or the district engineer. It is recommended that contact
not be made below these levels. Care should be taken to avoid implying
board authority in these contracts on operational matters.
Board members should contact the director
with comments and requests for information or to discuss issues. The
term "director' here includes the director, his immediate staff of
deputy director and assistant to the transportation board. By directing
matters to the director or his immediate staff, a board member can
be sure the director's office will coordinate and follow through.
Board
members should be aware of the unique needs for information
and closer contact in the non-metropolitan districts
between the board member and the district engineer.
A board member appearing before a local group, for
instance, can be sure questions of an operational nature
will arise from the group; therefore, the board member
should feel free to invite the district engineer to
accompany him/her as a resource for answering operational
questions. Board members can transmit correspondence
on either board or operational matters to the director's
office for the drafting of responses. On board matters,
unless the member desires otherwise, the response will be researched
and the member will be telephoned to approve the drafted reply before
it is mailed. Copies will be provided to the responding board member,
the chairman or others as appropriate to the subject matter. When
letters involving operational matters addressed to
a board member are received in the director's office,
a courtesy acknowledgment will be prepared for the
member, followed by a reply from the director, deputy
director or appropriate division head.
Any
written communication a board member wishes to originate
may be sent to the director's office for final preparation
and forwarding. Members sending letters directly from
their own private offices may use the director's office
as a distribution point for copying others such as
the chairman or fellow board members.
Historically,
it has been the policy of the board that, when using
board stationery to express personal views, members
clearly indicate the stated opinions are their own
and not necessarily the official position of the Transportation
Board. It has also been the general rule that communications
sent to the board will be answered by the chairman
on behalf of all members, unless decided otherwise
in specific situations. Where policy matters not as
yet discussed by the board are involved, any substantive
response will be delayed until discussions can take
place. |
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