NPRPO April 5, 2006

Fechin’ Inn

Taos, NM

 

 

Member’s attendance:

Ted Martinez –Chair/Vice Chair                                         Councilor Jim West – Los Alamos County                   

Ted B. Garcia – Los Alamos County                                  Matthew Roybal – Santa Fe County                

Ivan Guillen – City of Espanola                                           Sandra Sue Richardson – Picuris Pueblo

Cathy Martinez – Rio Arriba County                                   Jon Fast Wolf – Picuris Pueblo

Tomas Campos – Rio Arriba County                                  Commissioner Gabriel Romero – Taos County

Danny Garcia – Rio Arriba County                                     Comm. Don Francisco Trujillo – Taos County

Patrick Nicholson – Ohkay Owingeh                                  Donovan Gomez – Taos Pueblo           

Brent Jaramillo – Village of Questa                                      French Espinosa – Town of Taos                                 

Barb Wiard – Village of Taos Ski Valley                             Robert Largo – Jicarilla Apache Nation

Edwin Tafoya – Santa Clara Pueblo                                    Sherriff Pat Naranjo – Santa Clara Pueblo       

Leon Roybal – San Ildefonso Pueblo                                  Shannon Vigil – San Ildefonso Pueblo

Robert Perry – Town of Red River                                     Steve Romero – Nambe Pueblo

Matt Roybal – Santa Fe County                                          James Dennis – Taos County   

                                                     

 

Affiliate Member attendance:

Sandra Maes – NPRPO Planner                                         Phil Gallegos – NMDOT – DIST. V                            

Bob Widoe – NMDOT – Planning                                     Janet Spivey – NMDOT – Planning                             

Arnold Garcia – BIA – SWRO@NPA                               Levi Valdez – BIA-SWRO@NPA

Bill Alexander- LGRF – Dist. V                                          Dana Chavez – LGRF-Dist. V

Hope Reed – Gov. Office on Disabilities                             Lee Cabeza de Vaca – LTAP

Jody Ortiz – NMDOT - ADA                                            Joe Lujan – City of SF – ADA

Dave McQuarie – SF Mayor’s Committee                          Alex Abeyta – Gov. Office on Disabilities                     

John Block – Gov. Office on Disabilities – Deputy Director

 

Guests in attendance:

Chris Moquino – Senator Bingaman’s Office                       Mariana Padilla – NERPO Transportation Planner

 

Citizen’s in attendance:

Sharon Smith – W. Rim Road                                             Yvonne Abeyta – Santa Fe                              

 

 

 

 

I.                    Call to order at 9:45 by Ted Martinez, Acting Chair/Vice Chair.

II.                 Welcome and Introductions - Commissioner Gabriel Romero welcomed everyone to Taos County. He thanked Joy Bar and Ed Shelton at Fechin’ Inn for hosting the meeting. He appreciates that there is good representation here from DOT. In Taos County there have been many road improvements and he is thankful. Commissioner Don Francisco Trujillo II welcomed attendees. He also thanked the Fechin’ Inn for hosting the meeting and noted that the Inn provided the refreshments free of charge. He introduced Jim Dennis, Deputy County Manager, and Human Resource Director, inclusive of  ADA coordination for Taos County. Ted M. asked for meeting attendees to introduce them selves. Phil introduced the new LGRF Coordinator for District 5, Dana Chavez.

III.               Approval of Agenda – Commissioner Romero made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Barb Wiard from Taos Ski Valley.

IV.              Approval of Minutes for March 1, 2006 – Brent Jaramillo made motion seconded by Commissioner Romero. Passed unanimously.

V.                 Elections for Chair – Commissioner Romero nominated Ted Martinez current acting Chair, seconded by Brent, passed unanimously. Ted thanked Robert Perry for his service to the NPRPO. Commissioner Romero nominated Brent Jaramillo for Vice Chair. Ted pointed out that that the agenda only had the elections for Chair.  Ted accepted the position for Chair for the next few months, thus vacating the Vice Chair position.  In accordance with the Public Act requirements, the Vice Chair position will be advertised for the May meeting.

VI.              Ohkay Owingeh Amendment Request/Patrick Nicholson, Planning Director

Ø      Amendment Process requires a presentation to the RPO for approval.

Ø      Information for the amendment was included in the member’s packets.

Ø      Project is in current STIP for 2010; Control No. 5060 for $750K

Ø      Requesting an additional $850K; bringing total budget to $1.6 Million.

Ø      Addition is for pedestrian facilities to address safety concerns at the intersection in which three roads come together and is very near an elementary school.

Ø      There are visibility concerns and also a need for landscaping.

Ø      Phil commented that this is a viable addition to the project.

·        He stated that this is going to be a challenging project with many environmental concerns.

·        He said that the STIP is needing to be cut by $5 million over five years and this will create challenges.

Ø      Sandra asked if he has considered submitting this project for safety funding. Patrick said yes he has.

Ø      Bob Widoe asked if this would come from enhancement money.

Ø      Phil said yes from transportation rural funding for pedestrian facilities. The intersection upgrade will require other funding. Safety funding is a possibility but much of HSP funding comes from DWI funding. It requires that this funding be expended within 12 months. Safety requires a cost benefit process statewide so he suggests that funding for this come through this amendment process.

Ø      French asked if this project could be built in phases. Patrick said that it could but because of the length he felt that it could be accommodated in one coherent project. Phil stated that Patrick is probably right because of all the environmental concerns associated with this project having the design to include the concerns is helpful but the construction could be phased.

Ø      Levi Valdez asked what was included in the original project design? Phil answered that the project has become more of a safety concern. That wasn’t the initial intention. Levi asked if they have considered signalization? Patrick stated that there was no proposal for signalization, other than the warning signals that are already in place, possibly installing at both the E and W end boundaries of the project.  Phil reinforced that the design could include advanced signals. There needs to be a warrant analysis conducted first.

Ø      Motion for approval of the PIF Amendment for Control No. 5060 was made by Commissioner Romero and seconded by Brent Jaramillo. Passed unanimously.

 

 

 

 

VII.            Presentation by Hope Reed- Governors Commission on Disability (GCD)

Ø      She was here with Ernie Padilla last fall and they passed out PAD (Pedestrian Accessibility Designs).

Ø      GCD hopes that to work with and encourage the duties to adopt these for right-of-ways.

Ø      Hope has a parking check list, sidewalks, curb ramps, etc. On May 17th  the minimum fine goes up to as much as $300.00.

Ø      John Block, Deputy Director for GCD, stated that in the last legislative session they changed statutes that address accessibility for disabled people. Now these violations require that you must go in front of a judge when addressing related parking violations.  Levi Valdez, BIA stated that police are now enforcing parking violations in private parking lots and recently was given a citation because he forgot to put up his sticker.

Ø      Hope stated that he can report violations to the motor vehicle department.

Ø      John Block stated that Law enforcement for years has been telling the public that they cannot issue citations on private parking lots; currently with the legislative changes, police can now go on private parking lots to give citations. These changes will come out in their next parking check list.

Ø      Hope provided copies and stated that she can also get these out by email. 

 

Presentation by Jose M. Ortiz – NMDOT Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Ø      Presentation titled Pedestrian Access Details NMDOT – PAD.  

Ø      Jose and Hope put the presentation together and overviews the ten page handout.

Ø      The DOT through Ernie Padilla & ADA Committee came to conclusion that they wanted to enhance the accessibility that is in place through the ADA Act. 

Ø      The PAD has enhanced this and requires that slopes be gentler for those that require the ramps.

·        Ramps are not just for disabled citizens but also for small children, strollers, etc.

·        Hope added that the 1:15 slope is good for wheel chairs and helps prevent wheel chairs from flipping over. It also allows for slower and safer declines.

·        At the time streets are resurfaced it is required that entities make the ADA upgrades.

o       If these upgrades aren’t made this can affect the state agencies receiving federal funding.

o       Phil asked if this includes local governments. Jody stated any time you upgrade, you must make ADA upgrades otherwise you are in violation with federal law.

·        DOT has been budgeting accordingly to ensure that the upgrades are made.

·        Jody stated that it is much more expensive in the long run this isn’t addressed up front.

·        Sandra asked how this affects tribal governments as sovereignties. Jody stated that he doesn’t know the answer but that it is to everyone’s benefit to incorporate upgrades. Jody further added that on state roads it is required.

Ø      Who should comply with ADA? All state and local governments, public businesses, Federal government.

Ø      Relationships with other laws; civil rights require that all federally funded projects comply with ADA. Now everyone including private businesses must comply.

Ø      Transition Plan – ADA requires that all local governments have a transition plan detailing the structural changes. This was supposed to be completed by1995 but we are still working towards  compliance. The plan identifies issues and develops a schedule to address needed upgrades annually.

Ø      ADAG – DOT wanted to improve the federal slope requirements to 1:15 instead of 1:12 rule. Sometimes these slopes aren’t physically possible and then you do the best you can with your existing conditions. Funding is not an adequate reason for not making ADA upgrades. (There is a handout with curb ramp designs).

·        Samples given: Detectable Warnings, ramps, median cut thru, Materials for detectable warnings can be plastic, fiberglass, cast iron, concrete, brick etc.

·        Where do you use 1:15 slope? One example would along the ROW, another would be exiting a building.  Ramps need to be created with the least possible slope.

·        Standard drawings you showed, have they been revised any? 1:15 slope is that a recommendation/suggestion? No, for all state projects the minimum requirement is 1:12, what creates a gentler slope is 1:15. Sandra added that anytime you received federal funding you must comply.

·        What about landscaping? You can not impede or encroach on the access. Curb ramps call for the least possible curb ramp slope. Contractors often take short cuts and just meet the minimum instead of meeting the most gentle slope.

·        There are additional requirements under the Uniform Building Code on accessibility to and from a building.

·        Hope stated that the Governor’s Commission is available to help entities with addressing ADA concerns and requirements.

 

Ø      For further information please contact Hope Reed, Governors Office on Disability, directly at 476-0412 or Jody Ortiz, NMDOT ADA Coordinator at 827-1774 or josemortiz@state.nm.us

 

VIII.         New Business

Ø      Ted asked for any new business. Sandra stated that in the member packets there is a signed copy of the revised bylaws for everyone’s record.

Ø      Thanks Tammie Gomez for providing a map for this meeting that was emailed to everyone.

Ø      Bob Widoe stated that NADO (National Association of Development Organization) is hosting a  2006 Four Corners Rural Transportation Forum in Durango, Colo.  He has been invited as a panelist and there will be others from the four corners area. Bob suggested that members consider attending.  Further information can be found online at www.nado.org 

IX.              Next meeting will be

Ø      May 3rd at Village of Questa, Council Chambers on SR522

Ø      June 7th at City of Española will host – location TBA

Ø      July 5th at Santa Clara Pueblo – Location TBA

 

X.                 Miscellaneous/Announcements

Ø      NPRPO Website – keep the forms coming!

Ø      Annual RPO Work Plan comments can be emailed to Bob Widoe, Sandra Maes, or Barbara Deaux. Sandra needs all comments by April 14th because her draft is due to DOT asap.

Ø      Sandra attended a Tribal Transit Transportation Workshop in Denver.

·        There is a new Tribal Transit Programs under 5311 under the SAFETEA-LU congressional earmark. Sandra encourages everyone to go on the website because they are in the development stages of the Federal Register.  Public comments until April 21 at http://dms.dot.gov.  This is an opportunity for Tribes and Nations to give FTA (Federal Transit Authority) feedback on their needs. Draft federal registrar is online: Nationwide workshops are free and the consensus is that the tribes that did attend aren’t happy with current tribal transit proposal for the program. In collaboration with NCRTD,  an application for funding will be submitted. Keep in mind this is national funding and $7.9 million doesn’t go far. Sandra stated that she is available to assist in writing individual grants.

Ø      Bill Alexander stated that in May they will begin LGRF funding.

Ø      Phil apologized for not having the RTIPR ready for this meeting but he will be sending it out early next week.

Ø      Sandra said that she sent out a letter requesting a NPRPO presentation to all member governments. She has conducted six so far and requested help in setting up these presentations which is a requirement of her work plan.

Ø      Brent asked a question about the 5316 program for next year. They have not yet heard anything from Transit Bureau.

·        Bob Widoe said that they are still working on their funding and trying to find a way to minimize impact on providers. They are still working on it.

Ø      Ted said that Chris sent out information regarding funding offered by Jeff Bingaman’s office. Sandra said that she will look into this and forward on the information to the members.

Ø      Today’s presentation – It is important to look at the benefit of the ADA improvements. Use the DOT pad system designs. They provide the designs and expertise on all of the ADA requirements. Phil stated that District 5 is creating a transition plan for all buildings and rest area facilities and are currently working on this.

·        Jody Ortiz said that he can work with them on this. Hope said that for transition plans it helps to take pictures of the problems and include this in the plans as it is easier to demonstrate the problems.

 

XI.              Ted thanked the meeting hosts. Cathy made a motion to adjourn, Commissioner Romero seconded. Adjourned at 11:15am.