[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6259903,"mediaKeyId","3136771-f67606381029d2230306e3fbae1ee1f4","parentId",3136771,"title","Committee reviews DOT operations: new tower maintenance FTE for statewide siren network and expanded plane operations","audioSeconds",833,"startMs",528000,"endMs",1361000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3136771-f67606381029d2230306e3fbae1ee1f4&start=528&end=1361","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3136771-f67606381029d2230306e3fbae1ee1f4/thumbnail_528000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6259903/North-Dakota/Committee-reviews-DOT-operations-new-tower-maintenance-FTE-for-statewide-siren-network-and-expanded-plane-operations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259903-b9b57a483df6870e9040e9ed7f22e67d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440061&Signature=GVZXt69CoA4zV6-xR7NmrUYhBv4AP7KSZCP0rmsm1Dep-6VS~yBGTsk0MTBjqc8an5whsfikawmSFfTz-RU0CXljqEONS-6of6wRAMMQoPCthvc-6C5nZwV5CUjilZQMUkHApeDVbs1EhlkOgWde~EJXsFOuHnszWSfMGOZTQc3bzMcGiOWlUiMlbSMjMrv2iQH7mhIPILZyTsqnONS~jVJX1bCU5Z0khZBo4Q3ytHVhHhk5OdWLXc4PtkkcNxnoVj7BNoF1BcGY52dGyr9JdmLlCoVAR80hNiQn0lVlCmuYb~3bAV6u3q-uttzJXQEGPzsah1GkBuiF2VBGm3lWXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota State Legislature","date","2025-04-26T00:00:00Z","article","Members of the conference committee discussed two operational items in Senate Bill 2012: an additional DOT FTE for the statewide SIREN radio-tower network and added costs and staffing for state aircraft operations.

On the siren network, committee members said the project has expanded from an initial roughly 40 maintained towers to a planned system of about 144 towers when complete. Committee discussion split maintenance responsibilities into two roles: one IT-focused FTE (already in an IT budget) for technical network operations, and one DOT FTE for the mechanical, grounds and lease-management tasks associated with dozens of additional towers. A committee member summarized the DOT FTE as intended to handle \"the mechanical side\" — road access, grounds, leases and physical upkeep — rather than the network's IT functions.

Committee members said most of the additional towers are already in place or nearly so, with fewer than 10 remaining to be sited and leased; the planned statewide coverage aimed for full operation in summer 2026. Senator Eberly and others asked whether existing DOT staff were absorbing maintenance of the original towers; members clarified that current staff maintain the initial towers as part of regular duties but the expansion of more than 100 towers would justify the dedicated mechanical FTE to track leases, landowner arrangements and physical tower upkeep.

On aircraft operations, the House added $1.2 million to an existing plane-operations line and discussed establishing a more regular schedule for state plane flights and the need for additional pilot staffing. Committee members said agencies currently may use state aircraft but must pay a fee; the House proposal envisions a scheduled-use model — similar to an airline route calendar — that would require pilots to be reliably available and could require a full-time pilot. Committee discussion noted the state owns two King Air–type aircraft and that replacing one at market cost would likely fall in a range of $6–8 million if pursued in the future. The $1.2 million addition was discussed as an incremental increase on top of an existing plane-operations total shown elsewhere in the bill as $3.5 million, meaning the House added $1.2 million to base operating costs.

Committee members did not record a formal vote on either operational item during the excerpted session. The discussion clarified the functional split between technical network maintenance and mechanical/lease administration for towers and highlighted staffing and cost implications for the state plane schedule.

Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion: scope of the siren-tower network, division of duties between IT and DOT, timing for siting remaining towers, the economics of scheduled plane service versus agencies driving to distant meetings.
- Direction: the House proposal includes one IT technical FTE and one DOT mechanical/grounds FTE for the siren network; the House added $1.2 million to plane operations and discussed the need for additional pilot staffing.
- Formal action: none recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SB 2012 Conference Committee Saturday, Apr 26, 2025 9:25 AM - 10:44 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The conference committee discussed an added DOT FTE for mechanical/ground maintenance of the statewide siren radio tower network and separate House-added costs to expand state plane operations and pilot staffing.","taxTitle","Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28311,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6259908,"Conference committee debates DOT funding plan: legacy earnings, gas-tax increase and Highway 85 bonding",4314,352000,4666000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3136771-f67606381029d2230306e3fbae1ee1f4&start=352&end=4666","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3136771-f67606381029d2230306e3fbae1ee1f4/thumbnail_352000.jpg","/articles/6259908/North-Dakota/Conference-committee-debates-DOT-funding-plan-legacy-earnings-gas-tax-increase-and-Highway-85-bonding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259908-4446c0a32c56970206f15bda293359fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440061&Signature=IO0D7EvBF3FYJj4Gox4WcDp8WX7GWwn~uKDh7ujem63f~uBUhAvbgMdRlAVS48u3s7AhzyBeTXKqJ~4CMczckP5dJnL0~hiZ9a9cqfdsHX7upmJiIEn2U~oUbM91JYN9y2Ry43D0KjpWsQwKy5MF3hK0e7hKogC7fwB3H3JNPXbu~Yjd6AfwF13~Q1vXKMwl-SHezk9ueIFe90k0ngIE-QLpKh7oroNB9TR7YtZmfcLy-QhucAmYXwiU592rXuBxQq0oNvgCyzY1BXmKOFi-LAKo9DMQFtznWyBtzqBvoRo50apSKzh5Wr03vTW57O8dw01tlWYOOYaSzhm5aZaJuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The conference committee on Senate Bill 2012 met to reconcile House and Senate versions of the Department of Transportation budget, focusing primarily on how to fund highway projects and local distributions. Representative Weiss, leading the House overview, told the committee the House kept the POMV (percent of market value) at 8% and adjusted legacy-earnings allocations so 25% of that stream would go directly to the DOT highway fund.

The change means an 8% POMV produces about $686 million in legacy earnings under current projections; after an interest-sinking fund deduction of about $102–$103 million, the committee estimated roughly $583 million would remain. Representative Weiss said, \"What we did is took the whole thing as a block,\" and that 25% of the remaining legacy earnings—about $146 million—would be dedicated to the highway fund while the remaining roughly $437 million would be used for property tax relief.

The House plan also adds a proposed 5¢ per-gallon gas-tax increase, estimated to raise $70 million annually. Under the committee's distribution proposal the gas-tax increment would increase the highway distribution pool and be split so the DOT receives roughly 60% of the total distribution, cities and counties 35%, townships 3.4% and transit 1.6%. Representative Weiss said the $70 million would add about $42 million to the DOT’s portion, with smaller increases for counties, cities, townships and transit.

To cover matching obligations for federal grants and a specific Highway 85 project, the committee discussed bonding the full Highway 85 match rather than using all of the allocated SIF (state infrastructure fund) or flex fund dollars. Representative Weiss said bonding the Highway 85 match would free $55 million that otherwise would have gone to DOT match, and the committee also plans to apply $161.3 million in SIF funding from the House side to support DOT matching requirements.

Members debated whether to continue using motor vehicle excise tax proceeds for highways or to return those proceeds to the general fund and replace that revenue with SIF dollars. Senator Eberly noted that motor-vehicle excise is more stable than SIF, while Representative Weiss said the House moved excise revenue to the general fund because of general-fund shortfalls and characterized many transportation expenditures as one-time needs that can be met with SIF.

The committee also discussed consolidating several transportation funding buckets. Under the House approach, funds like the Prairie Dog distributions would be moved into a larger flexible fund and grants program. Representative Brandenburg described a committee that would score grant applications and award flexible funding—about $49 million initially earmarked for bridges—and said DOT would administer those grants with preference points and scoring rules.

Transit funding was discussed as well. Committee members noted two separate transit bills that already passed (two $2 million bills, for fixed-route and non-fixed-route services) and that shifting distribution percentages would provide a modest ongoing increase for transit in the formula.

No formal vote on the reconciled package was recorded during the session excerpted in the transcript. The committee recessed to continue work later in the day.

Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion: the merits of moving excise-tax revenue to the general fund vs. keeping it dedicated to transportation; whether to use SIF or bonding for federal-match obligations; distribution formula adjustments; consolidation of Prairie Dog into a flexible grants program.
- Direction: committee members indicated intent to bond Highway 85 match and to allocate 25% of legacy earnings to DOT under the House plan; members agreed to continue reconciling details.
- Formal action: none recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.","Members of the Legislature's conference committee met to reconcile House and Senate changes to Senate Bill 2012, discussing an 8% POMV base, legacy-earnings allocations to the highway fund, a proposed 5¢ gas-tax increase split among roads and transit, and bonding for Highway 85 match.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee reviews DOT operations: new tower maintenance FTE for statewide siren network and expanded plane operations

Conference committee debates DOT funding plan: legacy earnings, gas-tax increase and Highway 85 bonding