FUNDING, TRANSPORTATION
%COSTS
AND
THE
DOT'S
NEED
FOR
%STATE MONEY
TO
FIX,
MAINTAIN
AND
%BUILD NEW
ROADWAYS
ALWAYS
RISES
%TO
THE
TOP
OF
STATE
BUDGET
%PRIORITIES.
%THE
RECENTLY
PASSED
TWO-YEAR
%STATE BUDGET
WAS NO
DIFFERENT.
%THOUGH THERE
WERE
DIFFERENT
%IDEAS FOR
FUNDING
SOURCES,
SPLIT
%ALONG
PARTY
LINES, IN
THE
END,
%STATE
FUNDING
FOR
LOCAL
%TRANSPORTATION
PROJECTS
GOT
A
%BOOST:
A
10%
INCREASE
OR
%$66 MILLION OVER THE
BIENNIUM,
%PLUS
A $75 MILLION
GRANT
PROGRAM
%FOR
ONE-TIME
FUNDING.
%TONIGHT WE CHECK
IN
WITH
THE%DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION
%SECRETARY
DESIGNEE,
CRAIG
%THOMPSON,
ON THE
ISSUE
OF
LOCAL
%TRANSPORTATION
NEEDS.
%THANKS VERY MUCH
FOR
BEING
HERE.%>>
HI,
FREDERICA, THANKS FOR
%HAVING
ME.
%>>
SURE.
%SO HOW
FAR
WILL
THE
10%
BOOST IN
%THE $75 MILLION GRANT
PROGRAM
GO
%TOWARD
HELPING THESE
STRAPPED
%COUNTIES AND
LOCALS
MEET
THEIR
%HIGHWAY NEEDS?%>> I
THINK THE
WAY
YOU
JUST
%DESCRIBED
IT
IS
VERY
FAIR
AND
%VERY
IMPORTANT.
%THE
10%
INCREASE
IN
GENERAL
%TRANSPORTATION AIDS
IS
ONGOING
%WITH ONGOING
REVENUE
AND
I
THINK
%THAT'S
IMPORTANT
FOR
COUNTIES
%AND
CITIES
AND
VILLAGES AND
%TOWNS TO
BUILD
A
PLAN,
HOW
%THEY'RE GOING T
O USE
THAT,
WHERE
%THEY'RE GOING TO START
MAKING
%REPAIRS.
%THE $75 MILLION GRANT PROGRAM IS
%GOING TO B
E
HELPFUL
AS
WELL
BUT
%WITH
ONE-TIME
MONEY,
THIS
IS
%MORE
JUST
FOR
A
SPECIFIC
%IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, SO
IT'S ONE%OF THE
REASONS
THE
GOVERNOR
%VETOED
IT THE
WAY
HE
DID RATHER
%THAN
PUTTING
THE $75 MILLION%INTO
LOCAL
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM%THAT COULD NOT
BE
SUSTAINED,
%WE'RE
SETTING
UP
A
SEPARATE
%GRANT PROGRAM
WHERE
WE
CAN
HAVE
%DISCREET SPECIFIC PROJECTS COME
%IN,
DEMONSTRATE ECONOMIC
%DEVELOPMENT AND THEN WE
CAN
MAKE
%AWARDS
BASED
ON
THAT
FOR
THOSE
%SPECIFIC
PROGRAMS.%>>
GETTING BACK
TO
THE
TIE-IN
%WITH
ZAC'S
REPORTING,
IN
HIS
%REPORT, THE TOWN
OF
HAYWARD
SAYS%IT
IS
RE-THINKING THE
APPROACH
%
TO
ROAD
BUILDING
BECAUSE
OF
RAIN
%AND
FLOOD EVENTS
AND
THE
DAMAGE
%THAT
THOSE
CAUSE.
%IS THE
DOT
ALSO
R
E-THINKING ITS
%APPROACH AND
HELPING
LOCALS
TO
%DO
SO?%>>
YOU
KNOW,
THIS IS
SOMETHING
I
%WAS
JUST AT
A
CONVENTION
OF
%MIDWEST
STATES,
OTHER
%SECRETARIES FROM
OTHER
DOTs,
%AND
RESILIENCY
ACROSS
THE
ENTIRE
%COUNTRY FOR
DOTs
IS
BECOMING A
%VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT
ISSUE.
%AND
AGAIN, IT'S
A
BALANCING
TEST
%BECAUSE WE HAVE
T
O
LOOK
AT
THIS
%AND WHAT'S GOING
ON
WITH
CLIMATE
%CHANGE AND
WITH
WEATHER
EVENTS
%IN
AREAS
LIKE
NORTHWEST, BUT W
E
%STILL HAVE
TO
CONTINUE
TO
%PRIORITIZE,
WHETHER
IT'S
ALONG
%CRITICAL
COMMERCE
CORRIDORS,
%BECAUSE
WE
CAN'T
JUST
START
%ENGINEERING EVERY AREA
UP
TO
%100-YEAR FLOODS OR
THINGS LIKE
%THAT, IT'S
JUST
NOT
PRACTICAL.
%SO
WE
HAVE
TO
RELY ON
THE
BEST
%DATA, THE
BEST
SCIENCE
AND
%BEGIN,
BUT
RE-LOOKING AT
SOME
OF
%THESE AREAS
THAT
HAVE
PERSISTENT
%ISSUE, HOW WE
DEAL WITH
THAT.
%>>
IN TERMS
OF
RESILIENCY, HOW
%DOES
WISCONSIN FARE
COMPARED
TO
%OTHER
STATES IN
TERMS
OF
%BUILDING FOR
THAT?%>>
WELL,
I
THINK
WE'RE
ALL
%LARGELY IN THE
SAME
BOAT THERE.
%THERE'S SOME
OTHER STATES
THAT
%HAVE
HAD
VERY
CRITICAL
COMMERCE
%CORRIDORS TAKEN
OUT
WITH
%HURRICANES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
%LUCKILY WE
HAVEN'T
HAD
THAT T
O
%DATE, BUT
I
THINK
IT'S GOT
ALL
%THE
STATES
LOOKING AT
THIS IN
%EARNEST, AND
I
DO
THINK
WHILE AT
%THE STATE
LEVEL,
WE'RE
GOING TO
%HAVE TO
DO
GOOD
PLANNING.%SOME OF
THIS IS
GOING
TO
HAVE
TO
%COME AT
THE
FEDERAL
LEVEL AS
%WELL.%>>
ABSOLUTELY.
%IN
THE CITY
OF
HAYWARD,
GOING
%BACK
KIND
OF --
RESIDENTS
ARE
%EXPERIENCING
SEVERE
FLOODING
IN
%PART
BECAUSE THE CITY IS
WAITING
%UNTIL 2023 FOR
STATE MONEY
TO
%HELP FIX A
CULVERT.
%WHAT DO
YOU
SAY
AS
THE
%SECRETARY-DESIGNEE TO THOSE
%PEOPLE
WHO
CAN'T
NOT
IMAGINE
%WAITING FOUR YEARS
TO
ADDRESS
%THAT ONE
PROBLEM?%>>
WELL,
THIS IS
PART OF
THE
%REASON THAT
WE'VE BEEN
HAVING
%THIS
CONVERSATION
ABOUT
%TRANSPORTATION
RESOURCES
AND
%FUNDING IN
SUCH ERNEST.
%TO
BE
HONEST WITH
YOU,
THERE'S
%OTHER
LOCALITIES
YOU
CAN
TALK
TO
%THAT AREN'T ON
ANY
SCHEDULE
%RIGHT NOW
TO
HAVE
SOME
OF
THESE
%SORTS OF
THINGS REPLACE.
% REPLACED.
%I
KNOW FOUR YEARS
SEEMS LIKE
A
%LONG
TIME
ESPECIALLY
IF
YOU'RE
%IN ONE OF THESE
AREAS
BUT
WE'RE
%TRYING TO
MOVE THESE
THINGS
UP,
%OUR
STATE
HIGHWAY
REHABILITATION%WENT INTO
THIS
BUDGET
BUT
%THERE'S A
LOT
LOCAL NEEDS
OUT
%THERE.%>>
WHAT HAS
BEEN
THE
STATE
%CLIMATE
OVERALL?%>> I
DON'T KNOW
THAT ANY
OF
U
S
%CAN GIVE
A
DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO
%THAT,
BUT
IN
YOUR
REPORTING AND
%YOU LOOK
AT WHAT'S
HAPPENED WITH%THAT
FLOODING UP
THERE, AS A%MATTER OF
FACT,
JUST
WITH
THE
%HIGH WINDS
RECENTLY
IN
NORTHWEST
%WISCONSIN, AGAIN,
WE
JUST
%LIFTED -- WE JUST
LIFTED
SOME
%WEIGHT
RESTRICTIONS AND
SOME
%HIGHWAYS
TO
ALLOW
THEM
TO
GET
%SOME OF
THESE
FALLEN
TREES
AND
%TIMBER OUT OF
THERE
MORE
%QUICKLY.
%SO IT IS
HAVING
IMPACTS
ON
US
IN%A LOT
OF
DIFFERENT
WAYS,
AND
%IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE
NEED
TO
%KEEP
RELYING
ON
SCIENCE
AND
%UPDATING HOW WE'RE
DEALING WITH
%THIS.%>>
WHAT HAS BEEN
THE
IMPACT OF
%FEMA'S REQUIREMENT
THAT
WHEN
ITS
%EMERGENCY FUNDS ARE
USED
TO
%REBUILD STORM
DAMAGED
%INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT IT BE
BUILT
%TO
PRIOR
SPECS?%>>
THAT
IS
SOMETHING THAT W
E
%TALKED ABOUT WHEN I
MENTIONED
I
%WAS A
T THIS
MEETING
WITH
OTHER
%MIDWEST STATES
AND AT
THE
%FEDERAL
LEVEL,
WE WANT
T
O
HAVE
%THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.%IS THAT
REALLY
THE
BETION
!
BEST
USE
OF
%TAXPAYER
DOLLARS?
%IF YOU'RE DEALING
WITH
AN
AREA
%THAT THERE'S
A
LIKELIHOOD
THAT
%THIS EVENT
COULD
HAPPEN
AGAIN
TO
%SPEND ALL
THAT
MONEY
JUST
TO
%BUILD UP
THE
PRIOR
%SPECIFICATIONS
WHEN
THAT
VERY
%WELL MIGHT
DB
WE
!
--
WE
MIGHT
BE
%REBUILDING IT
AGAIN.
%AGAIN, THOSE
FEMA
REGULATIONS AT
%THE FEDERAL
LEVEL,
WE
NEED TO
BE
%HAVING THOSE
CONVERSATIONS.%>> SO CAN
THE
STATE
DO
ANYTHING%ABOUT
THAT,
THOUGH?%>>
WELL,
I
THINK
WE
CAN
WEIGH
%IN -- THAT HAS
TO
DO
WITH
WHEN
%FEMA
DOLLARS
ARE
INVOLVED
SO
WE
%CAN
AFFECT A
LOT
O
F OTHER
AREAS
%WHERE THEY'RE
NOT
INVOLVED.
%WITH OUR
STRUCTURES, WHEN
THEY
%DO GET
TO
END
OF
LIFE
AND
WE'RE
%REBUILDING
THEM, WE
USED
TO
HAVE
%A 25
AND 50
YEAR FOR
THAT, NOW
%WE'RE LOOKING
AT MORE OF
A 100
%YEAR.
%SO
OUR
PROACTIVE
SPECS, WE
ARE
%TRYING TO BUILD SOME
OF
THAT
IN
%IN THESE
AREAS
AND
IN
SPECIFIC
%AREAS, WE
CAN
LOOK
AT
IF
THERE'S
%PERSISTENT
FLOODING, FOR
%EXAMPLE, WE CAN
GO BACK AND
LOOK
%AT
THAT.%>>
SHIFTING
GEARS WITH
LESS THAN
%A
MINUTE
LEFT
HERE,
THE
%REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED SENATE HAS
%NOT
APPROVED
A
SINGLE
MEMBER
OF
%GOVERNOR
EVERS'
CABINET.
%HAS THAT
AFFECTED
YOUR ABILITY
%TO
DO
YOUR
JOB?%>>
IT
REALLY HASN'T.
%TO
ME,
I
LOOK
TO
THE
PEOPLE AT
%THE DEPARTMENT AND JUST
TO
MAKE
%SURE THAT WE'RE
RUNNING
THE
%PROGRAM
EFFECTIVELY TO
JUST
GO
%ABOUT AND DO
OUR
JOB, AND
THAT'S
%WHAT WE'VE BEEN
DOING.
%THERE'S
NO
RESTRICTIONS ON THE
%ABILITY OF
US
TO
BE
ABLE
TO DO
%THAT.%>> DO YOU
THINK
KEEPING
YOU
AS
%SECRETARY-DESIGNEE GIVES
THE
%SENATE LEVERAGE OVER YOU
OR
ANY
%OF
YOUR
DECISIONS?%>>
I
HAVEN'T
REALLY
FELT
THAT,
%AND I
THINK
EVENTUALLY
THEY'LL%GET AROUND
TO
DOING
IT
BUT IN
%THE
MEANTIME,
I
THINK
WE
JUST
%NEED TO
DO OUR