Item 1

Safety Briefing
Staff will provide general safety instruction.

Item 2

Approval of Minutes of the February 26, 2015 regular meeting of the Texas Transportation Commission

Item 3

Acknowledgement of Service
Recognize by resolution Paul D. Frerich, P.E., District Engineer, Yoakum District, for his 31 years of service to the department

Item 4

Advisory Committee Appointment
Appoint member to the Port Authority Advisory Committee (MO) Created by state law, the purpose of the Port Authority Advisory Committee is to offer advice and recommendations that will provide the commission and the department with a broad perspective regarding maritime ports and transportation-related matters to be considered in formulating department policies concerning the Texas maritime port system.

Item 5

Highway Designation
Harris County - Designate a segment of the state highway system as I-69, concurrent with US 59 from the existing I-69 termini at I-610 North and I-610 West in the city of Houston (MO) (Presentation)
This minute order designates a segment of the state highway system as I-69, concurrent with US 59 from the existing I-69 termini at I-610 North and I-610 West in the city of Houston, a distance of approximately 11.9 miles. This action will complete the designation of I-69 in Houston and points north to the Montgomery/Liberty county line and south to Rosenberg for a continuous 75 miles. The Houston-Galveston Area Council, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Federal Highway Administration have approved the designation of this segment.

Item 6A1

Chapter 9 - Contract and Grant Management (MO)
Amendments to §9.31, Definitions, and §9.34, Comprehensive Process
(Contracting for Architectural, Engineering, and Surveying Services)
These amendments will update certain definitions and terminologies as well as address recent organizational changes within the department.

Item 6A2

Chapter 25 - Traffic Operations (MO)
New §25.28, Reducing Speeds on Roadways with a Greater Than Average
Crash Rate (Procedures for Establishing Speed Zones)
These rules create a streamlined speed zone process to allow the commission to more quickly address safety concerns by altering speed limits on a section of roadway that has a crash rate greater than the statewide crash rate for similar roadways. The emergency rules that dealt with similar issues have expired.

Item 6B

Chapter 7 - Rail Facilities (MO)
Amendments to §7.30, Definitions, §7.32, Filing Requirements, §7.33,
Reports of Accidents/Incidents, §7.34, Hazardous Materials -- Telephonic Reports of Incidents, §7.38, Wayside Detector Map, List, or Chart, and §7.42, Administrative Review (Rail Safety)
In December 2013, all railroad investigation functions for the State Rail Safety Participation Program were moved from TxDOT’s Rail Division to the Traffic Operations Division. The proposed amendments replace all references to the Rail Division in the rules relating to rail safety with Traffic Operations Division.

Item 7

Compliance Office
Compliance Office report
State law requires the commission to establish a compliance program, which must include a compliance
office to oversee the program. The compliance office is responsible for acting to prevent and detect serious breaches of department policy, fraud, waste, and abuse of office, including any acts of criminal conduct within the department. The compliance office is required to provide a monthly report to the commission regarding investigations and a summary of information relating to trends and recommendations.

Item 8

State Infrastructure Bank
Henderson and Anderson Counties - Poynor Community Water Supply
Corporation - Consider granting final approval of an application from the Poynor Community Water Supply Corporation to borrow up to $650,000 from the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) to pay for water utility relocations required for the reconstruction of US 175 (MO)
The department has entered into a standard utility agreement with Poynor Community Water Supply Corporation regarding water line relocation necessary for the department’s planned improvements to reconstruct US 175 for approximately 8.7 miles to widen it from an existing two-lane to a four-lane divided highway. Poynor Community Water Supply Corporation is requesting a loan from the SIB to pay for its costs of relocating water lines for approximately 4.5 miles along the highway. The SIB loan will be secured by a pledge of the department’s reimbursements under a standard utility agreement and revenues of the water system.

Item 9A

Highway Maintenance and Department Building Construction
(see attached itemized list) (MO)

Item 9B

Highway and Transportation Enhancement Building Construction
(see attached itemized list) (MO)

Item 10

Eminent Domain Proceedings
Various Counties - Authorize the filing of condemnation proceedings to acquire real
property by eminent domain for non-controlled and controlled access highways (see
attached itemized list) (MO)
Commission findings, determinations, and authorizations for the state, by motion made in accordance with Senate Bill 18 (82nd Legislature), to acquire by eminent domain, upon the payment of adequate and just compensation, various ownership interests in specific parcels of real property that are needed to develop or improve both non-controlled and controlled access state highways, to include requesting the state attorney general to bring and pursue condemnation suits relating to those specific parcels of real property described in the attached itemized list.

Item 11

Routine Minute Orders and Reports
a. Donations to the Department
Various Districts - Consider the acknowledgment of donations made to
the department to include: (a) donations in any form, including realty, personalty, money, materials, or services, which are made to the department for the purpose of carrying out its functions and duties; and (b) donations from landowners, with land adjacent to a highway that is part of the state highway system, to construct an improvement on the highway right-of-way that is directly related to improving access to or from the owner’s land. (See attached itemized list) (MO)
The donations will ensure the safety of the traveling public.
b. Real Estate Dispositions and Donations
The commission must approve the sales, transfers, and exchanges of state rights of way and other
real properties that are no longer needed for a state highway purpose. It must also approve, accept and acknowledge donations to the state of real property that is valued at $500 or more.
Travis County - SL 360, northeast corner at S. Lamar/Ben White Boulevard
in Austin - Consider the sale of right of way to the abutting landowner (MO)
The district has determined that the land is no longer needed for highway purposes. The abutting landowner has requested to purchase the land, and it may be sold to the abutting owner.
c. Speed Zones
Various Counties - Establish or alter regulatory and construction speed zones on
various sections of highways in the state (MO)
This minute order establishes or alters regulatory and construction speed zones on various sections of highways in the state.

Open Comment Period

At the conclusion of all other agenda items, the commission will allow an open comment period, not to exceed one hour, to receive public comment on any other matter that is under the jurisdiction of the department. No action will be taken. Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of three minutes. Speakers must be signed up prior to the beginning of the open comment period.

ADJOURN