The Congestion Management / TIP Selection Process Document: Outlines the policies and procedures to select and manage MPO programmed projects • Last selection process, numerous changes made to the selection process • We worked through the changes and deciding to codify later • State exchange funds for MPO federal funds required development of a project management process • Proposed changes to document include: • Small corrections and updates • Policy updates (yellow highlights) • Adding project management joint process (MPO and county)
POLICY UPDATES There are six policy changes that staff would like to discuss with MPO TAC. These items have been discussed by members of the committee in the past and MPO staff would like direction (yellow highlighted items) Project Idea Report Cost Estimate • P roject idea stage projects are very draft, not fully vetted, back of napkin… • It’s been suggested that a cost estimate at this stage should not be required • Pros…Gives committee members a general feel of the magnitude of cost • Cons…Draft costs have generally not been anywhere near concept cost • Cons…High cost could receive lower score by TAC members before project is more developed • Should a cost estimate at the project idea stage be required?
POLICY UPDATES Moving from Project Idea Report to Concept Report • Projects at Project Idea stage are scored and a line drawn for what projects should move to concept stage • Sponsors were advised that if project was below the line, the project should not move forward • They could still move forward if they choose to (2 projects last process, did not score well in CR) • Should low scoring projects be allowed to move to concept stage?
POLICY UPDATES Project Progress • State and federal government require if project doesn’t complete a phase (PE, environmental, construction, etc.) that the sponsor shall refund the funds expended for that phase • For instance, if sponsor abandons project mid-way through PE, but completed environmental, the sponsor would be required to refund the PE costs, but not environmental • Note it’s very rare that a project would be abandoned mid -way through a phase • Should the MPO process have the same clause as the state and feds?
POLICY UPDATES Scope Change • Expanded what constitutes a major scope change • Adding or subtracting major components to a project • Adding equipment not part of the scope • Adding additional work to the project because of left over funding • Clean up last sentence “A sponsor can add major scope items other work items and offsite work to a project, without MPO committees approvals, if the sponsor demonstrates that it is fully funding the additional work.” • Any suggestions of other major scope changes items?
POLICY UPDATES Scoring Matrix for Project Selection Process • Questions that sponsor answers in Concept Report, MPO staff use to give a technical score • Removed air quality question that was redundant • Removed points for multiple jurisdiction projects • Removed points for elective official support • Extra points for pledging additional funds over match • Extra points for sponsor’s ranking of their submitted projects • Any suggestions of additional technical questions that should be scored by MPO staff?
POLICY UPDATES MPO Staff Technical Score • MPO staff score a Concept Report based on the information supplied in Section 3 of the report • Currently MPO staff score each project creaking a list for MPO TAC to use in their scoring • Technical score is information only, non-binding • Some have suggested that since the MPO Staff Technical Score is a technical review that the score should weigh toward the final project scores given to each project by the MPO TAC • Last process weighting MPO Staff score at 33%: 3 projects go unfunded, one moved forward • Should the MPO staff score weigh toward the TAC score? If so by how much, a 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, etc.?
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