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<br /> <br />North Dakota <br />Department of Transportation <br /> <br />Francis G. Ziegler, P.E. <br />Director <br /> <br />John Hoeven <br />Governor <br /> <br />November 10, 2008 <br /> <br />RECEIVED <br />NOY 12 2008 <br /> <br />CASS COUNTY COMMISSION <br /> <br />Board of County Commissioners <br /> <br />2009-2010 REVISED FEDERAL AID PROGRAM <br /> <br />Enclosed is a revised program sheet which shows the amount of money that your county has <br />accumulated in its federal aid account, or could have accumulated by 2010. The sheet also <br />indicates projects you have identified for 2009 and beyond. <br /> <br />The North Dakota Association of Counties had their annual convention in Bismarck October 13 <br />thru October 15, 2008. The Local Government office was able to go over the proposed projects <br />with most of the counties during the convention. <br /> <br />The present six-year Federal Highway Bill ends in 2009. The federal government had to add <br />$8 Billion to the Highway Trust Fund to provide funding to the end of 2009. When the new <br />President and congress come back after the first of January, they must not only write a new six- <br />year Federal Highway Bill, but also must find additional funding for it. Nationally, the revenues <br />from the gas tax have been decreasing, while SAFETY-LU spending has been increasing. <br />Therefore, the Highway Trust Fund has no surplus to sustain the program. <br /> <br />Congress has passed a continuing resolution through March 6, 2009. This means we will get <br />5/12 of what we got in 2008. It is not known at this time if Congress will pass an appropriation <br />bill or another continuing resolution after March 6. <br /> <br />We are therefore asking counties if they would be willing to Advance Construction (AC) their <br />projects and pay the contractor directly. The Department would repay the county the federal <br />share in 2009 if congress fully funds the program or at a later date if federal funds are available <br />in the new Federal Highway Bill. If federal funds do not become available, the county would <br />have to fund the project. For counties that are not able to AC their project for 2009, we will <br />move the projects to May, pending funds. This is basically a wait-and-see strategy. If federal <br />funds don't become available for the May bid opening, projects would be moved to the June <br />pending bid opening and so on. This process would be used until federal aid is available. <br /> <br />608 East Boulevard Avenue. Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-D700 <br />Information: (701) 328-2500. FAX: (701) 328-D31O. TTY: (701) 328-4156. www.dot.nd.gov <br />