The Idaho Transportation Department says it's saved $5.7 million in the fiscal year that ends this week though holding open vacant positions as part of its organization realignment and savings on liability insurance premiums; it plans to funnel the savings into highway maintenance projects ($2.4 million); replacing two 36-year-old rotary snowplows ($1.1 million); replacing and upgrading highway equipment such as a motor grader used for winter maintenance, sweepers and a signal controller ($1.1 million); and covering higher high diesel fuel costs. ($1.1 million). “We are rethinking how the department serves its customers,” said ITD Director Brian Ness. “The department is improving service while reducing costs.” Click below for his full announcement.

6/27/2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ITD ends state fiscal year with $5.7 million in personnel, insurance savings

BOISE – The Idaho Transportation Department will end the state’s fiscal year with $5.7 million in personnel and insurance savings and invest that money in highway construction, maintenance and equipment.

Throughout the fiscal year, vacant positions were held open as part of the department’s organizational realignment, saving $3.5 million. Openings for front-line service jobs were filled, but all other positions were analyzed for how they fit in the new organizational structure and the potential for duplication of effort.

Another $2.2 million was saved through reduced liability insurance premiums.

“We are rethinking how the department serves its customers,” said ITD Director Brian Ness. “The department is improving service while reducing costs.”

Ness released a new organization chart for the department today. The department’s new structure:

•    Reduces the layers of ITD management from nine to five.
•    Eliminates 62 supervisory positions where one manager supervised one employee. Now ITD supervisors manage an averaging of eight to 10 employees.
•    Eliminates 11 “assistant” positions.
•    Reduces duplication, especially between the department’s headquarters and regional offices.
•    The new organization chart can be viewed at http://itd.idaho.gov/AboutITD/reorganization_chart.htm

“I commend the efforts of Director Ness and the employees of ITD for finding efficiencies and giving the taxpayer’s a better value for their hard-earned tax dollars,” said Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Darrell Manning.

The savings will be used to:

•    Construct state-funded highway maintenance projects. ($2.4 million)
•    Replace two 36-year-old rotary snowplows. ($1.1 million)
•    Replace and upgrade highway equipment such as a motor grader used for winter maintenance, sweepers and a signal controller. ($1.1 million)
•    Offset high diesel fuel costs. ($1.1 million)

“Our employees have a story to be proud of. They told me how things could be done better and believe we can be the best transportation department in the country,” said Ness. “With the completion of our organizational realignment, we are coming closer to that goal every day.”