Meetings
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[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Are live.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: We're live, Senate Appropriations, January 9, we're going through the Budget Adjustment Act, and we have agency transportation, which has one item. We had there, CFO come in. So for the record, introduce yourself.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Yes, for the record, Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer of the Agency of Transportation and Banks Committee. So we're looking at the D section of the BAA workbook. The two line items are labeled two one four eight five public sorry, pilot special fund. So on that page, the senator Westman, the
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: second Yeah. Got it. Wait. Well, thank you.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Yeah. It's a very bad.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: So it's not page eight. Is that a? Maybe
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: It's not page eight.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Page eight.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: It is page eight rows two and three. Eight.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: Oh, the pilot. Ah, got it.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: It's the pilot special from this company. It doesn't say transmaterial.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: Goes over here.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Says Yeah.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Alright. So these two transfers total, one is from the general fund, one is from the transportation fund. The total value is $360,050. These transfers are happening because we've had a need in the town highway aid for non federal disasters appropriation. Last year, that appropriation was fee $9.17, and it was funded out of this special pilot fund for $1,150,000 In fiscal twenty six, we had a need to go beyond what was, appropriated. So we approached the Department of Finance and Management and filed excess receipt request, and they granted us an excess excess receipt request. I should just call it ERR, because we brought back the hands and stick on that. They granted us an ERR in the amount of $360,050 and they said, Agency of Transportation, you must backfill the pilot special fund. We are backfilling through general fund and transportation fund. The general fund portion here is coming from the conclusion of the Miles Start program that concluded in September 2025.
[Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Mileage Smart. Mileage Smart, yes, sorry.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: The transportation fund is coming from the maintenance step ID, but it's for reimbursements from FHWA from the July, and those reimbursements are expected in May.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Is different. AOT has a fund that helps towns with non designated stuff.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: This is that, I think.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Yeah, is that fund. So you use some of that money. Did we also put money in that fund? Was that from the private fund that
[Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: we put money in there? Or was it from the
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: local auction tax?
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: The appropriation for the Town Highway Non Federal Disasters Appropriation last year was from the pilot fund for 1,150,000. It's just that our needs, our projects that we approved went beyond the 1,150,000.00 for this fiscal year.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: And you got access receipts from the pilot fund? Yes. And we allowed that.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: The administration allowed it via ERR and the only reason we approached the administration for an ERR rather than going to the legislature is because we expect invoices any day. We've actually already received one of the invoices. Right.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: But I just was like, we don't need to approve like, we moved money over there, I can't remember how the wording of that you know what I'm saying? Like, did we say that it was always gonna go there, just that was a one time? Because there was more money on pilot. Well, I could do it one time. It was one time. Yes. It was the so and, normally, they wouldn't be allowed to do access receipts for a long time transfer.
[Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: For the record, I think they're allowed to get access receipts up to a certain level. I have the checks from that.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Because we didn't we didn't set up that, like, money from the pilot's fund, but I always go to the No. But federal
[Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: It's usually funded with transportation funds.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: And last year We saved transportation a million dollars by using pilot funds.
[Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: They spent more pilot than we appropriated. They did an excess receipt report. It's another SPAC billing the additional money the subchrome title fund.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: So I guess you can't tell us what you're doing for fiscal year 2017. Correct.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: So what is the question?
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Like are you putting transportation funds back into that fund for '27, like the million dollars that you would normally put in there?
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Oh, I'll save that for the governor's budget.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: This does not show any of the pilot funds.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Well, does sound correct. And
[Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: believe that there's excess money in the pilot funds. But that comes from the portion,
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: the state portion, not from the portion that is forming with maintenance.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: The towns will still get their formula. There was excess money in the pilot fund left by last year. To send this money goes to towns, we weren't taking money away from the towns, so we had to, we were going to get the money for their local roads. It was just because of the damage that was in the Northeast Kingdom, because they didn't get a federal designation for that damage.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: The two towns that we were unable to fund with the existing appropriation are the towns of Pomfret and the town of Norwich. Understanding is the Pomfret project is complete, and Norwich will be complete.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: And this doesn't have anything to do with the designation that was denied by the Feds that the Secretary of Transportation talked about reapplying. No.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: That is separate.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: So you wouldn't be getting any money for operating mileage.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: The the the nonfederal disasters that were approved for Pompret and Norwich are separate. Correct.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: We only ask that question because if anybody's listening Yeah. This does not shoot any of the regular pilot monies. Or any of that. This comes out of the state portion, and it
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: to tax. So it's like the purpose of pilot fund.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: So these two transfers make the pilot fund whole. You could think right now that the pilot fund is $360,050 down, and we're using the cash balance from the pilot fund. But because of these transfers in the BAA.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: I guess it makes sense that they approved it because they said, we're gonna approve of the UFFA.
[Patrick "Pat" Brennan (Clerk)]: Correct.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Okay. That makes sense. It's crack filled with transportation, but most of it's in general, how does transportation agency have?
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Yes.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Any else you wanna tell?
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Any
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: other questions?
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: Do we have any other questions?
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Yes. We can, but she's not here, though. We told her to oh, she's not gonna be available. There's a little
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: I'm sorry. I was so fast. Could ask him the other question.
[Senator Richard Westman (Member)]: Can we get Emily in quicker? Thanks.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Appreciate it.
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Thank you.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Do I need to make a special case? You're already
[Candace Onquist, Chief Financial Officer, Vermont Agency of Transportation]: Yes. I I was glad that they are ready.
[Senator Andrew Perchlik (Chair)]: Worked out.