Transportation Curriculum Coordination Council

TCCC Executive Council Meeting

December 9, 2005
Austin, TX

Executive Council Business Planning Session Chris Newman, FHWA

Discussion: The Executive Council discussed the business plan as it is currently written. Tom Malerk questioned the industry/association partners including NICET. Tom Malerk's concern was that by including companies that will use TCCC's products for profit brings TCCC's integrity into question. The Executive Council debated the pros and cons of including this organization. Chris Anderson suggested eliminating the entire list and simply leaving it as being industry/association partners as a generic statement. Douglas Townes suggested that we leave the industry/association partners in the business plan, but remove the listing from the by-laws. Chris Newman will insert a comment that states that the TCCC does not endorse these industry/association partners. The Executive Council determined that Chris Newman should take the list out of the by-laws/business plan and insert a paragraph outlining TCCC's recognition of their value and our desire to have a closer partnership with industry/associations. Martha Monjo suggested moving the listing to the appendix and editing the list to include only the active partners and what they contributed as a thank you/recognition.

Lee Onstott moved that the Executive Council accept the by-laws as stands without the industry/association listed in them and that the business plan voting be tabled until Chris Newman can take the list of industry/association partners out and insert a paragraph outlining how the TCCC would like to involve the industry/association in the future. Lee Onstott withdrew his motion after further discussion.

Garth Newman motioned that the Executive Council accept the by-laws as a separate document and remove the industry/association. Douglas Townes seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously by the Executive Council.

Martha Monjo, Tom Malerk, Garth Newman, Howe Crockett, and Chris Newman will work together to wordsmith the business plan to properly include the industry/association partners as well as a framework for future partnerships. They will then present the changes to the Executive Council during May 2006 conference call. Laura Lawndy to schedule the Executive Council call and Chris Newman to schedule a web conference for the editing process.

Garth Newman made a motion to have a recognition page in the appendices for the industry/associations. Chris Newman seconded the motion. After further discussion Garth Newman withdrew his motion until the team can rewrite the business plan including the appendices.

Action items:	Person responsible:	Deadline:
Provide information to Chris Newman about the affiliate program at NHI	Ann Gretter	December 31, 2005
Wordsmith the business plan to include the industry/association partners as well as a framework for future partnerships	Martha Monjo, Tom Malerk, Garth Newman, Howe Crockett, and Chris Newman	04/30/06
Schedule web conference to assist in the editing of the Business Plan	Chris Newman	12/31/05
Schedule next conference call for Executive Council in January 2006	Laura Lawndy	12/31/05

Review Committee Needs and Workplans - Subcommittee Team Leaders

Communications and Marketing - Douglas Townes, FHWA - Douglas Townes discussed the marketing team's need for a fulltime marketing specialist at approximately $120,000 per year to be under the supervision of the Office of Asset Management. Howe Crockett queried the group on how they felt about spending $120,000 for marketing. Ann Gretter clarified that the group had decided to move forward with a few priorities and suggested that the marketing team would need approximately $36,000.00 total for updating marketing materials and updating the website.

Lee Onstott made a motion that the TCCC spend the necessary monies to have the new marketing materials and making the website more attractive as quickly as possible at an amount NTE $36,000.00 without coming back to the committee. It was seconded by Chris Newman and passed by the Committee with one dissent. Ann Gretter and Chris Newman will work out the scope of work. Laura Lawndy will work with a representative of each subcommittee to develop the website and will provide instruction to the contractor brought on board to undertake the work. The website clean-up task group will include: Linda Hughes, Chris Newman, Lesley Bolden, Doyt Bolling, and Martha Monjo.

The database creation team includes: Chris Newman, Doyt Bolling, Ben Gribbon

Matrix Development - Linda Hughes, WSDOT - Linda Hughes confirmed that the Matrix Development Team's need include the website and database.

Performance Measures - Allan Samuels, ADOT - Garth Newman outlined the Performance Measures team's strong feeling that the website development should be launched. This is a common need that all of the teams identified. Garth suggested that we initially spend 20% of the budget for course development with 80% going to web and database development. Chris Newman will discuss this with Jim Sorenson.

Ann Gretter suggested that the TCCC should consider hiring a fulltime person, aware of our needs, to oversee the website development and management.. Garth Newman suggested the group sit down to create a story board to outline the needs of the customer. Martha Monjo and Linda Hughes suggested that the TCCC consider working with the NCHRP committee on the development of the database since they already have money available. Chris Newman informed the group that he, Doyt Bolling, and Ben Gribbon are going to meet with the NCHRP committee during the TRB and will then report back to the TCCC Executive Council so that we can better understand what the other group is doing before moving forward.

Chris Newman made a motion to use pooled fund money for the long term development of the database and website with the total fund amount to be determined at a later date by the Executive Council. This will be done in conjunction with the AASHTO/NCHRP task force on website development depending on if it matches TCCC's needs. Ken Cox seconded the motion. The motion was passed unanimously.

Resource Advancement - Lee Onstott, NM DOT - Lee Onstott outlined the items that the Resource Advancement team would like to undertake within the next year:

• Send copies of the next pooled fund solicitation to AASHTO Reps, Regional Groups, NTTD, TTC, FHWA Division Administrator with letter including TCCC information and how to contribute.
• Send marketing information to AASHTO Reps, Regional Groups, NTTD, TTC, and Industry Reps.
• Dan Mathis will work with the marketing team to develop a briefing paper to be presented at FHWA's Spring Business Meeting. Dan will also make a presentation on behalf of the TCCC at the FHWA Western States Division Administrator (DA) meeting.
• The team will work to recruit additional support from the DAs from the Southern and Northern Region.
• Conferences/Meetings were also discussed at which the TCCC could make presentations this year and who might make the presentation. They will also work to better communicate with States who are not currently participating in the TCCC either financially or with volunteers.

Action items:	Person responsible:	Deadline:
Send out proposed courses to the regional groups to prioritize the course development and request information on any existing materials	Tom Malerk	01/15/06
Send proposed courses to Tom Malerk for distribution to regional groups	Laura Lawndy	12/31/05
Draft annual call to regional groups for suggested courses to be developed that year.	Doyt Bolling	01/31/06
Work to apply levels to NHI Courses	Ann Gretter, Chris Newman, and Laura Lawndy	05/31/06
Send TCCC level definitions to Ann Gretter	Laura Lawndy	01/31/06
Work with representative from each subcommittee to update the existing website: Linda Hughes, Chris Newman, Lesley Bolden, Doyt Bolling, and Martha Monjo	Laura Lawndy	02/28/05
Discuss use of TCCC budget for course development (20%) and web/database development (80%) with Jim Sorenson	Chris Newman	02/28/06

Discuss Next Steps - Howe Crocket, FHWA and Pete Rahn MoDOT

Discussion: All subcommittee chairs need to send their work plans to Laura Lawndy by January 15, 2006. Laura Lawndy will then schedule a conference call for the Executive Council for the beginning of February 2006.

Howe Crockett brought up the issue of the NSPE MOU. Chris Newman will send the document out to everyone and then the Executive Council will discuss at the next conference call. FHWA will hold on to the check submitted by the NSPE until an MOU is formalized. Doyt Bolling will forward a partnering agreement to Chris Newman for review. Linda Hughes suggested returning the NSPE check for $5,000.00 to them until the MOU is signed. Chris Newman will draft a letter and return the check.

Lee Onstott asked about the status of John Taylor's commitment to have NHI course materials made readily available to the States. Ann Gretter informed the group that NHI's general policy is to share the participant book, but not the instructor guide and/or tests. Chris Newman and Ann Gretter will review the partnership agreement to ensure that a proper procedure is in place to get the necessary materials to the States. They will come up with a protocol to ensure that the exams are protected if they are to be used for certification/qualification. Doyt Bolling suggested that if course materials are shared and the State updates the course to keep it current that that information should be shared back with NHI. Tom Malerk suggested that these items be funneled through the TCCC. Chris Anderson will work with Ann Gretter and Chris Newman on this process.

Linda Hughes questioned whether the TCCC was going to move forward with a train the trainer course for the Bridge Construction Inspection Course in order to get this course finalized. Chris Newman outlined several positives to having a train the trainer course the Bridge Construction Inspection Course. Lesley Bolden and Ann Gretter will follow up with NHI on the missing pieces of the course so that we can get a final product.

Action items:	Person responsible:	Deadline:
Send work plans to Laura Lawndy	Committee Chairs	1/15/06
Setup Executive Committee Conference Call	Laura Lawndy	1/31/06
Draft letter to NSPE thanking them for their contribution and explaining situation with MOUS. Contribution check should be returned.	Chris Newman	1/31/06
Review NHI's MOUs to develop acceptable language for future partnerships with industry	Chris Newman and Ann Gretter	01/31/06
Develop process for distributing all course materials to States without compromising NHI's security procedures.	Ann Gretter, Chris Newman, and Chris Anderson	01/31/06
Follow-up on finalizing Bridge Construction Inspection Course and having a train the trainer session	Chris Newman, Ann Gretter, and Lesley Bolden	01/31/06