Governor and Executive Council Agenda item PDF - 2026-03-04 - agenda 12

Meeting Date

2026-03-04

Attachment Kind Label

Agenda item PDF

Attachment Relation

primary_meeting_attachment

Agenda Numbers

12

Agency Names

Department Of Transportation

Parent Meeting Title

Governor and Executive Council meeting - 2026-03-04

DepartmetU of Transportation

William Cass, P.E.

Commissioner

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

13.MAR 0 4 2026 David Rodrlgiie, P.E.

Assistant Commissioner

Michelle L. Winters

Deputy Commissioner

Her Excellency, Governor Kelly A. Ayotte

and the Honorable Council

State House

Concord, NH 03301

Executive Office

January 29, 2026

REQUESTED ACTION

Authorize the Department of Transportation to pay membership dues Retroactively in the amount

of $31,365.73 for the period of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026, to the American

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Washington, DC, Vendor

#170721 for continued membership in the national transportation organization from the date of

Governor and Council approval through December 31, 2026. Funding is 18% Federal Funds, 76%

Highway Funds, 6% Other Funds (Agency Income).

Funds are available in the following account for Fiscal Year 2026, and are anticipated to be

available in Fiscal Year 2027, upon the availability and continued appropriation of funds in the

future operating budgets, with the authority to adjust encumbrances between fiscal years within

the price limitation through the Budget Office, if needed and justified:

FY 2026 FY 2027

04-96-96-960015-3038

Executive Office

026-500251 Organizational Dues

$15,682.87 $15,682.86

EXPLANATION

This is Retroactive because membership invoices for AASHTO are received after the effective

period has started.

Membership in AASHTO assists the NH Department of Transportation in meeting its

responsibility to address the transportation needs of the State of New Hampshire and support

AASHTO's work representing the state departments of transportation through establishing

engineering standards, policy development, technical services and delivering the safest, most

efficient and effective state and national transportation systems. As a member of AASHTO, the

NH Department of Transportation benefits greatly in the following areas: setting technical

engineering standards; conducting materials and products research and testing; providing training

and career development; and providing a forum for national/international administrative, safety,

financial, legal, and operational state-of-the-art practices. A primary value to the State of this

membership is leveraging the collective knowledge and experience of all state DOTs to bring to

JOHN O. MORTON BUILDING • 7 HAZEN DRIVE. P.O. BOX 483 • CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03302-0483

TELEPHONE: T603^ 271-3734 • FAX: (603) 271-3914 • TDD: RELAY NH 1-800-735-2964 • DOT.NH:GOV

bear on transportation'issues affecting New Hampshire, and that NH's voice and'input on national

transportation matters is represented and amplified.

AASHTO is a non-profit, non-partisan association representing and made up of the 50-member

State Highway and Transportation Departments, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and is

essentially an instrument of the agencies. AASHTO is overseen by a Board of Directors comprised

of Commissioners/Secretaries of Transportation from all 50 States. Commissioner Cass serves on

the Board of Directors as well as the Executive Committee overseeing the organization's operation

and budget. AASHTO's activities involve all the principal transportation modes, with its major

purpose to foster the development, operation and maintenance of a safe, efficient, integrated

national transportation system.

Founded in 1914, AASHTO is a legally incorporated non-profit entity and exists to be of service

to its member departments. NH has been a member since it's inception and several NHDOT

Commissioners have served as AASHTO president during their terms. Composed primarily of the

public officials in state agencies with responsibilities for highways and transportation, the

Association also includes as an ex officio member, the U.S. Department of Transportation. In

addition, several public highway transportation agencies in other nations belong to the Association

as affiliate members and a number of sub-state transportation agencies in the United States belong

as associate members.

AASHTO is a member sourced organization. Under AASHTO oversite, national standard design

guidelines and specifications for highway and bridge design standards and materials have been

established using the collective expertise of engineers from the member states (including several

NHDOT staff members). Computer software for tracking bridge conditions as required by Federal

Highway Administration is provided through AASHTO. Product evaluation is centralized through

AASHTO, and lab accreditation for materials testing is handled by AASHTO. AASHTO also

serves as a forum and clearing house for state DOTs to learn about innovation, best practices, and

the latest approaches to addressing transportation issues and problems. AASHTO, due to its

makeup of constituent states, is the gold standard of transportation expertise throughout the nation

and the world.

Membership in AASHTO is on an agency basis, and only government agencies can belong. There

are no individual memberships from either the public or private sectors. Member Department dues

are calculated by AASHTO by distributing one-half total dues evenly among the 52 member

departments and distributing the other one-half of total dues in accordance with each member

departments Federal-aid highway apportionments of the year in which the dues is scheduled.

Listed below are answers to standard questions required for Governor and Council organization

dues and membership approval submissions:

1. How long has this organization been in existence and how long has this agency been a member

of this organization?

AASHTO was founded in 1914; the Department has been a member since AASHTO's inception.

2. Is there any other organization, which provides the same or similar benefits that your agency

belongs to?

JOHN O. MORTON BUILDING • 7 HAZEN DRIVE • P.O. BOX 483 • CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03302-0483

TELEPHONE: r603t 271-3734 • FAX: (603) 271-3914 • TDD: RELAY NH 1-800-735-2964 • DOT.NH.GOV

There are no other organizations that provide these benefits to the Department.

3. How many other states belong to this organization and is your agency the sole New Hampshire

state agency that is a member?

AASHTO is over all 50 U.S. states, the Department is the only NHstate agency that is a member.

4. How is the dues structure established? (Standard fee for all states, based on population, based

on other criteria, etc.)

Membership dues are calculated by distributing one-half total dues evenly among the 52 member

departments and distributing the other one-half of total dues in accordance with each member

departments Federal-aid highway apportionments of the year in which the dues is scheduled.

Membership dues have not increased for several years.

5. What benefit does the state receive from participating in this membership?

Membership in AASHTO assists the NH Department of Transportation in meeting its responsibility

to address the transportation needs of the State of New Hampshire. As a member of AASHTO, the

NH Department of Transportation benefits greatly in the following areas: setting technical

engineering standards; conducting materials and products research and testing; providing

training and career development; and offering a forum for considering national/international

administrative, financial, legal, and operational state-of-the-art practices. For example,

consolidated core policy principles for federal transportation reauthorization, and associated

detailed topic area whitepapers, that are being developed by organization members under

AASHTO over site will be central to developing and guiding transportation reauthorization

reflective of State's needs and priorities through congressional committees in the next year.

Additionally, the regional subgroup of AASHTO, the Northeast Association of State

Transportation Officials (NASTO), of which Commissioner Cass is currently president, also serves

a valuable role in bringing leadership of northeast state DOTs together to work for common

interests and transportation issues in this region.

The return on investment of AASHTO membership is considerable. As members and participants,

NH receives the design standards and manuals. If we had to purchase this material it would cost

in excess of $55,000. There are over 65 DOT staff actively involved in various AASHTO

Committees and activities. The training and professional development value of this involvement,

even at a nominal assumed cost would be a value range of $35,000 or more. IfNH had to develop

the design standards we help develop as a member of AASHTO independently the cost would likely

be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

6. Are training or educational/research materials included in the membership? If so, is the cost

included? Explain in detail.

AASHTO has many educational seminars, research projects, and technical committees in which

the travel expenses are included in the membership fee. AASHTO offers specific services and

products that are discipline or software related and are available at an additional cost.

JOHN O. MORTON BUILDING. 7 HAZEN DRIVE • P.O. BOX 483 • CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03302-0483

TELEPHONE; t603t 271-3734 • FAX: (603) 271-3914 • TDD: RELAY NH 1-800-735-2964. DOT.NH.GOV

7. Is the membership required to receive any federal grants or required in order to receive or

participate in licensing or certification exams? Explain.

This membership is not required ta receive federal grants, participate in-licensing or certification

of exams.

8. Is there any travel included with this membership fee? Explain in detail any travel including

the number of employees involved, the number of trips, destination of known and purposes of

membership-supported trips.

Some travel to membership meetings is included with the membership fees and can vary year to

year.

9. Which state agency employees are directly involved with this organization? (Indicate if they are

members, voting members, committee members, and /or officers of the organization).

As noted, AASHTO is a membership sourced organization historically based on a successful

volunteer model to leverage and capitalize on the collective knowledge of state DOTs. As such,

multiple personnel within the Department participate in various activities, projects, and

committees with the different programs and discipline areas in AASHTO as necessary.

10. Explain in detail any negative impact to the state if the Agency did not belong to this

organization.

Should the Department no longer be a member with AASHTO, the Department and the State would

suffer. We would be less well informed of transportation issues affecting NH and would not have

the voice or representation in Washington on transportation issues, in particular forthcoming

reauthorization, that AASHTO affords. NHDOT would be much less effective in supporting NH's

transportation system, needs and connectivity to the rest of the country if we were not part of

AASHTO.

Your approval of this resolution is respectfully requested.

Sincerely,

William J. Cass, PE

Commissioner

Attachments

JOHN O. MORTON BUILDING. 7 HAZEN DRIVE • P.O. BOX 483 • CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03302-0483

TELEPHONE: 16031271-3734 • FAX: (603) 271-3914. TDD: RELAY NH 1-800-735-2964 • DOT.NH.GOV

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION

OFFICIALS INVOICE

AASHID

555 12th Street NW, Suite 1000

Washington DC 20004 ■

United States

Inv#: SI023136

Date: 1/2/2026

Fed ID: 53-0204654

Bill To:

New Hampshire Dept. of Transportation

William J. Cass Commissioner

PO Box 483

7 Hazen Drive

Concord NH 03302-0483

United States

Due Date

1/2/2026

Terms

Due on receipt

SO# Gust ID

C000037

Customer PO

Description

AASHTO Annual Membership Dues for

Calendar Year 2026

Quantity Rate Amount

1 31,365.73 31,365.73

Remit To:

AMER ASSOC STATE HIGHWAY TRAN OFFICALS

P.O. Box 7155051

Philadelphia, PA 19171-5051

Subtotal: $31,365.73

Invoice Discount: $0.00

Tax: $0.00

Total USD: $31,365.73