Northeast Area Commission on Transportation Meets in La Grande; Public Invited

The Northeast Area Commission on Transportation is meeting today at the Oregon Department of Transportation Region 5 office, 3012 Island Ave., La Grande, from 9 a.m. to noon Pacific Time; "the meeting is open to the public and time will be set aside for public comments." A virtual attendance option is available for remote participants.

ODOT staff are scheduled to lead the agenda. "ODOT’s Sean Maloney will present project recommendations for a capital investment plan, which commission members will discuss later during the meeting," and "the meeting also includes a presentation from Maloney on outreach for the 2027-30 statewide transportation improvement program." Region 5 Manager Ken Patterson is listed to provide region updates, and Michelle Owen is listed to speak about local projects, with Maloney also giving construction updates.

The meeting agenda covers an array of jurisdictional briefings tied to the draft STIP. "ODOT released the draft version 2027-30 STIP, which is now available for formal public review and comment," and the agenda "includes city, county, tribal and transit updates." The draft STIP represents the department's proposed capital program for state and federal projects in the 2027–30 cycle; the commission's outreach presentation is intended to steer regional feedback into that formal review period.

Remote access details are part of the distributed meeting materials. "A virtual attendance option will be available via Microsoft Teams. The link to join is included in the meeting agenda." Participants seeking to speak during the public comment portion should consult the agenda for sign-in instructions and the Teams link; the agenda also lists the sequence of presentations and discussion on capital investment recommendations.

The Northeast Area Commission on Transportation brings together local partners across Eastern Oregon. "The Northeast Area Commission on Transportation consists of community leaders and partners from Morrow, Umatilla, Wallowa and Baker counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation." As an Area Commission on Transportation, the body is an advisory group chartered by the Oregon Transportation Commission to help address regional transportation priorities.

For logistical questions or additional information, ODOT provided a media contact: "For more information, contact Vicki Moles, 541-620-4527." Commissioners are scheduled to deliberate the capital investment recommendations and the public input gathered during today's session as they refine regional priorities for the 2027-30 STIP.