A key state lawmaker said legislative leaders plan to send a letter to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek committing to provide money to ensure the Oregon Department of Transportation can maintain its normal level of snowplowing on highways across Eastern and Central Oregon this winter.

The agency said earlier this year that due to decreased budgets it would have to reduce plowing, sanding and salting on some secondary highways.

But that won’t be necessary now that legislative leaders have pledged to “backfill” the ODOT budget when lawmakers convene in Salem in early February for a short session, said Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, a Democrat from the Portland area and co-chair of the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee.

The money will allow ODOT to plow snow as usual, said Steiner, who emphasized the importance of keeping state highways, particularly in remote rural areas, passable.

“We took this very seriously and worked closely with the governor’s team,” Steiner said on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

State Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, whose district includes Baker County, said on Nov. 29 that there was “a lot of pushback” from legislators, including himself, prompted by ODOT’s “Level of Service Reduction” reports that projected reductions this winter in snowplowing, and the use of sand and deicer, on sections of some secondary highways.

“We’ve had continued discussions with the ways and means committee and the governor’s office,” Findley said.

He said he also broached the topic during the most recent meeting of the Legislature’s transportation committee, of which he is a member.

Findley said the Legislature’s commitment isn’t limited to this winter. Rather, the budget pledge is for the remainder of the state’s current two-year budget cycle, which continues through June 30, 2025.

“The budget will not be the limiting factor for snow removal,” Findley said.

Vicki Moles, community affairs specialist for ODOT’s Region 5 office in La Grande, said Kotek has requested $19 million for road maintenance for the remainder of the biennium.

Moles said ODOT officials “appreciate” the request.

“We are encouraged by signs the Legislature is open to this discussion,” Moles said. “This request, if fulfilled, would provide funding to restore services in winter maintenance, make safety-focused improvements, assist in necessary fleet procurement and address vegetation management. While we already took some actions due to funding issues that can’t be undone — hiring at a lower level and purchasing less materials in long-term contracts are two examples — we believe an investment of this size will help us restore winter maintenance service levels going forward to essentially what they were in winter of 2021. This funding will make our roads safer this winter than they would have been.”

According to ODOT’s “Level of Service Reduction” reports, the agency expected it would have to cut back on snow removal on some secondary highways.

“We encourage area communities and travelers to prepare (for) the possibility of extended delays, closures, more chain restrictions, and varying degrees of traction as they navigate roads,” ODOT said in the report for Region 5, which includes most of the northeastern corner of the state. “With smaller budgets for staff and materials needed to plow, sand and deice, the potential for traffic jams and crashes increases. Incidents will take longer to clear.”

Steiner said legislators have also committed to providing money to the agency to paint fog lines on highway shoulders — although that will wait until next year due to the weather — and to buy new plows as needed.

Reactions to budget backfilling

Mark Bennett, a former Baker County commissioner who has a ranch in southern Baker County near Unity, said he is “really thankful” for the Legislature’s commitment to keeping highways as safe as possible.

“I’m really pleased,” said Bennett, who frequently drives from his home to Baker City, a route that includes the pass over Dooley Mountain, a steep, curvy section of Highway 245 where blizzards are common.

Bennett is also a first responder. He said he was concerned that a reduction in snowplowing could make it more difficult for emergency responders to get to traffic accidents, fires and other situations where time is crucial.

Baker County Commissioner Bruce Nichols was also happy about the Legislature’s commitment to maintaining highways.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Nichols said.

“We took this very seriously and worked closely with the governor’s team.”

— State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, referring to the Legislature’s commitment to increasing ODOT’s budget for snowplowing