COG/MPO Q&A

1. Why is NACOG the middleman? Why can’t we go to the feds or ADOT directly?

   The key reason is to coordinate and prioritize regional transportation needs and reduce the number of individual entities going to the funding sources. FHWA and ADOT don’t have the resources to deal directly with every government agency (towns, cities, counties, states, and tribes). The process would be too political and too cumbersome. In Arizona, many years ago the Governor through executive order established the COG’s as the mechanism for doing transportation planning and prioritization on a regional basis. Any change to the current process would require both national and state legislation. This is unlikely to happen anytime soon and would require a major lobbying effort. The key is to get your needs into the existing planning groups so local needs are being addressed. The district engineers also coordinate efforts with the COG’s and MPO’s to assure that there are consistent regional plans.

2. How do the tribes influence COG decisions?

   Each tribe can have a voting member position on the COG Regional Council or Board and can attend the COG transportation committee meetings. However, some tribes choose not to participate, or, if they do the tribal COG members do not attend the meetings on a regular basis. The fact of the matter is, the tribal COG members who attend regularly and participate in the process are the ones that get their projects funded. Several examples of tribal projects were mentioned where funding has been given – and they were all because of active participation on the COG and following through on the applications (clear statement of needs and providing data for justification).

3. Why don’t the tribes have their own COG?

   The intent of the COG’s, when they were established, was to provide regional planning and prioritization of projects. The key to influence over projects isn’t for the tribes to join together, but for the tribes to actively participate in their respective COG’s. You need an active, vocal representative that attends all the meetings and gets the tribe’s needs inserted into the decision making process.

4. How does the COG prioritize projects and allocate funding?

   Funding is allocated to each county based upon population. Individual projects can be submitted by any county, city, town or tribe. Then, the COG representatives from these entities review the project requests and, through a consensus process, collectively decide on the priorities and where the money will be spent. It is recommended that project requests be provided to the respective district engineer so that they may coordinate with the COG regarding priorities.

5. Who is the point of contact for tribes for participation with NACOG?

   NACOG Transportation Planning can be reached at (928) 774-1895. There is also a NACOG website that can be accessed for more information at: http://www.nacog.org/

6. How do tribes get into the planning process and is Don Sneed, the DE, or the MPO/COG the point of contact?

   All three.

7. Does the NACOG Board recruit for tribal representatives or do they just see who applies?

   NACOG does invite the Chairperson or President of each tribe to participate and take their seat as a member of the Regional Council.

8. For NACOG, what is the % of funds spent on projects between tribes: e.g., Navajo Nation and others? What is the % of funds used by tribes as compared to land base, road miles, etc., under the COG system?

   NACOG does not have a specific breakout of funds spent between tribes (or compared to land base, road miles, etc.) since the allocation of funds is done at the countywide level. Each countywide Transportation Planning Organization or TPO evaluates projects based on project need and merit and makes funding recommendations. No individual jurisdiction receives specific funding entitlements based upon a set formula.

9. What is the process for counties to get COG money and service rural tribal communities?

   The tribes need to work with the counties and the COG’s to be represented on the different committees and work groups.

10. Can NACOG program provide improvements to existing 1.0-mile school entrance road surface on BIA system?

    Perhaps, but this would depend upon the type of improvements proposed (STP funds can only be used for capital projects) and whether or not the facility in question is eligible for the expenditure of STP funds based on the functional classification of the facility.

11. Why doesn’t NACOG want to fund County roads through Indian reservations?

    Facilities selected to receive funding are based on a number of factors relative to project need and merit (technical evaluation criteria), but not facility ownership or the lands through which a facility may pass. Programming recommendations are developed through the countywide TPOs and the members that choose to participate and submit projects for consideration through the TPO process.

12. Both the tribe and NACOG need to know each other more.

    NACOG would like to see tribes get actively involved in the COG process. NACOG Transportation Planning can be reached at (928) 774-1895. There is also a NACOG website that can be accessed for more information at: www.nacog.org.

13. Why doesn’t NACOG want to fund County roads through Indian reservations?

    Facilities selected to receive funding are based on a number of factors relative to project need and merit (technical evaluation criteria), but not facility ownership or the lands through which a facility may pass. Programming recommendations are developed through the countywide TPOs and the members that choose to participate and submit projects for consideration through the TPO process.

14. How can we all work together when tribal boundaries cross into multiple COGs/MPOs?

    It is important to keep the communication open at the grass roots level, (DE, RE, District Maintenance, Development Engineer). We work with all of the planning organizations and can help coordinate between them. Remember that communication is a two-way street and we need to be accountable to each other and be open to questions from both sides. It is recognized that communication between ADOT and BIA has room for improvement – we can definitely do more in that area. Globe District noted that they have joint ADOT/Tribe/BIA meeting to develop innovative solutions to problems. At the TPD level, we use the COG’s to both share and acquire information.

15. How are tribes integrated into the COGs? What is the cost and what if there are multiple COGs for one tribe?

    COG membership is open to all tribes and in many cases integration into COG functions and efforts is best addressed through participation. Each COG has its own policy in terms of costs. The issue of tribes being involved in multiple COGs has never been addressed and the recommendation would be working with the COG involved to see how membership and planning efforts can be coordinated.

16. How effective has it been for tribes to work with COG’s? Membership dues are a concern for the tribes and it is difficult when a reservation straddles multiple COGS’.

    Tribes that are active participants in the process are successful in getting projects funded, as we cited in several examples. For the tribes to become effective they need to participate. If participation is difficult, the Districts will help where possible. Tribal members can attend COG/MPO meetings without being voting members, which provides an excellent opportunity to get information and learn about the process.

17. How can tribes become members?

    Both tribes in PAG jurisdiction requested membership last year. An application is submitted, which is reviewed and approved by the membership. The membership fee is paid and voting membership is granted. Tribal representatives have full voting rights. The number of seats available is one per governmental agency. The term of service is based upon the term of the elected official serving on the board. To be a member of the board, you must have an elected official of the tribe. Membership fee is based upon the population size of the governmental unit. PAG receives $16M per year from the federal government and $16M from the state, a total of $32M in transportation funds. Various committees and subcommittees serve to resolve issues related to the plan.

    Process of membership in CAAG is basically the same

18. Can each district of a tribe be a member of a COG or MPO?

    The Tohono O’odham Nation has 11 districts; each one cannot hold a seat at the present. Only one voting membership per government agency is currently allowed. This issue needs more thought. One argument is that each district is like a county, having its own local government jurisdiction. This may help resolve the situation where tribal boundaries overlap multiple COGs. The other argument is similar to having a city with multiple districts; each district cannot have its own member, only the city as a whole.

19. What does a COG/MPO do?

    Each has it own set of by-laws, but the basic responsibility is transportation planning. They prepare a Regional Long Range Plan and a Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. They distribute the allocations of federal funds to regionally important projects. They perform various planning studies at the request of their membership. They may also undertake land use coordination, water and air quality issues, etc.

20. Explain the alphabet soup of COG/MPO/MAG/PAG/CAAG/YMPO?

    COG stands for Council of Governments. It is a non-profit organization that does the transportation planning for its member agencies within its jurisdictional boundaries. The Central Arizona Association of Governments (CAAG) is an example of a COG and serves Pima and Pinal Counties. An MPO is a Metropolitan Planning Organization and provides the functions of a COG for an urban metropolitan area. It serves as a conduit of federal dollars and is required to prepare a Long Range Plan and a Transportation Improvement Plan. The Governor makes the MPO designation. The Pima Association of Government (PAG) has MPO authority and also performs other functions as well.

    The Maricopa Association of Governments is also an MPO, with 30 members in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. There is a two-tier voting system. For non-disputed issues, it is one member-one vote. For certain controversial issues or disputes, the voting may be weighted by population size of the government agency. In addition to federal and state funds, MAG also oversees the cent sales tax money directed toward freeway construction. MAG prepares air quality plans and models and other traffic models. It administers $40M of CMAQ (for air quality) funds and $40M of STP funds. Gila and Salt River Tribes are members of MAG. Our agendas are posted on our website. We have a public involvement process, but don’t specifically target entities that are not members. Projects are typically planned five years out. There is some question about the lack of synchronicity between the federal TIP the tribes submit into and the MAG TIP.

    The Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization (YMPO) encompasses all of Yuma County, plus a small sliver of California along the Colorado River. It includes the Cocopah Tribe, which is a member organization. Membership fees are based upon population size. There are currently seven seats on the Board, one vote per member, unless a controversy exists; then votes are weighted by population. YMPO has four ex-officio members, the Marine Corps Air Station, The Airport, Imperial County, California and the BIA. These are non-voting advisors. Term length is based upon the member’s status in their respective agency.

21. Can functional classification be changed?

    You can add new roads to the functionally classified system. In the past, in order to do so, you had to give up roads elsewhere. With the new legislation, this may not be quite an issue, in that population growth will be factored in, making it possible to add roads without giving anything up. However, in some rural areas, this may not be the case because the population has not significantly grown. If you want to reclassify a road, you will need to work with your COG. Substantial and specific data is required for justification on the application.

22. What data is available with respect to the tribes?

    Census and population demographic data is used to model and plan for future needs (forecasts up to 25-30 years). We also have aerial photos and other survey information like traffic studies that include the reservations. We may also have feasibility studies, bridge studies, environmental studies and other similar information. MAG has also been doing some economic modeling for the LRP. Rural COG’s do not have as much modeling capability as the MPO’s, but can normally provide traffic counts and accident information. Traffic counting equipment can also be provided upon request.

23. Why does PAG not have information on Tohono O’odham Nation, when it is a large part of Pima County?

    PAG is currently funding an I-19 corridor study, along with ADOT. There is also an I-10 study to the east. These studies are set up to determine future needs, including ultimate build-outs.

24. How are the activities of a COG/MPO funded?

    They are primarily funded from membership fees and transportation planning funding from the federal government. Other sources include some ISTEA funds flexed over for planning purposes; environmental grants Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) funding and a variety of smaller sources

25. How can the COG/MPO help tribes prepare applications?

    We can help the smaller entities put together budgets and applications, especially those that don’t have internal technical people designated for this purpose.

26. How can projects be funded if they cross COG boundaries?

    Each project must have an “owner” so one entity or the other would have to sponsor it. Projects on the State system would have an ADOT leader and would establish the systems and processes to get the job accomplished.

27. How can communication and coordination be maintained if the tribe has insufficient staff to attend all the meetings?

    This problem is recognized within all of the COG’s. The more work that is done and funded, the more meetings that are required to plan and coordinate. If you can’t have staff attend the meeting, work with the COG to determine a way to get the information you need (e-mail, teleconference, sending a designated substitute {except for voting issues}, etc.). We will try to accommodate your needs.

28. How are COG/MPO activities communicated?

    E-mail notifications are sent advising of meetings, information is also posted on our web sites and through mailing to our memberships. Minutes of the meetings are sent to members not in attendance. In most cases, teleconference capability can be set up for members not able to attend in person.

29. How much do tribes pay to join WACOG?

    There is no cost for membership on the advisory committee or the board at WACOG. Cost to join CAAG is dependent on enrollment, $150 for Ak-Chin. White Mountain Tribe only has one community in the CAAG region so their dues need to be reevaluated based on the relevant population base. MAG is based on population size.

30. Why are there different fees for membership in various COG’s and MPO’s?

    The fees help support some administrative costs. The YMPO is transit related. All are a little different. It depends on how the by-laws for each group were established and what functions the groups serve.

31. Why are there COG’s?

    Executive Order with Arizona created the regional planning offices. This was a result of federal legislation related to developing the interstate system. Most functions (COG’s) are also social service oriented along with transportation planning. They were set up to assist in the disbursement of various kinds of public funds. MPO’s were set up primarily for transportation planning. They are public non-profit organizations. Rural COG’s were originally formed primarily to address regional reviews of both federal and state programs of various kinds.

32. Has WACOG discussed with BIA and FHWA to coordinate the functional classification so IRR roads are eligible for federal funding beyond IRR funds?

    Yes, Blue Water Drive is an example of why this needs to happen. Getting it classified would not have happened otherwise. It is important to examine the name of the route as it can make a difference in the classification. The same is true for CAAG, MAG and YMPO. It is important to bring your needs before the planning committees for help. The state has a limit on the total number of miles for any given classification type. Minor collector is the easiest class to work with because Arizona is still well under the limit in this category. See for more information http://tpd.azdot.gov/gis/fclass/index.php.

33. Do all transportation planning COG’s coordinate and communicate with tribes, districts, counties, etc.?

    The answer is yes. Also included is MoveAZ information sharing and other transportation planning issues. The key is to attend public meetings to receive information and get your ideas heard.

34. What are some methods COG’s use to get tribes involved? (Reach out and educate).

    Knowing that COG’s are the means of getting projects funded should motivate tribes to take part in the process. The ADOT Program Planning process works through the COG’s and district engineers.