DOT pressed about $9.1 million Highway Helper contract

Iowa Transportation Commission members sharply questioned Monday why they hadn't been told about a $9.1 million state contract to expand the Highway Helper program.

The contract was approved after the Legislature earlier this year adopted a 10-cent per gallon gas tax to help improve the state's roads and bridges, drawing criticism from lawmakers concerned that proceeds were being misspent.

'It's a huge cost right after the gas tax increase,” Commissioner John Putney of Gladbrook told Iowa Department of Transportation Director Paul Trombino during a commission workshop meeting Monday in Burlington.

'It's concerning for people who advocated for us and people who didn't. ... I am concerned about the role of the commission if we don't find out about this.”

Putney and commission Chairman Leonard Boswell said they were contacted by lawmakers who had received calls from constituents seeing news reports, and were concerned about the contract Iowa DOT signed with Wisconsin-based Prairie Land Towing Co.

The Gazette and KCCI-TV in Des Moines reported in July about the contract.

The Highway Helper program, which offers assistance to broken down motorists, will be expanded to the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area, Des Moines and Council Bluffs this fall under the contract.

Putney called the contract controversial in light of the gas tax increase, which underscored his argument the commissioners should have been notified.

The commission typically provides oversight on broad policy decisions and spending strategies for the DOT, but not line-item budget decisions.

'Part of how we operate does not fall under the commission's role,” Trombino said. 'The lesson I have to learn, I have to be careful on, is what things we spent money on because we know a lot of it would be controversial after the gas tax.”

Many lawmakers long resisted a gas tax hike, but enough were persuaded earlier this year to pass the first increase in 25 years because the money would repair a network of crumbling roads and bridges.

Tensions over the increase remain high, and some are still skeptical the money - an extra $100 million a year for the Iowa DOT - might go to other priorities.

In Clinton, the city council planned to use gas tax money to hire employees for lawn mowing among other duties, which earned rebuke.

The Iowa DOT earmarked the gas tax increase proceeds for a variety of road construction projects, including expanding Highway 20 in northwest Iowa.

Putney said in his area the Highway Helper contract raised doubt. Why shouldn't the gas tax money go to widening Highway 30 through Tama County? he asked.

'When I'm sitting here voting on (Revive Iowa's Sound Economy) grants for $160,000 and $300,000, and then we have a $9.5 million contract that I don't know about,” Putney said.

Putney and Boswell said they support the Highway Helper program and believe the contract is above board, but the situation raises questions about the commission's oversight role.

Amy Reasner, a commissioner from Cedar Rapids, said she didn't receive any calls but agreed the commission's role should be examined.

'I don't have any concerns, but it raises a valid point about where commission should be involved and where it shouldn't,” she said.