[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6257766,"mediaKeyId","3152255-624f5c5049a57d7f3c666177f4c965f5","parentId",3152255,"title","Mayors tell House panel ODOT shifted highway maintenance to villages; they back bill to return responsibility","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1706000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152255-624f5c5049a57d7f3c666177f4c965f5&start=1706&end=1706","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152255-624f5c5049a57d7f3c666177f4c965f5/thumbnail_1706000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6257766/Ohio/Mayors-tell-House-panel-ODOT-shifted-highway-maintenance-to-villages-they-back-bill-to-return-responsibility","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257766-6b1fe0c0a3e7706dade13708d1974882/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173951&Signature=koaRkxDrbtCpW1LA9S-0eMNdW6d7hVU7464TOPlStKJRjAmR3L9xjFhGbIzm3pUgPzkNh8Rzv5JqeMbqiwtly50Bi02oojaYmPi8hH65lST65LfJBd2wCc3RblrzLgnMBCUTjOqngeAG2tsBmPzqz~plARhY2Qr42RZoCAO-lx~tbANSWALOARDTP-P5mkJlslgWqOKm5ic2tNTRSkOo3ea9o6YJ8JD6bhkgKYbGH6alhPFopOifDaEUIX1DtRSNS8t823-J0ZpavHhuRDiNQj5wUe9gK6aktidg3YIM0o3utGA5nSU~qPYHtiZ-NoMDKTiXIfxJ~16Tqk3SJN3Mvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ohio Legislature","date","2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","article","Multiple mayors and village officials told the Ohio House Transportation Committee that state highway maintenance responsibilities have shifted to local governments and that House Bill 83 would clarify and reassign upkeep duties to reduce small municipalities' fiscal burden.

Jeff Gaskin, mayor of South Point (sometimes transcribed as Southpointe), described a recurring pattern in which the Ohio Department of Transportation has required village crews to mow medians, patch potholes and perform other maintenance on US Route 52 in his community. \"ODOT takes care of the highway,\" Gaskin said, summarizing what he said the bill would accomplish. He told the committee South Point now mows 2.8 miles of US Route 52 inside the village and has purchased surplus equipment to do so.

Other local officials described similar burdens. Terry Brinkus, mayor of the Village of Belleville, said her village has five utility staff and an annual asphalt budget of $160,000 but must maintain miles of state routes and handle damage from heavy truck traffic. Leslie Evans, fiscal officer for the village of West Manchester, provided financial details: from fiscal year 2020 through fiscal year 2024 the village's highway fund received $10,508.94 in revenue and the street fund received $151,778.55; Evans said she recently paid $24,019.74 for partial repairs to US Route 127 and had a further quote of $48,500 for remaining repairs. \"If we were to pay this using the funds received that are designated for the highway, it would take approximately 134 months or 11.167 years to pay this 1 invoice,\" Evans said.

Travis Dodson, village administrator for Georgetown, said his village maintains 31 centerline miles of municipal streets, receives just over $200,000 in gas-tax funding and allocates roughly $15,000 of that to state highways; Georgetown pays about $575,000 a year in paving contracts and maintains 4.3 miles of state roadway within village limits. \"House Bill 83 will help realign state responsibilities with municipal capacity,\" Dodson told the committee.

Witnesses described local solutions taken under pressure (buying surplus equipment, patching potholes) and cited cases where small communities were told to replace culverts or perform other large-scale maintenance that exceeded local resources. Committee members thanked witnesses for detailed testimony and noted the bill has advanced previously through the committee but stalled in the Senate in prior sessions.

Ending: Witnesses urged the committee to advance House Bill 83 to reassign or clarify state highway maintenance responsibilities and reduce the fiscal pressure on small villages; the committee concluded the second hearing on HB 83 with no immediate vote recorded.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ohio House Transportation Committee - 4-29-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Mayors and village officials told the House Transportation Committee that state highways inside village limits are increasingly being maintained by municipalities, imposing heavy costs; they asked the committee to advance House Bill 83 to realign state and local responsibilities.","taxTitle","Transportation, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Ohio","taxId",37375,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6257771,"Panel hears UTV bill that would standardize inspections, equipment and local opt-in for roads",1106,573000,1679000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152255-624f5c5049a57d7f3c666177f4c965f5&start=573&end=1679","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152255-624f5c5049a57d7f3c666177f4c965f5/thumbnail_573000.jpg","/articles/6257771/Ohio/Panel-hears-UTV-bill-that-would-standardize-inspections-equipment-and-local-opt-in-for-roads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257771-6d61e12101071e1f25916b78b1d8489f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173951&Signature=CgI07fCgUEJ6Zg5gEsF9SqeGFn0-Q7gaVLpixUUtOKosFE1ldEPKnWmFcdQ5y5SXUoj0Ebw9twOrMyTSj2jGPM7jt5KpuPtKLg6jK81kX5QV-J8wuutUxMiz6qWkml7~5li0LnxdvgqXcv-MOVvCIMqSRwcw3Ja2-O4dRlOea2unKF8j5A~cSZu-GtQ-IPggTbwVS~IQN~lHiksInHgM0DHoE9-vUzW4CHrMUBtBYwrOXdkBfLGKhUof2K8hv4GKo1WLhq~kG0mKQaiaJtnmiU371wszmeKhdBtrNXsLaLMeWwrFieNX6d9UvjecVK9-SoSZC6lV9GOFQuAlkY~zng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sponsors of House Bill 199 told the Ohio House Transportation Committee that the bill would create a statewide framework for registering and operating utility terrain vehicles (UTVs or \"side-by-sides\") on township and county roads, while preserving local control and agricultural exemptions.

\"Current laws and regulations surrounding the operation of UTVs are very confusing and have led to inconsistencies in enforcement,\" Representative Kevin Miller, a sponsor, told the committee during sponsor testimony. The bill would allow registration and on-road operation on township and county roads if two conditions are met: the vehicle passes a safety inspection conducted by a law-enforcement agency and the county board of commissioners passes a resolution allowing their use in that jurisdiction.

Representative Plummer, a joint sponsor, described specific mandatory equipment the bill would require for on-road UTVs: roll cages, two red reflectors, a rearview mirror, a windshield or safety glass and restraining devices for all occupants. \"They're gonna have to have mandatory safety equipment such as roll cages, 2 red reflectors, a rear mirror, a windshield, or safety glass, and the occupants must have restraining devices for all occupants in the vehicle,\" Representative Plummer said.

The sponsors also said plated and insured vehicles would be required for nonagricultural road use; agricultural exemptions currently in place would be preserved. Representative Miller told the committee that Department of Public Safety would establish a standardized inspection form and that drivers would be required to hold a valid driver's license.

Committee members asked about crash statistics, enforcement and logistical burdens. Representative Grimm asked whether data exist separating UTV crash rates from ATV data; Miller said he had not found data that cleanly separates the two vehicle types. Members raised practical questions about how owners without trailers would get UTVs to inspection sites and whether local law enforcement would travel to inspect vehicles. Sponsors said local practice varies and that the bill preserves local control by requiring a county resolution to enable on-road operation.

No vote was taken; the transcript records the sponsors' testimony and committee questions. The chairman initially introduced HB 199 as a second hearing but later—after questioning—said the item would \"stand as first hearing,\" a recording inconsistency the committee transcript reflects. The committee did not report the bill out; the item remains at the hearing stage.

Ending: House Bill 199 received sponsor testimony and substantive questions about safety equipment, inspection logistics and data on crashes. Committee members signaled interest in standardizing inspections through the Department of Public Safety, but the committee took no formal action.","Sponsors of House Bill 199 told the House Transportation Committee the bill would create a uniform framework for registering and operating UTVs on township and county roads if a law-enforcement inspection is passed and local commissioners allow it; the committee heard extensive sponsor testimony and questions but took no final vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":42,"_43":90,"_45":90,"_46":91,"_48":92,"_50":93,"_52":94,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":95,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":96,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6257775,"Committee adds panic-button, push-to-talk options and reduces lottery funding to $10M per year for school bus safety bill",3239000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3152255-624f5c5049a57d7f3c666177f4c965f5&start=3239&end=3239","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3152255-624f5c5049a57d7f3c666177f4c965f5/thumbnail_3239000.jpg","/articles/6257775/Ohio/Committee-adds-panic-button-push-to-talk-options-and-reduces-lottery-funding-to-10M-per-year-for-school-bus-safety-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257775-49a1e52cded1d8a8af0ee007ab05bd6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173951&Signature=BbrezyqhGImXUwTAi9SslA~~hft6K9Qssj4isy2ukRb0EoSDIcR1aslMoB7iE0-2Tg3xLzKE873OaGq3n3JZLxNLBEujo5DTfSttXtJBsVhhUOdAWHwy87Q6kvD4G7YV-fPK6LQp8jlLag2CMPx5eIQBmrPg92SE~B7f4EdKoc~zYV5JaIeITJvA3iR9cau2swWcZIePHy-TIQMrETnfBrZoe1rqJXAnw5jQ2zti6nN85PxnaAvXDL~P6rx4T5j7pqGNLeIR4y~00S8nN~6x36~5l9aaz4YFS-1bjS0EoXcOXHUu~Raw84ad4H0cY3FA9q~iEKoUg5A4Mek1mNiiSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ohio House Transportation Committee on Oct. 12 considered amendments to House Bill 3, adopting changes that add silent panic-alert technology and broadband push-to-talk capabilities to a list of eligible school bus safety features and reduce the bill's proposed lottery-fund appropriation to $10 million in each fiscal year.

The changes were offered during the committee's consideration of HB 3 and were adopted without recorded objection. \"This amendment ... has all of the potential safety features that school districts could want,\" the committee chair said when explaining the first amendment, adding that the new items mirror panic-alert systems used inside schools and give bus drivers an immediate way to summon first responders. \"This would give the ability, like we have inside our schools, where teachers, administrators have those panic buttons either on them or at their desks and have immediate access to have first response coming to them,\" the chair said.

Supporters said the additions are optional features that school districts could choose to adopt and would be eligible for grants under a school-bus-safety grant program established by the bill. The committee also adopted an amendment that reduced the bill's planned appropriation from earlier, larger figures to $10 million per fiscal year from the lottery profit (student support) fund. Committee members said the change reflects current projections of lottery revenue and aligns the bill with the operating budget's appropriation profile; Representative Troy questioned the cut and asked where additional funding would come from if districts needed more money.

Representative Troy: \"I'm a little confused. I mean, somebody at some point thought that $25,000,000 was and we're gonna cut that by 60%.\" The committee's sponsor responses said the $10 million figure tracks lottery commission projections and that additional funding could be added later if more revenue is available.

Both amendments were moved by Vice Chair Daniels. After discussion the panel voted to advance the measure. The clerk called the roll for final committee action on the amended bill; the transcript records 12 yes votes, 0 no votes. With a 12-0 vote, the committee reported HB 3 out and recommended it back to rules. The chair granted the Legislative Service Commission authority to harmonize the bill as passed by the committee and left the roll open until 5 p.m.

Because the amendment reducing the appropriation alters the bill's funding profile, committee members noted it will be re-referred to the Finance Committee for review of appropriations. Several members also emphasized that the grant program and any appropriation are subject to the state's budget process and to the lottery commission's revenue projections.

Ending: The committee advanced the amended HB 3 to the rules committee and authorized LSC to harmonize the text. The bill will be referred to Finance for its appropriations review and remains subject to the state budget process and lottery revenue availability.","The Ohio House Transportation Committee amended House Bill 3 to add silent panic alerts and broadband push-to-talk to the list of eligible school bus safety features and reduced the bill's lottery-based appropriation to $10 million per fiscal year; the measure was reported out of committee 12-0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mayors tell House panel ODOT shifted highway maintenance to villages; they back bill to return responsibility

Panel hears UTV bill that would standardize inspections, equipment and local opt-in for roads

Committee adds panic-button, push-to-talk options and reduces lottery funding to $10M per year for school bus safety bill