Representative Jack, chair of the Public Works and Highways Committee, opened the orientation by warning members the committee will need to vacate its current office within about six months and that the group will share meeting space with the Health and Human Services committee in the near term. "We're gonna have to completely vacate this building and we're gonna go somewhere else, and we probably won't have drawers, we probably won't have an assigned room," Jack said.

Jack asked the committee clerk, Representative Bill Boyd, to collect working email addresses and phone numbers from members so staff can reach them on short notice while the committee works on the capital budget (HB 25) and other time-sensitive matters. Jack said members may give a personal email rather than a legislative address if they prefer. "If you're not going to be here, send me an email and copy in both my vice chair and the clerk," he added while describing attendance expectations.

Jack also said the committee will try to hold most meetings on Tuesdays, reserving Thursdays when heavy capital work is required. He and other members discussed avoiding Wednesdays because that day is committed to Health and Human Services; a tentative earliest date for public hearings was identified as Tuesday, Jan. 28. Representative John Cloutier, the committee’s ranking member, and several long-serving members emphasized the committee’s collaborative, bipartisan history and frequent use of a consent calendar for routine bills.

The orientation included introductions from members and a brief scheduling and caucus announcement at the end of the meeting. No formal committee actions were taken at the orientation; logistical details and contact-collection tasks were described as preparatory to upcoming substantive work, including HB 25 and the DOT’s 10-year plan update.