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Lawmakers, ITD debate $9.6 million plan to move District 4 office from Shoshone to Twin Falls
Summary
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee pressed Idaho Transportation Department officials on a renewed request to relocate ITD’s District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls, questioning costs and whether the move was necessary after last year’s rejection.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday scrutinized a renewed Idaho Transportation Department request to relocate District 4 headquarters from Shoshone to Twin Falls, a proposal the committee and governor rejected last year.
Sen. Bert Brackett Cook (transcript: “Senator Cook”) pressed Scott Stokes, director of the Idaho Transportation Department, and other ITD staff about the case for spending about $9.6 million on a new facility, saying the legislature had already voted down the move in the prior budget cycle and asking why the agency had resurrected the plan. “Do you feel 12 minutes of commute time is worth asking Idaho taxpayers for $9,600,000 to relocate that building?” Cook asked.
The director and staff said the request reflects ITD and Transportation Board recommendations about where long-term services should be delivered in District 4. “We would like to be closer to the growing community of Twin Falls,” Stokes told the committee, adding the department’s view is that a facility closer to population and project activity improves public access and operational efficiency.
Why it matters: The relocation carries both capital cost and operational implications for staff and the public. Committee members pressed ITD on earlier assessments of the Shoshone facility, recent repairs and whether the program of deferred maintenance would suffice.
During the hearing, Representative Gayann Price asked whether a previously directed minimum of $1 million toward Shoshone repairs had been spent; Stokes said the department is “in progress” and that planned repairs will focus on roofing and windows and are expected to be installed this summer. Senator Cook described prior tours of the Shoshone facility and argued many staff primarily work at the building and do not travel to projects frequently, citing the committee’s GIS-based review of employee commute times: “The difference between the median one-way commute time to the current headquarters and the proposed location in Twin Falls is 12 minutes.”
ITD officials acknowledged the legislature and governor rejected the relocation last year but said the department’s recommendation to reconsider stems from a preference to align service delivery with population growth. Stokes emphasized the decision ultimately rests with the legislature: “Clearly that's a decision that you will make.”
What the record shows: Committee members and ITD staff agreed a minimum of $1 million has been allocated to Shoshone repairs and that additional design and site development costs were included in the relocating proposal (ITD cited $8 million for access and site development and $1.6 million for design in preliminary estimates). Stokes said any full building design would likely take a year to 18 months to complete.
Outlook: No formal vote occurred during the hearing. Committee questions, staff answers and the director’s reiteration that the project is a long-term investment framed the committee’s considerations going forward; members asked for documentation of prior assessments and cost breakdowns before revisiting the proposal.
