CDOT's Red Tape Story: A Tale of Two Rules
Anna Ryazantseva, Process Improvement Intern
March 4, 2013
As a result of Governor Hickenlooper’s Executive Orders to cut red tape in government agencies, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) undertook the effort to comprehensively review its rules and establish a process for doing so on an ongoing basis. Harvesting Native Grasses on Highway Rights-of-Way and the Uniform Relocation Assistance Rules were included in the review.
Harvesting Native Grasses on Highway Rights-of-Way:
CDOT is responsible for mowing grasses on the rights-of-way of interstates and highways in Colorado. The Harvesting on Right-of-Way Rules, adopted in 2003, was intended to set up a permitting system so that the person who owned land adjacent to state highway rights-of-way could mow and bale hay for their own use. A review of the harvesting program showed that very few permits had been issued since 2003. A CDOT team examined the rules and determined that the rules were difficult to understand, poorly organized, and placed a large burden on the landowner to provide documentation as part of the permit. The team also found that narrowing the land available for permitting to only land adjacent to the landowner’s property caused the expense of harvesting to outweigh the value of hay harvested. The CDOT team review and revised the rules to make them more “user-friendly.” They reached out to Colorado’s ranchers and others who collaborated on the rule changes.
Their efforts resulted in several changes to the rules.
Extended the permitting area that may be mowed under a given permit to make it economically feasible for the permit applicant.
Removed the burdensome requirement that an applicant provides a title search and survey to establish that the right-of-way was owned or controlled by CDOT.
Eliminated redundant information already included in the harvesting application.
Determined not to increase the harvesting fee.
Updating the Harvesting Rules resulted in a benefit to small business, ranchers, and Colorado’s taxpayers and will result in savings to taxpayers by alleviating the need for CDOT to mow certain rights-of-way. At the same time, allowing ranchers to mow rights-of-way will result in a profit from the harvesting by using the hay to feed livestock
Uniform Relocation Assistance Rules:
In the course of maintaining and improving the Interstates and State Highways, CDOT must sometimes acquire property rights from entities using the power of eminent domain. The examination of the Relocation program as a whole sought to achieve tangible results to benefit affected small business owners. After a review of the program’s legal restriction, it was determined that the statutory limit reestablish businesses needed to be increased from $10,000 to $50,000 per business. After this legislative change was in place, CDOT looked to update the Uniform Relocation Assistance Rules last updated in 1989 to reflect the reimbursement increase. Using Lean principles, the rules were determined to be a non-value add to the program and were repealed to make the process more understandable to small businesses. Brochures have also been developed by the program to inform small businesses of state laws and federal regulations. These two stories of cutting red tape in government are great examples of CDOT’s Lean vision of everyone, every day, improving every process and every product for every customer. Taking time to recognize this achievement, and continuing to look for ways to “cut government red tape” has energized CDOT and opened up working relationships with state and local partners and private citizens.