Nathan's Job 101

It's been two months now since I started my employment with the Pima Association of Governments (PAG). Although I have a canned 30-second explanation of what PAG is and does, I thought it might be helpful to provide a fuller explanation for those who care about such things.

What is a COG?

Most people are familiar with the functions of their state and municipal governments. However, there are some issues that, despite their local impact, spill beyond the borders of a single city. These issues cannot be addressed by a single city, but because of their local impact, require input from local authorities. To handle these situations, jurisdictions in most metropolitan areas will form a region-wide coalition, a "government" more regional in nature than a city, but less expansive than a state. This organization is called a Council of Governments, or COG.

The COG provides a forum for local leaders and stake holders to discuss the issues that are affecting everyone in the region. Together, the local governments can decide on a collective course of action. These region-wide issues are then dealt with by a single cohesive policy, rather than eight or ten or twenty conflicting or overlapping jurisdictional actions.

The COG in Pima County is called the Pima Association of Governments, and consists of the six local governments (Pima County, City of Tucson, Town of Marana, Town of Oro Valley, Town of Sahuarita, and City of South Tucson), the two local tribal governments (Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Tohono O'odham Nation), and the Arizona Department of Transportation.

So what are these regional issues?

COGs deal with issues that are not easily contained by municipal boundaries, but require local input to address properly. These functions will vary from region to region, depending on the needs of each metropolitan area.

PAG deals with three major issues that require regional cooperation and coordination--air quality, watershed management (flood plains, washes, drainage, etc), and transportation. Of these three issues, PAG spends the most time and resources on transportation issues. Of the 50 employees at PAG, there are about 20 of us that work on Transportation issues.

Why is transportation a regional issue?

Most people do not spend their entire lives inside a single city or town. They will cross jurisdictional boundaries to go to work or to shop, to find entertainment and dining, or to visit friends and relatives.

A city only has the authority to build roads within its own jurisdiction. The city might want to make itself more attractive for home buyers by widening a small road and converting it into a six-lane arterial that leads to a major employment center in a neighboring city. However, if that six-lane road connects to a minor two-lane collector in the other city, the transportation system is actually worsened in both cities because of the actions of the first city.

The COG allows local jurisdictions a chance to sit down at the same table, agree on transportation priorities, and determine the best uses for limited federal funds.

How is a COG organized and governed?

The governing body of a COG is the Regional Council. The PAG regional council consists of the chief elected official from each jurisdiction (the mayors of the cities and towns, the chairmen of the tribal governments, and one member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors). In addition to these eight men and women, the Pima County representative from the Arizona State Transportation Board (who is appointed to that position by the Governor) also sits on the Regional Council, but may only vote on Transportation related issues and a few other small issues (like election of the Chairman of the Regional Council).

Just like a city council relies on a staff of professionals to analyze data and make recommendations (for example, a planning department), the Regional Council requires a team of talented and professional employees to provide them with timely and accurate information.

Many city councils hire a city manager to manage the day to day operations of the professional staff. Likewise, the Regional Council together vote on the hiring of a single executive director. This executive director is then responsible for the day to day operations of the professional staff, including the clerical staff, Human Resources, IT, as well as the departments that deal with the issues outlined above (air quality, watershed management, and transportation).

What is my role in all of this?

I am a member of the professional staff, working to provide the regional council the information it needs to make decisions that impact the entire region. My position is with PAG's transportation division. Some of my coworkers organize and coordinate the region-wide transit system, others work on signal timing and other "intelligent transportation systems." Yet others deal with bicycle and pedestrian issues. And yet others deal with the financial aspects of transportation planning, like matching up proposed projects to available funding sources.

I do a little of everything, including pedestrian planning, tribal planning, and freight planning (the transportation of materials and goods).

Here are a few of the projects I've been working on during the last month:

• A report for the Arizona Department of Transportation identifying which roads over (or under) the freeways need bike lanes and sidewalks. I identified 16 possible candidates (where the city has built such infrastructure leading up to the ADOT property, but the ADOT property itself lacks the infrastructure). I spent some time in the field this week measuring the lane widths on these 16 roads to determine if there is enough room for such improvements.

• A report, to be adopted by the Regional Council, which outlines the official opinions and positions of the region as a whole on a variety of legislative issues which might be discussed in the state capitol this year. If we were to wait until a bill is introduced before producing an opinion, it would take six to eight weeks before an official opinion could be voted on by the Regional Council. By laying out these opinions in advance, the region can make its wishes know to state legislators in a timely fashion.

• Facilitation of a partnership between the Union Pacific Railroad, Pima County, and a private freight operator. The three will partner on a federal grant application that will increase the capacity of freight rail in the region, and open up new economic opportunities for industry in the region.

• Research into the issue of how and when local roads can be converted into state highways. This information will be presented by my boss next week at the Transportation Planning Committee, a committee which in turn reports to the Regional Council.

• A report in partnership with the City of Tucson providing a complete inventory of all sidewalks in the region. The inventory will note which sidewalks meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, provide maps of all sidewalks in the region, and recommend future sidewalk projects for each jurisdiction.
  

I love my new job. It is exciting and challenging and has real impacts on real people. I work with a team of talented individuals, who help lift and support each other and work together toward a common goal. At the end of the day, though, I am but a small COG in a larger machine, working to make our region a better place.