Do DOTs legal staff get involved in appraisal activities?
In most states, legal staff only becomes involved in appraisal activities if the activities go to condemnation. However, it depends on what is meant by “legal staff.” For Minnesota DOT, anything that requires a legal signature, including all property title activities, must involve legal staff. • Question: Should access be provided to the draft report from the second phase? Answer: State DOTs should view the preliminary report products as a recipe from a recipe book that has not been published yet. If information in the draft materials is useful, then state DOTs are encouraged to incorporate the information into their business processes, as appropriate. However, state DOTs should keep in mind that the study is not blessed until the NCHRP panel blesses it; the draft should not be publicly distributed. The timeframe for publishing is currently unknown. • Question: Will there be a session on the study at the 2009 Transportation Research Board (TRB) conference? Answer: Ms. Hancock is planni
