Five agencies being consolidated into one; expected savings $18M over two years

Joyce Turner

Five state agencies became one this week in what Washington State Gov. Chris Gregoire is calling the largest government restructuring in decades. Nearly 1,100 employees from across the five agencies were part of the reorganization, which is resulting in the formation of a new agency, Department of Enterprise Services (ES). The consolidation is expected to save the state $18 million over two years.

Not much will be noticeable to John Q. Public, as most of the reorganization is in back-office functions. New ES Director Joyce Turner said the consolidation merges all or parts of the five agencies into a $255 million office and a data center complex east of the Capitol. The functions to be performed there include state payroll, training and recruiting workers and offering human resources advice, preparing legal contracts, managing real estate, purchasing supplies and running the state's purchasing site, managing vehicle fleets, running state accounting and budgeting tools, custodial and grounds keeping functions, printing and IT assistance. Turner said efficiency is the goal, and this agency should run so well that other agencies don't have to worry about the services that have been turned over to the ES. That, she said, will enable the other agencies to do their work and focus on their mission.

This merger allows for combination of all or parts of five agencies - General Administration, Information Services, Personnel, Printing and parts of the Office of Financial Management.

Information technology changes are also part of the merger. And Office of the Chief Information Officer will be created inside the Office of Financial Management and tech support and systems for all agencies will be consolidated.

Variety of state meetings explore P3s as new source of much-needed revenue

The State of Maryland is getting serious about public-private partnerships (P3s). Three major state meetings in the last several weeks have been geared toward bringing private sector funds to the table for capital projects in the public sector. The Joint Legislative and Executive Commission on Oversight of Public-Private Partnerships, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Maryland Transportation Funding and the Interagency Committee on School Construction have all met in the last several weeks, and P3s were a hot topic at each.

The newly created Joint Legislative and Executive Commission on Oversight of Public-Private Partnerships brought in both foreign and domestic experts to testify regarding the most common P3s involving transportation projects and how these kinds of partnerships can work on projects other than just transportation. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Maryland Transportation Funding took on the topic of using private financing for public infrastructure projects. Chair Gus Bauman, a land-use attorney from Washington, D.C., told attendees that the state's laws regarding P3s must be made more beneficial to both the public and private sectors.

And at the Interagency Committee on School Construction, attendees discussed how private sector funds can help finance school construction projects. The committee is taking a closer look at how contracts governing private investment are structured in other counties. Officials have noted that there is a lot of interest in P3s among members of the private sector and the State Legislature. The commission's report, due to the General Assembly before next year's meeting of the legislature, would help guide legislation in the state regarding P3s. 

Kansas city's P3 project wins award, makes plans for future of city

Carl Brewer

Project Downtown, a public-private partnership of the City of Wichita, Kansas, the Wichita Downtown Development Corp. and Visioneering Wichita, has been awarded the Pioneer Award from the Kansas chapter of the American Planning Association. The 20-year, community-driven master plan for revitalizing the core area of the city resulted after Mayor Carl Brewer rallied citizens and stakeholders regarding the need for an updated master plan. The plan offers a look into the future for revitalization projects that will be completed through public-private partnerships. The plan envisions up to $500 million in private sector investments in housing units, retail space, office space and downtown hotel rooms. The plan also provides strategies for completing those projects. Some of the projects outlined in the plan include 1,500 downtown housing units, 220,000 to 480,000 square feet of office space, 250-400 hotel rooms, walkable areas to promote development of retail areas, public funding for private development and an enhanced transit system that will provide a link between downtown districts.

Pennsylvania P3 seeks engineering firm for project on $14 million road project

Finding an engineering firm to design a road corridor project in Pocono Township, Pennsylvania, will be the first step toward the $14 million project. But the project does not start until 2015. The Pocono Mountains Industrial Park Authority, coordinator of the project, is seeking an engineering, design and construction consultant to take the lead on the project. Preliminary design work would begin at the first of next year. Final design would begin in September 2013, with construction set for May 2015. Already, 80 percent of the project is paid for with federal funds. The final 20 percent is coming from area corporations who would benefit from the road project in the Tannersville and Scotrun areas. Officials went to the private sector for funds, knowing securing funds from the state could take years. Camelback, Mount Airy Casino, Pocono Summit and Northampton Community College are among organizations that donated to the local match. The work will include widening the I-80 interchanges and Route 715, including doubling the width of road shoulders from the ramps to Route 611 and Shine Hill Rd. 

 

University uses P3 to building new dormitory at no expense to state, university

Karen Pennington

Montclair State University in New Jersey now boasts a brand new $211 million residence hall complex that cost neither the university nor the state a dime. The new dorm, called the Heights, will house 2,000 students and nearly double the number of beds at the university. It includes two high-rise buildings with eight residence hall wings and a new 24,000-square-foot gourmet dining hall. Officials say it offers the latest luxury features in residence hall living, from private bathrooms to plush furniture to flat-screen TVs in lounge spaces. It is the first campus construction project built as a public-private partnership under legislation from two years ago that addresses needs of colleges without enough cash to fund them. The legislation provides for those schools to not have to go through a public bidding process, but instead bring in private companies to finance and run campus facilities. Karen Pennington, Montclair State's vice president for student development and campus life, called the legislation a "great opportunity" that led to the new dorm for the university. A nonprofit corporation financed the $211 million project through tax-exempt bonds and an Alabama company that specializes in building student housing was responsible for development. A New Jersey-based construction company was the builder. The title to the facility will be given over to the university either in 40 years or when the bonds are fully paid, whichever comes first. Until then, the nonprofit will own, manage and maintain the buildings, which are generating revenue.

 

Central Texas mobility authority releases RFI for proposed P3 project

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) has released an RFI for the development of the MoPac Expressway improvement project through a public-private partnership (P3). Information is sought from firms or teams with experience and expertise in the development and/or financing of transportation projects. The CTRMA notes that it has not committed to any specific delivery method for the financing and/or development of the Project. Legislation in Texas allows the CTRMA to enter into a comprehensive development agreement relating to the MoPac Improvement Project. CTRMA is considering developing the MoPac Improvement Project through a P3 that may consist of a traditional design-build agreement, a full concession agreement for up to 52 years (i.e., a CDA), and/or an alternative delivery method such as a design-build agreement that also includes private and/or public project financing. The information from this RFI will be used to determine a delivery method for the project, for refining the scope of the project and determining the general structure of a P3 agreement, if there should be one. CTRMA intends to use the information obtained through this RFI to assist in determining the project delivery method for the MoPac Improvement Project, refining the project scope and determining the general structure of an eventual P3 agreement, if any. The Project is approximately 11.9-miles in length and would feature an Express Lane Alternative (currently being evaluated in the NEPA process) which includes tolled express lanes (one lane in each direction) constructed along the inside median of the existing Loop 1 facility. That lane would be constructed by widening pavement and bridges and, in some areas, reducing the width of the existing lanes and shoulders. The project includes tolling and ITS facilities, bike and pedestrian improvements and grade separated ramp access. 

 

New York senator testifies in favor of public-private partnerships

Jack Martins

As costs for upgrades to infrastructure begin to exceed tradition funding sources, at least one New York State Senator is pushing for public-private partnerships (P3s) as a new way to fund projects in the state. Sen. Jack M. Martins (pictured) recently attended a hearing of the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and told those attending that P3s are "something we must explore in light of the state's needed repairs and improvements." He said anything that can give the state and economic benefit "is worth looking into." New York State is considering P3s because the state is facing what officials call an infrastructure crisis. It is replacing and upgrading infrastructure at a rate far below what is necessary to keep the state's highways and bridges in good repair, said Martins. Nearly 6,200 of New York's 17,400 state and local highway bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to the state's Department of Transportation. The hearing focused on how New York State can use P3s to expedite infrastructure projects and on explanation of existing legislation addressing the issue. That legislation would provide more flexibility for the use of P3s by the Innovative Infrastructure Development Act, the New York State Department of Transportation, New York State Bridge Authority and New York State Thruway Authority. Martins noted that P3s often perform more efficiently than traditionally financed projects, usually are completed on-time and under-budget and could bring tremendous economic benefits to the state. He added that the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that 25,000 jobs are created for every $1 billion spent on transportation infrastructure projects.

Options abound in College of the Lake County master plan proposals

Several versions of a proposed and updated facilities master plan for College of the Lake County in Illinois are being studied by college officials. The plan includes a new student center, technology upgrades and additional classroom space. The college is seeking input on the proposal through Oct. 28. The updated document will then be finalized probably next January and will face a vote of the college trustees next spring. All three of the options include a student center with a bookstore, testing facility, food service and general commons area. The main campus would get from 20-25 new classrooms. All classrooms would be outfitted with fiber optic upgrades and possibly a wireless router in each room. The master plan also includes a proposed $23.5 million, nearly 70,000-square-foot science building, more than 42,000 square feet of new construction and the remainder of the project being renovation in an existing science area. CLC officials expect 75 percent of the costs to be paid by the state. Ideas for improvement to the Lakeshore Campus include a library expansion, expanded student services and a culinary/hospitality program with a restaurant. At Southlake in Vernon Hills, recommendations include a pedestrian drop-off area and an expansion on the north side of campus.

UMass officials approve plan calling for $3.1 billion for capital projects

Robert Caret

Less than six weeks after University of Massachusetts President Robert Caret sought additional higher education funding from the State Legislature, UMass trustees have approve a plan with a $3.1 billion price tag that will build and renovate sciences labs, dorms and athletic facilities. The university, through donations, its endowment and its ability to leverage dollars, has been paying for much of the cost of capital projects in recent years. The plan recently approved calls for almost doubling the share of capital costs covered by the state. UMass officials say their paying a bigger part of capital costs is putting a strain on their budget, hence Caret's reason for visiting with the legislature. But much of the state funding depends on the availability of state funds. Among the new projects planned for the university's flagship campus in Amherst is an $80 million physics building and a $30 million upgrade to the football stadium. Another $179 million is sought for housing expansion and $157 million for science labs. Other projects on the wish list include a $350 million research center at the UMass Medical School in Worcester, a $152 million science complex at UMass Boston, $115 million for deferred maintenance at UMass Lowell and $75 million in renovations at residence halls at UMass Dartmouth.  

  

Students at Minnesota university will pay extra for student center

Students at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota, say they'd like to have a student center on campus. They are planning for a $12-$15 million center with study lounges, coffee shops and exercise equipment. They hope to break ground in the spring of 2013. But to do so, construction and operation costs will be paid for over the next 20 years by increases in student fees. And students there have indicated they are willing to pay extra for a place they can meet with friends, study and use their laptops.

 

Projects at two elementary schools in Maryland gain approval

Projects at two elementary schools were recently approved by the Howard County (Maryland) Board of Education. The projects are at Stevens Forest and Phelps Luck elementary schools. The projects include 100-seat additions at each of the schools, along with plumbing upgrades, new electrical systems, new roofs and handicap accessibility. The Stevens Forest project includes 25 parking spots, while the Phelps Luck project includes a new multi-purpose room and parking lot expansion. The price tag at Stevens Forest is about $16.4 million, while the Phelps Luck work is expected to cost $20 million. Both projects will go out for bids in the coming months.

 

Timeline set for replacing five schools destroyed by tornado in Joplin

C.J. Huff

The Board of Education of the Joplin, Missouri, schools have approved a timeline for construction of five new schools that were destroyed by a May tornado. Superintendent C. J. Huff said he really wants to hit the target date of completion by August 2014. Officials are hoping to have the East Middle School and Emerson and Irving elementary schools finished by December 2013 and the Joplin High School and Franklin Technology Center finished the following August. Construction costs are estimated at more than $100 million for the five schools. The insurance payments will be used only for rebuilding costs. The board plans to open demolition bids in October. The bid opening for professional services would follow on Oct. 31 and approval of a contract in November. The board will seek a construction management agency for the high school, Franklin Center and East Middle School, but not for the two elementary schools. An architect will be hired to handle civil engineering, structural engineering, landscaping and interior design. Separate contracts will be awarded for mechanical, electrical and plumbing services. Site and building design is expected to take six months, with groundbreaking for all five sites expected in May of next year.

 

Illinois school district approves new $6.8 million elementary school
A new $6.8 million elementary school will be built in the Blue Ridge school district in Farmer City, Illinois, after approval by the school board. Officials will now solicit designs for the building. The new Mansfield Elementary School will be an addition to the Blue Ridge Junior High, replacing the existing building across the street and including a cafeteria and band room. The new building is expected to be a safety project as well, as students will no longer have to walk across the street and face traffic to go to lunch or sports fields. The public has been invited to participate in offering thoughts on what the school design should include, which the architects will take into consideration as plans move forward. Officials also are hopeful to incorporate new technology that has been used in the junior high school, such as Smart boards, air conditioning and better lighting. Construction could start as early as next summer, with a 2013 completion date sought. 
 

Virginia school officials vote to issue bonds for school construction, renovation

Montgomery County, Virginia, officials have approved issuing bonds to raise $115 million for three school projects. Two bond issues were approved by the Montgomery County supervisors to construct or renovate three schools. The bond proceeds will help pay for a $124 million new Blacksburg High School and a new Auburn High School in Riner. The Blacksburg school's gym roof collapsed over a year ago, resulting in the forced closing of the school. The bond issue will also pay for renovations at Auburn Middle School.

 

Loan approved for wastewater treatment plant, pump station

The New York Environmental Facilities Corp. has approved a $3.3 million, no-interest, short-term loan to the village of Philadelphia for improvements to its wastewater treatment plant and pump station and to repair a potential inflow problem. Mayor Matthew J. Montroy will apply for loan forgiveness for $2 million of the $3.3 million. The improvements are part of an overall $7.7 million project to improve the plant, pipes and lift station. The loan amount would pay for 5,000 linear feet of sanitary sewers, 100 vertical feet of manholes and the replacement of three lift stations. Financing for the village of Philadelphia is among some $1.582 billion in financing for projects approved in the 2011 Clean Water State Revolving Fund that finances projects for wastewater treatment improvements, landfills and other pollution controls.

New Mexico has variety of contracting opportunities on tap

Several contracting opportunities are available in New Mexico. They include:

• The Doņa Ana Mutual Domestic Water Consumer's Association is seeking bids for a supervisor control and data acquisition system;
• The Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources-Conservation Service has issued a combined synopsis/solicitation for the lease of real property for USDA Service Center in Las Cruces;
• The Office of the Doņa Ana County Purchasing Department is requesting bids for submersible non-clog wastewater pumps for the Doņa Ana County Utilities Department; and
• The Village of Cloudcroft is requesting bids for propane fuel and delivery services.

New Mexico county to construct emergency, hazmat response station

Brian Haines

A new county Emergency & Hazmat Response Station be built near Santa Teresa, following approval by the Doņa  Ana Board of County Commissioners. The county received a grant two years ago, but the funding was only recently released for the project. The facility will be used for hazardous materials responses in southern Doņa Ana County, particularly near the airport at Santa Teresa. The bidding process will begin soon, now that the funding has been released. 

Doņa Ana County Manager Brian Haines praised the efforts of the Fire Tax Board, the Fire Marshal's Office and the Facilities and Parks Department for working together to ensure the project would get under way.

TWDB provides $63.82 million in financial assistance for projects

Financial assistance of $63.82 million for water-related projects in Texas communities was approved by the Texas Water Development Board at its September meeting. The funding includes:

• City of Caddo Mills - $4.43 million loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to finance wastewater system improvements; 
• City of Houston - $49.9 million loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to finance wastewater system improvements;
• City of Burnet - $1.375 million loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund-Disadvantaged Community to finance water system improvements;
• El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board - $82,000 grant from the Economically Distressed Areas Program to finance planning, acquisition and design costs for a project to provide first-time water services to the Canutillo area;
• El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board - $90,000 grant to finance planning costs for a project to provide first-time water services to the Canutillo area;
• City of Portland (San Patricio County) - $193,000 loan and a $2.3 million grant from the Economically Distressed Areas Program to finance construction costs to provide first-time wastewater service to the Doyle Addition subdivision;
• Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 8 - $2.725 million loan from the Texas Water Development Fund to finance water system improvements; and
• Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 9 - $2.725 million loan from the Texas Water Development Fund to finance water system improvements.

Pennsylvania authority seeks bids for water treatment plant

A new water treatment plant for the Birdsboro (Pennsylvania) Municipal Authority is going out for bid. The authority had originally hoped to put a maximum bid limit of $3.45 million on the project and include performance incentives. However, that idea was rejected because officials knew that any bid even one cent over that amount would have to be rejected. The bid specs include a nine-month construction completion date as officials are hopeful to get the new plant built before the current plant fails.

 

Alamogordo names priorities for its Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan

Ron Griggs

The top five priorities were laid out when the Alamogordo, New Mexico, City Commission adopted the city's Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan recently. Mayor Ron Griggs said the governor asked municipalities to prioritize their needs so the state would know what help they needed. Griggs said the projects for Alamogordo have remained consistent in recent years. The top five Alamogordo projects include the third phase of the wastewater treatment plant facility, reclaimed water distribution and storage, phase one of the desalination facility to treat drinking water from the Snake Tank well field, solar panels and a water slide for the city recreation center and projects to allow the city to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

 

Numerous bid opportunities available in El Paso area

A variety of bid opportunities are available in the El Paso area. They include:

• El Paso MHMR is requesting proposals for consulting services for an extended observation unit;
• The David L Carrasco Job Corps Center is requesting proposals for replacing obsolete, non-code-compliant exhaust hoods in the main kitchen and two training kitchen areas;
• The YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region is requesting proposals for office supplies;
• El Paso Community College District is requesting proposals for science supplies and equipment;
• The Housing Authority of the city of El Paso is requesting proposals for pest control services; and
• The El Paso Independent School District is requesting proposals for catering services. 

Want to know who your competition is? Who was awarded the contract on a particular project? Below are listed some recent winners of major government contracts:  

• Mid-Eastern Builders of Chesapeake submitted the low bid among eight bidders for Halifax County (Virginia) Service Authority's Maple Avenue Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrade and Expansion Project, with a base bid of $11,670,000 and an aggregate total for the base bid and all alternates of $12,072,00;
• Record Steel and Construction, Inc. was awarded a $21.3 million contract from the US Bureau of Reclamation to replace the spillway and two irrigation headworks at Minidoka Dam on the Snake River in Idaho;
• MWH Global has been awarded a multiyear contract worth up to $25 million from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for water resources projects in the Pacific Northwest region and will perform project planning, project and construction management, and related engineering services in this multiyear contract for one year with four option years;  
• AVX Aircraft Co., a small Fort Worth startup company promoting a drastically different type of helicopter was awarded an Army contract worth nearly $4 million to conduct design studies and test models to determine whether its ideas for a higher-speed helicopter could be successfully incorporated into a military aircraft; 
• Butt Construction of Beavercreek and Walsh Group of Chicago have landed a contract to perform an estimated $98 million in renovations to the hospital at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, gutting and upgrading about 260,000 square feet of the hospital;
• HP Enterprise Services has signed a $172 million, three-year renewal extension contract with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to manage the state's Medicaid Management Information System;
• The QED Group, LLC has been selected to implement the International Technical, Operational, and Professional Support Services II (ITOPSS II) project, a five-year, $250-million ceiling contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide support and professional services for CDC tasks, studies and projects around the world;
• Northwest Research Associates, Inc., has won a four-year contract from NASA with a total value of $6,000,748 in support of the NASA Airspace Systems Program's Concepts and Technology Development project at NASA Langley's Aeronautics Research Directorate; and
• Souza Engineering Contracting Inc. of San Luis Obispo has been awarded a $723,859 low-bid contract to remove a 1980s concrete bridge over San Antonio Creek on Ojai Valley Trail in California and replace it with a manufactured bridge.

Dr. Margaret Katherine Banks (top left), current head of the School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University, has been named vice chancellor for engineering for The Texas A&M University System, dean of the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University and finalist for the related position of director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station. Republican Sen. Kent Cravens (top center) of Albuquerque is resigning as a member of the New Mexico Legislature to take a job as director of governmental affairs with the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association. Arthur Ray Culver (top right), former superintendent of schools in Longview, Texas, and Champaign, Illinois, has been named to the top job at the East St. Louis District 189 by the Illinois State Board of Education. Ann Dargon, who had just begun the second year of a six-year contract as superintendent of the Ashland, Massachusetts, school district has resigned, with Barbara Durand, the district's director of finance and services, named interim superintendent. Geoff Fruin, assistant city manager in Normal, Illinois, has been chosen as the assistant to the city manager in Iowa City, Iowa, replacing Dale Helling, who is retiring Nov. 30. Compton, California, City Manager Willie Norfleet has become the third city manager fired in five years after working for the city for four years, and will be replaced by Lamont Ewell, retired city manager in San Diego and Santa Monica. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey (middle right), has been named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Navy Adm. Mike Mullen. Thomas Douglas (middle center), superintendent of the Chenango Valley Central School District outside Binghamton, NY, has been appointed to lead the Bethlehem, NY, school system. Charleston, South Carolina, Fire Chief Tom Carr (middle right), who has been struggling with health problems, has announced his retirement in March, having served as chief since 2008. Petree Eastman, former University City assistant city manager, has been appointed by the Crestwood, Missouri, Board of Alderman, as Crestwood's new city administrator, replacing Jim Eckrich, who resigned in April to return to his post as director of public services. Michelle Ricketson, who has an extensive local government background and most recently served as Anderson County's community relations director, has been named to replace David Watson, who retired in July, as the city of Belton, South Carolina's, new city administrator. Mark Keller, a 25-year emergency response veteran and nearly 20-year member of the Urbana, Ohio, Fire Division, who has served as captain the last two years, has been named the city's fire chief. Dr. D. Paul Lunn (bottom left), professor of equine medicine and head of the Department of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, has been named the new dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, effective Feb. 15, 2012. Garnett Stokes (bottom middle), dean of Florida State University's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the university's provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. Grand Island, Nebraska, Fire Chief Troy Hughes (bottom right), who has been with the city since 1985 and rose through the ranks from firefighter to captain to division chief to chief, is resigning to accept the fire chief post in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Vista, California, City Manager Rita Geldert, who has been the city's leader since 1997 and a public employee for more than 36 years, has announced she plans to retire at the end of the year. Walter Hart, assistant superintendent for administration with Rowan-Salisbury (North Carolina) Schools, has been hired as the new superintendent for the Hickory Public Schools, effective Nov. 1. Kyle P. Heagney, who just six years ago was sworn in as lieutenant of the Attleboro (Massachusetts) Police Department, has been named chief of the police department. Heather Johnston, Minneapolis city budget director, has been hired away to become director of administrative services and chief financial officer for the city of Burnsville.