California's $25.4 billion is highest; Texas, Illinois, New Jersey in double digits

Forty-four of the nation's states collectively are reporting $124.7 billion in budget shortfalls heading into Fiscal Year 2012, according to data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and reported in the New York Times.  

As expected, California reported the largest shortfall in dollars among the states for 2012 - at $25.4 billion. Illinois had the next highest shortfall, reported at $15 billion. Texas, which has touted itself as not suffering nearly as badly from the economy as most other states, still ranked third in shortfall dollars for 2012 at $13.4 billion. New Jersey was fourth with a $10.5 billion shortfall.  

On the other hand, Nevada ranked at the top regarding the state shortfall as a percent of the FY 2011 budget. Although the state reported a shortfall in dollars for 2012 of only $1.5 billion, the state was ranked highest in shortfall as a percent of the 2011 budget at 45.2 percent. 

In that same category, Illinois was ranked second with a shortfall that was 44.9 percent of its FY 201l budget, Texas was third at 31.5 percent and New Jersey was fourth at 37.4 percent. 

Funds aimed at expanding job training; more free online content expected

Community colleges throughout the country are heralding a recently announced $2 billion grant program that will help expand job training. The program is designed to allow community colleges to share learning materials on the Internet. The funding comes at a time when community college enrollments are exploding and facilities to service them all are shrinking. 

The money is expected to be allocated over the next four years as part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program. Some $500 million is expected to be awarded over the next year. David S. Baime (left), senior vice president for government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges, said the program shows gratitude for the ways community colleges are "re-examining and refining their methods of providing cutting-edge education and training."

The grants - $2.5 million to $5 million for individual institutions and $2.5 million to $20 million for a consortia of two or more institutions - recognize projects that provide new or improved education and training programs that meet the local workforce needs of businesses. Officials are expecting large chunks of the grants to go toward online education - publishing learning materials on the Internet free. "With $500 million available this year, this is easily one of the largest federal investments in open educational resources in history," said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan (right).  

The program is aimed at providing course work online that students can use online to teach themselves. All online and technology-enabled courses that benefit from the grant funds must be accessible free to the public. The result should be a dramatic increase in online content. Anyone interested in using the materials or redistributing the materials could do so with full legal rights.

SPI, with 15+ years of experience in partnering public and private sector partners, has become the premier P3 partner connection in the United States. 

SPI is currently working throughout the country on P3 initiatives and is available for conversations with any public entity interested in asking questions, discussing national trends or obtaining advice about how to reach out to private sector firms.

Interested parties should call Reagan Weil at 512-531-3900 to schedule a conversation.

$75 million four-level consolidated rental car facility among projects 

Although scaled back from it original $755 million project cost, a modernization program for the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans will bring plenty of innovations with its current $200 million cost. New Aviation Director Iftikhar Ahmad (pictured) expects the project to be completed in 2013 in time for New Orleans to host Super Bowl XLVII. 

Among the changes: 

• Concourse A will become the home to airport operations office, only a select few charter flights will be allowed to use Concourse B and the shopping area will be converted into a single security checkpoint with nearly a dozen screening units;
• All of the gate activity will be shifted from the current 39 to an eventual 26 gates;
• A $75 million consolidated rental car facility will connect to a terminal through a skyway at the far west end, with a four-level garage and check-in counters; and
• Existing terminal space will be updated and concession options will be expanded beyond the security checkpoint; and
• Restrooms will be renovated. 

Southern Miss gets go-ahead for construction of $10 million science building

A $10 million construction project was recently approved for the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Park campus that will provide a new building (as shown in accompanying artist's rendering) to house the university's College of Science and Technology. The three-story building will feature nine teaching labs, research space, faculty offices and the associate dean's office. It will also have an 80-seat instructional classroom. Funding for the building was previously approved in 2004, but Hurricane Katrina put the project on hold. The building will feature the style of the campus' Fleming Education Center and the library. The new science building and its adjacent parking lot will be located in the northwest section of the campus. The project will go out for bids in the spring, with construction to start in the summer. Completion is expected by early 2012.

New residence hall approved on campus of Purdue University

Student suites are to be part of a new $32 million campus residence hall at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Board of Trustees recently initially approved plans for the dorm that will house 200-300 students and include both a café and retail space. The dorm, which is expected to be four stories, will be used for upperclassmen and will be paid for from campus housing fees. The full board will discuss the proposal on Feb. 4. The school's West Lafayette campus school housing is currently at 98 percent capacity, thus the need for the new residence hall. 

Texas school district to float $297M construction, technology, upgrades bond vote

Trustees of the Socorro Independent School District in El Paso recently agreed to ask voters to approve $297 million in bonds on May 14. If approved, the bond funding will be used to build new schools, upgrade technology throughout the district and improve cooling systems at all elementary schools in the district, said Superintendent Xavier De La Torre (pictured). Because the district is growing by about 1,300 new students a year and facilities already are at capacity, district officials hope to build two new elementary schools and build a combination facility with an elementary and a middle school to be located side by side. District officials also want to complete Eastlake High School and convert a ninth grade academy into a four-year high school if voters approve the $297 bond proposal. Plans also call for upgrading science labs at all existing campuses, improving technology throughout the district and replacing evaporative cooling units now used at 13 elementary schools with refrigerated air conditioning units.

Arizona schools to share millions in funding for renewable energy projects

The Governor's Office recently approved $20 million from the State Energy Program funding to finance solar and energy efficiency upgrades at schools in Arizona. Among the first recipients, the Pima School District, plans to use the funds to install more solar panel systems on its buildings. More than 100 applications from nearly four-dozen schools have been received seeking funding for solar energy projects. The Arizona School Facilities Board will determine which schools get the funding. A photovoltaic system installed at one school in the Pima district last year already is saving the district money. Officials are looking at cost benefits and whether the projects have a life cycle payback before authorizing funding.

California school district to use QSCB tax credits for construction, projects

The Berkeley (California) Unified School District has big plans for the $25 million in federal Qualified School Construction Bond (QSCB) tax credits it will receive. The funds will be used to help defray the costs of a new stadium and new classrooms at the high school and construction on the West Campus. The district will pay a reduced interest on the bonds, which will translate into closer to $40 million in bond funds. "This further helps us to meet the commitment to our community to find matching resources to help support our significant construction plans, and the many green aspects of the projects," said BUSD Superintendent Bill Huyett (pictured). The school is also taking advantage of High Performance Incentive Grants to help fund projects that meet high environmental standards.

California school districts expanding campus health centers

Despite not getting financial help from the state, two of California's largest school districts are moving forward with major expansions of health centers on their campuses. Oakland and Los Angeles are using voter-approved bond money and fees from Medi-Cal and health insurance reimbursement and major donations. Only about 176 school health centers exist to serve more than 6 million children. Eight centers will be built in Oakland with some of the operating costs covered by $21 million in grants from philanthropic entities. The construction costs will be paid for from a 2006 bond measure that passed. Los Angeles Unified will build 17 health centers.

Penn State College of Medicine to use funding to increase research space

A $2.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health will be used by the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center to increase research space at the Penn State College of Medicine. The federal Recovery Act funds will be used to convert two office suites from administrative space into open laboratories, lab support rooms and offices for principal investigators in the Penn State Hershey Drug Discovery Program. The project will include approximately 9,000 square feet. Kent E. Vrana (pictured), chair of the Department of Pharmacology, said the new lab space "will enhance our current capabilities by providing researchers with access to the latest equipment and a staff of technicians at one central location." The cost of the project is expected to be a little over $3 million. Other projects will include finishing upgrades to a corridor between the labs and an elevator lobby. The design has been completed and construction will be in the near future.

South Carolina schools to get upgrades in series of phases

A proposal for the New Charleston County schools in South Carolina would be done in seven phases starting in 2013 and finishing in three years. A sales tax increase approved by voters would pay for at least $450 million of the construction projects. Following are the proposed time lines and totals for each phase:

• January 2013 - Montessori Community School of Charleston, $15.5 million;
• Summer 2013 - Former Rivers Middle School (renovation) - $25 million, Sullivan's Island Elementary - $26.4 million, Memminger Elementary - $22 million,  James Simons Elementary - $27.4 million, Buist Academy - $35.7 million, Charleston Progressive Academy - $18.6 million;
• January 2014 - Wando Career Technology Academy (addition) - $49.7 million, Harbor View Elementary - $26.5 million;
• Summer 2014 - St. Andrew's School of Math and Science - $33.1 million, Jennie Moore Elementary - $34.4 million, Chicora Elementary $28 million;
• January 2015 - Laing Middle - $39.1 million, Lowcountry Tech at the Burke High campus (renovation) - $5 million, James Island Charter High (fine arts facility, traffic and athletic field improvements) - $25 million, Emergency Operation Center (information technology relocation) - $2.5 million;
• Summer 2015 - North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary - $27.1 million, Murray-LaSaine Elementary (whole school renovation) - $10 million, Angel Oak Elementary (whole school renovation) - $9.3 million, Springfield Elementary -$33.1 million;
• January 2016 - Seismic evaluations for Mary Ford Elementary, Northwoods Middle, C.E. Williams Middle, St. Andrews Middle and West Ashley Middle - $1.6 million, Seismic evaluation and advanced design of Garrett Academy - $1.6 million, Dunston Elementary (advanced design plans) - $975,000;
• Summer 2016 - Carolina Park Elementary (land purchase) - $3.5 million, Athletic facilities (advanced design) and weight room improvement - $4 million,  Carolina Bay (land purchase) -$3.5 million, Pinehurst Elementary - $15.3 million, Stono Park Elementary - $26.6 million, Azalea bus lot (renovation) - $7.5 million, District 3 bus lot (renovation) - $3.3 million, Ingleside campus (land purchase) $3.5 million.

Michigan school planning to take bids on construction work

Officials with the Charlotte, Michigan, schools will begin taking bids in April for construction work related to the district's facility improvement plan. Voters recently approved a $23.6 million bond issue that will provide a number of upgrades, including a new heating system at the Charlotte High School, reconfiguration of several main building entrances and changes in the middle school parking lot. Mark Rosekrans (pictured), associate superintendent for operations with the Charlotte Public Schools, said some of the construction work will be done during the summer, while the heating system upgrades, ADA upgrades, locker work and main entrance work can be done during the school year. Although the construction may be an inconvenience, he said school officials will keep a bond Web site updated to allow residents and parents to be informed on progress on the construction. 

City in Texas considering new city hall as office space dwindling

Cramped staff and dwindling space has led city officials in College Station, Texas, to once again consider a new city hall. Officials are studying the possibility of constructing a one- to three-story building that would include new council chambers and offices for the city manager, legal, communications and city secretary. The city already owns land between the current utilities and municipal court complexes and would like to eventually see a city "campus" exist there. City Manager Glenn Brown (pictured) said city staff already spent a lot of time going between the two facilities. Voters approved a $4.3 million bond issue in 2003 to construct a building on the site on Krenek Tap Road. Having already spent $216,000 of that on site analysis and preliminary plans, the city would likely need additional money to finish the project. Options include a one-story, 15,000-square-foot building; a two-story, 26,240 square foot building with a price tag of $6.1 million; or a two story building with a third story shell for $7 million.

Tennessee funds still available for weatherization projects

Contracting opportunities for firms available to weatherize individual homes in Tennessee will still remain available in the near future as the state still has $37 million in federal stimulus funds available for that purpose. Officials are still seeking qualified applicants among low-income families for weatherization projects. They report that probably up to 400 homes can be weatherized with the remaining funds. The state garnered $99 million from the Recovery Act in 2009 for the program. Tennessee usually can earmark only somewhere between $3 and $8 million annually for weatherization projects. So far, the state has used federal funding to weatherize more than 13,000 homes. Officials say the money remaining could weatherize an additional 16,000 homes. The average weatherization project is $4,000 per home for energy-related projects or for safety equipment.

Officials raising money to repair dome at Colorado State Capitol

Former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown (pictured) is spearheading an effort to raise $12 million to restore the dome on the Colorado State Capitol building. The dome is suffering from damage caused by inclement weather - including damaged iron columns, railings and façades on the mostly cast iron dome. While the state has agreed to kick in $4 million toward the project, another $8 million will have to come from private donations. After a large piece of cast iron fell off the dome in 2007, many have talked about repairing it, but the current effort is the only one to have gotten off the ground.

Utah officials want Medicaid eligibility determination services outsourced

Some Utah lawmakers are urging the state's Department of Workforce Services (DWS) to outsource its program that determines eligibility for Medicaid. The program was transferred three years ago from the Department of Health to DWS. Officials argued consolidating applications for health, food stamps, welfare and other low-income programs into one place would save close to $4 million. It did not. Costs actually doubled. So now, lawmakers are pushing for outsourcing the program to the private sector. DWS officials say they are not opposed to outsourcing, but wonder if savings would really be realized.

Ruidoso Village plans to use four-year grant to upgrade 9-1-1 system

Officials with the Ruidoso (New Mexico) Village Council recently accepted a nearly $979,000, four-year grant that will be used to upgrade its Enhanced 9-1-1 system. The village receives cash reimbursement from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration. Another $22,300 grant was received to update the village's Geographical Information System that is used to locate 9-1-1 callers. Officials plan to have the system set up to allow persons with speech impairments to text an emergency 9-1-1 message. Officials say that within two years, they will be able to view the house from which the calls are made thanks to satellite technology.

Union Depot project under way as demolition effort begins

A $243 million renovation is under way in St. Paul, Minnesota, that will result in a new Union Depot, a future Midwest transportation hub. Demolition has begun on an existing building that will be replaced by a new, modern building. Different modes of transportation will come together in the space. The project is expected to employ 3,000 workers over a two-year period.

New Mexico county manager lays out capital outlay projects

 Lincoln County (New Mexico) officials are making their list and checking it twice - their list of capital outlay projects they will send to the State Legislature for funding consideration. County Manager Tom Stewart said a project that needs to be expedited is the addition of a third station to the Sheriff's Dispatch that would include both hardware and software updates. Future projects include land acquisition for Phase One of the Lincoln County Medical Center, a new $3.2 million court complex, improvements to the county fairground in Capitan that would include a covered arena and parking and renovation of the former detention center to include office space, meeting rooms and storage. 

Arizona courthouse makeover plan approved by board of supervisors

The 1891 Courthouse in Pinal County, Arizona, is about to get a facelift. The county's Board of Supervisors recently approved a plan to rehabilitate the aging structure. County Manager Fritz Behring (pictured) said a recent feasibility study showed the upgrades and rehabilitation of the courthouse could cost up to $6 million. County officials had mulled building a new building of 10,000 square feet but found from the study that for $2.8 million of one-time money, the more than 22,000 square feet in the current courthouse could be upgraded. "We can take care of the space needs...as well as preserve a landmark facility for the county," said Behring.  

New street car line being planned for New Orleans

The City of New Orleans and the Federal Transit Administration have signed an agreement that will lead to a new streetcar line in New Orleans. The New Orleans Regional Transportation Authority will use $45 million in federal funds to build the streetcar line between Union Passenger Terminal train station to Canal Street. The project will be funded by money from the federal Recovery Act.

Property purchased for new California courthouse

The State Public Work Board in California has approved the acquisition of six acres in Lakeport as the location for the proposed new Lakeport courthouse. The location will be close to services that the Judicial Council of California's Administrative Office of the Courts will be convenient for persons using the courts. The new 51,000-square-foot proposed courthouse is scheduled to open in 2014. The project was estimated to cost $71.7 million originally, but the most recent estimate is at $53.235 million. It is financed by legislation which pays for critically needed courthouse construction, renovation and repair. The building's architectural design is under way and construction is expected to start in the fall of next year. Completion is expected in mid-2014.

City in Iowa planning to spend nearly $130 million on utilities

Over the next five years, the city of Ames, Iowa, is planning on spending almost $129 million on improvements to utilities. The city's current Capital Improvements Plan for 2011-16 includes the following proposals:  

• Drinking water - $57.32 million for a new water treatment plant to provide 15 million gallons per day for residential and commercial growth and reserves for new industries and beginning an automatic meter reading conversion for more efficient meter reading;
• Resource Recovery - $1.251 million for preventive maintenance on the conveyors, scale, rollers, mill motors, rotors and compressor as well as a fire system upgrade;
• Storm sewer - $8.091 million for a Federal Hazard Mitigation Planning Grant worth $5.366 million and $2.725 million in Storm Sewer Utility fee revenues. Will focus on problem areas related to storm water runoff;
• Sanitary sewer - $15.132 million for a long-range water pollution control facility plan and accelerating the $2.56 million sanitary sewer system evaluation; and
• Electric - $47.05 million to ensure better reliability and access to less expensive energy for customers at certain times of the year. Some $5.4 million of the total will be for incentives for customers to reduce energy consumption.

For information about these and other funding opportunities, 

contact Reagan Weil at 512-531-3900.

 Are you a government official who has moved into a new position or to a new agency? Did you recently retire? Were you recently named to an executive-level position at a state-supported college, university or community college? Have you secured a new job as superintendent of a public school? If so, we'd like to hear from you - and so would your friends and colleagues - for our "Where Are They Now" column. Just drop us a line at editor@spartnerships.com and let us know about your previous job and where you are now. This week we feature Joe Garcia.

Joe Garcia not only was recently sworn in as lieutenant governor of the State of Colorado, but he was also named by the governor to serve as executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Garcia, who has a long history and career in higher education, most recently worked as president of Colorado State University-Pueblo. While there, Garcia was co-chair of the Governor's P-20 Education Task Force and was one of three Colorado commissioners on the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE), an organization that he now chairs. Prior to that, he was president of Pike's Peak Community College, the second largest community college in Colorado, overseeing three campuses with more than 16,000 students. Before going to the community college, Garcia was a White House appointee serving as the Secretary's Representative for the Rocky Mountain States for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The new lieutenant governor also previously worked as executive director for the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, managing and maintaining responsibility for the budgets for the Colorado divisions of Banking, Financial Services, Real Estate, Insurance, Civil Rights, Securities and Public Utilities Commission. With a law degree from Harvard, Garcia also was once legal counsel to the Colorado Springs District 11 school board. In addition to his law degree, Garcia holds a business degree from the University of Colorado.

Gary L. Minish (top left), has resigned as provost at Southern Illinois University only a month after taking the job, asking to be reassigned to a tenured faculty post in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Former bank chief Peter Raskind (top middle) has been named interim chief executive officer of the Cleveland (Ohio) school district while it searches for a new leader to replace Eugene Sanders, who retires at the end of the month. Preston Doerflinger (top right), former health care consultant and current Tulsa city auditor, has been appointed by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin to serve as her budget director. J. Dee Dennis, Jr., a successful New Mexico businessman, has been chosen by New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez as superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. Farmington, New Mexico, City Manager Roy Mayes has named Scott Rounds, former assistant town manager and public safety director in Buckeye, Arizona, to fill the newly created position of public safety director. Juan Sifuentes, a former Weslaco (Texas) police officer and member of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force with the Progreso Police Department, has been named chief of the Weslaco Police Department. Richard Murray (upper middle right) has resigned his post as executive director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission, a position he has held for the last 16 months. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has chosen Sandra Fabritz-Whitney (upper middle center) as acting director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, after current Director Herb Guenther has indicated he will remain on staff and serve as special adviser to the acting director, who previously was assistant director of the agency's Water Management Division. John Deasy (upper middle left), former deputy director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and former superintendent of Prince George's County schools in Maryland, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified and Coventry Public Schools in Rhode Island, has been chosen superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified schools. The City of Abilene, Texas, has chosen David Dillner, current city administrator of Edgerton, to be Abilene's next city manager. The Flanders, New Jersey, Fire Company and Rescue Squad No. 1 has selected Greg Widzemok as chief to replace chief Fred Detoro, Jr., picked Frank Zeller and Tom Shields as assistant chiefs, Scott Faluotico as captain and Kevin Elms and Pat Piserchio as lieutenants. Dr. Ann Roy Moore, superintendent of schools in Huntsville, Alabama, has announced she is resigning, but will stay until a new superintendent or interim superintendent is named. David Wilkins (lower middle left), who recently retired from a private sector job in sales with a management-consulting and technology services company, has been chosen secretary of Florida's Department of Children and Families, replacing George Sheldon. University of Maryland at College Park Provost Nariman Farvardin (lower middle center) has been tapped to be the new president of the Stevens Institute of Technology. Bedford (Texas) Police Chief David Flory (lower middle right), who has served as chief for a dozen years, will assume the police chief position in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on March 1. Jack Thomas, current provost and academic vice president at Western Illinois University, will become the university's new president when current President Al Goldfarb retires June 30. The four finalists for provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Minnesota State University Moorhead are Duane Ford, dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Jerry Jorgensen, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at South Dakota State University-Brookings; Paul Kreider, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Western Illinois University-Macomb; and Robin Bowen, academic consultant at Donnelly College in Topeka, Kansas. Russell George (bottom left), former Colorado transportation chief, has been chosen as the next president of Colorado Community College System, replacing John Boyd, who is now the president of Maryland Community College in North Carolina. Jeannine Galatioto (bottom center), who was a county administrative officer for some 10 years before her recent retirement, has been chosen as interim city manager for Crescent City (California), replacing Rod Butler, who will leave in February for a post in Patterson, California. Bill Ebel (bottom right), director of planning and development services for the city of Overland Park, Kansas, has been picked to become the city's new city manager. Jeff Arnold, who has served more than 10 years as the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Director of Financial Services, has been appointed Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs for UW-Whitewater. Barbara Lott, superintendent of schools in Woodhaven, Michigan, will retire in June after 17 years with the school district, eight as special education director, two as assistant superintendent for human resources and curriculum and seven as superintendent.