State doesn't have financial resources to meet infrastructure needs of future

Much-needed infrastructure projects in New York have a champion in State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, Jr. (pictured). The senator from Nassau County is introducing a bill to allow the state to more easily enter into public-private partnerships to help fund infrastructure projects. It comes at a good time. A recent study by the state comptroller's office showed that the state will need some $80 billion to take care of the state's roads and bridges over the next 20 years.

"Public-private partnerships are a proven tool we need to deliver vital projects on-time and under-budget," said Fuschillo. The senator pointed to the state Department of Transportation's (DOT) underfunded capital plan and a number of large, but needed, projects. DOT officials said more than 5,500 of the 17,400 state and local highway bridges in New York State are deficient, with another 3,000 to join that number within the next 10 years.

The Fuschillo legislation would allay the fears of those who think public-private partnerships lead to less government control by providing DOT and other state agencies to partner with the private sector on these projects, but maintain ownership. The agreements would allow the private sector to finance the construction, maintenance and operation of transportation infrastructure and capital projects. The goal is to get projects built quicker and to save taxpayer money.

Given the economy, New York is like many other states in not having available funding for many of these projects. The current capital plan for DOT is a two-year, $7 million endeavor. However, DOT officials say that spending figure is some $3 billion below what is needed. Officials note that the state should be replacing or rehabilitating some 300 bridges and 1,150 miles of highway each year. In 2009, the state was only able to deliver on about one-half that amount.

$319 million going to 28 states, two territories from emergency relief program

More than $319 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation is headed to 28 states, Puerto Rico and American Samoa to help those areas recover from damages due to storms, flooding, hurricanes and other acts of nature. The funding will come from the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) emergency relief program. The program reimburses states for repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways that were damaged in disasters and catastrophic failures.

The funds will be used to repair roads and bridges damaged by natural disasters. "Restoring roads and bridges is critical after a natural disaster or catastrophic event," said FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez (pictured). "We want states to know that we will reimburse them for work that is necessary to get roads and bridges back in service again after an emergency."

Some of the largest allocations include: 

• Tennessee - $39 million for damages from storms and flooding;
• North Dakota - $33.5 million for flooding in the Devil's Lake region; and
• Rhode Island - $26 million to deal with flood damages.

The funds will be used to repair or replace highways, bridges and other road structures such as traffic signs, guardrails and lights. Also eligible for funding are costs associated with having to provide detours, removal of debris and other costs associated with restoring traffic flow in affected areas.

Goal is to improve operations and ensure no redundancies in separate entities 

The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, could soon join the nearly 75 percent of zoos across the country that are being managed under public-private partnerships. The county board recently accepted a consultant's report and recommendation that the zoo be reorganized under a public-private partnership to both improve operations and eliminate redundancies. The report also proposes a dedicated tax revenue source to pay for zoo operations. 

The zoo's current budget is approximately $4 million. Of that amount, the county provides $2.5 million and the remainder comes from rental and admission fees.  

Kent County Chair Sandi Frost Parrish (pictured) plans to name a team of county and John Ball Zoo Society representatives to discuss options. Currently, the county owns and manages animals and exhibits at the zoo and the zoo society provides fundraising, educational and animal preservation functions.  

The committee will develop an operating budget, determine costs of transitioning to a single entity, recommend how the zoo will be governed and which staff and assets remain with the new entity.
The zoo's 2011 budget is about $4 million, with the county providing some $2.5 million and the rest coming mostly from admission and rental fees.

Michigan voters to decide $88 million school bond issue

An $88 million bond issue will be on the local ballot for May 3 in the Mattawan (Michigan) Consolidated School District. Among the projects that would benefit from the bond proposal are the construction of two new elementary schools. Mattawan CSD Superintendent Patrick Bird (pictured), in addition to the two new elementary schools, the bonds would be used for adding new classroom wings at the elementary school and to add spaces to other instructional areas. A science, technology and mathematics wing would be added at the high school and existing space will be outfitted to meet 21st century learning areas. Safety issues also will be explored. A campus connector drive would be added and parking lots and bus loops reconfigured to improve safety as well as traffic flow. "We want to create an overall safe environment. We think we have one now, but it's always something that you can improved upon," said Bird. Also, locker rooms will be added at the high school and athletic field and the athletic field would be converted from grass to artificial turf. The early elementary building will be converted into office and meeting space. 

Massachusetts town meeting studies possible rebuilding of school

A town meeting in Lexington, Massachusetts, resulted in the appropriation of $1.05 million for a feasibility study regarding rebuilding the Estabrook Elementary School. The school had a PCB problem uncovered last summer and fall and school officials submitted an emergency statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority to replace the school. The facility can continue to be used until 2014, when a possible new building would come online. The town meeting also resulted in a $100,000 appropriation to design an expanded road to access the school property.

University of Wisconsin campuses have contracting opportunities

A variety of contracting opportunities are available at campuses of the University of Wisconsin. They include:

• The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is seeking a boiler replacement estimated to cost $1.85 million. The bid, which will be awarded in May, includes removal and replacement of Boiler No. 3 with two new 15,000 lb/hr forced circulation steam generators including economizers. Also included are demolition and installation of steam piping, feedwater piping, fuel oil piping, natural gas piping, electrical power controls and associated equipment; 
• The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus is seeking bids on an approximately $875,000 Arts and Communication studio light replacement. The project includes replacement of the existing outdated lighting system in the Experimental Theater, including dimming racks, lights, fixtures and power connector strips with a modern state-of-the-art dimming system consisting of 96 dual 20-amp dimmer circuits installed in 48 dual dimmers theatrical racks and subsequent distribution equipment including, but not limited to, connectors strips, distribution boxes, light fixtures, control consoles, other dimming instruments, raceway systems replacement. The project includes similar replacements in the TV studio, an ETC Prodigy Hoist riggings system and complete painting of the Experimental Theatre and TV studios; and
• The University of Wisconsin River Falls campus is seeking bids on classroom improvements that are valued at approximately $840,000. The work includes interior renovation of a variety of classrooms to include removal of interior walls, doors, floor finish installation, ceiling finishes, acoustical ceilings, floor framing, building demolition, concrete floor removal, removal of HVAC components and more.  

Millions allocated for Mississippi public university projects

The Mississippi Legislature has passed state bond legislation that will allocate millions of dollars for campus improvement projects at the state's public universities. Some $564.4 million was allocated to the state College Board for universities' education and general budgets. In addition, $313 million more was allocated for other types of support. "We understand that we are still facing a national recession and these are very difficult times, so the universities have built business plans to allow them to manage within the proposed budget and continually look for ways to increase efficiency while maintaining excellence," said Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds (pictured). The $98.9 million in bonds will be allocated for each of the eight universities in the system, the system's central office in Jackson, the University of Mississippi Medical School, MSU's Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine programs and the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast campus.

Mississippi junior college raising funds for four initiatives

Officials with the Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, have announced they have raised $5 million of their $7.5 million goal for the school's Capital Fundraising Campaign. The campaign is being made public to raise the remaining funds. The four initiatives that will be paid for with the funds raised include construction of a centennial plaza (the school is celebrating its centennial this year) for Jones Hall, science education technology, upgrades to 21st century classrooms and scholarship endowments.

Nebraska school district approves bond vote to expand campus

An elementary school near Columbus, Nebraska, will be expanded thanks to the recent passage of a $5.4 million bond election. The proceeds from the bond sales will be added to money the Lakeview Community Schools District received when it sold the Sunrise Elementary School to pay for a $6.36 million expansion at Shell Creek Elementary. The expansion will add more than 30,000 square feet to the school.

Upgrades, addition totaling $67 million planned for UCSB's Davidson Library

A three-story addition is in the works for 2012 at the University of California Santa Barbara. The project also includes structural upgrades. The exterior of the building will also be remodeled and the main entrance moved north of the eight-story tower. The three-story addition will be built on the north side of the existing structure and will be connected to the old facility by walkway. The project will be funded in it entirety by California state lease revenue bonds. "The library is the symbolic heart of the campus, occupying the most important site," said Senior Associate Vice Chancellor and Campus Architect Marc Fisher (pictured). "It will become a signature building set in an enhanced campus landscape." The upgrades to the building will include more power outlets and wireless service. There will also be dedicated areas for study spaces, including group study rooms, a student media center, instructional lab and faculty collaboration studio. It will also be the new location of the 24-hour study room and have a climate-controlled space to house the Special Collections exhibit.

California school to issue bonds for construction, safety projects

Officials of the Martinez, California, school board recently voted to issue up to $25 million of the $45 million approved in a bond vote last November. Among the possible projects from the bond proceeds include an addition to the performing arts building at Alhambra High School, a new fire and security system at other campuses and the district office and an upgraded kitchen at the Las Juntas Elementary School.

New Jersey school district to participate in solar energy project

The Kinnelon School District in New Jersey has signed on to become part of Morris County's second phase of a solar energy project. The county's renewable energy program anticipates $60 million in bonding to fund solar projects in nine school districts, two municipalities and the County College of Morris. The project, set for funding in 2011-2012, will not require any money from the Kinnelon district. The first phase of the project - with a $21.6 million price tag - involved five school districts and county facilities. The school district's part of the project will include the installation of solar panels on the roofs of Kinnelon High School, Pearl R. Miller and Stonybrook School. The county will be responsible for designing, bidding, contracting and managing the entire project. The electricity generated is expected to reduce electric costs in the school district by reducing consumption at the three schools by 10-32 percent. The county expects a solar developer will be selected for this part of the project by the end of this summer and the project will take up to a year to complete.

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 click here or call Reagan Weil at 512-531-3900 to schedule a conversation.

 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 Carlos Migoya.

Dr. Timothy Mottet (top left), chair of the Department of Communication at The University of Texas-Pan American, has been named dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Texas State University-San Marcos, effective July 1. Debra Craig (top center), a former temporary, full-time employee of the Department of Human Resources in the Department of Education at the University of Tennessee at Martin and a resident of Union City, has been selected as South Fulton, Tennessee's, new city manager, succeeding Jeff Vowell, who resigned in December to take another job. Ken Mompellier (tip right), who moved from California to New Mexico in 1997 to become executive director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, has announced his plans to retire on May 27. David Belcher, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been chosen chancellor of Western Carolina University, replacing John Bardo. The new city manager for West Des Moines, Iowa, is Greg Sparks, who currently serves as city manager of Mountain Village, Colorado, and was city administrator of Owatonna, Minnesota, for 11 years. Albany, Georgia, Interim City Manager James Taylor will take over as city manager after beating out two other candidates for the post. After almost six years of service, South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle (middle right) has announced her retirement from the entity that oversees water supplies, guards against flooding and leads Everglades restoration in a 16-county region. Paul Rust (middle center), who has led the Weatherford (Texas) Fire Department as acting chief since October when former Chief George Teague retired, has been named the new chief of the department. Thomas A. Forcella (middle left), superintendent of the Guilford, Connecticut, Public Schools, has been named superintendent of the Chapel Hill-Carrbor City Schools, succeeding Superintendent Neil Pedersen, who is retiring at the end of the school year after 19 years at the helm. Assistant City Manager Birgitta Corsello has been named county administrator for Solano County, California, effective May 1. Sheila Ruhland, vice president of instruction at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth, North Carolina, will become the next president of Moraine Park Technical College, replacing current President Gayle Hytrek in July. After 45 years of service, Fire Chief Brad Smith of the Oswego (Illinois) Fire Protection District, is retiring, and has been replaced by Deputy Chief Rick Neitzer. Russell A. Davis (bottom left), president of Gloucester County College in New Jersey since September 2008, has resigned. Darwin McClary (bottom center), who has served as interim city manager of Garden City, Michigan, since former City Manager David Harvey left in September of a new job, has been named the city's new city manager. Myrtle E.B. Dorsey (bottom right), who has led Baton Rouge Community College since 2002, has been named the next chancellor at St. Louis (Missouri) Community College, replacing Zelema Harris, who is retiring in June. Washington, North Carolina's Police Chief Mick Reed, who has served in that position since 2007, has been named as one of three finalists for the title of police chief in Wrightsville Beach. Brenda Fischer, former deputy city manager of Glendora, California, has been chosen the new city manager for the city of Maricopa, Arizona. Bob Bell, who has worked for the city of Redwood, California, for five years and who has been serving as interim city manager since former City Manager Peter Ingram resigned last November, has been named the new city manager.