'Green City, Clean Waters' plan to lead to environmental, social, economic benefits

A 25-year, $2 billion effort to reduce storm water pollution with eco-friendly measures is being undertaken by the state of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia. Officials are calling it the largest such project in the nation. Dubbed the "Green City, Clean Waters" plan, officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and environmental groups are calling it a blueprint for other states and municipalities throughout the country.

Larry Levine (left) of the Natural Resources Defense Council said Philadelphia is "setting the national model" for cleanup up waterways. The initiative is expected to reduce the amount of rainwater tainted with road oil, litter and raw sewage flowing into rivers and streams. The changes advocated in the plan are expected to reduce the amount of sewer overflow going into the city's waterways annually by 5 billion to 8 billion gallons, or a reduction of between 80 and 90 percent.

Philly's Water Department Commissioner Howard Neukrug (right) said the program will get under way with a six-month study to determine which neighborhoods to target first. The result, he said, is to realize environmental, social and economic benefits that will result from cleaner air. As a by-product, residents will see an improved quality of life and creation of jobs.

The initiative is driven by the fact that 60 percent of Philadelphia is part of a combined sewer system in which runoff from streets and wastewater from bathrooms and kitchens flows through the same pipes, and when it rains, those pipes overflow and water that is polluted ends up in area waterways, resulting in increased bacteria levels. The city faced a number of options - including separating the lines and reconfiguring 1,600 miles of pipe, expanding sewage plants or constructing underground overflow tanks. But, all carried large price tags and the city's new environmental plan will be less costly.

The proposal includes installing green roofs on city buildings, planting thousands of new trees and other vegetation along sidewalks, repaving everything from streets to basketball courts with porous asphalt and concrete that allow rainwater to flow through it. One street already has been paved with the porous asphalt, which allows water to seep into the soil below rather than running at a raging river's pace into storm drains and sewers.

$3.7 billion in transportation projects funded so far this year; $20 billion remains

Wondering where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act went? If it was for transportation projects, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) recently announced that it had distributed $3.7 billion in Recovery Act funding so far this year. That brings the total recovery funds distributed to states as a result of the 2009 economic stimulus bill to approximately $28.4 billion.

The Recovery Act authorized spending $48.1 billion. That leaves another $20 billion still unspent. But don't start looking for leftover funds. Most of the remaining $20 billion has already been obligated, even if it hasn't been distributed. Some of the projects are under way and others have not yet begun. The USDOT reimburses the states for projects' design, the materials used and the labor after the project is completed.

Of the more than 13,000 road or bridge projects that were approved for Recovery Act funding, more than 8,200 have been completed and some 4,700 are currently under construction. The projects include bridge and highway construction, intercity rail, airport improvements and marine highway services. 

Alabama officials seek public-private partnership for colisuem

A partnership is likely to be created to renovate and save the Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama, now that the State Legislature has approved a bill to create the Garrett Coliseum Redevelopment Corp. If signed by the governor, the bill would allow the corporation to enter into a public-private partnership to redevelop the coliseum and sell bonds to pay for the work. Rep. Joe Hubbard (pictured) said the legislation is "the only solution" for the state facility. Hubbard and others want the aging facility to not only be the home to horse shows and rodeos, but also for major concerts, etc. The corporation would include the governor, the state finance director, Montgomery's mayor, City Council president and chairman of the Montgomery County Commission. Bond attorneys worked with local officials to make sure bonds could be issued and sold. 
 

Virginia creates state public-private partnership office

The state of Virginia has opened a new office whose role is to facilitate public-private partnerships for transportation projects in the state. Charlie Kilpatrick (pictured), chief deputy commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation, will serve as interim director of the Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships (OTP3). The newly organized office, which will be located in Richmond, will help develop and implement a statewide program for project delivery through P3s under the state's Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995. Officials hope the office will help streamline the public-private transportation process, make sure projects are completed on time and encourage competition. The office will be the primary point of contact for all P3s for all transportation modes in the state.

EPA announces $76 million headed to 40 states for brownfield cleanup

Funding of $76 million for redevelopment of contaminated properties has been announced for entities in 40 states and three tribes across the country. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding brownfield grants that are used to assess and clean up abandoned industrial and commercial properties.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson (pictured) said the cleanup of these areas also protects public health, noting that brownfield investments have leveraged more than $16.3 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds from a variety of public and private sources, resulting in 70,000 jobs.

"The grants we're awarding to communities across America will support projects that will help create thousands of jobs and make our communities cleaner, healthier and more prosperous places to raise a family and start a business," said Jackson.

In Michigan alone, seven communities will receive brownfield funding this year totaling $2.9 million. The state can already point to the transformation of an abandoned power plant on the downtown riverfront that created jobs for 1,500 people and will retain and create another 1,000 permanent jobs over the next few years. Officials said this most recent round of funding will ensure this kind of successful endeavor can be recreated.

In Springfield, Missouri, grant funds will leverage some $6 million to clean up and redevelop a former rail yard into a natural wetland open space with greenway trails. Ten awards went to Florida, totaling $7.215 million, eight valued at $4 million went to Illinois and 10 totaling $5.718 million were awarded in Indiana. In Nassau County, New York, officials will clean up waterfront property with their grant funds to help make way for a new hotel complex, affordable housing units, a waterfront park, restaurant, retail space and a commuter ferry.

To view the complete list of grants through the Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grants program, click here.

UNM seeking funding from state for variety of projects

A list of $150 million in projects for the University of New Mexico has been finalized by the Board of Regents as the university's 2012 capital improvements request. University officials are now hopeful the state will kick in for nearly $100 million of those costs. Academic projects are likely to top the list as far as priorities are concerned. Among them are improvements for chemistry and health sciences classrooms, new space for the Carrie Tingly Hospital and expansion of the alumni building. The university is also seeking more than $5.8 million in improvements to the football stadium, including $5 million to improve the parking lot and $800,000 to replace the grass field with artificial turf. Athletics Director Paul Krebs (pictured) said replacing the football stadium's grass field with turf would save as much as $50,000 per year in grass watering and maintenance. However, university officials know that the requests related to academic buildings will probably move to the top of the list. The State Legislature will approve which projects go on the ballot for 2012 higher education general obligation bonds when it meets again in regular session.

University of Montana planning $16 million biomass gasification boiler

Seeking to reduce its carbon footprint, the University of Montana has obtained a preliminary determination from the Missoula City-County Health Department for an air quality permit to build a biomass gasification boiler on campus. The $16 million boiler would help the university reduce its carbon footprint by 70 percent of its natural gas consumption with wood, a renewable resource. The biomass system would be the cleanest wood-fired boiler in the state.

Virginia school district seeks $20 million bond referendum

Officials of the Culpeper County (Virginia) School Board have asked the Board of Supervisors to call a November bond referendum. The $20 million bond issue would be for renovations at the high school. School board and renovation committee members realize a large bond issue during a struggling economy will have its detractors, but they are hopeful that educating voters about the bond issue and the hope of lower construction costs because of current competition for projects will ensure voter support.

Alaska university's sports arena approved by board of regents

Regents at the University of Alaska Anchorage recently approved plans for building a $109 million sports arena on the campus, with a project groundbreaking set for this summer. Officials are awaiting the veto pen of Gov. Sean Parnell, however, as part of the funding would be provided in a bill sent to the governor for approval. Regardless, says Bill Spindle (pictured), the university's vice chancellor for administrative services, "We're going to begin the design process. Our goal is to have it built by the summer of 2014." The proposed arena will include a main gym with seating for approximately 5,600 and it will be large enough to be divided into three courts. It will also include an auxiliary gym that can be divided into two courts. It would replace the old Wells Fargo Sports Complex that opened in 1978. It was redesigned as a recreation center for a community college.

Bond referendum in Connecticut would replace district's high school

Voters in Guilford, Connecticut, will vote on a bond issue next week that would allow for construction of a new high school to replace the existing high school. There will be three items on the ballot:

• Approval of $89,970,000 for the design, construction, furnishing and equipping of a new high school, with a net cost to the district of $63,825,286;
• Including energy conservation improvements and increase the project appropriation and bond by $1.75 million; and
• Include an emergency shelter within a portion of the high school and increase the project appropriation and bond by $500,000.

New dental college construction on tap for University of Central Florida

A new College of Dental Medicine is being planned for the University of Central Florida. The university's Board of Trustees has voted to move forward with its plans to build the college at the university's Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona. No state funding is being sought for the project. The project must be approved by the state Board of Governors before it can be undertaken. Officials hope to open the school in 2014.

Board of regents approve more student housing on campus

A nearly $9 million construction projects on the University of Alaska Southeast's campus will result in the addition of much-needed student housing. The UA Board of Regents recently gave formal approval for the project, which they hope will make more room for freshman housing as the enrollment rate of freshmen has increased about 50 percent over the last four years.  "There's no doubt that the Banfield addition is necessary, especially giving the tight Juneau housing market," said Kate Ripley (pictured), spokesperson for the UA system. The project will more than double the size of the nearly 18,000-square-foot Banfield Hall. Nearly 19,000 square feet more will be added, bringing the current 84 bed count to 144. A second phase will bring food service to the existing housing lodge. If the capital budget appropriation bill is signed by the governor, the legislature will fund only about half the cost of the project. Some $4 million was included in this year's capital budget for the project, another $4 million will be financed and the remaining $800,000 of the $8.8 million project will be paid out of the university's share of deferred maintenance funds.

$27 million released by governor for school capital improvement projects

Capital improvement projects totaling $27 million will soon get under way in Hawaii after the governor released that funding for projects statewide. The projects are both at Hawaii Department of Education schools and University of Hawaii campuses. Some of the larger projects include: 

• $3 million for design and construction of an all-weather track and field facility including drainage at Waiakea High School, Hawaii Island;
• $1,227,500 to renovate chorus classroom at Highlands Intermediate School, O'ahu that includes replacing the interior and exterior wall panels;
• $1.350 million for design and construction of all-weather track including drainage at Radford High School, O'ahu;
• $5 million for design, construction, and/or relocation of temporary facility buildings at more than a dozen schools statewide;
• $1.2 million for Kaneohe Elementary School's Library Expansion;
• $3.157 million to University of Hawaii Maui College, Science Building. Funding includes general obligation bond funds for design and equipment;
• $2.5 million to UH at Manoa, Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i. CIP includes special funds for design, construction and equipment for renovations to the Laboratory Animal Service Cage Wash and Vivarium Improvements project; and
• $4,155,127 for the construction of a system-wide Information Technology Center at University of Hawaii Hilo.

The funding will also be used for roofing projects, electrical upgrades, construction of sports fields, air conditioning, drainage improvements, asbestos removal, parking and walkways.

$3.9 billion Louisiana state construction bill clears House

Still facing debate in the Senate, the Louisiana House recently approved a $3.9 billion state construction bill. The bill provides a five-year revolving construction budget for the state, and has almost $1.75 million in projects in the top two priority levels for general obligation bonds. It also includes $1.3 billion in credit lines financed by sources other than general obligation bonds. Rep. Hunter Greene (pictured), who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, said there are only $104 million in new projects in Priority 2 and $236 million in projects that recently became Priority 1. The bill total was much bigger until a credit line of $900 million was pulled from the bill. Those funds would have gone to the University Medical Center project in New Orleans.

Oklahoma entities to get millions from HUD for programs

The Community Development Block Grant program in Oklahoma is getting a $27.3 million boost. The funds are part of $47.9 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Another $18.1 million of the total will go to the HOME Investment Partnership program, $1.3 million is going toward the Emergency Shelter Grant program and $1.1 million is headed to the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program. The HOME program's goal is to offer affordable housing for low-income families and the shelter grant assists the homeless with basic shelter and support services. The $27.3 million in CDBG grants breaks down to $14.5 million for the Oklahoma state program, $4.77 million goes to Oklahoma City, $3.32 million is headed to Tulsa and Tulsa County will receive $1.17 million.

Officials lean toward $2 billion Boston meeting center

Boston officials are studying the $2 billion expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and many are getting on board with the project. The expansion would almost double the size of the current facility. Richard Dimino (pictured), a member of the Convention Partnership, said event planners said in a survey that the center needs to expand its exhibit space and provide more hotel rooms. "They were then asked if we took those steps, would they come to Boston, and 100 percent of them said yes,'' Said Dimino. Some of the Convention Partnership group not in favor of the expansion have asked the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority for projected figures on how much the expansion would mean to the center in terms of how many more visitors would come to the city as a result and how that would affect jobs and state and local tax revenues. The Convention Partnership will review the proposal and make a recommendation to the governor and legislative leaders whether the state should move forward on it. The exhibit hall currently features only 1,700 hotel rooms within a half mile of the facility, leaving it to compete with cities with enough rooms to host visitors. Officials could turn to tax increases and fee increases to help defray the cost of the expansion or tapping future state taxes generated by the project.
  

Variety of bid opportunities available in El Paso area

A variety of contracting opportunities are now open in the El Paso area. They include:

• City of El Paso is requesting bids for Phase One of the Stiles Drive street and draining improvements;
• County of El Paso is requesting bids for HFE-90/60 asphalt oil for road and bridge;
• County of El Paso is requesting bids for paving rock for road and bridge;
• The Housing Authority of the city of El Paso is requesting bids for vacancy make-ready services;
• YWCA El Paso Del Norte Region is requesting bids for facilities maintenance;
• El Paso Independent School District is requesting bids for replacement of non-compliant playground structures district-wide;
• El Paso Independent School District is requesting bids for educator's legal liability insurance and general liability insurance;
• The Texas Department of Transportation  is requesting bids for bridge repair in El Paso County; and
• El Paso Community College is requesting bids for Internet service provider.

Texas county approves allocations toward jail expansion projects

The Smith County (Texas) commissioners court has approved a revised Capital Improvement Plan that provides initial funding for the recently approved $35 million county jail expansion project. Some $125,000 was approved for moving three offices and an account was set up with $100,000 for geological surveys the architects need to complete schematics for the expansion. The jail project is the largest in the five-year plan, which also includes building out some current spaces for other departments. The first phase of the jail project, which would move the laundry, kitchen and low-to-medium risk visitation from the central jail downtown, should have bids for work submitted soon. Other projects that are part of the five-year plan will be paid for on a "pay-go" plan so the county does not incur debt to make the improvements, said County Judge Joel Baker (pictured). Between now and 2016, the county will also upgrade technology, renovate the sixth floor of the courthouse for office space, renovate parking lots and replace software.

City in Tennessee to build public employees' clinic, wellness center

A $3.5 million clinic and wellness center is on tap for city employees in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Officials there expect the facility to pay for itself through wellness and disease management programs. Other smaller wellness and clinic operations in the city have had a 70 percent utilization rate among public employees.
  

New wastewater treatment plant being planned in North Carolina city

The town of Robbinsville, North Carolina, is the recipient of $4.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build a new wastewater treatment plant. The current plant is at capacity and cannot meet the needs of any additional businesses or residences. The plant will be located on a 12-acre site in Robbinsville. The funding includes $3.15 million from the USDA's Rural Development grants and $1.665 million from a USDA Rural Development loan.

 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 Darby Dickerson.

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Darby Dickerson, J.D., holds a bachelor's and master's degree from The College of William and Mary and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law. After graduating from law school, she became a clerk for a federal judge and then practiced commercial litigation at what would become Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP in Dallas. In 1995, Dickerson joined the faculty of Stetson University College of Law in Florida as an assistant professor. She moved up through the ranks to become dean of the college in 2004. She is both a well-known administrator and published author. While at Stetson, she maintained the university's number one-ranked trial advocacy program and built a highly ranked legal writing program. She has taught alternative dispute resolution, legal research and writing, federal pretrial practice, litigation ethics and torts. Dickerson is co-founder of Stetson's International Environmental Moot Court Competition and was an advisor to the Stetson Law Review from 1996 to 2004. In 2007, she was elected to the American Law Institute. She holds leadership positions in the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools. Dickerson was recently named dean of the Texas Tech University School of Law, and will take over that post on July 29. She will also hold the W. Frank Newton Endowed Professorship.

Richard L. McCormick (top left), president of Rutgers University for the last 10 years, has announced he will step down from his position as president, spend a year on sabbatical and then return to the university's faculty. Real Desrochers (top center), who has spent the last 10 years with the California State Teachers' Retirement System, has been named investment executive to run the California Public Employee's Retirement System, replacing Leon Shahinian, who resigned in August. Fort Worth Independent School District 37-year veteran educator and Deputy Superintendent Walter Dansby (top right) has been chosen as interim superintendent to replace outgoing Superintendent Melody Johnson, who has resigned. Former Army colonel and former economics professor at West Point, Dr. Casey Wardynski, has been chosen the city of Huntsville, Alabama's, next education superintendent, after spending the last 10 months as chief financial officer for a Colorado school district. Julie Baird, manager of the Farmington (New Mexico) Museum for the last 10 years, has been chosen as the new supervisor for the Farmington Civic Center, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the center. The City of Warrenton, Oregon, has hired Kurt Fritsch, city manager of McCook, Nebraska, to take over as its new city manager, replacing City Manager Bob Maxfield, who will retire at the end of the month. Andrea Tawney (middle right), who has served as an administrator and faculty member at the University of Arizona and Texas Tech University's Health Sciences Center, has been named assistant dean for development at New Mexico State University's College of Business. The Gloucester County (New Jersey) College has selected Frederick Keating (middle center), the college's current vice president of student services, as interim president, filling the post vacated by Russell Davis. The City of Inglewood, California, has appointed Artie Fields (middle left), a 25-year veteran of local government and most recently city manager in Salinas, as its new permanent city administrator. Karen Baldwin, school superintendent of Watertown and former assistant superintendent and director of human resources in the Wethersfield school system, has been named superintendent of schools of the Suffield (Connecticut) Public School. Former McKinney (Texas) Fire Chief Mark Wallace was retired for a month before being chosen by the Oregon State Police and the Office of the State Fire Marshal to serve as the state's newest fire marshal. I.D. Creech II, county administrator for Harper County since 2008, has been chosen as the new director of the Hays (Kansas) Public Works Department, effective June 30, and replacing director Brenda Herrman, who is retiring. The Northeast Iowa Community College has appointed Dr. Liang Chee Wee (bottom left), provost for the Calmar campus of NICC, as interim president, serving until a successor is chosen for Dr. Penny Wills, who accepted the post as president of the Yavapai College District in Arizona. Greg Slinkard (bottom center), a 30-year veteran of the Missouri State Auditor's Office who is retiring from his post as audit manager there, has been hired as the new internal auditor for the City of Columbia, Missouri. James Williams (bottom right), superintendent of Buffalo, New York, schools, upstate New York's largest school district, and a former teacher and counselor, has announced he will retire in a year. Carie Fuhrman, who worked for the last five years as a consultant planner and geographic information system specialist, has been chosen as the City of Princeton, Minnesota's, new community development director/zoning administrator. Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, has chosen Tracy Hilburn, who has served full-time in the Louisiana National Guard for 25 years, as the new director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the parish. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has nominated billionaire Howard Milstein of Manhattan to head the New York State Thruway Authority that operates the cross-state toll highway from north of New York City to Buffalo.