Public officials are aggressively launching alternative energy projects throughout the country as they strive to implement mandated sustainability goals. Biomass and biofuel projects that derive energy from wood, waste, landfill gas and garbage are under way everywhere it seems. It is estimated that investment in biomass and waste-to-energy (WtE) will increase from the $14 billion spent in 2011 to more than $80 billion by 2020.

Private sector firms are no longer shy about approaching cities and counties with unsolicited proposals and many of the proposals today offer to turn inefficient waste systems into sustainable, energy-producing assets. Companies that do this type of work are in high demand.

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Supports bundling of contracts as way to save $50 million on U.S. 31 plans

Mitch Daniels

Looking at a possible savings of $50 million, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is pushing for a public-private partnership and a single contract for the final stretches of the $1.1 billion Indianapolis to South Bend upgrade of U.S. 31. Daniels says by lumping all of the contracts into a single contract, the work will not only be done cheaper, but also faster. And he's looking for creative financing in the form of a public-private partnership.

In the next few years, work valued at about $578 million is planned along U.S. 31 fro I-465 through Carmel and north to Ind. 32 in Westfield. The expected completion date was set at 2018. Daniels now says his plan will push that date up to 2015. Officials of the Indiana Department of Transportation say the one contract approach could save an estimated $50 million.

Daniels is touting a public-private partnership in which the project is funded by the contractor. The Carmel and Westfield projects would be bundled together, with a price tag of about $475 million. The goal is to take advantage of lower interest rates and to encourage competitive and lower bids.

To do it, he plans to use a public-private partnership strategy, or contractor financing, to essentially bundle the Carmel and Westfield projects, estimated to cost about $475 million, into one massive bid in an effort to take advantage of current low interest rates and to attract potentially lower bids. Last year, legislation was passed by the Indiana Legislature to allow expanded use of private capital for transportation projects. That law would allow the bundling of several contracts into one. The investment by the builder would be paid back over a period of seven to 10 years from state and federal transportation dollars.

The project is part of Daniels' Major Moves project list, and will see U.S. 31 converted to a four-lane, divided highway, free-flowing freeway, where intersections are replaced with interchanges.

Seven senators in bipartisan effort to eliminate some restrictions

Olympia Snowe

A bill that would eliminate a dollar amount restriction on contracts that affect Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) has been introduced in a congressional committee hearing. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine is one of seven senators who are working together in a bipartisan effort to pass the legislation. She said the bill would remove inequities that exist in the WOSB contracting program compared to other socio-economic programs.

"Women-owned small businesses have yet to receive their fair share of the federal marketplace," said Sen. Snowe. She noted that the federal government has never achieved the 5 percent goal for WOSBs. The closest it has come was 4.04 percent in FY 2010. She said the new legislation would help agencies achieve that goal.

The legislation seeks to help women compete for contracts by allowing for non-competitive contracts under certain circumstances. She said the legislation is aimed at overcoming barriers women business owners still face in spite of the WOSB Procurement Program unveiled last year by the Small Business Administration.

Upcoming education opportunities

Mississippi district reconsidering plans for high school construction

Bids for a proposed new high school in Oxford, Mississippi, came in above budget and now officials of the Oxford School Board are reworking plans and will recommend changes in early April. The lowest bid was more than $35.3 million, but voters in the district only approved a $30 million bond referendum last year. Some of the over-runs could be attributed to the district's efforts to go green with the building. They may now have to cut back on some of the green features such as using new instead of recycled brick. Originally scheduled to be open in August of next year, this setback will likely mean the construction will not start before January 2014.  

Wyoming school district to get $175 million for school renovation projects

Joel Dvorak

The Natrona County (Wyoming) School District has been approved for $175 million in funding through the state's school capital construction bill recently signed by the governor. Although some issues such as timing for the various projects still have to be decided, Superintendent Joel Dvorak was pleased with the allocation. Included in the funding is $119 million for renovations at the Natrona County High School. The district will use the state funds and $108 million already appropriated for planning and design, which should be adequate for completing renovations at Kelly Walsh High School and the Natrona County High School. It should also pay for construction of a new campus for alternative Roosevelt High School and a shared Center for Advanced and Professional Studies. In addition, the bill also includes $8.4 million to begin construction of a new North Casper Elementary School and $1.8 million for work on Southridge Elementary. 

Washington school district calls $219M bond sale election for improvements

Voters in the Issaquah, Washington, School District next month will decide the fate of the proposed sale of $219 million in bonds to help defray the costs of major renovations and maintenance projects throughout schools in the district. Nearly half of the proceeds, $109.1 million, from the bond sale would go toward replacing three schools that are all more than 40 years old. Another $44.5 million would be spent to renovate Liberty High School, including $4.8 million for athletic fields and stadium rebuilds. Other reconstruction and modernization projects also are on tap for the high school, including upgrades to classrooms, completion of a video/TV lab and production and editing studio, modernization of the library and addition of a new auxiliary gym. The Tiger Mountain Community High School would benefit from $3.9 million for relocation to the Issaquah Middle School site. Also included in the bond are more than 20 other projects throughout the district, including expansions, improvements, new flooring, upgraded intercom systems and new fire alarm systems at various locations. Security measures also would be installed, including cameras and card-key access systems. 

Vanderbilt medical center plans $7.6 million drug laboratory 

Jeff Conn

Vanderbilt University Medical Center will build a new $7.6 million, 18,000-square-foot laboratory in the Cool Springs Life Sciences Center as it consolidates its Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery. The current center is located on the VUMC campus, with space also at the Life Sciences Center. "Availability of this new space comes at a critical time and will have a major impact on our ability to build a world-class academic drug discovery group," said Jeff Conn, co-director of the center. The lab will be located in a 90,000-square-foot pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. Conn said the move will also allow for expansion of capacity in medicinal chemistry and drug disposition. Williamson County officials are welcoming the university's addition, which means a second footprint there, as the VUMC previously purchased 22 acres in the county for a proposed $200 million campus.

Kansas university plans to upgrade, renovate residence halls
As part of a multi-million-dollar project that includes upgrades and renovations to its residence halls, Emporia State University plans to close its 96-unit ESU Apartments. The project also includes moving the residential living program closer to the main campus. The first phase of the project will include a $5.4 million renovation of Singular and Trusler halls. Other phases will include either new or significantly renovated units on or near the main campus. The university would like to sell the apartment property to help defray cost of other improvement projects, but that decision would be up to the Kansas Board of Regents and the State Legislature.

Construction could begin in 2014 on building for UNT-Dallas College of Law
Officials are hoping for a 2014 construction start date to convert the former Dallas City Hall Building into the new University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law. Work can only go forward if the Texas Legislature approves funding for the project by June of next year. The project cost as estimated for a legislative appropriation request during the last legislative session was for $46 million. If funding is appropriated, the design of the law school would begin in fall 2013, construction would be in 2014 and 2015 and opening set for fall 2015.

Designed to steer more federal contracts to small businesses

A six-bill package of legislation aimed at ensuring more federal contracts for small businesses was passed this week out of the House Small Business Committee. Among the provisions of the bill are raising the percentage of federal contracts that should go to small businesses, elevating agency Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization offices, a provision to discourage large businesses using small business fronts to win contracts and a provision to require agencies insourcing previously contracted work to explain their rationale online and allow contractors more opportunity for protests.

The package of bills also has provisions to give small firms in areas of high unemployment priority status, open to small businesses more General Services Administration contracts for commercial purchases, provide additional training for Small Business Administration local procurement center employees and clarify eligibility of small businesses for multiple award contracts. More contracting bids are expected to be taken up by the committee in the coming weeks.

Washington State has $57 million more to spend on transportation

A supplemental transportation bill has been passed out of the Washington state Legislature that will mean an additional $57 million in new funding available to spend. The funds are being generated through increased fees for drivers. The bill includes $9.5 million for the State Patrol, including funds for an additional cadet class of 21. Those funds also will be used to fight auto theft. Another $9 million will be to provide aid to regional and local transit agencies, $8 million for highway projects and $7 million for fuel for the ferry system. Additional funding also has been freed up for the 520 floating bridge project.

Port of W. Sacramento project to increase freight capacity

A $960,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration will be used by the Port of West Sacramento to construct a new rail loop track. The port is one of a dozen entities that will share $16.9 million in funding for work related to track segments. The funds are part of the FRA's Rail Line Relocation Improvement grant program. The W. Sacramento loop will help increase freight capacity and handling efficiency. The rail loop is expected to allow switching and storage operations to take place on port property and reduce surface-street blockage by freight traffic. Earlier this year, the port opened a new 5,000-foot rail track extension to link the port's main terminal to a nearby cement and aggregate facility.

 

Jail construction projects in California get $602 million boost from state

Matt Cate

Local jail construction projects in 11 counties will benefit from $602 million in approved state funding. "This provides a major boost for California counties to house local inmates safely and effectively," said Matthew Cate, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Twenty counties applied for funding. Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties each will get $100 million. The funding comes from the sale of bonds and was approved last year by the state legislature. So far, $1.2 billion has been awarded to 22 counties. The goal of the investment in the jail projects is to help relieve the overcrowding in jails throughout the state. There are currently more than 131,000 inmates in California jails, but the state is trying to reduce that population to 110,000 by the middle of next year to comply with a Supreme Court ruling. Many local jails are still housing inmates who have not been transferred to state facilities and the state is hoping to be able to send more funding to those facilities to help defray some of the expenses related to their incarceration.

 

County in Minnesota approves architect for law enforcement center remodel

The Mower County (Minnesota) Board recently approved an architect and project manager for the county's remodel of the Government Center and Law Enforcement Center. Officials are currently discussing using all of the second floor of the old courthouse and jail for Health and Human Services and allow the Law Enforcement Center to remain on the main floor and in the basement. Changes, however, could push the project over the $1.6 million set aside for the project, $800,000 each from the city and county. The architectural firm and project manager will take input from those who will be housed in the remodeled facility before a final design is drawn up. The county's cost of the project is expected to be about $4.6 million, $3.8 million of which will be for remodeling of the government center and $800,000 for the county's share of remodeling of the Law Enforcement Center. The total cost for the project is estimate at approximately $6 million.

 

Kentucky making plans for replacing bridges over lakes

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is working on plans for a new bridge that will replace the 80-year-old Kentucky Lake bridge and another bridge across Barkley Lake. A timeline for the projects has not yet been set because the plans will first have to be reviewed by the Federal Highway Administration.

 

Check out these recent awards:

• Duit Construction and TTK Construction combined to be awarded a $55 million contract by the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for the expansion of the Kilpatrick Turnpike from Eastern Ave. to MacArthur from four lanes to six.
• Jacobs Engineering has been awarded a $408,184 contract by the city of Brownsville to design and build a new two-level parking garage of about 75,000 square feet and 150 parking spaces.
• W.C. Fore Trucking Inc. was awarded a $19.1 million contract by the Port of Gulfport to raise the elevation of the first 43 acres of the West Pier from its current 10 feet to 25 feet.
• Hall Contracting of Kentucky Inc. was awarded a contract for $7 million by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to repair the Eggners Ferry Bridge, which was damaged when struck by a cargo vessel that ripped out a more than 300-foot section of the bridge.
• Sherwood Construction won a $59 million contract from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for the expansion of the Creek Turnpike from U.S. 75 to Memorial Road from four lanes to six.
• The Middlesex Corp. was awarded the $89,764,670 contract from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for replacement of the Kenneth M. Burns Bridge on Route 9 over Lake Quinsigamond, about $30 million below the estimated cost.
• Areas USA was awarded a half-billion-dollar contract by the Maryland Board of Public Works to replace two travel plazas on I-95 north of Baltimore, to replace and operate the Chesapeake House in Cecil County and Maryland House in Harford County.
• Walsh Construction has won two contracts from the Indiana Department of Transportation - one for $22.7 million and one for $40.5 million - to upgrade two new three-mile segments of the Hoosier Heartland Corridor on Indiana 25.
• Sunbelt Structures Inc. has been awarded an $847,221 contract by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to replace the Boggs Road Bridge over Hagan Creek in Catawba County.
• CACI International Inc. has been awarded a $78 million contract by the U.S. General Services Administration Federal Systems Integration and Management Center to provide integration, sustainment and deployment services in support of the U.S. Air Force Office of the Civil Engineer's NexGen IT program to replace legacy systems with current technologies.

Iowa governor encouraging using P3s to develop funds for projects

Terry Branstad

The key to reforming the state's economic development and education programs is through public-private partnerships, according to Gov. Terry Branstad. He is hoping for an investment of private funding to support public proposals.

With limited state funds of late, cities and counties are looking to more private sector investors to offer up both financial assistance and expertise not always found in the public sector. Since last year, the state has benefitted from its new Iowa Innovation Corp., a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that can accept tax-deductible donations. That corporation will likely set up the Innovation Fund, a for-profit legal entity that will entice private investments by providing incentives. Those who invest can get tax credits in the amount of 20 cents for every dollar they invest, up to a maximum of $1 million each year with tax credits capped at $8 million.

An education fund is also likely. It would create a pool of funds that the director of the Department of Education can distribute to schools or districts to help defray the costs of their new programs. A similar fund in Tennessee last year distributed nearly $10 million to four school systems in the state.

Two bridges planned by Port Authority of New York, New Jersey

Bill Baroni

Two bridges are being planned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. And for the first time, the two bridges will be built "at the same time," according to Bill Baroni, deputy executive director of the authority. The roadbed of the Bayonee Bridge will be raised to increase clearance for container ships, at a cost of $1 billion. The entire Goethals Bridge will be replaced through a public-private partnership at a cost of $1.5 billion. Over the next three years, the authority is expected to invest $7 billion in public and private projects.

Baroni cited a number of other projects on the drawing board, including:

• Replacement of the George Washington Bridge suspension cables at a cost of nearly $1 billion;
• Expansion of the Port Newark Container Terminal, a $500 million private project;
• Renovation and expansion of the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal at a cost of $183 million; and
• Rehabilitation of the Lincoln Tunnel Helix at a cost of $139 billion. 

Some contracting opportunities from across the country

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Frank Farmer (top left), a former military officer who led an overhaul at the Florida Department of Health, has resigned, citing family health issues for his departure. Jack Scott (top middle), who has served as California's community college chancellor for the last three years and is a former member of the California State Legislature, has announced his retirement, effective Sept. 1. Freida H. Hill (top right), the most recent of six different chancellors and interim chancellors of the Alabama Community College System, has resigned her post as chancellor and will be replaced temporarily by Susan Price, the system's vice chancellor for instructional and student services. Dr. Stephen Nimer, one of the world's premier leukemia and stem cell transplant researchers, has been tapped to head the University of Miami's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, succeeding Dr. W. Jarrad Goodwin, who stepped down to become chief medical officer for the center. Frederico "FJ" Talley, vice president and dean of the College of Southern Maryland's Leonardtown campus since 2005 and who has worked at several colleges and universities since 1980, was recently named the new president of Frederick Community College. Dr. Lester C. Newman (middle right), executive assistant to the president and Director of Administrative Management Programs at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, has been chosen to become the 12th president of Jarvis Christian College. University of Alabama President Robert Witt (middle center), who has been president of the University of Alabama's main campus in Tuscaloosa, will become chancellor of the university's three-campus system, replacing Malcolm Portera, who is retiring. Debbie Cardenas (middle left), who has held a variety of positions in municipal government for more than 20 years, has been chosen as finance director for the city of Mesquite, Utah. David Knapp, current city manager for the city of Cupertinto, California, since 2000, has been named the city manager for the city of Highland Park, Illinois. Texas Railroad Commission Executive Director John Tintera has resigned his position after 22 years with the agency, with Polly McDonald, director of the Commission's Pipeline Safety Division, named interim director. Mike Darrow, current city administrator in Gilbert, Minnesota, was recently chosen to become the new city administrator and utilities manager in New Richmond, Wisconsin. Tom Grady (bottom left) has announced that he will resign from his position as head of Florida's Office of Financial Regulation to become interim president of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Greg Schaffer (bottom center), Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity Communications at the U.S. Homeland Security Department and former deputy undersecretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate and assistant secretary of cybersecurity, has announced he is leaving the agency. Zac Covar (bottom right), former assistant deputy executive director and then deputy executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has been named the agency's new director, replacing Mark Vickery, who is retiring. DeQueen, Arkansas, School District Superintendent Bill Blackwood, who joined the district 55 years ago as a high school math teacher, will end his 30-year career as superintendent in June. Rita M. Glavin, former chief of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, has joined the law firm of Seward & Kissel as partner and co-chair of the government enforcement and internal investigations practice. Dawn Falco, former attorney at New York City's Department of Buildings Administrative Enforcement Unit, has joined the real estate consulting firm of Jack Jaffa & Associates as an attorney.