P3s address student housing needs on campuses
Student housing on college and university campuses has become critically important for many reasons - recruitment, retention and the overall campus experience of students. Even community colleges - not traditionally known for cultivating on-site communities - are eager to have housing near or on their campuses.

Unfortunately, in most cases, public funds needed for construction do not exist. So, private sector firms willing to finance, build and maintain housing facilities are attractive partnering candidates for higher education institutions throughout the country.

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Seek cost/benefit analysis between use of private contractors, state employees

Harry Bronson

Legislation calling for state agencies to conduct cost/benefit studies of contracts and services to be farmed out to private vendors is making its way through New York state government. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Harry Bronson, is headed to the Senate and then would have to be signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to become law.

State agencies would have to provide studies to show that if an outside contractor or vendor was chosen to do the work, they would have to show a comparison of the costs if the work is done in-house. "To save taxpayer dollars, especially during this tough economic time, it is crucial that we have a system in place to determine the most cost-effective way to carry out state agency projects," said Bronson. "It is possible to execute a project using the expertise and skills of our state's own workforce; it's more cost-effective than doling out the same job to private consultants." Bronson said the bill would reform contract procurement processes that would increase government efficiency and curb costs "before the agency enters into a contractual agreement with a private provider." Proponents of the bill say that in many cases, outside vendors who are paid $2 billion per year perform work that could be done by state employees at lower costs.

An analysis conducted three years ago supported the notion that state employees can do much of the work being farmed out to private contractors. That analysis claimed that the state could save $250 million over three years simply by reducing the number of information technology jobs contracted out.

Grants awarded to nonprofits struggling to keep state facilities open

Elizabeth Goldstein

Some California state parks are getting some much-needed new revenue as they struggle to remain open because of budget cuts and revenue shortfalls. The California State Parks Foundation has announced that it will award grants totaling more than $328,000 to 13 nonprofit organizations that have committed to keeping local parks from closing by funding the maintenance and operating costs of state parks. "We are pleased to announce these grants as part of our integrated effort to help keep these threatened parks open," said CSPF President Elizabeth Goldstein. "The grantees that have come forward to assist parks need our help now, and more organizations will have similar needs in the future. It is our hope to assist in providing reprieves for as many parks as possible by working closely with the parks community."

The state is turning to public-private partnerships to keep parks open. A total of 70 state parks in California were previously scheduled to be shuttered, but private donations, nonprofits and local governments have stepped up, aided by legislation, and many of those parks are still open. Legislation last October allowed the parks to enter into operating agreements with nonprofits so they could stay open. Recipients of the grants said the funds will help the parks to stay open. "This is an example of the value of public-private partnerships," said California Department of Parks and Recreation Director Ruth Coleman.

It's here!

Mary Scott Nabers' book, Collaboration Nation, is now available.

For more information on this important book on how public-private ventures are revolutionizing the business of government, or to order a copy, click here.

UMMC secures funding for new research facility on campus

John Hall

The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson will begin construction on a new research building in January. The $35 million, eight-story facility - the Cancer and Biomedical Science Research Center - will take about 18 months to complete. Some $20 million of the funding will come from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Current plans are to finish the ground-, first- and second-floor interiors of the 220,000-square-foot building and complete additional floors as funds become available. UMMC Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. John Hall, said the new center will help alleviate overcrowding and will help UMMC recruit scientists, expand research centers and institutes and develop the Biotechnology Research Park. The biotech company incubator space will be housed in some 25,000 square feet of one floor of the facility. It will also house the laboratory animal facilities and Cancer Institute labs.

Western Kentucky University to expand its nursing program

Construction of a more than 77,000-square-foot building adjacent to the Western Kentucky University Medical Center complex will begin soon now that financing has been secured. Commonwealth Health Corp.'s building will mostly be used for the WKU School of Nursing. The Medical Center will own the building and the university will have a long-term lease on the space. The university will have access to the new facility and thus be able to double the number of nursing students who enroll at the university. WKU is expected to lease 80 percent of the building. The nursing program, faculty offices and lab space will be part of the building. Classes are expected to begin next fall.

Capital improvement projects in S. Dakota to be funded by bonds

Monte Kramer

A 10-year plan for capital improvements valued at $218.9 million has been approved by the South Dakota State Board of Regents. Bonds in the amount of $55.3 million will be issued in 2014, with a second round valued at $49.7 million to be issued in 2020. Student fees would be used to pay off part of the bonds, with money raised by the various institutions making up the remainder. Monte Kramer, the university system's vice president for finance and administration, said he expects to have bonding capacity in 2014 and be able to bond again sooner than 2020. Among the projects:

• Northern State will get bond funding of $600,000 for street repairs and $5 million toward the cost of a fine arts center renovation and expansion;
• Black Hills State will get bonding to cover $4 million of the cost of infrastructure upgrades and $1.25 million toward renovations of the science hall;
• Dakota State University's projects include $1.275 million for energy efficiency projects and ADA compliance improvements and $6 million toward information systems building;
• South Dakota State has seven projects totaling $93.4 million and will get $44.4 million in bonding funds, the largest project being $13 million toward a performing arts center costs;
• The University of South Dakota will get $8.7 million toward its largest project, a $30 million health sciences building and a total of $30.7 million toward four projects totaling $54 million; and
• The School of Mines will receive $6 million toward a $37 million research center as one of two projects. 

Say passage would undermine relations between federal, state, local governments

Officials of a variety of organizations that include governors, members of state legislatures and city and county governments have penned a letter to congressional leaders expressing their opposition to legislation that would restrict participation of federal agency personnel in state and local conferences, meetings and programs.

The bill, HR 2146, according to the letter signed by executive directors of the National Governor's Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, the United States Conference of Mayors and the International City/County Management Association, would "limit the type of intergovernmental dialogue necessary for finding solutions to shared policy problems that are vital for conserving scarce resources and meeting public needs."

The letter notes the organizations' recognition that the bill is designed to reduce wasteful spending and to promote transparency, but adds that by restricting interaction by government officials at a variety of working meetings, training courses, conferences and best practice forums organized by state and local associations, the bill "would severely curtail intergovernmental cooperation, limit the efficiency of government programs and reduce the level of information available to the public."

The section of the bill that is causing heartburn among state and local officials prohibits federal agencies from spending agency funds to attend more than one conference per fiscal year that is sponsored or organized by an individual organization unless the agency is a primary sponsor and organizer of the conference. The local officials note that the language can be construed to prohibit an agency employee from attending more than one event per year of an organizer, thus denying their attendance at meetings covering important topics like criminal justice, homeland security, education and more. "Collaboration, cooperation, information sharing and transparency between governments are critical if we are to address our nation's most pressing issues," reads the letter and signers agree that this legislation would "undermine the intergovernmental relationship between federal, state and local governments."

Iowa city approves facility plans for new wastewater plant

Officials in Le Mars, Iowa, recently approved the facility plan for a nearly $16.9 million new wastewater plant that would divert much of the city's industrial sewage and treat it a distance away from town. Because the plant is being built two miles from town, citizens were assured they would not be dealing with odor issues. Plans are not to increase the size of the plant but as the current plant continues to fail, more capacity will be moved to the new site. The new plant would treat primarily wastewater from two of Le Mars' industrial plants, which would reduce the load on the current plant that will be used by the remainder of the city. The loans for the new plant would be paid off through industrial debt agreements. One of the industries would pay $750,000 per year and the other $200,000 per year until the loan is paid. Improvements at the current plant will be paid off through user fees.

California city approves funding for Town Square construction

Russ Branson

Officials in the city of Roseville, California, said they will transfer $4.47 million from funds it saved during more solid economic times rather than borrow funds to pay for construction of the new Town Square. Those funds will go toward the total price tag of the project, which is $8.25 million. The city previously transferred $3.8 million from the Public Facilities Fund toward the project costs. City Treasurer Russ Branson said the project will use Strategic Improvement Funds to pay for road and utility work. The first phase of the project includes construction of the Town Square and sewer, water, electric, roadway and streetscape improvements. That part of the project should be completed by February of next year and infrastructure improvements for the project will be completed by March 2013. 

Bids being solicited for Iowa city's park shelter house

Bids are being solicited by the city of Urbandale, Iowa, for construction of the Walker Johnston Park Shelter House. The total cost of the project will be $1.8 million. A federal grant of more than $890,000 will account for 75 percent of the costs. The state will kick in 10 percent, or $89,000, and local funding of 15 percent will be slightly over $133,000. The shelter house is to be available for persons to seek shelter in times of threatening weather, such as tornadoes. A public hearing to consider bids will be held June. 12. The facility will be made of concrete.

City could choose to build its own sewer treatment plant

The city of Hudson, Ohio, is looking at the possibility of building its own sewer treatment plant, given the increasing cost of paying the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District for treating its wastewater. Officials are currently studying the difference in the costs of a city-owned plant versus the regional sewer district. The next step in the process is determining the return on investment and rates for city customers. The costs of having the district treat the wastewater has increased from $1.8 million in 2011 to a projected cost of $3 million by 2017. The city is still paying off improvements incurred to construct a pump station and force main and hopes to have that paid off by 2019. A new plant in Hudson will cost approximately $38 million and operating cost would be $5.3 million.

 

Mississippi city to rebid aquatic center after all bids exceed budget

Don Lewis

Bids from companies seeking to build a new indoor aquatic center in Tupelo, Mississippi, will have to bid again after all bids were rejected by city officials. All of the six bids submitted exceeded the budget for the project by at least $1.4 million. Officials say they will now work with companies that bid, hoping to pare the project costs down on the bids that ranged from $13.4 million to $15.2 million. The city had projected a price of $11.3 million. "We thought we had put the numbers very conservative," said Tupelo Parks and Recreation Director Don Lewis. He said the city officials are disappointed and that because construction is picking up, bidders aren't issuing as low bids as predicted. The companies will be invited to bid again once a new proposal is put together. If bids the second time around are low enough to be accepted by the city, a contract could be approved in late June or early July. The center would include an Olympic-size pool and a smaller pool for fitness and instruction classes. It would also include seating for spectators, locker rooms, rest rooms, offices, a multi-purpose room, kitchen, lobby and outdoor area and splash pad.

 

Hawaii Tourism Authority to seek destination representation services

The Hawaii Tourism Authority plans to issue a request for proposals from qualified applicants to provide Europe Leisure Tourism Destination Representation. The RFP will include development of an annual tourism marketing plan to increase leisure travelers and visitor spending in the Hawaiian islands for tourists from the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Switzerland; integration of activities with the travel trade through multi-faceted, traditional and non-traditional means and development and facilitation of partnerships and other relationships with Hawaii's visitor industry. The firm chosen from the RFP will be judged on applicant qualification, merits of the proposed services and price. The contract is expected to be awarded Aug. 1 and will run from that date through Dec. 31, 2014, with options for three one-year periods.

 

New city hall project trumps new regional arts center construction

Plans to build a new regional museum as a wing on the current arts center in Bountiful, Utah, have been scrapped for a plan to build a new city hall. The museum and arts center would then be moved into the current city hall. The construction plan is estimated at $7.2 million, with $2.4 million in city Redevelopment Agency funds and $4.8 million coming from capital reserve funds for the new city hall. Officials are also looking at a $43,200 expense to demolish the current arts center. The change of plans came after officials realized it would cost at least $1.5 million to make the changes planned for the arts center. Officials said it made no sense to put that much money into an older building and thus opted for the new city hall. The city now will seek an architect to address the new city hall as well as for renovations of the current city hall.

 

Plans approved for new San Diego Central Courthouse

California's State Public Works Board has approved preliminary plans for the new San Diego Central Courthouse (in accompanying artist's rendering) for the Superior Court of San Diego County. The 22-story, 704,000-square-foot facility will include more than 70 courtrooms and space for public services, court administration and a secure holding area for defendants who are held in custody. There will also be underground tunnels connecting the San Diego Central Jail and a public bridge to the court and county offices in the nearby Hall of Justice. The design of the building will include some historical characteristics of civic buildings and will also have some contemporary edges. It will feature energy-efficient construction and sustainability features so that it will qualify for LEED Silver ratings from the U.S. Green Building Council. It will take advantage of the region's climate to use sunlight for interior lighting as much as possible while using 15 percent less energy. The new facility, which is expected to fit in with the city's redevelopment plans, will also be designed to promote pedestrian and public transit travel. Construction is expected to begin in 2014 and completed in late 2016. It is funded by legislation from 2008 that provided for $5 billion in new and renovated courthouses using fees, penalties and assessments to pay for them instead of reserves from the state General Fund.

 

Check out these recent awards:

• Black & Veatch/Garney was awarded a $162.5 million contract from the Midland County, Texas, Fresh Water Supply District No. 1 for design and construction services that will cover the bulk of the work necessary to build pipelines from T-Bar Ranch to Midland County.
• Westat has won a contract worth up to $3.7 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for special studies and analysis.
• Woodruff Construction won a $95,000 contract from the Aurelia School District in Iowa for a renovation project to address ADA compliance and to remodel and repair existing facilities at the Aurelia school.
• Science Applications International Corp. won a contract worth up to $23.4 million from the Navy for command, control, communications, computers and intelligence software engineering support.
• Fazzone Construction was awarded a $247,800 contract by the city of Bastrop, Texas, to build a new training and administrative building for Public Works, Bastrop Power & Light and the parks department.
• Progeny Systems has been awarded a contract worth up to $16.2 million from the Navy for Small Business Innovative Research Phase III engineering and technical support services.
• MMGY was awarded a $180,000 contract from the New Mexico Department of Tourism to redesign its decade-old Web site.
• Halbrook Excavating has been awarded a $504,045 contract by the Ankeny (Iows) City Council for its Cherry Street project that includes construction of a 36-foot-wide curb and gutter street from the current end near Ankeny High School north to Southwest Ordnance Road. The project is about 800 feet in length. It will include storm sewers, water main, sanitary sewer, street lighting, recreation trail, street trees and other improvements.
• W.B. Kibler Construction Company was awarded a contract for $7.3 million for a new building for the district's fifth and sixth grades in the Wylie ISD in Texas.
• Utility Contracting Inc. has won a $573,005 contract from the city of Steubenville, Ohio, for a University Boulevard storm sewer project that will separate the sanitary sewer from the storm sewer system.

Arizona city considering P3 for wastewater treatment plant

Pat McCourt

A public-private partnership for operation of its wastewater treatment plant is being considered by the city of Willcox, Arizona. City Manager Pat McCourt has recommended signing of a five-year management contract with a Colorado firm. Although major upgrades were made to the plant in 2000, the city's lagoon system is not adequate to properly treat the wastewater. Thus, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has issued the city a Notice of Violation. McCourt said that failure to address the concerns issued by the ADEQ could result in "substantial fines and the loss of the ability to connect any new accounts to the sewer collection system." The city is now facing making major investments in facilities to keep up with long-term needs. Whatever kind of plant the city chooses, McCourt said city employees "bring in a high level of operational expertise" to help develop a new facility, but with a partner who will let the city participate in the selection of method, design of facility and future operation of the facility. McCourt said the best way to do that is to bring in a large private firm with broad experience in operating various types of wastewater facilities. Three qualified responses were received to the city's request for qualifications.

Amarillo looking forward to P3 for hotel, parking garage project

A public-private partnership addressing a new hotel and parking garage lease was recently approved by the Amarillo Local Government Corp. that is expected to be a good first step toward revitalizing the downtown area. The agreement kicks off phase two of the project, as the beginning of demolition has already started in the area where the parking garage will be situated. The hotel will take the place of a parking lot in the downtown area. The city also is involved in studies to help make the downtown area more pedestrian-friendly. Another future phase of the downtown project will be the Multi-Purpose Event Center, which is currently on the drawing board.

North Dakota

• The North Dakota Office of the Attorney General is seeking bids for services for the production of radio commercials, live radio reads and media placement for marketing the North Dakota Lottery.
• Job Service North Dakota is seeking bids for janitorial service, lawn care and sidewalk snow removal at Job Service North Dakota - Fargo.
• The North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon is requesting bids for 52 32-inch flat screen LCD televisions.

Missouri

• The Missouri Department of Corrections is seeking bids for the provision of janitorial services for its offices located at 836 N Scott, Belton, Missouri, including 6623 total square feet in size. There are approximately 3974 square feet of carpeting and 2649 square feet of tile.
• The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking bids from qualified bidders who can provide Brush Chipper to its 10 districts.
• The University of Missouri is seeking bids for furnishing and delivery of a fire suppression system for University of Missouri Health Care. 

Nebraska

• The State of Nebraska is seeking a qualified contractor to provide Software as a Service for Identifying Nebraska Sales and Use Tax Rates and Jurisdictions for Public Access.
• The State of Nebraska is seeking a qualified contractor to provide Stop Loss Insurance Coverage for the State of Nebraska Group Medical Insurance and Pharmacy Plans.

South Carolina

• The State of South Carolina Information Technology Management Office seeks to develop a State Term Contract(s) for new, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Toner and REMANUFACTURED cartridges for Dell, Hewlett Packard, Kyocera Mita, Lexmark, Ricoh and Xerox printers.
• The State of South Carolina Information Technology Management Office is seeking a care call contract for an electronic monitoring, service documentation, billing and reporting system for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Maine

• The Maine Maritime Academy is seeking bids for removal and replacement of an existing 230-foot long, 6-foot wide concrete sidewalk, rehabilitation of an existing concrete curb (parging) and asphalt paving.
• The Maine Bureau of General Services is seeking bids for the construction of a new boating facility on Branch Lake in Ellsworth. The project will provide a new boat launch as well as parking for 25 vehicle/trailer rigs. The boating facility will also include a boat/trailer wash down area and a wastewater vault privy.

 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 Joseph Jordan.

Joseph Jordan

Joseph Jordan earned his bachelor's degree in political science from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his M.B.A. from the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration in Charlottesville, Virginia. From 1998 to 2000, Jordan was an associate producer on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews," helping select topics, produce show segments and brief guests who appeared on the daily news show. In 2000, he built and managed operations of Backwire, a Web-based publisher-marketer, and transitioned to project manager for strategic planning and product development when the company was purchased by Leap Wireless. There he managed advertising sales, marketing, business development and data operations in the company's telephone entertainment network. Also in the public sector, Jordan was an engagement manager with global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he specialized in developing purchasing and supply management strategies for clients across several industries. He also worked in the firm's public sector practice, advising state governments on how to cut costs and capture efficiencies. Jordan also is a former consultant for a Boston communications company, leading marketing strategies, media campaigns and crisis management plans for clients primarily in the nonprofit and elder care sectors. Jordan entered the public sector in 2009 when he was appointed Associate Administrator of Government Contracting and Business Development at the U.S. Small Business Administration. He served in that capacity until recently, when President Barack Obama appointed him administrator of the White House Office of Federal Procurement Policy. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee recently approved his appointment.

 

Dr. Javier Flores (top left), who has spent the last 13 years at Howard College in Big Spring, Texas, most recently as executive dean of students services, has been named vice president of student affairs and enrollment management at Angelo State University. Howard Schmidt (top center), the White House cybersecurity coordinator, is stepping down after serving two and a half years and will retire at the end of May, ending a public service career that spans 45 years. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has chosen its next president from the inside, choosing L. Rafael Reif (top right), the university's provost and an MIT faculty member for more than three decades, as MIT's next president. Joseph Vilachi of West Dundee, Illinois, has been chosen as the new treasurer for the town of Palisade, Colorado. Harvey Franklin Sr., superintendent of the Greenville (Mississippi) Public School District, has resigned, with Deputy Superintendent Leeson Taylor II named acting interim superintendent. Frank Spevacek, longtime consultant to the City of La Quinta, California, and founding partner of a consulting firm that advises cities on finance, redevelopment and economic development, has been named by La Quinta as its new city manager. State Rep. Veronica Gonzales (middle right) will resign her seat in the Texas House of Representatives to take on the role of vice president for university advancement at The University of Texas-Pan American, effective July 1. Rick Knabb (middle center), who spent eight years as a senior hurricane specialist and science and operations officer in West Miami-Dade County, is the new director of the National Hurricane Center, replacing Bill Read, who retires June 2. Florida Senate President-Don Gaetz has announced the hiring of 20-year veteran Department of Revenue Director Lisa Vickers (middle left), who has served as director since 2007, as his senior policy advisor. Jeffrey Levine, a town planner in Brookline, Massachusetts, has been recommended for the post of planning and urban development director in Portland, Oregon, to replace Penny St. Louis, who left the department this year. College of the Desert, a community college in Palm Desert, California, has selected Joel Kinnamon, current chancellor of Chabot-Las Positas Community College District in Pleasanton, as its new president/superintendent, effective July 9. Dr. Kathryn A. Foster, previously a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and who worked in various capacities at the University of Buffalo in New York from 1993 to 2011, has been chosen as the next leader of the University of Maine at Farmington. Ralph Lange (bottom left), former head of the Monroe County Road Commission and current executive director of the Henry County (Ohio) Improvement Corporation, has been selected as the next city manager in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents has approved the appointment of Joseph C. Rallo (bottom center), president of Angelo State University, as a vice chancellor for academic affairs for the System. Rick McIntyre (bottom right), 16-year veteran of the Jacksonville Fire Department, former Fire Service Manager with Lockheed Martin Energy Systems in Kentucky and a fire protection specialist with Duke Energy for 10 years, has been selected as Fire Chief in High Point, North Carolina. Fairview, Oregon, Finance Director Samantha Nelson has been selected interim city administrator, replacing Joe Gall, who accepted an offer to become city administrator for Sherwood in Washington County. Louisiana State University has named Stuart R. Bell, dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas, as the university's new executive vice chancellor and provost, replacing John Maxwell Hamilton, who served that post in a two-year appointment. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has named Lt. John Ryan, a 33-year veteran of the Port Authority Police Department, as acting chief.