The world is currently fascinated by all kinds of applications. In fact, new apps for our phones, iPads, computers and personal data appliances are all the rage.

And, in this environment, even government data has become "sexy." Public officials cannot keep up with the demand for information and many have wisely recognized the need to interest private sector firms in the development of apps that work with government databases.

One way in which officials are striving to meet data demands is by approving projects related to "open data" initiatives. Government executives hope to spur private sector innovation. The goal is to allow access to non-confidential data collected and maintained by public entities in the hope that entrepreneurs will find better ways to disseminate the data.

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Infrastructure key to international business, public-private partnerships

Port of Miami and other seaports in Florida are preparing for increased international trade when the Panama Canal expansion is completed.

Florida's investment in seaports got a major boost with the recent signing by Gov. Rick Scott of two bills aimed at increasing economic development. The bills prioritize the state's investment in transportation projects, especially the state's 14 deep-water sea ports.

Like many other states with ports, Florida is preparing for the increased international trade expected when the Panama Canal expansion is completed.

"Seaport and transportation infrastructure improvements are critical to enhancing Florida's ability to compete," said Doug Wheeler, Ports Council president. Wheeler said the state will seek to be highly competitive with other East Coast states and ports in the Caribbean and along the North-South trade routes.

In signing the legislation, Scott noted that international business has created more than a million jobs in Florida, which accounted for about one-sixth of the state's economy last year. "We want the world to know that Florida is the ideal location to ship products to and from the entire Western Hemisphere," said Scott.

The legislation will result in funding initiatives that will allow for public-private partnerships that will benefit the state and help create jobs. Funding for the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Program will increase by $7 million due to the legislation, from the current $8 million to $15 million. Additionally, two new programs will be created to enhance the state's investment in seaports. The Strategic Port Investment Initiative will provide a minimum of $35 million per year from the State Transportation Trust Fund and the Intermodal Logistics Center Infrastructure Support Program will provide $5 million per year for roads, rail and other methods of moving goods through seaports.

USDOT grants $10.9 million in funding; bids to go out this summer

Bob Buckhorn

Thanks to a $10.9 million grant, two gaps on the Riverwalk in Tampa will be completed. The city is the recipient of a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). The funding will allow completion of a project that will result in pedestrians being able to walk the 2.6-mile walkway. The Florida award was part of $500 million in TIGER grant funding recently announced by USDOT.

The first section of the project will likely go out for bids this summer and construction could start as early as the end of next year.

The federal funding will be added to $4.7 million provided by the city of Tampa and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority. The two gaps in the walkway will cost $13.7 million. There are two sections to be addressed - one under the Kennedy Boulevard Bridge and the other going north from the Performing Arts Center to Water Works Park. The Kennedy bridge project will begin first and carries a $10 million cost.

This is the second year the city has applied for TIGER funding for the project, but last year it was not among the recipients that shared $511 million in funding.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said the completion of the Riverwalk should promote private investment along the river. "This is what we've been waiting for," said Buckhorn. "This is the beginning of that next chapter."  

Would provide for new Web site aimed at making bids available online

Anthony De Luca

A bill that would create a Web site with public information regarding government contracts has passed the Delaware Senate. The bill would allow the public easier access to information on government bids. "This would provide a place where people can find important government information at no cost," said bill sponsor and President Pro Tem Anthony De Luca. The senator said this bill, combined with other open government issues the legislature has addressed in recent years, will allow a more "accessible system where people can follow state actions."

In addition to providing bids for state contracts online, the Web site also would list legal notices and information on the bidding process. The site would also be available to county and municipal governments that want to post contracting and bid information. For those cities and counties that already post this information, the state would be required to provide a link to their various Web sites.

After passing the Senate, the bill has been referred to a House committee. If it is approved in the House and signed by the governor, the state would have until January of next year to get the Web site in operation. "We want a website that's easy to use and puts the information out for everyone to see," said De Luca.

Connecticut city approves plan including new $100M high school

Neil Cavallaro

A new $100 million high school is part of a five-year capital improvement plan approved recently by officials in West Haven, Connecticut. Although still subject to change, the new school is temporarily slated for construction in 2014. Superintendent Neil Cavallaro said the state would reimburse 75 percent of the $100 million in costs. The projects must be in the capital improvement plan to be eligible for grant funding. Only next year's projects will proceed after the capital improvement plan was approved. Others may qualify for bond notes that could be issued when needed. Next year's projects alone account for a total of $12.66 million, with about $3 million of that through bonding. Those projects will include sidewalk work, beach improvements, street paving and storm sewer projects. Cavallaro said if the school project were to start construction in 2014, it is likely it could be completed by late 2016. The plan calls for the renovation of the gym and auditorium and a complete rebuilding of the remainder of the school.

 

Arizona school district to take $20 million bond issue to voters

A more than $20 million bond election is going before voter in November following action of the Flagstaff Unified School District. If approved, the bond proceeds would be used for building repairs and renovation, transportation vehicles and furniture and equipment. Officials say a more than $10 million cut in state funds is one of the reasons for seeking the bond election. In addition, more funding intended for building renewal has been withheld since a 2006 bond election and no state building renewal funds are anticipated in the next five years. Among the proposed spending from the bond issue are $13.8 million for construction, remodeling and renovations; $4.9 million for technology replacements and upgrades; $1.4 million for transportation vehicles; and $650,000 for furniture and equipment.

 

Kansas State wish list includes new medical education building

Bernadette Gray-Little

The Kansas Board of Regents this week will consider a proposal to build a new $75 million medical education building. Regents will be seeking a commitment of $30 million in private funds and revenue bonds and $15 million from a medical resident FICA refund. Kansas University Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said the request is part of the university's effort to "increase the stature of the medical school." After the board makes its decision, its budget request will go to Gov. Sam Brownback by October. The current medical building was completed in 1976, and is overcrowded and does not meet accrediting standards. The increased size is sought to help meet the needs of what it hopes will be an expansion of its student enrollment from 175 to 225. The university had to turn away some prospective medical students because of lack of space for larger classes. The university is seeking an annual appropriation of $2.5 million in support of the Kansas Institute for Translational Chemical Biology. KU will request additional state funding to improve the KU Medical Center, including the School of Medicine in Wichita. Other large projects the regents will be discussing include: $16 million in additional funding for technical colleges; $15 million to expand the Kansas Technology Center at Pittsburg State University; $5 million annual appropriation to expand agricultural research at Kansas State University; $5 million annual appropriation to improve the College of Architecture, Planning and Design at Kansas State; $5 million annual appropriation for a research synergy center at Kansas State; $8 million for community colleges; and a $5.25 million funding increase for the College of Health Professions at Wichita State.

 

Check out these recent awards:

• Noblis was awarded a $38M contract by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) to provide systems engineering and analysis services to support NESDIS in all phases of the procurement process for new or upgraded environmental satellite ground systems.
• Hickory Construction has been awarded a $21.4 million contract by Hamilton County, Tennessee, for construction of a new Ooltewah Elementary School.
• Scartelli Construction Services Inc. has been awarded a $1.6 million contract by the Dickson City, Pennsylvania, Borough Council for construction of a new municipal building.
• Skyline Management Group has been awarded a five-year, $41 million contract to manage the city of Chicago's O'Hare Airport international terminal and oversee a concession makeover.
• Cray Inc. won a $16 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense for its High Performance Computing Modernization Program to upgrade three existing Cray XE6 supercomputers and deliver a new Cray XE6 supercomputer to the Naval Research Lab in Monterey, California.
• Fisher Construction has been awarded a $1,122,601.43 contract by the city of Midland, Michigan, for reconstruction of Poseyville Road from the bridge over the Tittabawassee River to the south city limits.
• Aegion Corporation subsidiary, Insituform Technologies, LLC, has been awarded a $5 million contract from the City of Aurora, Colorado, for the rehabilitation of more than 200,000 feet of small-diameter sewer pipelines. The contract has options for two one-year terms.
• Amyris, Inc. announced it has been awarded an $8 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop tools that can expand the scope of Amyris' industrial synthetic biology technology platform across various biological platforms and cell types.
• QinetiQ North America was awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Tactical Communications and Services for installation, operations and maintenance of tactical communication systems. The contract has a two-year base with three one-year options for a total ceiling value of $3 billion.
• Hewlett-Packard won a Department of Veterans Affairs contract valued at as much as $543 million to provide wireless tracking of hospital equipment such as wheelchairs and defibrillators.The monitoring systems will be installed at 152 medical centers.

Alamo Colleges studying public-private partnership projects

Public-private partnerships are in San Antonio's the Alamo Colleges' future. A board committee is discussing the use of a P3 arrangement between the college and the Tobin Hill Historic District. A development firm has been hired to head up the partnership efforts, which could lead to a new 1,000-space parking garage, a four-story residential development with 150 units and a third building with more than 60 units. The development firm has also recommended the building of a 100,000-square-foot academic facility. The cost of parking could rise for fall as a means of financing the parking garage.

New Mexico

• The U.S. Department of the Army is requesting bids for design-build of an Army Reserve Center in Las Cruces.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, is requesting bids for White Fire rehab material supply, Ruidoso.
• New Mexico State University, is requesting bids for mass spectrometer system for chemistry/biochemistry.

Texas

• The International Boundary and Water Commission is requesting bids for rehabilitation improvements-urban levee, Presidio.
• The city of Laredo is requesting bids for compression brass fittings and mechanical joint couplings iron fittings.
• The U.S. Army Medical Command, Beaumont Army Medical Center, is requesting bids for fume hood and bio-safety cabinet maintenance service.  

Kansas

• The University of Kansas Medical Center is seeking bids for landscaping services at KU-Wichita campus.
• Kansas State University is seeking bids for consulting services for human resource management.
• Kansas State University is seeking bids for facilities management software.

Virginia

• The College of William and Mary has released letters of interest and statements of qualifications for limited pre-construction services with the option of construction manager-at-risk construction services for the renovation of Chandler Hall, a 40,630-square-foot building.
• Old Dominion University is seeking bids for construction of a new arts building.
• The city of Richmond is seeking bids for furnishing and delivering process controllers to the Richmond Department of Utilities.
• The Virginia Department of Military Affairs is seeking bids for renovations including providing interior and exterior alterations and associated work for two story wood framed World War II criteria barracks-type facilities.

Nevada

• The state of Nevada is seeking bids for 19-inch monitors and keyboard and mouse sets.
• The Nevada Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures is seeking bids for thermoelectrically cooled automatic cold-cranking simulator.

Kathy Mears (top left), who has served in a variety of communications and policy roles for Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Daniel Webster, has been named chief of staff to Incoming Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's Chief of Staff Kunal Merchant (top center) and Special Assistant R.E. Graswich (top right) are leaving - with Merchant named executive director of the Think Big arena task force and Graswich appointed as the task force's director of public affairs; they will be replaced by senior advisors Cassandra Jennings and Patti Bisharat. After nearly 38 years of service to New Mexico State University, Physical Science Laboratory Director Jay Jordan will retire on July 1. Ryan Duffy, former director of social media at Ron Sachs Communications, has been chosen by Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford to serve as his communications director. Eric Eshback, current superintendent at Upper Adams School District in Biglerville, Pennsylvania, has been chosen to become the next superintendent of the York County school district, replacing the retiring Linda Lemmons. Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, professor of history and associate dean for the humanities in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Connecticut, has been appointed the university's vice provost for diversity. West Charlotte High School Principal Shelton Jefferies (middle right) is leaving that post to take a top school administrative job in Union County. University of Florida President Bernie Machen (middle center) has announced his retirement by the end of 2013, after having served as president since January 2004. Teresa A. Sullivan (middle left), former University of Michigan provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and former executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at The University of Texas, will resign as the University of Virginia's president after just two years in office, citing a "philosophical difference of opinion" with the board. The Lancaster, Ohio, school board has named human resources director Steve Wigton to replace outgoing superintendent Rob Walker, who is leaving the district to become the superintendent of the Pickerington School System. Marketa George Oliver, former city administrator for Windsor Heights, Iowa, has been hired as the new city administrator for Norwalk, Iowa, replacing retiring Mark Miller. Michael L. Smith, who has served as captain of the Pleasant Grove, Utah, Police Department for the past several years, has been named the city's new chief of police, replacing retiring Chief Tom Paul. Daniel Nerad (bottom left), superintendent of the Madison, Wisconsin, school district, was recently named the new superintendent of the Birmingham Public Schools. The Ocean Springs, Mississippi, School Board has selected Bonita Coleman-Potter (bottom center), deputy superintendent of the Prince George County Public Schools in Maryland, as the new Superintendent of Education. Gregory Baker (bottom right), Kansas City's assistant city manager for seven years, has been selected as the next city manager for Damascus, Oregon, replacing retiring City Manager Dan O'Dell. Davison Township retired Police Chief Larry R. Hrinik has been chosen as the new police chief for the city of Saline, Michigan, replacing Chief Paul Bunten, who retired. Chip Vincent, who has served as interim administrator for the City of Renton, Washington's, Community and Economic Development Department since March, has been named administrator of the department. Longtime firefighter Mike Randolph has been selected fire chief of the city of Napa, California, a post he has held on an interim basis since former Chief Tom Borman retired. After 52 years of service, Morris, Illinois, Fire Chief Robert Coleman, 74, has decided to retire and will be replaced by Deputy Chief Tracey Steffes on July 1. Michael Gottfredson, executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of California, Irvine since 2000 and who spent 15 years prior to that appointment at the University of Arizona, has been named president of the University of Oregon.

National Association of Counties annual conference to feature O'Connor

GMIS International, the premier organization for public sector IT leaders, will hold its Annual Conference August 19 - 22, in Chicago, Illinois. The conference brings together public sector technology leaders and decision-makers representing a wide variety of government agencies from throughout the United States. Representatives from international organizations will also attend and provide updates on technology initiatives in their respective countries. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to interact in the heart of downtown Chicago. To learn more about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, click here.

Association for Demand Response, Smart Grid plans meeting

The Association for Demand Response and Smart Grid (ADS - formerly DRCC) will hold its National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid on June 26 - June 28 at the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C. The event focuses on the business and policy aspects of demand response and its enabling technologies and applications. In addition to a conventional format of presentations on case studies and the latest research, it devotes an entire day to a roundtable discussion format where some of the leading experts in demand response discuss with each other and with the audience the latest trends, issues and business developments. For more information contact: Jenny Senff at Jenny.senff@demandresponsesmartgrid.org.