Could backpacks become obsolete? It could happen when there is no longer a need for students to carry books home at the end of a school day. Textbooks and curriculum are quickly becoming digitized and hard-cover books are no longer the norm. Students are universally comfortable in a digital world and that is where they learn best. Educators throughout the country are launching initiatives designed to make learning more interactive with digital textbooks, labs and other resources.

At the college level, the movement favors an open-source, digital textbook bank that significantly decreases user costs. The trend is common on campuses of institutions of higher learning. The adoption of digital learning resources has proven to increase efficiency, cut costs, decrease environmental waste and ultimately improve enthusiasm for learning.

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One to add private-developer dorms; other builds $1.1 billion development

An artist's rendering of part of the proposed Village at USC, which is being called the largest economic development project in the history of South Los Angeles.

Innovation is being substituted for non-existent cash among many of the country's institutions of higher education. As revenues dwindle and states cut support for colleges and universities, those institutions' executives are looking at all options as they deal with needs for student housing, academic buildings, technology upgrades and all the trappings of college life.

Public-private partnerships are becoming a more and more popular option for those education officials, and two such projects were recently announced by the University of Kentucky (UK) and the University of Southern California (USC).

UK Trustees recently authorized the next phase of a public-private partnership that will result in the construction of five new residence halls. The project would add more than 2,300 beds at a cost of $133.7 million.

The Village at USC, a $1.1 billion public-private partnership that will result in a mixed used retail and housing center, is the largest economic development project in South Los Angeles history. The project will be built on

Britt Brockman

university land and completely with private funding. That project recently drew approval from the Los Angeles Planning and Land Use Management Committee. Following the approval by the committee, the project now must be approved by the City Council.

At UK, private developer Education Realty Trust will both build and manage the five new residence halls. UK Board Chair Britt Brockman called the approval of the deal an "historic moment" in the history of the university. "This will give the opportunity for living and learning for our students, which is a proven way to retain them," he said.

During the term of the 75-year lease, UK will receive a percentage of gross revenue from rent until the developer realizes a set percent rate of return, which is estimated to be after about 30 years. UK's receipts would then increase to a higher percent of net income. Some of the dorms will include retail space. The developer will put up all of the equity for the construction.

The project meets the needs of the university and the developer can build the facilities faster and cheaper. And because the dorms will be owned by the developer, the property will be added to local tax rolls.

The Village at USC is expected to create 12,000 new jobs, 8,000 of which will be permanent. It will mean the addition of thousands of new student beds, a multi-use retail complex and new academic facilities. Officials have described it as a win for the community, the university and the city. To make way for the new complex, USC-owned University Village, an aging shopping center, will be demolished. Some 5 million square feet of academic, commercial and housing space will be constructed on the property. The university has agreed to pay $20 million in community benefits that will be used to maintain affordable housing in the area. Students living within five miles of the campus will be given priority for hiring at the Village. The university also has agreed to other stipulations and payments in conjunction with the redevelopment project.

Two school bonds on tap in Sacramento to address construction, safety

Jonathan Raymond

Health and safety issues and new construction will be addressed if a $414 million bond issue passes in the Sacramento City Unified School District. "Giving our kids the best education we can means providing them with the equipment, technology and learning environments essential to acquiring the skills they need," said Superintendent Jonathan Raymond. One of the bond issues would provide $346 million in construction, rehab and replacement of school facilities. The project includes modernizing classrooms and science labs, upgrading technology, repairing roofs and gutters and replacing HVAC units. The second bond addresses student health and safety needs at all schools. The projects would include upgrading playgrounds and athletic fields, improving physical education facilities and upgrading campus kitchens. Raymond stressed that most schools in the district average 50 years old and renovations are necessary. Officials are pushing for the bond issues now because of low interest rates and low construction costs due to competition among bidders. The district also will seek matching grants for some of the funding. Officials also are hoping that some of the bond money can be used to leverage savings, freeing up school funds for academics and teachers. They are confident some of the improvements under consideration can help the district save $2 million per year on energy and water bills.

 

10-town election in Massachusetts OK's renovation of technical high school

A successful election involving 10 towns in Massachusetts has resulted in approval of a $73.8 million project to renovate Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School. Only three of the 10 towns voted against the issue. The project calls for renovation and expansion of the school to meet the changing educational standards for vocational programs and to bring the 40-year-old building up to code. Up to $47 million of the project will be paid by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The 10 towns - Auburn, Charlton, Dudley, North Brookfield, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Southbridge, Spencer and Webster - will pay the remaining $27.3 million. The school will finance the $27.3 million through 30-year obligation bonds. The project includes a 50,000-square-foot addition to expand classrooms and add science labs, while three quarters of the work includes renovations and improvements, including roofing, windows, HVAC system, asbestos abatement and adding a fire sprinkler system.

 Illinois school district to bid project for renovation at elementary school

Mark Denman

The Danville (Illinois) school district has approved plans for renovations at its East Park Elementary School and the project will go out for bids. The planned renovation is part of a three-year project and East Park is the final school set for renovations. Cost of this last phase of the three-year project is between $10.75 million and $11.75 million. East Park is larger than the other two schools that underwent renovations and how much money is available will determine how much of the planned renovations will be completed. The project will be bid in four packages - general contractor, electrical, plumbing and mechanical - early in November. Bids are expected to be awarded Dec. 13. If that schedule is followed, work could begin during the Christmas holidays and completed by mid-August of next year. Among the renovations planned are a new roof, replacement of sidewalks, land grading around the building, replacement of drainage pipes, removing lockers, replacing fixtures and repairing restrooms, creating two new classrooms for possible computer labs and paving the parking lot and a road around the school. Depending on how much the bids are and how much funding is available, some alternative projects could be added, including an addition to the east side of the gym for a cafeteria to adjoin the existing kitchen or constructing a new cafeteria and a new kitchen south of the main entrance to the school. The first option would cost between $1.55 million to $1.65 million and the second would cost $2.2 million to $2.3 million. "Money is an issue," said Superintendent Mark Denman.

 

California school district plans $150 million for school repairs, tech upgrades

Pajaro Valley Unified School District in California will put a $150 million bond issue before voters, aimed at making significant repairs at the district's schools and upgrading antiquated technology. The bond proposal addresses roof problems, restroom upgrades, sports field upgrades, aging computer and phone system and other needed repairs and upgrades. The district spent nearly two years on a facilities master plan for necessary projects at each campus, totaling $242 million. But, school officials were able to reduce the scope of the bond issue and settled on an amount of $150 million. Some new construction was scrapped in favor of expanding or remodeling existing structures and work on athletic fields was trimmed. Among the projects is installation of solar power to help trim power costs.

 

Millions in maintenance projects planned for NY state parks 

Rose Harvey

Aided by an appropriation of $89 million from the state and the addition of private grants and federal funds, deferred maintenance projects at New York state parks will have $143 million to address much-needed upgrades and rehabilitation. It is being called the largest single allocation of capital in the history of the park system and is resulting in numerous contracting opportunities. New asphalt is being laid down in some campgrounds, sewer lines are being replaced, cabins are getting new roofs and other upgrades and more. "The parks have been underfunded for decades. We're going to do a lot before you can see it and feel it," said Rose Harvey, commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Although the $143 million will provide welcomed funding for maintenance and infrastructure projects, officials say it will take more than $1 billion to adequately rehabilitate the state's 213 parks and historic sites. However, the state comptroller's office recent audit of the condition of state parks revealed that at some of the nearly three-dozen parks assessed, some were in such state of disrepair that they were closed off to ensure the safety of park visitors. Many of the needed improvements are a result of deferred maintenance from year to year, which in time makes small repair jobs major renovation projects. But, one park official estimated that about a third of the hundreds of structures in the park need repairs, but added that the $143 million can only meet the needs of about 5 percent of them.

Ohio city approves funding mechanism for street improvements

Three Community Reinvestment Areas were approved recently by the Pataskala (Ohio) City Council to allow tax incentives for improvements and new construction. The Council also agreed to issue $1.5 million in bonds for work on city streets. The reinvestment areas will allow for tax abatements for remodeling of existing homes, for remodeling of existing commercial and industrial buildings and for new commercial and industrial buildings. The bonds to be issued will allow for continued road improvements within the city. The city already has set aside $3.2 million for road infrastructure in 2012 and the additional $1.5 million in bonds will allow for improvement of even more streets. The city's 2011 Roadway Asset Management Plan has identified some $17 million in potential road repairs and will be used to determine priority for upcoming projects.

Plans for new city hall being revived for construction in Florida city

Judy Waldman

Rather than start over at square one, officials in Homestead, Florida, have decided to use design plans for which they paid $1 million several years ago for a new city hall. Officials will put the project out for bid, in spite of local developers asking that a design include retail shops in a lower level of the facility. But, officials did not want to chalk up as a loss the plans that were previously drawn up for the 60,000-square-foot building. The original plans were put on hold in 2009 because of the economic downturn and the seating of a new council. The facility would have cost approximately $20 million and officials could not see making that kind of expenditure given the state of the economy. Land had already been purchased and some $6 million had been sunk into the project when it was put on hold. "We need to move forward with what we already have, with what we've already paid for," said Councilwoman Judy Waldman. The main reason for moving forward now is an environmental study that shows the existing city hall is contaminated with radon, mold and asbestos. Current city hall staff will be relocated while the new facility is built. City officials already have some $17 million in funding for the facility, but now will have to decide if a bond issue will be the solution for the remainder of the funds needed or entering into a public-private partnership to lease the building from the contractor that builds it.

New York energy agency issues request for proposals for wind energy installations

A $13.8 million request for proposals for wind energy installations for residential, commercial, institutional or government use has been issued by the New York Energy Research and Development Authority. Incentives of up to $400,000 per site or customer will be paid for vendors that use qualified equipment to install approved grid-connected wind energy systems with a maximum size of 2 MW per site or customer. The incentive cannot exceed 50 percent of the total installed cost of the system. Applications are being accepted through Dec. 31, 2015, or until the funding is gone.

  

Lighting, security upgrades on tap for city in Connecticut

Parking areas in Middletown, Connecticut, will get lighting and security upgrades this year as part of a $1.45 million modernization plan. The city recently approved borrowing approximately $1.2 million for the project. Bonds will be repaid with parking revenue. The city also plans to spend $250,000 from the parking fund to help defray the costs. Security feeds will be monitored by the police department and the city's parking department. Infrastructure improvements are also in line, including paving the Kings Avenue parking lot and adding a gate and pay stations. Repairs and improved access to the parking lots on Broad Street and at KidCity also are on the drawing board. The city for the last several years has made a concerted effort to improve parking services through addition of digital parking meters, improvements to payment systems and new ticketing technology.

 

Jackson, Mississippi, considering $90M water, sewer improvement project

Harvey Johnson, Jr.

Officials in Jackson, Mississippi, are considering a $90 million water and sewer improvement contract that Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. says will pay for itself. Officials are looking at the possibility of having to spend up to $400 million over the coming decades to bring the city's water and sewer infrastructure up to meet city needs. The contract under consideration is an energy performance contract in which the vendor hired to oversee the project guarantees if the government entity commits and makes certain improvements, it will save enough money over 15 years to pay for its investment. "There's no exposure to the city," Johnson said. "It'll start paying for itself almost immediately." The proposal under consideration includes replacing existing water meters with more accurate new meters, resulting in additional revenue from meter reads that are more accurate, upgrading the utility billing system, replacing the two city water plants' broken equipment and repairing and upgrading the sewer collection system. Because the contract being considered guarantees the $90 million will be recouped with interest, securing bonds will be an easier task for the city. The Mississippi Development Authority would have to approve the contract before it could go into effect.

 

Check out these recent awards: 

Public-private partnership leads to new air park in West Virginia city

A new 7,000-foot runway and an Air Transportation Park built on a reclaimed mine site opened recently in West Virginia thanks to a public-private partnership. The Mingo County Airport Authority's new air park brought together the authority, the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority, the Federal Aviation Administration, the state Department of Transportation and private sector partner Alpha Natural Resources. The private partner invested about $1 million in transforming the nearly 1,000-acre site through an FAA-approved reclamation plan on land it gave to the county. More than $6 million has since been invested in the facility's taxiway, apron facilities, lighting and fencing. The project also drew on federal grant funds allocated in 2007 and 2010.

San Jose downtown association stresses need for more P3 projects

Chuck Reed

The San Jose Downtown Association is pushing for more public-private partnerships as a means of securing more new downtown developments. Association officials note that a vibrant downtown area is a major factor in attracting new growth to the city. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed stressed that new retailers are key to that growth.

 

However, how the area is developed will now be the task of a consortium of advocacy groups, city government and private sector businesses after budget cuts did away with the former city redevelopment agency. Officials are looking for more opportunities for public-private partnerships, like the one that recently led to an expansion of the city's convention center. Although the city's vacancy rate is coming down, officials say new business or development project are necessary to fill remaining space. Better coordination in the downtown area would help facilitate projects such as high-profile residential projects or office expansions, as well as success for local small businesses.

 

New York State studying possible use of P3s for school construction

With the possibility of legislative approval for public-private partnerships (P3s) looming, school officials in New York State are looking to the financial tool as a way to help build needed schools throughout the state. However, the current proposal for P3s would apply only to transportation infrastructure and not facilities such as schools. Various state and school officials met recently to discuss how P3s could be used for school construction.

 

A P3, they were told, could result in a private partner being responsible for design, finance, construction and maintenance of new facilities, shifting the risk from the schools to the private partner. The public entities would then make lease payments to the private partner over a period of years. "What we're giving up are the things that we don't do very well, which is huge construction projects," said Joseph Bracchitta, chief administrate officer for the Yonkers school district. His district is facing $1.7 billion in needed improvements over the next several years. Sen. Charles Fuschillo is carrying a bill that focuses on P3s for transportation, but appeared open to including social infrastructure as well, saying he would like to hold a hearing in Westchester County on the topic.

 

UK Board of Trustees OKs plan for five more private-developer dorms

Transit officials talk new federal transportation bill 

(To view these stories, click here and look under "Other Views.")

Maine 

• The Maine Department of Transportation is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to supply, manage and operate automotive-truck-equipment parts and supply stockrooms for MaineDOT Fleet Services Division.
• The Maine Department of Education, Education in the Unorganized Territory, is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for transportation services for the resident students in Argyle Township.
• The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services, is seeking proposals for Professional Development Network services.

Indiana 

• The State of Indiana is seeking bids for the monthly printing of the Indiana State Fairgrounds schedule of events.
• The Indiana Family Social Services Administration, Division of Aging, is seeking bids from qualified vendors to assist the state in collecting quality of care and quality of life information obtained through resident, family and employee satisfaction surveys for certified nursing facilities.

Texas

• The Legislative Budget Board is seeking vendors to assist in conducting a variety of performance reviews of Texas school, charter school and community college districts. Vendors may apply to be pre-qualified.
• The Texas Department of Information Resources is seeking to enter into a statewide contract with one or more vendors to provide managed services for telecommunications to Texas public entities.

Arkansas

• The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration is seeking bids for the Department of Career Education for an online automotive service training program.
• The Arkansas Office of State Procurement (OSP) is seeking bids on behalf of the Department of Information Systems (DIS) to obtain pricing and a contract for Point-to-Point OC3 transport between One Capitol Mall and specified locations in the Little Rock Metro area. This replaces a contract that is expiring and provides for continuing OC3 service that cannot be replaced with Ethernet at this time.

Ohio

• The Ohio Department of Administrative Services is seeking bids on behalf of the Ohio Lottery Commission for marketing communication services from qualified Ohio-based, full-service advertising agency(s) and/or joint ventures to provide statewide marketing communication services that ensure the commission meets its annual strategic business goals.
• The Columbus Metropolitan Library is seeking proposals for a VoIP Telecommunications System and all required hardware, software and training to replace current phone system.

 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 Thom Guertin.

Thom Guertin

Thom Guertin earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island and a corporate finance certificate from Bryant College. He began his career as a copywriter for Adion Inc. in 1992, designing marketing materials and copywriting for recruitment brochures and print advertising. In 1994, he became one of the first five employees of Monster.com and as associate creative director was responsible for developing the initial creation and launch of the popular jobs site. Two years later, Guertin was hired as senior eBusiness manager for Acushnet/Titleist and FootJoy, directing consumer Web site development, eBusiness and eCommerce initiatives. He left that post in 2000 to become senior interactive marketing manager for the Acushnet Company, leaving three years later to become senior project consultant for the The Boston Globe, primarily responsible for designing new process workflows and streamlining business processes through Internet technology. Guertin was in that position until 2005, when he was named executive director of business technology solutions for The Boston Globe and New York Times. During that time, he lead a group of developers, business analysts and dba's in support of a number of business units across the New York Times Company. Guertin will put that more than 20 years of experience as a senior information technology executive to use beginning Oct. 22 as the state of Rhode Island's new state Office of Digital Excellence, an initiative lawmakers approved as part of the state budget. The office will be housed within the Department of Administration. Guertin will be charged with incorporating modern digital capabilities and leveraging technology to expand and improve the services available to Rhode Island citizens. The new office's tasks include major technology capital upgrades, e-government and e-licensing initiatives, Web site design and social media and mobile technology strategy for state agencies.

 

Eric Nickel (top left), deputy chief in the Novato Fire District, has been tabbed by Palo Alto City Manager James Keene as the city's new fire chief, replacing Nick Marinaro, who retired in 2010. Phyllis Saathoff (top center), who served as interim executive port director/CEO of Port Freeport since April after serving as managing director since 1994, has been chosen as managing director of corporate projects for the Port of Houston Authority. Jean-Claude Brizard (top right), who last year left his superintendent of schools job in Rochester, New York, to become head of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), has resigned, with CPS Chief Education Advisor Barbara Byrd Bennett named as his replacement. Patsy Jackson-Christopher, director of Carlsbad, New Mexico's, Museum and Art Center, has been appointed as the city's first culture, recreation and community services director, effective Jan. 1 of next year. Officials in Wichita Falls, Texas, have chosen Manuel Borrego, the city's interim police chief for the last five months, as lone finalist for the city's new chief to replace Dennis Bachman, who retired in May. Richard Lopez, Carlsbad, New Mexico's, assistant fire chief since 2009, has been named fire chief, effective Jan. 1, 2013, and will replace current Chief Mike Reynolds, who will retire at the end of the year. Chaouki Abdal­lah (middle right), former chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of New Mexico and interim provost since 2011, has been appointed provost by UNM President Robert G. Frank. Dr. Robert J. Jones (middle center), senior vice president for Academic Administration at the University of Minnesota System for the last eight years, has been appointed as the 19th president of the University of Albany by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Ann Scott Timmer (middle left), has been named by Gov. Jan Brewer as a member of the five-member Arizona Supreme Court. Steven R. Wallace, longtime president of Florida State College at Jacksonville, has stepped down following scrutiny of his personal spending and questions about the institution's finances. George Rodericks, former city manager of Belvedere, California, in Marin County, has been chosen as the new city manager for the town of Atherton. Lee County, Alabama, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stephen Nowlin has accepted the job as superintendent of the Jefferson County school system, where he will replace the retiring Superintendent Phil Hammonds. Steven Miller (bottom left), a longtime Internal Revenue Service (IRS) executive who currently serves as deputy commissioner for services and enforcement, will become the agency's acting commissioner after current chief Doug Shulman steps down in November. Dr.Nancy Dickey (bottom center) has resigned as president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs, a post she has held since January 2002. A former president of the University of Connecticut, Philip Austin (bottom right), has been chosen to oversee the state's Board of Regents for Higher Education after the board's president and executive vice president resigned amid a public outcry over unauthorized pay increases for staff members. Susan Dillinger, director of the New Port Richey, Florida, Public Library, has been appointed by the city council to serve as interim city manager, replacing former City Manager John Schneiger. Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Chief Dave Rohrer was recently appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as the deputy county executive for public safety, overseeing the county's police department, fire and rescue department, office of emergency management and department of public safety communications. Brentwood, Tennessee, Assistant City Manager Kirk Bednar has been named the new city manager, replacing City Manager Mike Walker, who will retire in January.