As public officials throughout the country struggle to find more efficient and significant ways to provide services, a trend has developed that definitely creates opportunities for technology firms.

Numerous cities, counties and states are purchasing software solutions that integrate data from welfare, health, mental health, housing, family services and court systems. The integration allows public employees to access standardized data online in a timely manner from various sources. As a result, they can plan for and provide better coordinated services for the citizens they serve.  

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$632.5 million cost anticipated for 13-mile stretch set for construction in 2014

William Lieberman

Linking Pittsburgh International Airport and the Mon-Fayette Expressway in Washington County is the goal of a $632.5 million project being pushed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. The idea is not a new one, as the commission began acquiring land for the project four years ago.

Expected to begin in 2014, this second phase of the Southern Beltway is a 13-mile stretch. It would extend Route 22 at the south end of the existing six-mile section in Findlay to I-79 near the Washington-Allegheny county line. If construction begins in 2014, officials say the project would hopefully be completed in six years.

Funding for the project will come from state grants, bonds and federal loans, with no toll revenue to be used, although officials admit they are still working out details on construction funding.

Turnpike Chair William Lieberman hailed the project as being "significant news" for motorists along the corridor, as it is hoped it will ease congestion on major arteries. Lieberman said it will also provide emergency responder vehicles, businesses and the motoring public with a "safer alternative to rural, two-lane roads." The commission chair also noted that the new route will create economic opportunities along its route.

The turnpike authority has already spent some $50 million for right-of-way purchase and another 200 parcels of land remain to be acquired. Once the roadway is completed and opened, it will feature all-electronic toll collecting. There will be no toll booths built and cash will not be accepted for use of the roadway.

The third and final portion of the Beltway would link Interstate 79 to the Mon-Fayette Expressway near Finleyville. That project, expected to include 12.5 miles of roadway and carry a $700 million price tag, has no timeline established yet.

Bid requests, proposals for public contracts with state to be online

Arthur Orr

A statewide database of Alabama bid requests is going live. Thanks to a bill passed during the 2012 legislative session, the database was mandated to be online and operating by the beginning of the new year. The database will provide bid requests or proposals for contracts with the state.

Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur said the database, to be maintained by the State Purchasing Division, will help ensure Alabama companies are able to compete for state business. "Putting state contract requests online for the public to see is another positive step for open, accountable government," Orr said. "By increasing exposure on these contracts, we're likely to see more competition and, in return, a greater opportunity to select the most cost-effective option for state agencies."

The senator added that there are likely instances now in which the state is not getting the best deal, because a business that might have offered a better deal was not aware of a product or service that was up for bid in state government. "This platform gives potential vendors and the general public the necessary tools to keep up with the state's business."

Of the $88.4 million in contracts awarded between February and July 2011, less than half of those were awarded to companies within the state. Lawmakers are confident the database that will be open to the public will provide Alabama companies with information to help facilitate their bidding on projects and services.

Bond issue in New Jersey leads to school district construction 

Steven Mayer

A successful bond issue in Robbinsville township in New Jersey will lead to $18.9 million in construction throughout the school district. The successful bond issue means the district will be able to alleviate some of the overcrowding in the town's two K-8 schools. Superintendent Steven Mayer said increases in student enrollment in recent years have two schools, Sharon School and Pond Road School, at about 20 percent over capacity. Mayer said the bond proceeds will allow the school district to spend $10 million on a two-story, 24-room addition at the Sharon School. As a result of the addition, the school will now be able to house fourth grade. That will leave the Pond Road school accepting grades five through eight. At Pond Road, the school will see the addition of five new classrooms and a new ventilation system. A total of $2 million of the bonding proceeds will be used for those projects. Mayer said the projects will meet the schools' current needs and provide school officials with some "breathing room" for future enrollment gains.

University of Missouri planning construction of five-story residential hall
A record-setting freshman class has prompted officials at the University of Missouri to make plans for the addition of a new five-story residential hall that is expected to open in 2015. The 92,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin construction in September. The design calls for single and double rooms as well as study areas and common areas. Because freshmen must live on campus, they will be given priority for housing. But with the addition of new housing, upper-level students will also be able to live on campus.

Washington school district to issue RFP for food service
A recent survey in the Monroe Public Schools in Washington has results in school officials deciding to put the school's food service up for bid, even though the contract with the current provider does not expire until June 2014. Officials say the report showed nearly a 50 percent "like" and 50 percent "dislike" on many questions regarding quality and quantity of the food being served. And at least one school official pointed out that there should be more who lean toward satisfaction than a 50-50 split. One official said a service provider needed to be at least approaching an 80 percent satisfaction rate to be classified as a good provider. Despite the company saying many of the problems are related to federal government restrictions, the Board of Education voted to put the food service program out to bid.  

Washington State community college making plans for new student housing 

Lee Lambert

Shoreline Community College in Washington State is planning to use a public-private partnership to build a 400-bed, on-campus student housing facility. SCC President Lee Lambert recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with a group of private investors. Under the agreement, the college and the investors will build and operate the facility on land leased from the state, which owns the college campus. Under the agreement, the college will have certain review and approval rights regarding the design, construction and operation of the facility. "This is a wonderfully creative and cooperative opportunity," Lee said. No cost estimate has been made available. The facility will be built at least to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards, which is required for new state-owned buildings. The developers will also be responsible for most of the operation of the facility. They will operate the facility, including staffing and maintenance. The college will incur some staffing, safety, security and student programming services costs. The developer will collect rental fees from students, with the college retaining some of those funds. The college also will benefit from an annual lease payment for the land and a one-time, non-refundable deposit when the lease is signed. Some of the investors are from China. "This agreement involves international partners, but it is also about local residents and families of our students wanting to help build this college for others," Lambert said. "This agreement not only opens the way to break ground on campus, it breaks new ground as a model for public-private partnerships for higher education in Washington."

West Virginia counties awarded funding for school projects
More than $6 million in funding for counties for school projects has been approved by the West Virginia School Building Authority. The funds will be distributed from the Major Improvement Program. Although the program in the past has distributed about $5 million annually, there was more than $1 million over that amount in the fund because other projects came in under budget. Two-dozen counties applied for funding this year for everything from HVAC projects to security systems. Only eight of those counties were approved for funding. The cap for projects was recently changed from $500,000 to $1 million. The eight schools were awarded funding from $210,000 to $1 million.

New York community college moving closer to building new dorm
Architectural plans for a new on-campus dorm at the Cayuga Community College in New York were recently reviewed by the college's Board of Trustees, the next step toward building the new facility. The 300-bed, four-story dorm would feature both single and double suites. The dorm would include a fitness center, multiple study lounges, an outdoor terrace and a classroom with computers. The $20.8 million facility would be paid for with tax-exempt bonds that will be repaid by rent charged students living in the dorm. The college plans to turn management of the dorm over to a private sector firm until it can build its own residential life program. College officials say they plan to hold public hearings on the project early this year before proceeding to the next steps in the project.

New York Public Library looking foward to upcoming $300 million renovation

Tony Marx

The Fifth Avenue Building of the New York Public Library is about to undergo a $300 million renovation. The facility, which first opened in 1854, will see the back of the building opened to create a 100,000-square-foot space with books, reading areas and desks. That area is currently home to seven floors of stacks. There will also be a four-story atrium that overlooks Bryant Park and Sixth Avenue. In addition to doubling the public space in the library, the project also includes fireproofing the main reading room. According to library President Tony Marx, the goal of the project is "to create the single greatest circulating and research library in the most beloved building here in the crossroads of New York." Marx said once the project is complete, the facility will be a more functional library. Construction is expected to begin next summer, with a completion date of 2018 expected. The city will provide $150 million toward the self-funded work. Another $150 million will come from the sale of other library property. The expansion is in response to the need for more space for the library's 4.5 million volumes. There was some talk about moving millions of the library's books into storage. However, the new additions will allow for keeping 3.3 million of the research library's books on site. The project includes converting old office space and storage areas on the second floor into space for scholars. With a facility across Fifth Avenue from the main facility being sold, the library expects a $15 million savings each year, which will allow the main location to remain open longer and allow for acquiring more books and hiring additional librarians. The proposal must be approved by the city and the Landmarks Preservation Commission before construction can begin. 

 

Gary-Chicago International Airport making plans to lengthen runway

A grant agreement with the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority means a $30 million boost to the Gary-Chicago International Airport's plans to extend its main runway. Doing so would allow the airport to handle larger planes. The entire project will cost approximately $160 million. The project calls for extending the 7,000-foot runway to 8,900 feet. Doing so will require moving some nearby railroad lines. That activity has already begun and the project is expected to be completed by later this year.

 

Former Massachusetts transportation official proposes public-private partnership

Frank DePaola

Ned Corcoran may no longer be part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, but the former deputy transportation secretary still is pushing for public-private partnerships (P3) for state transportation projects. Corcoran pushed for a P3 to widen Route 3 north of Boston 10 years ago. He is now championing the use of a P3 to widen Route 3 between Braintree and Norwell. He proposes paying for the project with toll lanes. Corcoran said a public-private partnership is "something that I've thought for a long time needs to happen here in Massachusetts in order to find ways to expand infrastructure." Frank DePaola, highway administrator for the state Department of Transportation, isn't completely buying into the proposal, but called the proposal "very interesting" after meeting with Corcoran's team. He said he found it an "intriguing" process "to fund public construction using private money, then recover it over a period of time." Traditionally, the state seeks bids on permitting and design for a project and then takes those plans and goes out to bid for construction. The projects generally are paid for through bonds and paid back with state tax receipts and federal grants. That process has been slowed by a cap that limits how much the state can borrow for transportation projects, resulting in projects being postponed or done in pieces. Corcoran proposed the state consider public-private partnerships across the Commonwealth. "It's the next major wave of innovation," he said, adding that there is tremendous interest from the private sector in entering into these partnerships.

 

County may issue new RFP for Bethesda Police Station

After a land-swap deal with a developer failed to materialize, Montgomery County, Maryland, officials are considering issuing a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Bethesda Police Station. The facility would be Bethesda's second district police station. But the county has other options as well, including renovating the old station on Wisconsin Avenue, looking for a new location to build a new station or issuing a new RFP. Officials expect to decide early this year how to proceed. After the previous developer backed out, officials say they have had interest shown in the project from management companies, developers and property owners. The original agreement was for the developer to build the station as part of a mixed-use residential project. The county's part of the deal was to provide the land on which the Bethesda station currently sits, where the developer planned to build offices. But the developer backed out of the deal. The station's cost was originally estimated at $21.8 million. The county would have put up $7.25 million of that amount and the county's Department of General Services was to provide $2 million for furnishings, fixtures and oversight costs. The value of the land that would have been transferred to the developer was $8.7 million. The developer plans to continue its development in that area, but without the police station included.

 

Vehicle maintenance feasibility study sought for Alamo Regional Transit

The Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) in San Antonio is requesting proposals from qualified vendors for a feasibility study for vehicle maintenance for Alamo Regional Transit (ART). The study should provide a cost analysis of current vehicle maintenance practice (contractual) versus buying, leasing or building its own facility. It should include the identification of land parcels within and strategically located in the ART region to reduce deadhead miles and travel time. It should determine land needs, facility size and configuration adequate for ART needs and future growth including a training facility to be used for training and certifications of mechanics for community schools, local workforce and other trade schools. Land needs should include the following: purchase or lease an existing facility for sale or lease that can be retrofitted for transit needs (wash bays, fueling, maintenance bays, etc.); build a new facility, including the purchase of land; or lease or purchase city- or county-owned property or other property that could be long-term leased or obtained at little or no cost. The requested feasibility study will provide a cost-benefit analysis comparing the current mode of vehicle maintenance (third party contracting) to owning and operating its own facility. The study should determine whether operating its own maintenance facility will provide ART with a more cost-effective vehicle maintenance program that improves use of manpower, reduces disruption of service or provides other system improvements.

 

Indiana signs deal with East End bridge builder

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Public-private partnership will be used to build 55-mile section of Virginia highway

Virginia officials have inked an agreement with private sector partners for the finance, design and construction of a new 55-mile section of U.S. Route 460 in the southeastern area of the state. The partnership includes the state, a financial partner and a construction partner. Work on the $1.4 billion project is now slated to begin. Some $1.1 billion of the project will come from the public sector. The project stems from a 2003 law passed by the state legislature that required the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)  to build a new stretch of U.S. 460 under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995. Officials expect the project not only will improve transportation in the area, but will also generate jobs and more economic development opportunities, increase tourism and increase freight traffic. Officials predict the new highway will have an annual economic impact of $7.3 billion by 2020. The highway will provide four lanes of divided roadway from Prince George County to Suffolk. Tolls are expected to be $3.69 for cars and $11.72 for trucks. VDOT will retain ownership of the road and any excess revenues. The financial partner will use tax-exempt bonds to finance part of the project and it will be responsible for collecting tolls, adjusting toll rates and managing the toll collection system for 40 years. The funding includes $903 million in public funds from VDOT, $250 million from the Virginia Port Authority and $243 million (net) from private sector tax-exempt bonds.

Public-private partnership will net Oregon State its own solar power 

Brandon Trelstad

A partnership between Oregon State University, SolarWorld and SolarCity will result in the university generating its own solar power starting this month. Solar panels are being installed at two sites on university property and will produce up to 860,000 kilowatt-hours per year. SolarWorld supplied the solar panels and SolarCity installed them and will maintain, own and operate the equipment. OSU will pay a rate for the power that is slightly more than half what it is currently paying to its electric provider. Brandon Trelstad, university sustainability coordinator, said the university could not invest in that type of energy infrastructure "without developing public-private partnerships."  This project is one of five renewable energy demonstration projects coordinated by the Oregon University System. The OSU project will be the first to be completed and will expand from the beginning four acres to 10 acres by the fall. The project is expected to provide between 3 and 5 percent of the university's power requirements. Trelstad said the project is expected to begin producing power early this year. In addition, OSU students will benefit through an internship program with SolarCity and students in energy-related programs at two OSU campuses also may become involved in the project. 

Public-private partnership for water project in Texas could become model
A reservoir being built in East Texas by a private sector firm could become the model for the way entities in Texas finance water projects. A private infrastructure company has become involved and will have a major stake in the project. It's nothing new as public-private partnerships throughout the state are becoming more and more common for cash-strapped cities and municipalities. In fact, some indicate without the private sector assistance, many necessary projects could not be delivered. In this case, the private sector firm is partnering with the Angelina and Neches River Authority, a public agency that manages water supplies for a large area of East Texas. In this particular project, the private sector partner will pay up to 47 percent of the costs of building a reservoir in exchange for 47 percent of its water. An additional financial partner from the private sector will also be part of the mix. The cost of the reservoir is estimated at $330 million. The reservoir would provide water for approximately 150,000 homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as numerous industrial users. A large-scale private investment of this type has been called "unprecedented" by officials. But officials throughout the state say without such partnerships, the state would never be able to finance all its water infrastructure needs. Several areas of the state also are employing P3s for desalination plants to desalinate seawater. Many of these plants and other water infrastructure cost millions of dollars that public entities just cannot afford.

Florida officials approve long-range plans that include second Tri-Rail station
The Florida Department of Transportation has included a second Tri-Rail station in Boca Raton in its long-range plans, setting aside $10 million in funding for the project in 2017. But the project will require $8.5 million in local funds, which officials hope they can find a developer to finance. These types of public-private partnerships are becoming a viable way to improve public transportation without doing so on the backs of local taxpayers, say state officials. The state plans in 2019 to cease appropriating some $30 million per year to run the Tri-Rail trains between Mangonia Park and Miami. Three counties that participate in the project - Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach - will then have to bear those costs. The city of Boca Raton can use a public-private partnership with a developer to help offset some of those costs. A developer would be sought who would build commercial or retail outlets at the new stop. The money from fees, leases and taxes on those entities would help offset the costs. The city already has space at its current station near I-95 that would accommodate 60,000 square feet of office and retail space. Officials also have a similar scenario in the southwest area of the city and putting a Tri-Rail station there, say officials, would reduce traffic congestion and spur development.

Free listings offered for RFPs to public sector entities, nonprofits

Illinois

• The Dixon Springs Boot Camp in Pope County is seeking bids to replace roofing systems.
• The Vienna Correctional Center in Johnson County is seeking bids for upgrades to roofing and security systems and replacement of windows.

Kansas

• The Kansas Neurological Institute is seeking bids for a water main replacement.
• Kansas State University is seeking bids for an approximately $1.03 million equipment rental center facility.

Hawaii

• The Hawaii Department of Health Communicable Disease Division STD/AIDS Prevention Branch HIV Drug Assistance Program HDAP is requesting proposals from qualified applicants to provide medications and pharmacy services statewide to individuals who are living with HIV and who lack adequate access to HIV-related medications.
• The Hawaii Department of Education is seeking bids for reroof of the dining room and kitchen at the Waianae High School.

Arizona

• The Arizona Department of Procurement and Risk Management has issued a Request for Information for telecommunications services for the Mohave Community College, which is interested in vendors that can satisfy the current needs/standards of the MCC cloud/network as well as provide addition functionality.
• The Arizona Department of Economic Security is seeking bids for job training services for individuals with various disabilities to assist them in developing specific vocational skills to improve their ability to secure and maintain employment.

Virginia

• The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking bids for professional engineering and environmental services for capital outlay at facilities statewide.
• The Virginia State Corporation Commission is seeking bids for offsite data storage and associated services.

 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 Steve Reneker.

Steve Reneker

Steve Reneker earned a bachelor's degree in management science from California State University-San Bernardino in 1982. He began his public sector career with the city of Los Angeles, serving from 1988 to 1991 as a senior systems analyst. He was hired by the Eastern Municipal Water District as information technology director through 1995 and got his first Chief Information Officer job with the County of Riverside in 1997, serving until 2003. Reneker made a foray back into the private sector in 2003, serving as business development manager for Dell, operating the Public Safety and Criminal Justice vertical for the company's State and Local Government organization nationwide until 2005. Reneker moved back to the public sector in 2005 as Chief Information Officer for the city of Riverside, California, overseeing an IT organization of more than 2,300 employees. He stayed in that position for more than seven years, setting the vision, policy and strategy citywide, including a public electric and water utility, and also collaborated on policy and standards. During that same period, Reneker also was executive director of SmartRiverside, which provides free WiFi to citizens of the city and provided a digital inclusion program that collected e-waste and refurbished PCs for low income families at no cost. Earlier this month, Reneker was tapped as permanent general manager of the city of Los Angeles' Information Technology Agency, where he will guide the agency by researching, testing and implementing new technologies to benefit citizens of Los Angeles.

 

Paul Anderson (top left), former chief executive officer for the Jacksonville Port Authority, has been selected as the CEO and executive director for the Tampa Port Authority, signing a three-year contract. Joseph J. Lhota (top center), chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York, has announced that he is stepping down from his position, with speculation that he may become a candidate for New York City mayor. John Cavanaugh (top right), chancellor of the 14-university Pennsylvania System of Higher Education, has announced he will leave that job to run the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, with Peter Garland, executive vice chancellor named acting chancellor. Gov.-elect Pat McCrory of North Carolina has named several appointments to his administration, including Art Pope, a conservative politico, as his deputy budget director, prominent Raleigh attorney Kieran Shanahan as secretary of public safety and naming Susan Klutts as secretary of the Department of Cultural Resources. Sean Mannix, assistant police chief of the city of Cedar Park, Texas, since 2009 and who began his law enforcement career in Alameda, California's, police department in 1983, has been named the city's police chief. Julie Burch (middle right), assistant city manager for the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, has been tapped as the city's interim city manager while a search for a new city head is under way. Allen Sessoms (middle center), who was hired as president of the University of the District of Columbia in 2008 after serving as president of Delaware State University and Queens College in New York City, has been fired, with the board saying it wants to "go in a different direction." Dr. Jo-Carol Fabianke (middle left), who has been with the Alamo Colleges in San Antonio for 37 years, most recently as professor and Director of Institutional Effectiveness, has been selected to serve as the new vice chancellor for academic success at the Alamo Colleges. Rosalita "Rose" Whitehair has been chosen to lead the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management, a position that has been open for several years. Chris Briggs, who has served as regional executive director for Columbus City Schools since the start of the 2011-12 school year, has been hired as superintendent of the Northridge Schools in Ohio. Wayne Herron, who resigned his job as city manager of Monroe, North Carolina, last July, has taken a new job as planning director in the town of Cornelius. Dr. John M. Anderson (bottom left), president of Alfred State College in New York, has been selected by the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to serve as the next president of Millersville University of Pennsylvania, succeeding Dr. Francine G. McNairy, who will retire next month. The State University of New York Board has appointed Dr. Karin Hilgersom (bottom center), vice president for instruction at Central Oregon Community College, as president of Sullivan County Community College. Assistant City Manager Dorothy David (bottom right) will succeed current City Manager Steve Carter when he retires from the city of Champaign, Illinois, in March. George Greanias, president and chief executive officer with Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) since September 2010, has announced his resignation from the agency. Mark Lockhart, who has been serving as acting fire chief since last May, has been named Stafford County, Virginia's, chief of fire and emergency medical services. Deputy Chief Dan Schiele, who has been with the Sacramento Police Department for 31 years, has been selected as the city's new chief, replacing Chief Rick Braziel, who is retiring.