Strategic Partnerships, Inc. provides opportunity

identification for all 50 states.

Click here for more information.

Approximately $60 billion backlog of projects need infusion of private funds

Dick Durbin

Public-private partnerships (P3s) got a boost from the U.S. Senate recently with passage of legislation in that chamber that is aimed at using public-private partnerships (P3s) to improve water infrastructure across the country. The Water Resources Development Act addresses the Army Corps of Engineers estimate of some $60 billion in needed projects that have been stymied because of lack of funding.

Authors of the bill, all from Illinois and both Democrats and Republicans, note the need for private investment to ensure these projects are completed. According to Sen. Dick Durbin, one of the authors, the bill encourages "the use of public-private partnerships to speed up the planning and construction of water infrastructure projects." Durbin said he is hopeful the legislation, if passed, will also speed up the modernization of locks and dams on the Mississippi River that had a completion date pushed back to 2090. As the federal budget faces necessary cuts, Durbin added, "This new, innovative way to upgrade and maintain our water infrastructure investments will help the Army Corps clear its project backlog."

In March, the four bill authors introduced the Water Infrastructure Now Public-Private Partnership Act that would create a pilot program to look into agreements between the Corps of Engineers and private partners. These partnerships were expected to be an alternative to traditional construction models, and were expected to save taxpayer dollars. 

Affecting roads, bridges, aviation, ports, water, energy, other industry sectors

Ray LaHood

Infrastructure projects from across the country could come to fruition sooner after President Barack Obama last week signed a memo aimed at speeding the federal permit process. The President's modernization effort is aimed at surface transportation, such as roadways, bridges, railroads and transit; aviation; ports and related infrastructure, including navigational channels; water resources projects; renewable energy generation; conventional energy production in high-demand areas; electricity transmission; broadband; pipelines; storm water infrastructure; and other sectors that can be determined by a steering committee that has been appointed.

"Cutting red tape and streamlining the process for making permitting decisions will help us meet the President's goal of cutting in half the timelines for major infrastructure projects, while creating better outcomes for our communities and for the environment," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Sylvia Burwell in a recent White House blog.

The two said the President's action will shave months, and in some cases years, off the time it takes to review and approve major infrastructure projects. The memo follows release of an OMB report for tracking projects.

As of the date of the report, the federal permitting and review processes were complete for more than 40 percent of planned projects. Obama's fiscal 2014 budget seeks $50 billion for priority infrastructure. When the report was released, the federal permitting and review processes were complete for more than 40 percent of planned projects. The blog notes that Obama's 2014 budget seeks a $50 billion investment in transportation infrastructure, with $40 billion for "fix-it-first" projects that are in "the most urgent need of repair." Also proposed is a "Rebuild America Partnership" that encourages public-private partnerships at the local, state and federal levels.

Victoria College Tech Center looking forward to groundbreaking

Students at Victoria College (Texas) will soon have a new facility to help prepare them for in-demand jobs. Groundbreaking for the new 12,000-square-foot, two-building Emerging Technology Center (as seen in accompanying artist's rendering) is slated for later this month or in June. Officials are shooting for a completion date of early 2015. The city of Victoria has donated 16 acres for the project, which will include a three-story Conference and Classroom Building and an Industrial Training Building. The Conference and Classroom Building will include a banquet room to accommodate up to 400 and that can be divided into four smaller rooms, breakout rooms, conference and board rooms, a corporate training room, general classrooms, computer labs, faculty and staff offices, a catering kitchen and large student lounge. The Industrial Training Building will feature six high-bay training labs and six classrooms on the mezzanine level. It also includes faculty and staff offices and a student lounge. The facility will also house the college's data backup center. The center is being paid for with $22 million in voter-approved general obligation bonds and a $1.98 million donation from the M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Foundation. Donors are being sought and naming and sponsorship opportunities have been established.

New aquatics center planned for University of California

A new aquatics center is planned on the campus of the University of California after regents recently approved the project. The project is expected to benefit the university's swimming and diving teams and its water polo program. The students on campus and the neighborhood swimming community will also benefit from the facility. A fundraising effort is under way to help raise the $15 million that the center will cost. Construction can begin once the funds are raised. The facility construction being donor-based, the campus will not incur any debt or expense on the project. Officials are hopeful to begin the project in August, once the final design is approved. Completion will take approximately 12-15 months. The facility will feature a 52-meter by 25-yard pool. It will have a moveable bulkhead and a 10-meter Olympic-style diving tower. There will also be men's and women's locker rooms, a team meeting room and a multi-purpose room. The facility will also facilitate spectators on moveable bleachers that can seat 500.

 

Cal Poly planning construction of residential housing project

Some 1,400 first-year students at Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo will find new housing available on the campus probably at the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Plans are to build a new residential housing facility near the university's entrance on Grand Avenue. The site is that of a current parking lot. The final plans must be completed and approved by the board of trustees before construction begins.

 

University to buy former apartment complex for student housing

Geoffrey Mearns

Northern Kentucky University is planning to purchase a former senior housing apartment complex from Campbell County Fiscal Court. The purchase price is approximately $1.4 million. The university will be renovating the building to transform it into a dormitory that it hopes will be available for student housing in August of next year. The total dorm project is expected to cost about $12 million, according to NKU President Geoff Mearns. The building as it stands is six stories tall and more than 40 years old, not meeting standards for senior living. Officials at the university say student fees for renting space in the dorm will help pay off the bonds that will be used for the purchase. That is in keeping with legislation passed last year that allows universities to use revenue generated on campus to defray costs of construction projects. This project is not the only one on tap for NKU. The university is planning to renovate its campus recreation center, with bonds expected to be issued in January for that project.

 

Kansas State makes plans for new residence hall, dining area

A new $70 million residence hall and dining center have been approved for Kansas State University by the Board of Regents. Regents also approved renovations for two other dorms. The new dorm will be a 450-bed facility expected to open in fall 2015. A new dining center will connect two existing residence halls. Renovations are also planned for Marlatt and Goodnow halls. The dining center that serves those two dorms now will be used in the future to house a generator. KState officials describe this project involving residence halls as the most significant one in more than 45 years.

 

West Virginia University issues RFP for multimedia contract

West Virginia University has issued a Request for Proposals for its multimedia rights contract. The contact will be for a variety of programming, from game, pre- and post-game shows on radio, a football pre-game TV show, coaches' shows for football and men's basketball on radio and TV and one football game and at least six men's basketball games per year. The university is looking for a 12-year contract with potential bidders, with the potential for another 10 years by mutual agreement of both parties. This is a rebid and even though on a fast track, there is no guarantee the contract will be in place by the start of the 2013 football season. Deadline for proposals is June 18. The best offer is expected to be chosen on Aug. 5 and will likely award the contract Aug. 23. This schedule, however, is subject to change, according to the RFP.

 

Investment consultant sought for defined contribution plans for UK

The University of Kentucky, Lexington has issued a Request for Proposals for an investment consultant for its four defined contribution plans. The four plans administered by the university are a 403(b) plan, a 401(a) plan and supplemental 403(b) and 457(b) plans. Proposals are due May 31. Final presentations are expected the first week of July with a contract decision expected the week of July 15. 

 

Check out these recent awards: 

Colorado town will use P3 for construction on local facility

A public-private partnership (P3) will lead to construction of a new science facility in Telluride, Colorado. The nonprofit Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC) has been seeking such a facility for the last two years and now is looking forward to a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art science facility. It will be built on land owned by the town that houses other facilities. The land would be leased from the town for $1 per year for 100 years. The TSRC would seek to raise the money within five years, or the lease could be terminated. The three-story center would include a 200-person auditorium, four classrooms, a large dividable classroom, a community room, café, staff apartments, lodging for scientists in residence and outdoor space. Plans are to install solar panels on the roof and to see net-zero energy use. The TRSC this summer is expected to bring 1,200 scientists from 80 countries into the community, resulting in an economic impact of $4.5 million locally. The town was on board with using a P3 to ensure the expansion, but only recently have discussed the current plan.

LA Power & Water seeking partnership for solar energy project

Los Angeles Department of Power & Water is seeking a public partner to help install a 250MW solar photovoltaic project. Although the department is installing 50MW of its Beacon Solar Project in Kern County, it will seek bids from up to four developers to develop the remaining four parcels of 40-60MW. However, depending on the proposals, the utility could choose one partner to develop all four parcels.

LADPW is seeking the public-private partnership route to a large developer that can bring cash to the table as well as purchasing power. The power agreements then will be for a 25-year term and the price will be capped at $85 per MWh. Developers can also participate in bidding to develop projects in the LA Basin, including four 10-14 MW blocks of solar power within the LA service territory and capped at $140 per MWh and for a term of 20 years. The utility is working toward a state mandate of investor-owned utilities and municipal utilities to purchase 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources. LADWP currently gets 40 percent of its electricity from coal-fired generation. The RFP deadline is in July, with construction scheduled to start in January 2015.

Public financing will net UTSA new campus housing complex

The Luxx, a new student housing complex on the campus of The University of Texas at San Antonio, will be built thanks to an infusion of private-sector capital. The complex, valued at $32 million, will include 212 units with 668 beds. It will be built on a 15-acre site east of the main campus.

The developer, NRP Group LLC, has previously partnered with the Alamo Colleges to develop a $30 million student housing and commercial project at San Antonio College.

 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 Michael Locatis. 

Michael Locatis

Michael Locatis, assistant secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has resigned, effective Jan. 18. He has been at his job with DHS for only nine months and was also adviser to the secretary on FirstNet and the National Public Safety Broadband Network. Locatis, who has been in the public sector for almost 10 years, is headed back to the private sector, where he will serve as a consultant for global communications group Grayling, helping clients prepare, respond and recover in the event of a cyberattack. Locatis' company, Nexusist, has become a Grayling affiliate in order to provide integrated communications services. Before joining DHS, Locatis was CIO of the U.S. Department of Energy, where he oversaw the implementation of Cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service and the Joint Cybersecurity Coordination Center (JC3), which he said applies a proactive approach to risk management and improves situational awareness, incident management and cross-agency collaboration. Before working in the federal government, Locatis spent time in state government, as CIO of the city of Denver and then the state of Colorado, followed by time as deputy CIO and transition adviser for the state of California. 

 

Want to know the latest? Join the insiders on the SPI blog!

Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm (top left) has announced her retirement from the city spot she has held for eight years, and ending a 35-year career with the city, having also previously served the city as interim city manager, first assistant city manager, assistant city manager, executive assistant director of Dallas Police, director of courts, assistant to the mayor and branch library manager for the city of Dallas. Eureka Springs, Arkansas, School Superintendent Curtis Turner (top center), a former teacher, has been hired as the Mineral Springs School District superintendent, effective July 1. Garrey Carruthers (top right), New Mexico State University business dean and vice president for economic development and governor of the state from 1987 to 1991, has been selected as the university's new president. William Harner of the Cumberland Valley School District in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, is Gov. Tom Corbett's nominee for education secretary, replacing Ron Tomalis. Nampa, Idaho, School District Superintendent Tom Michaelson has resigned seven months after being brought in to help the district deal with a $5.1 million deficit due to previous budgeting errors, and Nampa High School Principal Pete Koehler will take over the superintendent job. Charles W. Steger, president of Virginia Tech University since 2000, has announced he will retire, having also previously served the university as vice president for development and university relations. Leslie Williams (middle right), a 37-year Dallas ISD employee and executive director of the Carter High School feeder pattern, will retire after this school year, effective June 30. Texas Tech University Provost Bob Smith (middle center) will step down from his position, newly appointed president Duane Nellis announced last week, with Senior Vice Provost Rob Stewart to serve as acting provost. Deborah Wortham (middle left), superintendent of the York School District in central Pennsylvania has resigned to accept the position of superintendent in the Roosevelt Union Free School District in Long Island, New York. Village of Ruidoso Finance Director Nancy Klingman has resigned from her post, leaving the city to be closer to family in Georgia. Kalliat Valsaraj, associate vice chancellor of research and economic development at Louisiana State University and a member of the university staff for 27 years has been appointed vice chancellor of research and economic development, replacing Thomas Klei, who will return to research at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Eastern Kentucky University has chosen Michael T. Benson, president of Southern Utah University since 2006 and former president of Snow College in Utah, as its new president. The University of Connecticut Board of Regents has chosen Gregory W. Gray (bottom left), former chancellor of the Riverside Community College District in California, as the UConn system's new president. Florida Atlantic University President Mary Jane Saunders (bottom center) has resigned, amid what she called "recent controversies" and "fiercely negative media coverage." Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has appointed William Johnson (bottom right), an executive with a disaster response company, to lead Baltimore's Transportation Department. Covington Independent Schools in Kentucky have hired Alvin L. Garrison, a principal at John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown since 2006 as the new superintendent. President Barack Obama has appointed Daniel I. Werfel, the controller of the Office of Management and Budget, to be the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, replacing Steven Miller, who was fired after a scandal at the agency that targeted conservative groups. Wyoming Department of Revenue Director Ed Schmidt is retiring July 1, and Gov. Matt Mead has appointed Dan Noble, currently administrator of the department's Excise Tax Division, to be the new department director.