As public officials throughout the country struggle to find funding for critical infrastructure projects, many citizens question why some still distrust and/or fear the concept of public-private partnerships (P3s). It's true that some P3s have been problematic and a few could be called complete failures. But, there is also failure history related to public projects with traditional funding.

Not every government initiative is successful and the same is true in the commercial sector. But, certainly the majority of public projects are launched successfully. And, with good project management and oversight, public officials can complete projects of all types - even those with non-traditional funding - successfully.

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Construction, renovations on system's five campuses approved by trustees
A five-year, $3.8 billion capital improvement plan for the five-campus system of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) was recently approved by the UMass Board of Trustees. The plan provides for both construction and renovation projects - 184 in all. The projects address construction of new research labs, renovation to student housing and libraries and improvements to athletics and recreation facilities. The $3.8 billion in spending over the five-year period is in addition to $2 billion spent on construction projects over the last 10 years.

Financing of the projects will be shared by the university and the state, with UMass responsible for 72 percent of the costs and the state contributing the remaining 28 percent.

Students will be pleased to know that the construction project costs will not have an impact on tuition or student fees. UMass President Robert Caret (pictured) has said he will freeze tuition and fees next year if the state continues contributing half of the costs for operating the university. Trustees last June froze tuition and fees for the current year and state lawmakers increased state funding to the university by close to $50 million.

The new construction comes at a time when the university's online enrollment is continuing to increase. But, officials do not see the university becoming an online campus only. In fact, the system's officials are still considering creating the university's first satellite campus in downtown Springfield. Four building owners in the downtown area have already submitted bids to lease space to the UMass for such a campus. Review of those bids is expected to be completed by December.  

Renovations at University of Michigan facility to cost $13 million

The School of Education building at the University of Michigan will undergo $13.6 million in renovations. The Board of Regents approved the upgrades, which include the building's infrastructure and creation of a community lounge. Additionally, three classrooms will be renovated and provide a teaching lab and an interactive classroom with four breakout rooms. The construction will be completed in phases. The building was constructed in 1923 and expanded in 1929. In 2011, a $1.4 million project renovated part of the facility to create a library and archive. Its façade was restored in 2005. Construction on the multi-phase project is expected to begin in January of next year, with a completion date of fall 2015 expected. 

Kent State University planning to build new $10-$15M building

Kent State University will soon get a new facility for its Division of Institutional Advancement. The new $10 million to $15 million new construction will be the home of the offices of alumni relations, development and the KSU Foundation. But, before the facility can be built, the KSU trustees approved a trade of buildings with a campus fraternity to make way for the new facility. Gene Finn (pictured), vice president of Institutional Advancement, said the new facility is part of a "domino effect" taking place on campus. It is part of $800 million in improvements at Kent State campuses and in the city of Kent. The university is purchasing blocks of property west of the campus for upcoming expansion. Some buildings on campus are undergoing renovations while new facilities are being constructed for the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology and renovations and additions are part of the activity for the School of Art. The new building for the Division of Institutional Advancement will be a 30,000-square-foot building to house about 100 staff members. "I would like to see it happen as soon as possible," said Finn. Trustees will likely hear details on the building at their December meeting.

Maryland school district purchases land for new elementary school

Purchase of an $8.2 million parcel of land in Hanover, Maryland, has been approved by the Howard County Board of Education. The land will be the site of a new elementary school. The 8.2-acre site will be purchased and put in the system's land bank for an elementary school expected to open in 2019. The new school would be adjacent to a new middle school that is currently under construction and expected to open next August.

Texas school district to sell bonds for construction, technology, maintenance

Sale of $206 million in bonds was recently approved by the Leander (Texas) Independent School District. The bond proceeds will be used to construct a new high school, high school science labs, design a new elementary and for other capital projects. High School No. 6 will be constructed near the Benbrook Ranch subdivision. Science labs will be added at four high schools in the district. Other projects that will be funded by the sale of the bonds are maintenance projects, plant services, HVAC repairs and roof repairs. There will be approximately $17.7 million in technology purchases and new buses will cost $890,000. The bond sale is set for January of next year.

Kalamazoo Valley Community College planning new $42 million campus

A campus dedicated to wellness and sustainability is in the works after Gov. Rick Snyder gave approval for the initial $6 million outlay for the for the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Valley Community College Healthy Living Campus. "We are delighted that Gov. Snyder has included Kalamazoo Valley Community College's request for $6 million for its Healthy Living Campus," said Linda Depta (pictured), director of media relations. She said college officials will continue monitoring legislation that, if passed, would authorize construction of the campus. Kalamazoo was one of several higher education entities receiving planning grants. Others were Macomb Community College, Muskegon Community College, Saginaw Valley State University and Southwestern Michigan College. KVCC and Saginaw Valley each were awarded $6 million, the largest requests granted planning approval by the state. In May, KVCC announced plans for the new $42 million campus, which will be a partnership with Healthcare Group, which donated land downtown and with Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The curriculum is expected to stress community wellness and sustainable food production. Construction is planned for sometime next year. "This is good news for the community, the project and the college," said Depta.

Texas entities get $24 million in financial assistance for statewide water projects

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) recently approved financial assistance totaling $24,903,916 that will result in contracting opportunities for water and wastewater projects as well as rehabilitation of existing water system infrastructure in a variety of Texas cities and water supply corporations. The following awards were made:

• City of Roscoe - $1.04 million to replace severely dilapidated clay tile sewer lines that were constructed in the 1940s and that have had failures, leaks, collapses and blockages.
• East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation - $1.97 million loan and $591,000 in loan forgiveness to address its emergency water supply issues by constructing a new 7,443-linear-foot raw water transmission line and a pump station.
• City of Edinburg - $10.425 million loan to expand its existing West Water Treatment Plant from 8 million gallons per day to 16 million gallons per day within the existing facility site.
• City of Raymondville - $3.8 million including a $2.145 million loan and $1.655 million in loan forgiveness to construct one public water supply well and a 2-million-gallon per day reverse osmosis treatment facility to address the need for additional water supplies for its customers.
• Mount Enterprise Water Supply Corporation - $775,000 loan to replace and/or rehabilitate its 1950s and 60s water distribution system to address increasing water losses.
• City of Rio Hondo - $3,793,916 including a $1.278 million loan and $2,515,916 in loan forgiveness purchase pushwater, install a 22,000-linear-foot emergency interconnect and rehabilitate one existing elevated and one existing round storage tank.
• Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 8 - $490,000 loan to construct a new water well to be used as a backup to its existing water well, and to install an emergency generator at the water plant.
• City of Groveton - $2.61 million including a $620,000 loan and a $1.99 million grant from the Economically Distressed Areas Program to construct a project to correct deficiencies in its water distribution system and provide additional water supply. The project includes replacement of water distribution lines, addition of isolation valves and construction of a new public water supply well.

City of Alamogordo makes list of top projects for which funding is sought
 Because the Alamogordo Police Department's current storage facility is running out of room, a new evidence building is being considered as part of Infrastructure Capital Improvements being considered by the city commission. The city will seek $100,000 for the evidence building. The facility had previously been number one on the projects list for the city, but has moved down and been replaced in the number one spot by a $200,000 allocation for the purchase of six new police vehicles and equipment. The city put together its list of its top five priorities to be submitted to the State Legislature, according to Mayor Susie Galea (pictured). Not only will the city seek new vehicles this year, but it is also expected to seek a total of about $900,000 over the next four fiscal years for vehicles and equipment. Water supply projects on the list include $324,000 for the rehabilitation of a city-operated filter plant and another $300,000 is planned for renovation of a reclaimed water storage pond. The list also includes $577,000 for a flood control project.  

South Dakota museum could get $3.9 million archive facility
An archive storage facility is on the drawing board for the Siouxland Heritage Museums in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Sioux Falls City Council has approved budgeting $1.3 million next year for the facility. The project will cost $3.9 million and the county also will be asked to provide $1.3 million of the funding. Both contributions are contingent on donated land around the site being sold and netting at least $1.3 million. The facility will be used to store boxes of memorabilia relating to Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County.  

Texas city purchases land in advanced of proposed police station
The Baytown (Texas) City Council has approved an earnest money contract for up to $60,000 with the Baytown Police Association, Inc. for the purchase of 2.14 acres just to the east of the Baytown police station. The property is being purchased as a likely home for a new police station that could become part of a future bond election, according to Baytown City Manager Bob Leiper. 

City in Michigan gets $2.6 million from feds for infrastructure upgrades
The city of Big Rapids, Michigan, has been awarded federal funding of $2.6 million toward its plans to replace the Baldwin Street Bridge in the Mecosta County community. The funds, which were announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce, also will be used for water system improvements that will serve the Big Rapids Industrial Park. The Department of Commerce sent funding valued at $8 million for this project and projects in five other states. The funds are allocated by the department's Economic Development Administration. The federal funds are expected to leverage more than $4.7 million in private investment.

California city to issue request for proposals for trash hauling services

A new trash hauler is expected to be chosen by the city of La Habra Heights, California, by next spring. The city has put the service out for bids after negotiations broke down between the city and the current provider. "This is a service we own and we have to outsource," Councilman Kyle Miller (pictured) said. The bid package is expected to be released Sept. 30. Bids will be due in December and a contract will be awarded in March. The current contractor, who has served the city for the last 22 years, was at odds with the city when the city asked for $25,000 to reimburse for its cost of preparing the agreement. Officials called the contract "ridiculous." In addition to seeking the reimbursement for the agreement costs, the provider was also asked to provide some waste bins free of charge. City officials say a request for proposals will see what the marketplace will bear as far as what the contract should include.  

RFP issued for computer-based test delivery platform project
A request for proposals for a computer-based test delivery platform, assessment item repository, data warehouse, score reporting tools and score reports design study has been issued by The Partnerships for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC). The partnership is a consortium of 20 governing states and more than 200 higher education institutions funded by a four-year, $185 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The technologies will be used to support parts of the assessments in their first full operational year 2014-15. PARCC is seeking innovations that allow for greater student interaction with assessment items and more opportunities to write, graph and create other responses to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Read the full RFP.  

Airport in Louisiana allocated funding for extending its runway

The Louisiana Regional Airport in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, is the recipient of $4.1 million in state and federal grants to apply to its project to extend its runway. The general aviation airport will extend the runway by 1,000 feet and also use some of the funds for related improvements. The additional length added to the runway will make it 5,000 feet long and running north to south. That additional footage will put the airport on high altitude aviation maps, which will allow for the sale of jet fuel while benefitting business moving into the parish. The federal portion of the grant - $3.8 million - is the largest grand received by the airport.  

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Marshall University proposes two new residence halls on campus
Two additional residence halls and a mixed-use building that would have space for both retail and apartments are included in the Marshall University 10-year master plan to be considered by the university's Board of Governors next month. Following discussion by that board, the proposal will go before the Higher Education Policy Commission in December. Officials are looking at another public-private partnership (P3) for construction of the facilities, as P3s were used in construction of the latest residence halls. Those were constructed by a private partner on university land, with the developer managing the facility and then turning ownership over to the university after 50 years. Because of an anticipated increase in the university's international population because of a new program, additional housing will be needed, according to university officials. Marshall also is anticipating demolishing the old Holderby Hall, a 1963 structure that not only houses students, but also houses the Housing and Residence Life offices. "The loss of Holderby, expected intakes of the international students and the need for updated facilities shows cause for new residence halls," said Karen Kirtley (pictured), senior vice president of administration at Marshall. Kirtley said because of recent decreases in state funding for higher education institutions, P3 financing for the projects would probably be the only option. The type and size of residential facilities on the Marshall campus will depend on enrollment projections, deferred maintenance projects and funding. The plan also calls for demolition of a multi-story building that currently houses a pizza restaurant and two barber shops. It would be replaced by a mixed-use, multi-story building with retail space and upper-story apartments for students. In addition to new construction, the 10-year plan also provides for renovations of existing housing facilities. Twin Towers East and West would be revamped to include semi-private restrooms and additional lounge space. Additional green space and a new recreation area are also part of the plan. One of the new facilities would have a green space behind it. A recreation field would be located where a parking lot is now.

Dallas seeks public-private partnership to build branch library

Dallas Public Library and Office of Economic Development officials recently requested qualified developers to submit proposals for a mixed-use project that would include a new branch library on city-owned property. City officials originally had planned to use funds of a 2012 bond election to pay for the new branch library, but lack of funding prompted city officials to look for a private developer. The branch library project will be located at Vickery Meadows, an area with high crime that city officials hope to upgrade with projects such as the library. Under terms of the request for proposal, the winning developer will be able to build what they like at the site, including retail or medical space. However, the project must include a library and a multifamily dwelling with affordable housing available. The request also informs developers that the city currently has no funds set aside to build the library branch or for finishing out the interior, but that a $750,000 federal grant with a local match from the Vickery Meadow Tax Increment Financing District can be used for pre-construction costs. 

Foye: P3s proving successful for Port Authority of New York, New Jersey
Public-private partnerships for a major bridge and airport terminal renovation are highlights of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey's plans for the next decade, which focus mainly on fixing infrastructure that, in some cases, is almost 90 years old. Pat Foye, port authority executive director, told members of the Transportation Research Forum's New York chapter in early September that the agency will retain authority over tolling on the Goethals Bridge, which will undergo a $1.5-billion rehabilitation and upgrade by a concessionaire team led by Australia's Macquarie Group Ltd. and the contractor Kiewit Corp. The port authority will pay back the consortium over 40 years with annual payments that start at $60 million. Foye also said the airport should invest in next-gen satellite technology for air traffic control.

North Carolina county considering P3 to develop business park
A public-private partnership is being considered by the Davidson County (North Carolina) Board of Commissioners for developing the first phase, 205 acres, of a business park near Linwood. The county would partner with other investors to purchase the property off I-85. The Davidson County Economic Development Commission wants to develop more than 1,000 acres of property in three phases. The cost for development of the entire site would be about $17.3 million, including roads. If a company were to purchase property at the business park, those partners in the endeavor would share the profits. The proposal is a result of fears that the county would run out of open land for recruiting industry. Some county officials note that the county has already had some success with public-private partnerships on several projects. 

 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 Pam Stewart.

Chris A. Kaiser (top left) will step down as provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the end of October and return to the faculty as a professor of biology, after having served as head of the biology department for eight years before becoming provost. Becky Motal (top center), general manager at the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) in Texas, announced that she will be retiring on Dec. 31, 2013, ending a 27-year career with LCRA, the last two as general manager. Max Crumit (top right), who led efforts to clean up Orlando's road-building agency, the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority, has announced he is resigning, effective Oct. 1. Matthew Zimmerman, chief administrative officer of Emporia, Kansas, and former city administrator of Prospect Heights, Illinois, will become city manager of Hazelwood, Missouri on Oct. 30. Rick Holliday, a 31-year education veteran and assistant superintendent of student support services at the new Hanover, North Carolina, County Schools, has been named deputy superintendent. Bill Shanahan, deputy administrator of the city of Augusta, Georgia, is leaving that post to take the top spot as administrator of York County in South Carolina. UC Davis officials have named Dr. Julie Freischlag (bottom right), a department director and surgeon-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, as the new dean of the School of Medicine and vice chancellor for human health sciences. Gabriel Gonzalez (bottom center), city manager of Rohnert Park, California, since 2010, has been named city manager for the city of Augusta, Kansas, and brings 10 years of city management experience to the post. Bruce T. Murphy (bottom left), current vice president for academic affairs at Air University in Alabama, has been named the fifth president of Nicholls State University in Louisiana. Ken Grace, current Carter County, Oklahoma, sheriff, will take over as police chief for the city of Ardmore in January, replacing former Chief Keith Mann, who resigned. Timothy O'Donnell, vice president and former treasurer of Southwestern Energy Co., has been hired as associate vice chancellor for budget and financial planning at the University of Arkansas, effective Oct. 7. The City of Largo, Florida, has promoted Deputy Chief Shelby Willis to the position of chief of the Largo Fire Rescue Department, after she has served with the fire department since 1997, including as interim fire chief since April.