For the first time in seven years, Congress has compromised on a bill that would authorize 34 water projects throughout the United States. The agreement was sent to the President yesterday, and has a value of more than $12 billion, although that funding will still have to be appropriated. 

The Water Resources Reform and Development Act, or WRRDA, is crafted to facilitate trade in the United States by improving ports and other water transportation infrastructure. It will be a much-needed infusion of funding.

Trade through America's ports and inland waterways is vital to the nation's economy. Many states have reached the critical stage for water resources, so this funding is welcomed relief. 

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Say savings could be used to support Highway Trust Fund through May 2015

As the Highway Trust Fund slips dangerously toward running out of money by August, some members of Congress are promoting what others are calling a "band-aid" approach to keeping the fund solvent at least until May of next year. Republicans in the House are suggesting that the U.S. Postal Service eliminate Saturday mail delivery and that the savings realized from that move be directed to the Highway Trust Fund. These members of Congress suggest that such action could keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat while Congress continues to work on more than its usual stop-gap measure to fund the nation's infrastructure needs.

"Given the limited window for action, we believe it is important that an offset be simple and have the support of the administration and congressional Republicans," wrote three Republican members of the House in a memo regarding their proposal.  The Highway Trust Fund is facing having to delay funding to local governments if the fund balance gets too low, and the current two-year highway bill is set to expire in September. The authors of the memo - House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy - noted in their memo, "Failing to provide additional funds would mean a disruption of ongoing construction projects - right in the midst of the construction season."

Here's how it would work, the trio says. Ending first-class mail delivery on Saturdays would raise $10.7 billion over a decade. Between $14 billion and $15 billion would provide a year's worth of funding for the Highway Trust Fund. That savings, plus $1.3 billion left in a fund for leaking underground storage tanks, would keep the highway fund solvent until May 2015.

Even Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe (pictured) has pushed for ending Saturday delivery of first-class mail, but does not want to see delivery of packages on Saturdays nixed. That has been pretty much a cash cow for the financially strapped entity because of increased online shopping.

The postal service has recorded losses of more than $23 million in just over two years. Some say the proposal to fund the transportation needs of the country with savings that could be realized from eliminating Saturday postal delivery would generate more congressional support for the postal delivery cuts scenario.

From toll roads to rest areas, resources of private sector sought for projects

Whether it's toll roads or state-owned rest areas, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (pictured) wants to explore public-private partnerships (P3s) that could be revenue producers for the state.

Patrick recently charged a commission created in 2009 with studying the possible use of P3s that could help the state realize revenue through partnering opportunities with the private sector. Patrick says he wants the commission to explore everything from toll roads to rest areas, weigh stations and park-and-ride lots for possible use of P3s. He points out that state projects such as eliminating a bottleneck on Route 3 and building a second Sagamore Bridge should be under consideration.

Officials cite other states in which such P3 arrangements have benefitted the state, including a project on Route 91 that resulted in a $130 million, 10-mile, four-lane toll project. The state owns the lanes, but leased them back to the consortium of private construction companies for 35 years. Similar successful projects were undertaken in Orange County and in Indiana.  

Architects will soon begin to design development for the University of Montana's Missoula College. Missoula College is the two-year college of the University of Montana, located in Missoula. Founded in 1956, it became part of the university in 1994. Final environmental assessment has been completed on a site and site preparation could begin as early as this summer. The architect will meet soon with the project manager and begin putting together a schedule for bidding and construction. The first phase of the project will be construction of a four-story, 105,000-square-foot building (as seen in accompanying artist's rendering). That building will have the capacity to have an additional 155,500 square feet added. Officials predict that by 2014, some 2,700 students, faculty and staff will be using the college. The new $32 million college will be the first major project for the area and it is hoped it will lead to revitalization of the area. City officials expect the infusion of thousands of students will lead to a need for additional housing in that area and will also provide an economic boost for merchants in the area. Construction is expected to start early next year, with a hoped for completion date of mid-2017. Following a summer groundbreaking, site work should take about two months, with bidding in January and construction in the spring.  

The governing board of the University of Michigan recently approved plans for a new garage and transportation operations center. To be located on the North Campus, the $38.5 million Transportation Services Building will house approximately 1,000 cars, vans, buses and trucks. It will also feature a full-service garage. It will allow the university to buy larger buses that it needs to transport more students during peak hours. That couldn't happen because the current garage is too small to house them. The current Transportation Services Building on the South Campus is not big enough to take care of the 140 percent increase in the number of vehicles the university operates. At 114,000 square feet, the new facility would house bus and vehicle maintenance and operations functions of the Department of Parking and Transportation Services and will be larger than the current facility.

Major upgrades at the main campus of the Genesee (New York) Community College are in the works after lawmakers in Genesee County approved a $24.6 million capital improvement project. The project will include a new wellness and event center, a student success center and energy conservation measures in the buildings. Among the projects are the proposed site improvements and renovation of the ground floor and second floor of the college's main building. The community college's foundation will pay for half of the costs of the project and the county will pay for half. County Treasurer Scott German (pictured) asked that a sentence in the resolution authorizing the project construction be removed until the funding for the project is finalized. 

Security upgrades and improvements to the seven schools in the Lake Forest School District in Kent County, Delaware, will now be possible after voters in the district agreed to pay for a portion of the $7.7 million in projects. The vote authorizes the district to purchase more than $2.5 million in bonds to finance the projects. Another $5 million in state funds will be added to the funding and $1 million will come from the Kent County School District Capital Improvement Fund. In addition to security upgrades, the Lake Forest High School football field and auditorium will undergo improvements and a new agricultural technology lab will be built.

Another $234 million awarded for Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Emergency Relief Program has awarded the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New Jersey Transit an additional $234 million in federal funds for capital work already under way and new projects to help deal with recovery from damages related to Superstorm Sandy. About $167 million of the funding will go to the PATH rail system and $67 million to New Jersey Transit. So far, the port authority has received $1.36 billion in FTA funding after the storm and the NJT has received $448.1 million. FTA is currently reviewing more than 60 proposals valued at more than $6 billion in requests for $3 billion in funding that will be competitively funded for regional resiliency projects. The latest funding for the port authority will support 15 capital projects that include replacing power, signal and communications equipment destroyed in the storm, purchasing two new locomotives and securing equipment intended to mitigate damages from storms, such as temporary power substations and water-removal systems and barriers. Among the transit projects are a new interoperable communications center, repair of the Newark and Hudson-Bergen light rail lines, dredging storm-related silt from the Weehawen Port Imperial Ferry Terminal and purchasing new fueling trucks to supply diesel locomotives and other equipment that could be stranded during an emergency. 

City in Kentucky gets $10.5 million in loan, grant funds for treatment plant

In Pikeville, Kentucky, the city is celebrating loan and grant funding totaling $10.5 million that will lead to expanding the wastewater treatment plant to facilitate city growth. Already operating at 92 percent capacity and new businesses on the way, the money will allow for a new plant that will let the city continue to grow. The total project cost is about $22 million, and these funds will only leave about a $5 million funding gap. The new plant will allow the city to serve more than 3,000 homes and businesses in both Pikeville and Coal Run. "We are going to be able to save the taxpayers quite a bit of money by utilizing the current location and footprint there," said City Manager Donovan Blackburn (pictured). "We currently have a 2 million gallon per day capacity. We will take it up to 4 million, with capability of 6 million per day." The new plant will allow the city to continue to operate with some of the lowest utility rates in the state. The new plant will have all new equipment. 

City of Los Angeles turns attention to renovating city convention center

A $300 million renovation of the city-owned convention center in Los Angeles has been approved by the City Council's Economic Development Committee. The full council will take up the issue soon. The city originally had planned to expand the convention center because a new 72,000-seat football stadium was proposed for near the Staples Center. The City Council approved the $1.5 billion project. But the likelihood of a downtown stadium began to wane and the National Football League would not commit to bringing a pro football team back to the city. The result was recommendation of a $300 million expenditure for renovations at the convention center. 

New public works department facility to be constructed for city in Indiana

A new facility is in the works for the public works department of the city of Whiting, Indiana. Construction could start as early as late this year. The current facility would be razed and the land likely used for museums and commercial development. The new facility is estimated to cost $2.5 million to $3 million and would be paid for through bonds borrowed by the city Whiting Mayor Joe Stahura (pictured) said the current facility is "falling apart" and "in terrible disrepair." The mayor said that the new facility would also include a new animal shelter and an indoor garage for storing vehicles and yard materials. Officials say the facility also will be energy efficient and a greener operation than the old building. Plans are also shaping up for a recycling station for residents to drive in and drop off all their recyclables in one location. The old facility has been in use since the mid-60s.

Funding provided for wastewater reclamation plants in California city

A $3 million federal grant will allow two sub-regional wastewater reclamation plants in California to be built. The grant was awarded to the Victoria Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority for plants in Brewster Park in Apple Valley and one in Hesperia. The recycled water produced by the plants will allow for the conservation of groundwater and reduce the amount of water imported through the State Water Project from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Although the water produced will not be drinking standard, it can be used for landscape irrigation, industrial use and recharging groundwater.  A total of nearly $12 million in state and federal funds have been secured for the two plants to be constructed. Bids are expected to be sought this month and opened in August. Construction would likely begin in November, with the completion and online dates for the plants expected to be March 2017.  The plants initially are expected to provide 2,240 acre-feet of recycled water per year, or about 730 million gallons. 

Check out these recent awards:  

• L&A Contracting won a contract worth more than $1.5 million from Pike County, Mississippi, to replace the Leatherwood Road bridge across Topisaw Creek.
• Southgate Mobility Partners won an $847.6 million contract from the Texas Department of Transportation to rebuild 10.6 miles of the highway in Irving and Dallas and 1.5 miles in Euless. An 18.3-mile toll express lane in each direction will be added. Toll express lanes on portions of Loop 12 and State Highway 114 and minor upgrades to portions of 114 and 183 that are not being completely rebuilt are also part of the contract.
• ManTech Systems Engineering won a contract worth up to $8.9 million from the U.S. Navy for the Navy Ship Maintenance and Logistics Information Systems program.
• Xerox Corp. has been awarded a major contract by the New York Health Department to revamp the state's Medicaid management system. The five-year contract is worth an estimated $500 million.
• Orr Wyatt Streetscapes won a $2.1 million contract from the city of Maryville, Missouri, for "Phase 1" construction of an overhaul of a six-block area along the West Fourth Street corridor between the courthouse square and Northwest Missouri State University.
• Texas Sterling Construction won a $65.5 million contract from the Texas Department of Transportation for construction of three bridges for the Trinity River Vision project that will link downtown Fort Worth to future development on the near north side.
• Transportation Management Services won a contract worth up to $45.9 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for professional, administrative and management support services.
• South State Inc. was awarded a $12.7 million contract from Cape May County, New Jersey, to raise the Sea Isle City Boulevard 4.5 feet.
• Citizens Conservation Corps was awarded a contract from the state of West Virginia to operate the state Courtesy Patrol under a statewide contract. The one-year contract has a base value of $3.185 million and has two one-year renewal options.
• Callanan Industries was awarded a $1.1 million contract from the Schenectady County, New York, Metroplex Development Authority, to install new curbs, sidewalks, streetscape improvements and pave lower State Street from Erie Boulevard to South Church Street.

Partnership helping to fund Powerhouse Science Center in Sacramento

Pledging $350,000 per year over the next 20 years, the city of Sacramento will be contributing to the construction of the first phase of construction of the Powerhouse Science Center (as seen in accompanying artist's rendering), a proposed science and environmental museum on the banks of the Sacramento River. 

The center is seeking a $25 million construction loan and the $7 million contribution from the city will help pay off that debt. If the loan is granted, construction could begin as early as September, with a 2016 completion date expected. This first phase of construction would feature a 37,000-square-foot museum and will include a domed planetarium, a space exploration simulator, classrooms and a nature center with animals. Exhibits will address the state's water supply and there will be an outdoor garden to promote renewable energy. The facility will replace the old Discovery Museum and officials say the new facility will "be shaping the next generation of scientists and engineers." 

This public-private partnership will also include more than $8 million in state and local grants and $22 million in private donations toward construction. Federal tax credits of $13.5 million also will be sought. Officials already are looking into how to finance the second phase, which includes renovation of the old Pacific Gas and Electric power station at the site and construction of a new parking garage. They are expecting much of the financing to come from sponsorships.

USDA seeking partnerships for projects to protect soil, water

A $2.4 billion program has been announced that will allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to partner with businesses, nonprofits and others in public-private partnerships to fund local soil and water conservation projects. The Regional Conservation Partnership Program is expected to lay the foundation for creating initiatives relating to agriculture. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the projects will benefit communities and not just individual operators. Those who can apply for the grant program, which is expected to cover a five-year period, are universities, local and tribal governments, companies and sporting groups.

Vilsack said partnerships allow more to be accomplished than the federal government could do on its own. The projects are expected to promote economic growth in agriculture, construction, tourism, outdoor recreation and other industries. USDA plans to spend $1.2 billion while raising a like amount from participants in the program. Applicants can make up their portion of the funds with cash, labor and other contributions.  

Grant will support public-private, high-speed ferry system in Tampa Bay area

A high-speed passenger ferry system that will be a public-private partnership is headed to the Tampa Bay area. The $17 million project will be buoyed by a $4.8 million federal grant. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (pictured), announced the grant this week for the high-speed ferry service to link job centers across Tampa Bay, including MacDill Air Force Base.

With a goal of helping alleviate some traffic congestion in the area, Castor noted, "Tampa Bay's long-term economic future will significantly benefit if we develop options for people to travel to work and home. Investing in our infrastructure is key to growing jobs in our community and remaining competitive." Castor was instrumental in the original feasibility study for a waterborne transit system that was completed in 2011. The public-private partnership ferry project was approved earlier this year by the Hillsborough County Commission. 

The grant, which goes to the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) will help pay for plans to promote construction of new terminals and necessary infrastructure. Castor said surveys show strong ridership potential for a high-speed ferry service. She said the ferry would be welcomed by employees traveling to MacDill AFB every morning, creating traffic jams. It will connect residential areas in the south part of the county with MacDill, pulling motoring traffic off congested roads and highways in those areas.

New Jersey committee passes infrastructure bank bill out of committee

State lawmakers in New Jersey are once again trying to create a transportation infrastructure bank as the state's transportation dollars are dwindling. Such a bank would be used to fund bridge and road repairs and other major transportation projects.

The Senate Transportation Committee recently passed the bill out of committee. It marks the second time in as many years that the measure has been advanced from the committee. But, passing the bill out of committee is just the first hurdle to its becoming law. It will take passage on the floor of the House and Senate and the governor's signature to put this transportation finance alternative into law.

Supporters point out that an infrastructure bank would be an alternative source of funding other than just the state's Transportation Trust Fund. They also say it would put the state in line for federal transportation money and loans to finance much-needed projects while also accepting private funding. And more projects mean more jobs and a boost to the state's economy. 

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 Suma Nallapati.

Suma Nallapati (pictured), who just three months ago was named chief technology officer for the state of Colorado, was recently appointed the state's Chief Information Officer and Secretary of Technology. Nallapati replaces state CIO Kristin Russell, who resigned in April to take a job with a private-sector consulting firm. She is both an accomplished technology leader and consultant with more than 17 years of experience in establishing and executing global IT service strategy and delivery. Before joining Colorado state government, Nallapati worked at Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation's largest health care networks, where she led teams responsible for data centers, network operations, service desk and end-user computing. She also worked previously for TeleTech, where she served as the Global Director of Enterprise applications. Nallapati co-founded an IT consulting firm that translates proven CRM, ERP, e-business and business intelligence technologies business solutions for its clients across the United States. As state CIO, Nallapati will oversee the operation and delivery of information technology services and innovation for Colorado executive branch agencies. She also will lead tech-related economic development efforts and work with the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade to promote Colorado as a location for IT companies and technology-based workers. Nallapati earned a master's degree in nuclear physics from the Andhra University India, a Professional Management certification from Mountain States Employers Council and a Project Management certificate from the Project Management Institute.