Water is a precious commodity and an essential component when it comes to economic viability. Because of serious water shortages throughout the country, lots of attention is now focused on efforts to ensure that we don't run out of water.

As far back as 2010, warnings related to water resources were being issued.  At that time 45 percent of all pipes in the United States were in dire need of repair. The funding to maintain, repair, expand and upgrade water systems was not available then ...nor is it available now. Municipalities actually need as much as $1 trillion to make critical infrastructure improvements over the next 16 years just to meet the drinking water needs.  

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Follows last session's expansion of use of partnerships for transportation

Building on a bill passed during the last legislative session that set guidelines for the use of public-private partnerships (P3s) on transportation projects, the Pennsylvania State Legislature is now attempting to pass similar legislation that would apply to P3 agreements relating to public water and wastewater projects.

The bill, HB 2239, was passed out of a House committee last week. "My bill will offer a new financing option to our local water and sewage authorities," said Rep. Eli Evankovich (pictured), sponsor of the bill.  "Allowing P3s for water and sewage will make more money available for expansion projects and environmental compliance."

Saying he would like to see more investments to address infrastructure needs, Evankovich said the bill will "unlock new investment in Pennsylvania."

Under the provisions of the bill, guidelines are set for local governments for using public-private partnerships to either build or operate water and sewer treatment facilities, or both.

The transportation bill passed during the last session already has resulted in many proposed P3 projects for transportation that will benefit citizens of the state and could take some of the debt responsibility for those projects off the backs of taxpayers. "My bill offers the same opportunity to local governments and school districts to take advantage of the P3 concept to build new sewer facilities, water treatment facilities, school buildings, etc.," Evankovich said in a memo to fellow members of the legislature.

Evankovich said if the legislation, which now goes to the full House for debate, is passed, it will add Pennsylvania to a growing list of states such as Maryland and Florida, which are establishing comprehensive P3s. "I believe that this proposal will help make Pennsylvania more competitive in the national marketplace."

Modernizing, streamlining efforts to save money, speed processes

Efforts to privatize part of the North Carolina Department of Commerce (DOC) have finally been realized with the signing into law of a bill creating a nonprofit corporation to assist the DOC in creating and retaining jobs. The corporation will also participate in business development, international trade, marketing, travel and tourism.

Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker (pictured) said the legislation gives DOC the job creation tools it needs to better serve the people of the state. "Modernizing and streamlining our job creation apparatus is a vital step in growing North Carolina's economy, particularly in our rural communities," said Decker.

In signing the bill into law, Gov. Pat McCrory said it will allow for putting a new economic approach in place with more emphasis on customer service in creating jobs while saving taxpayer money. "We'll be able to help existing companies grow and recruit new companies that are considering locating in North Carolina."

The newly created nonprofit corporation, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, must raise $250,000 from private individuals, companies and groups before it launches. Key to the success of the nonprofit, said Decker, is its streamlining the approval process for recruiting business and industry to the state. Incentive decisions will remain with the decision-makers at the DOC.

This public-private partnership will ensure that the private partner will not face the delays of dealing with the bureaucratic red tape that can slow things down.

California school bond will build schools, technology/performing arts centers

New schools, three science-technology centers and a performing arts center will be built in the Hayward (California) Unified School District if a $229 million school bond measures passes in November. The school board recently voted to call the election, which will require a 55 percent approval to pass. The four schools that would be rebuilt include Cherrryland, Harder and Lorin Eden elementaries and the Winton Middle School. The Mount Eden campus would be home to the new performing arts center. Superintendent Stan Dobbs (pictured) said the center will be placed on the Eden campus because that is the only campus with room for the structure, but that it will be a center "for all the schools." The three science-technology centers will be separate buildings on their respective campuses for classes in science, technology, engineering, arts and math, according to the superintendent. Some of the bond proceeds would also be used to upgrade athletic fields at the high schools, including the addition of lighting. Others of the funds will be used for security upgrades, upgrades to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, improved parking, rehabilitated restrooms and an updated emergency communication system. The bond proposal is part of the district's 20-year plan to upgrade schools. The plan was adopted in 2005. The first part of the program was a $205 million successful bond referendum in 2008.

Twenty Cleveland schools face plan to be repaired, replaced, refreshed

Twenty schools in the Cleveland Municipal School District will be part of a recently passed, 13-year construction plan approved by the city. The $200 million plan will see one new campus built - the John F. Kennedy High School. Additionally, the Lincoln-West High School will be renovated or rebuilt. The plan also calls for either building a new West Side high school or creating some new small school options in that area. The district will seek the $200 million from taxpayers in the district, with the state contributing to construction costs beyond that amount. The district expects to ask voters to extend a 2001 bond issue that so far has managed to meet the construction needs of the school district, but votes will also be asked to approve an additional half-mill continuing tax for maintenance of existing facilities. Other projects include rebuilding or renovation of 17 elementary schools and refreshing through repairs another 23 schools, spending from $2.5 million to $3 million at each campus for projects such as replacing doors and windows.

Montana school district plans $48 million bond issue to upgrade schools

Aging schools in the Helena (Montana) School District have led to the board of trustees to call for a school bond election in October. The bond issue carries a $48 million price tag. If the bond passes, school officials plan to close Bryant Elementary, demolish and rebuild Central and Jim Darcy elementaries at their current sites, expand Warren Elementary to a capacity of 500 and install modular computer labs in every K-8 school in the district. Superintendent Kent Kultgen (pictured) said the district will begin immediately preparing for the bond campaign and will meet with the city commission for permission to approve the one school slated for demolition. Although some of the proposals have not been well received by some residents, Trustee Cherche Prezeau said she was thankful for a superintendent like Kultgen who was not afraid to propose the bond issue in spite of some opposition. The last new facility in the district was built nearly 40 years ago and some members of the board urged a long-range plan to keep up with the building needs of the district. 

Facility improvements, technology upgrades, safety part of $92M bond

Facilities improvements are at stake in a $92 million school bond issue set for November in the Azusa (California) United School District. To quell any concerns about how the money would be spent, the school board is requiring that a citizens' oversight committee will have to be appointed to ensure none of the funds are used for teacher or administrative salaries or other operating expenses. The bond proceeds would be used for improvements district-wide, including safety enhancements, roofing projects, renovation of classrooms, new HVAC systems, updates to electrical systems and technology upgrades. Information regarding the needs of the district have been compiled over the years and reviewed in January. Architects and bond counsel were selected at a meeting earlier this month. 

Minnesota school district moving forward with tablet distribution to students

Students in the St. Paul Public Schools in Minnesota will get tablet computers following approval by the school board. The six-year plan will include 37 schools receiving the tablets in the first year at a cost of $5.7 million. Later distribution will include putting devices in more than 60 schools at a cost of about $8 million per year. Officials feel the use of the tablets will keep students more engaged in education because technology has become a part of their daily lives outside the classroom. "Our students are millennials who have tremendous digital fluency, and we must tap into that," said Kate Wilcox-Harris (pictured), the district's assistant superintendent for personalized learning. Part of the spending is in response to a slight decrease in the amount per-pupil that was being spent by the district. The district plans to distribute about 28,000 new tablets to students and 1,400 laptops for teachers from October through January. A year later, the district will have distributed more than 40,000 tablets. The devices will be replaced every three years by the manufacturer.

New Mexico city to seek bids for road improvements to spaceport

Bids are expected to be sought later this month on the first phase of a planned 24-mile road project to improve the southern road leading to Spaceport America in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The exact date of the bidding will follow the review by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management of construction plans and a study on cultural and other sites in the area. Non-acceptance of the plans by the federal agency could further delay the project, which also would likely increase costs as well. Officials have called paving the southern route crucial to economic benefits from the spaceport for county residents and businesses. However, county officials say money for a fully-paved road is not available in the budget.

New $29 million building planned for Wright-Patterson military base in Ohio

A $29 million building will be built at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. The federal government will pay for the facility at the state's largest military base where capabilities of foreign armed forces will be studies. Called the "Foreign Material Exploitation" facility, the building will be part of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center located at the base. "This new investment will further strengthen NASIC's capability to provide cutting-edge research on the next generation of foreign aerospace and weapon system capabilities," said U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown (pictured), who supported the funding. "This new infusion of federal resources comes on top of the outstanding civilian and military personnel already working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base." There are currently about 3,000 military and civilian employees at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. Wright-Patterson is the state's largest single-site employer, with some 27,000 members of the military, civilian and government contractor employees working there. It is one of the largest employers among Air Force bases around the world. 

Airports in Michigan to share $8.8 million in grant funds for projects

Five airports in Michigan will share $8.8 million in federal grant funds for a variety of projects. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The airports and their funding include:

• Muskegon County Airport - $2.2 million for research and runway work;
• Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport - $1.5 million for runway work and for land purchase;
• Sawyer International Airport - $1.1 million to improve runway lighting and buy an aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle;
• Bishop International Airport in Flint - $1.8 million for runway lighting upgrades, an aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle and a deicing containment facility; and
• Capital Region International Airport in Ingham County's Lansing Township - $2.2 million to expand a building and repair a runway.

Lee County in Iowa is the only county in the state with two county seats. County offices are maintained in two cities - Keokuk and Fort Madison. So, county officials are considering whether they should consolidate Lee County services into one new courthouse. Members of the County Seat Advisory Committee were recently were told by a construction consultant that a new 38,000-square-foot courthouse would cost approximately $7.3 million. That would include enough space for all county offices, courtrooms, judges' chambers and supervisors' meeting rooms. The figure would also include furniture, site improvements and professional fees. The committee will continue reviewing the situation and will make its recommendation later to the Lee County Board of Supervisors. 

Illinois village contemplates new $15 million public works facility

After the recent purchase of a 17-acre property intended to eventually be the consolidation hub for the Mundelein public works department, officials in this Illinois village now have been presented with an estimate of $15 million to build a new public works facility. The current public works department is housed in three different buildings over five or six acres. The public works director recently said that having a centralized location for the entire department would lead to better efficiency. Eight of the 17 acres purchased are ready for development. Village Administrator John Lobaito (pictured) said the village went ahead and purchased the land so that the village would have it if a developer comes to town looking to buy any of the three buildings the public works department currently uses. Lobaito said he expects a new public works facility construction would be built in five to 10 years. "We wanted to be ready and not thinking about this if there was a developer downtown who would utilize the existing public works facilities," he said. Estimates are that the building would be about 97,000 square feet, but also have a 15,000-square-foot separate salt storage facility. Officials estimate construction would take about 18 months, with a year to complete the design and engineering. 

Voters in Oklahoma city approve $15 million for capital projects

Capital improvement projects totaling $15 million were approved recently by voters in Muskogee, Oklahoma. In doing so, voters agreed to extend the current local sales tax for another five years. The projects approved were in two propositions. Proposition one addresses improvements to the city's sewer infrastructure, including mandated sanitary sewer improvements along Coody Creek. It will be paid for from the approximately $9.5 million the tax will bring in. Proposition two will realize about $5.2 million from the continued sales tax. Among the projects to benefit from those funds is the Martin Luther King Center.

Check out these recent awards: 

• Sevatec was awarded a five-year, single-award blanket purchase agreement major contract with a maximum value of $168 million from the Office of Personnel Management to handle Learning Management System support services.
• Aecom Smith Carter won a contract worth up to $50 million from the Department of Health and Human Services for special studies and analysis.
• Voith Hydro, Inc. won a $47,257,431 contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District to rehabilitate three hydropower units at the Center Hill Dam Powerhouse in Lancaster, Tennessee, for rehab, repair, and modernize the three turbine-generator units that went into operation between 1950 and 1951, which will ensure reliable future hydropower generation and green energy in the region.
• Sullivan Contracting Services has won a $4,169,458  contract from the Wilson County (Texas) Commissioners Court for renovating a section of the Wilson County Courthouse Annex III that will become Wilson County's new justice center complex.
• Battle Creek Construction won a contract worth up to $1.6 million from the U.S. Navy for architect and engineering services.
• ManTech International Corporation MANT won a contract with a potential value of $39.6 million from the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command to provide systems operation, sustainment and support services for the Navy Ship Maintenance and Logistics Information Systems (SMLIS) program. The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a six-month period of performance and an additional six-month option period.
• 2K General Co. was awarded a $4.55 million contract from the city of Columbus, Ohio, for construction of Hilliard's Station Park.
• Garrett Container Systems won a contract worth up to $3.8 million from the General Services Administration for containers, packaging and packing supplies.
• Lockheed Martin has won a $1.9 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force to finish two satellites within the Space-Based Infrared System, a missile warning system that keeps continuous watch for the launch of ballistic missiles as well as provides other infrared surveillance.
• Boland Trane Services won a contract worth up to $1.1 million from the General Services Administration of maintenance, repair and rebuilding of equipment. 

City in California seeks partnership to build hotel, conference center

A $70 million hotel and conference center in Roseville, California, will be built through a public-private partnership (P3) if city officials have their way. City officials are looking for a private-sector developer to help build the 10-story, 250-room hotel with a 35,000-square-foot conference center (as seen in the accompanying artist's rendering) in the city. The city has been planning such a facility since the 1990s. Now that a marketing study shows that a hotel/conference center complex could bring in close to 400 events each year, city officials are moving forward. The problem over the years in getting such a project started has been lack of funds. The project is now expected to be financed with bonds. Deputy City Manager Mike Isom said what is planned is a 50-50 split between the public and private partners on the funding. What is currently under consideration is that a single-purpose entity would own the facilities and a board of directors made up of both city and the investor representatives would be put in place. A third party would be brought into the mix to manage the complex. The conference center is designed for 325 to 600 guests. The core of the complex would be a plaza. A circular design allows parking throughout the site. The hotel would feature a 7,600-square-foot restaurant and bar. A glass corridor will connect the hotel and conference center. 

San Antonio looks to public-private partnership for new high-rise in city

San Antonio officials gathered Thursday to announce a proposal featuring a public-private partnership that would bring a new high-rise to the city. Included in the proposal is the exchange of several properties. The city would take control of the Frost Bank tower. Frost would build a new tower and Developer Weston Urban would be involved in development of 300 residential units in the downtown area. The plan calls for the city to transfer five downtown properties to Weston Urban and take over the Frost tower, allowing the city to end leasing space for city employees and consolidate them all into the Frost building. The city also would take control of the Frost parking garage's 700 parking spaces. Frost would build a new 400,000-square-foot high-rise and use 250,000 square feet of the facility itself. The public-private partnership that could lead to the new building downtown is the result of an unsolicited proposal from Frost and Weston Urban. A more detailed proposal is forthcoming, after which the city will be open to considering proposals from competitors. 

Partnership to lead to development of research, education, training facility

A property transfer between a public university and a hospital in Florida will lead to the development of a research, education and training facility specializing in pediatric care innovations. The transfer of 1.4 acres of land by the University of South Florida (USF) to All Children's Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine will be what officials hope is a step toward future collaborative efforts between the two entities. The land was originally donated to USF by the state. The planned state-of-the-art facility will create construction jobs and permanent positions for faculty and staff, and lead to research and innovative treatments of childhood diseases. The collaborative effort also will enhance training of physicians in the USF Health and the All Children's Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine pediatric residency programs. The land - donated by the state to USF in April - was transferred yesterday by USF as a gift to All Children's Hospital. "The University of South Florida is pleased to transfer this land to All Children's Hospital and looks forward to the development of a new, state-of-the-art medical research facility there," said USF President Judy Genshaft (pictured). "We are excited about the economic development and health care impact that this project will have in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay region, especially for the youngest members of our community. We remain committed to partnering with All Children's Hospital on projects like these that can improve health outcomes and quality of care."

Michigan State issues RFP for P3 for downtown research center

 First phase of student housing involves public-private partnership

A student housing development is starting to take shape at Texas A&M University in College Station. The developer and design/build partner on the 1,274-bed facility (as seen in accompanying artist's rendering) will take advantage of $104 million in tax-exempt bonds facilitated by the investment company arm of the business. This first facility will feature apartment designs with community areas. It will also have space for Residence Life officers and amenities for undergrad students. The public-private partnership for the project includes the developer securing a long-term ground lease with the university. The university's Resident Life will manage the facility.

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 Jascha Franklin-Hodge.

Entrepreneur Jascha Franklin-Hodge (pictured), who dropped out of MIT after one year to pursue what turned out to be a highly successful information technology-related career, has been chosen by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh as the city's new chief information officer. He has more than 15 years of information technology experience in the corporate, nonprofit and political sectors to help him in his new role overseeing the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). Early in his career, Franklin-Hodge held jobs in the private sector as a senior server engineer, an intern and junior developer and an office assistant and Web Bushwhacker. He then served four years with America Online (AOL), overseeing the development of Spinner.com and AOL Radio and managed software and development teams. In 2003, Franklin-Hodge was responsible for all Internet infrastructure for Howard Dean's presidential campaign. In 2004, he co-founded Blue State Digital, which provided Web-based software and marketing services to political campaigns, nonprofits and corporations. Serving as chief technology officer, Franklin-Hodge was with the company for more than 10 years and has, since 2009, served as an advisor to Code for America, a nonprofit which connects technologists with cities to help government solve civic challenges and encourages innovation in government technology. He will begin his work with the city of Boston on July 28.