Public officials throughout the world are talking about desalination plants, but the dialogue is louder in the United States. As clean water becomes even scarcer, conversations will escalate and the volume will get louder. Desalination plants appear to be the salvation for huge regions of drought-stricken parts of America.

The process of purifying water is very old. Desalination is actually one of the earliest methods of water purification. In the past, sailors relied on desalination to convert seawater into drinking water and while desalination plants today are large and sophisticated, the basic process is essentially the same.

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Work planned to increase safety, operations at nearly three-dozen facilities

Thirty-five airports in Pennsylvania will benefit from $18 million in state and federal funding that is geared toward improving safety and operations at the facilities. Gov. Tom Corbett (pictured) pointed out that the airports are responsible for more than 2,600 jobs. He added that the state's public-use airports support more than 300,000 jobs. "When we expand a runway or make it safer to land at an airport, we ensure that they can meet business and community demands and continue supporting these jobs."

More than $900,000 of the funding will come from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) aviation development program. Those funds are generated from the state's jet fuel tax and leverage a like amount of local matching funds.

The Federal Aviation Administration is providing $17.1 million in grants through a block grant program funded by nationally collected taxes on airline tickets, freight waybills, international departure fees and aviation fuel sales.

Public-use airports, including general aviation airports, designated reliever airports and non-primary commercial service airports that are part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, can qualify for the funding.

Some of the projects being funded by the program include:

• Bradford County Airport - $960,555 for land acquisition and to construct a taxiway;
• Chester County - New Garden Flying Field - $1.2 million to reconstruct and widen the runway;
• Venango County - Venango Regional Airport - $752,083 to install a generator, conduct an environmental assessment and improve drainage;
• Montgomery County - Pottstown Municipal Airport - $1.7 million to rehabilitate the runway; and
• Lawrence County - New Castle Municipal Airport - $601,667 to rehabilitate the runway and taxiway lighting.

To view the complete list of grant recipients, a description of the projects and the amount of funding, click here.

Seeking to partner public, private sectors to increase project revenue sources

Workers participate in the excavation process. (FlaDOT).

The center is part of the President's new Build America Transportation Investment Initiative. The initiatives and the center are expected to be not only an investment in the nation's transportation infrastructure, but also an investment in job opportunities for Americans. The center will provide a "Navigator Service" for both the public and private sectors to make U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) credit programs more accessible and easier to understand for state and local government officials while providing assistance and resources for private-sector developers and investors.

Many states have been extremely successful in partnering with the private sector. One of the most prominent is the $1.1 billion Port of Miami Tunnel project (see photo). The public-private partnership included the Florida Department of Transportation, Miami-Dade County, the city of Miami and a private-sector developer. Florida has completed more than $6 billion in P3s since establishing the state's Office of Public-Private Partnerships in 2007. The state used a $340 million loan for the project from DOT's Transportation Infrastructure Finance And Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan program. How to utilize this program and sharing of best practices from other states successful in using P3s to help bridge funding gaps will be shared through the center. Information will be provided relating to DOT credit programs, case studies on successful P3 projects and information on how deals are structured. Investors will learn how DOT credit and grant programs can be used with government entities to develop projects.

In addition to the transportation investment center, the initiative also calls for a working group that will be charged with expanding the use of P3s beyond the transportation industry. It also plans an infrastructure investment summit to be hosted by the U.S. Treasury Department in September. Project developers, institutional investors and state, local and federal officials will gather to discuss innovative infrastructure financing possibilities.

Legislation passes both houses; awaiting signature of Gov. Chris Christie

After having passed both houses of the New Jersey Assembly, a bill creating a state transportation infrastructure bank is waiting only on the signature of Gov. Chris Christie to become law. The bill is also expected to increase both public and private investments in the state's transportation network.

"New Jersey's economic recovery will be inherently linked to whether or not we create a more reliable and sustainable infrastructure system with better roads, bridges, tunnels and rail systems," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski (pictured), author of the bill.

The bill, A2268, would repeal the current State Transportation Infrastructure Bank. The bank would be replaced by two revolving funds established in the Environmental Infrastructure Trust.  The trust would seek to expand transportation and energy projects. The funds would be set up so that the transportation and energy moneys are separate from water or environmental infrastructure money. Bonds in maturities of up to 30 years for all kinds of projects could be issued by the trust.

New Mexico school district authorizes bonds for technology needs

General obligation bonds totaling $2.1 million were recently authorized by the Carlsbad (New Mexico) Municipal Schools. The bond proceeds will be used for education technology. Smart labs in the schools will be expanded, with a new lab added to the new intermediate school at the P.R. Leyva campus. Additional bond funds will be used to purchase software, maintain equipment and fund Internet and infrastructure upgrades, according to Superintendent Gary Perkowski (pictured). General obligation bonds do not require voter approval. These bonds will draw a record low interest rate of 0.2 percent, resulting in a nominal cost to taxpayers of under $12. By using general obligation bonds, the cost of technology upgrades will be shifted from the operations budget to the bond funds. 

Michigan community college to use bond funds for capital improvements

Officials at Mott Community College in Michigan have withdrawn $10 million from their bond millage funds to provide funding for numerous capital improvement projects. While the list of needed projects totals between $85 million and $90 million, officials are going to start with the $10 million to address some of the needs. Some of the projects that will be handled in the first year are $1.5 million in student parking facility upgrades and turning vacant space into rooms for health and fitness classes. Other projects will include continuation of roofing replacements and the replacing of signs and flooring in classrooms. Past projects have included library renovations and upgrades to the Regional Technological Center. Taxpayers in Genesee County last November approved borrowing up to $50 million over the next several years for improvements and upgrades to the campus and campus technology. In addition, the Durham Natatorium will be renovated this year. The facility was closed more than a year ago because repair costs were too high. The renovations will include a fitness center for academic instruction, fitness space and an open gym area to be used for classes. A $1.5 million off-site disaster recovery network will be established to keep safe all system data and information stored on the college computer system. 

Connecticut school district eyes tablet computers as part of technology plan

A $1 million technology plan for the Glastonbury, Connecticut, schools would result in every seventh grader in the district receiving a school-owned tablet computer. Brian Czapla, director of education technology, made the proposal to the school board recently. The plan would set aside $122,000 for seventh graders at Smith Middle School and freshmen at Glastonbury High School with tablets for the 2015-16 school year. Last year freshmen and sophomores were provided tablets as part of a previous technology plan. Glastonbury in 2012 became the second school system in the state to furnish students with tablets. Czapla said that research indicates that every student having his or her own tablet increases their motivation and engagement both in and outside the classroom. The tablets would be purchased through a lease program and students would receive an updated tablet by the time they are in the 10th grade. School board Vice Chair and budget subcommittee Chair Jeremy Grieveson (pictured) said purchasing the tablets would be a hard sale in some of the community. "It was difficult for ninth grade," he said. "It's going to be equally challenging."

Michigan higher education institution has projects slated this year

An institution of higher education in Michigan is about to start a variety of projects on its campus. Eastern Michigan University, which has already spent $3.6 million for upgrades to Rackham Hall, is planning to spend another $4.8 million on the building as part of a three-year capital improvement plan that will see most of the upgrades going to the lower level. There updates will be performed to better accommodate classes and labs for the College of Health and Human Services Department. That project is expected to begin in January 2015. Another facility, residence hall Wise Hall, will get $3 million in renovations beginning in summer 2015.

New public stadium approved for Columbia, South Carolina

The Columbia, South Carolina, City Council recently approved the city committing to borrowing $35 million to build a public stadium it is hopeful will bring professional baseball back to the city. The funds will be repaid with meal taxes - on prepared food and beverages - collected over the next three decades. Architects that the city plans to hire will ensure that public money in the project will not be more than $29 million. An Atlanta-based firm has already been hired to run the stadium, and will invest $6 million in the construction of the 8,500-seat stadium that can be used for sports, music concerts and other public events. The total amount the city has to invest could be lowered, depending on the bond market when the loan is approved. Officials are banking on the facility attracting 500,000 visitors annually, producing $411.5 million in taxes, wages and spending. 

RFP being issued for high-speed broadband for remote areas of Kentucky

High-speed broadband Internet access that can reach the most remote areas of Kentucky is being sought by the state. Requests for proposals are being issued for a public-private partnership project that would make high-speed broadband available statewide. The state currently ranks 46th in high-speed availability and Gov. Steve Beshear (pictured) and members of the legislature are out to change that. The main area in question is Eastern Kentucky. The RFP will seek private-sector partners to build, operate and maintain a statewide, open-access, high-speed broadband network. Saying that transportation and water infrastructure and education are critical to quality of life and a strong economy, Beshear added, "Today, we also have to invest in another kind of infrastructure - the kind that will break down geographic and financial barriers to education and economic development." The first phase of the project is expected to take two years to build. It will include more than 3,000 miles of fiber infrastructure.  

Berm project on Elm River in South Dakota expected to cost $1 million

A more than $1 million project to build a filter berm in the Elm River is on the agenda for the city of Aberdeen, South Dakota. The berm will help reduce sedimentation at the city's water treatment plant. Specifications for the project are being finalized for review by state officials. The city is in hopes of going out for bids on the project in the fall. A revolving loan of $940,000 will pay for most of the project costs. Another $50,000 is being added by the James River Water Development District. Officials hope to have the project completed sometime next year. 

Voters in Connecticut city to decide fate of $51 million sewer project proposal

Torrington, Connecticut, voters will go to the polls to decide a $51 million sewer project. The project will address aging infrastructure so that it will meet federal regulations. It would provide the first major upgrade to the system in four decades. The system includes more than 160 miles of sanitary sewer lines. The project will require voter approval before the money can be borrowed. Supporters point out that the upgrades will be good for the community, will help protect the environment and boost economic development. Officials expect the referendum could be in August or September. Mayor Elinor Carbone (pictured) said she is hopeful that voters will recognize the need for the upgrade and also consider that it will make the system more cost-efficient. If the system fails to meet regulations, the city could be subjected to fines and a moratorium on new connections to the system. It would be city taxpayers who would have to pay for those fines. "It would have a negative impact on economic development," Carbone said. Officials say that if voters approve the loan, construction could begin in 2016. The project will take approximately three years. 

Boston Convention, Exhibition Center could undergo expansion

A final vote in the Massachusetts House and Senate and then the governor's signature would mean a $1 billion expansion of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Both chambers have approved a compromise version of the bill. The expansion is needed, according to supporters, so the city can continue to compete with other convention centers in other cities. The expansion is also expected to create new jobs, add more tax money to city coffers and provide and economic boost through tourism. The bill would provide a 1.3 million-square-foot expansion. The expansion would increase the size of the facility and have sufficient adjoining hotel rooms to attract national and international meetings that other cities currently are winning. 

Check out these recent awards: 

• Allied Paving was awarded a $241,000 contract from the Hall County (Georgia) Development Authority for a road construction project in the Chicopee Mill Industrial Center.
• Fetters Construction has been awarded a $7.9 million contract to build a new Pierceton Elementary School in Pierceton, Indiana.
• WPS Health Insurance has received a major government contract renewal from the U.S. Department of Defense valued at $484 million over six years to continue to administer TRICARE for Life, a Medicare supplement program that serves about 2 million military retirees over the age of 65.
• East Texas Bridge won a contract worth about $5 million from the city of Longview, Texas, to widen Magnolia Lane between McCann and Judson roads.
• Sun Eagle Corp. won a $6.6 million contract from the city of Mesa, Arizona, to construct an aquatic facility with lap and recreation pools at Mesa High School.
• Qsource, a health care quality and IT consultancy, has been awarded a five-year, $39.5 million contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of a complete overhaul of the agency's quality improvement efforts across the United States.
• In*Situ Architecture won a $732,000 contract from the city of El Paso, Texas, to design the city's newest 50-meter competitive swimming pool complex in West El Paso.
• Riverside Contracting was awarded a $9.6 million contract from the Wyoming Transportation Commission to widen and resurface four miles of U.S. Highway 14-16-20 between the Shoshone National Forest boundary and the Wapiti Bridge west of Cody. The work will widen the highway's safety shoulders from six feet to eight feet.
• Deloitte Consulting won an $18.4 million contract from the Oregon Health Authority to oversee Cover Oregon's transition to the federal health exchange. The firm will serve as the system integrator both for the federal switch and the transfer of technology for Medicaid enrollment from Cover Oregon to the Health Authority.
• CGI has been chosen for an $89.4 million project from the state of Michigan for the technology portion of the state's major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system modernization.

Partnership will lead to new arena, entertainment district downtown

A new $650 million hockey arena and entertainment district in downtown Detroit is planned by the city and the Detroit Red Wings professional hockey team. The new arena is expected to be the center of the new entertainment district and will include millions of dollars in public infrastructure improvements that include lighting, sidewalks, streets and green space. Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch is planning to put $200 million into the project, with the hope of transforming new neighborhoods from blocks of blighted property.

The entertainment district will include dozens of blocks. Saying there has been a lot of momentum toward rebuilding the city, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (pictured) said the project will create needed jobs for residents of the city while "strengthening our public infrastructure both downtown and in the neighborhoods and attracting new, permanent residents to our city."  

Sam Hawgood (top left), who has served as dean of the University of California-San Francisco Medical School and interim chancellor of the university, has been named new chancellor of  UC-San Francisco. Houston Public Works and Engineering Director Daniel Krueger (top center), a retired Army colonel who heads the city's largest department with about 3,900 employees, submitted his resignation after serving four years in the post. Stephen Bland (top right), who spent several years as head of Pittsburgh's public transportation agency, and has nearly three decades of experience in transit roles, has been hired as the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority's new CEO, replacing Pal Ballard, who resigned in March. Philip B. O'Reilly, current superintendent of the New Hartford (Connecticut) school system, has been chosen as the next superintendent of the Portland schools, succeeding Superintendent Sally Doyen, who retired at the end of the school year. The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) has hired James Duckens, who began his state government career in 1988 with the Department of General Services as a programmer and was later a project oversight manager with the Department of Information Technology, as its first chief information officer. Felix V. Matos Rodríguez, president of Hostos Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY) since 2009 and a former secretary of family services in Puerto Rico, has been named the next president of CUNY's Queens College. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has selected Ralph M. Terrazas (bottom right), who has served with the Los Angeles Fire Department for more than 20 years, as the net chief of the department, replacing former Chief Brian Cummings, who retired in October. New York Mayor  Bill de Blasio has named Rick Chandler (bottom center), an assistant vice president of facilities at Hunter College and a professional engineer, to head the New York Department of Buildings, which is responsible for making sure that the nearly one million buildings in the city are safe and up to code. Elizabeth Gray (bottom left), current city manager of Altus, Oklahoma, who has also served in the cities of Shawnee and Matanuska-Susitna Borough in Alaska, has been chosen as the new city manager for Sand Springs, Oklahoma. San Antonio Chief of Police William McManus has resigned his post to accept a position with CPS Energy to head up the utility's security operations. Charles E. Wilson II of East Palo Alto, Christopher Rudy of San Jose and Joshua Weinstein, a deputy district attorney at the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, have all been named to the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Jose L. Banda, superintendent of the Seattle Public Schools and formerly with the Anaheim City School District, has been chosen superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified school district.