IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue - (Page 7)

The law also codified the use of stipends—an established DBIA best practice—on ODOT’s design-build projects. Just last year Ohio’s Solicitor General challenged ODOT’s use of stipends on the I-90 Inner Belt Bridge Project and its codification will allow ODOT to continue to increase the number and quality of proposers on its designbuild projects. In Ohio, change remains in the air. At press time HB 153 had passed the House and moved to the Senate, where it was referred to the Senate Finance Committee. This bill is a comprehensive reform bill. It authorizes design-build and CMAR for all state agencies, commissions and local governments. Interim State Architect of Ohio, Lane Beougher thinks the legislation is good for Ohio: “I have spoken to the stakeholders, including Ohio State University. The university believes that the design-build delivery option offers significant cost and time savings. That means students will get high quality facilities sooner and the administration will improve its balance sheets on construction.” Look for reports of its progress in DBIA’s electronic newsletter, Insight. Time will tell if New York will achieve the same kind of progress that Ohio has made this year. Governor Cuomo’s original budget bill contained design-build provisions, but in the budget negotiations between the Senate, Assembly and the Governor’s office they were stripped out of the final version. However, optimism is in the air. Pending legislation expands design-build authority to all state agencies, including the Department of Transportation. In recent hearings in the Senate Transportation Committee, New York Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald stated, “New York must have all the tools available to meet its aging infrastructure needs and designbuild should be available.” Specifically, McDonald says, “We see an opportunity to use the designbuild project delivery method to help New York meet its backlog of bridge projects through an accelerated bridge program.” DBIA Liberty Northeast Region President Phil White says, “Passing design-build legislation is essential to our success in New York. New York’s infrastructure is aging and in disrepair; designbuild will help New Yorkers meet the challenges ahead with greater efficiency and innovation.” He adds, “The Metropolitan Transit and Authority [has] demonstrated that integrated project delivery methods can and will work in New York.” Faced with daunting deficits and aging infrastructure challenges, two governors (a Democrat from New York and a Republican from Ohio) turned to design-build as a creative and innovative means of meeting those challenges. It isn’t surprising that these states looked to design-build to deliver critical projects in difficult times. Federal, state and local governments have consistently turned to designbuild to deliver more for less. Fresh off his legislative success, White remains cautiously optimistic. “We have planted a seed,” he says. “Our lobbying has always relied on educating owners about design-build as opposed to a sales pitch. The fact is: Where design-build is authorized, construction thrives—this delivery method is a game changer.” A significant legislative victory in Ohio is encouraging and could be the momentum that moves Ohio and New York closer to full design-build authority and away from antiquated delivery methods. RICHARD THOMAS IS VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AT DBIA. THOMAS MANAGES THE ORGANIZATION’S LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND IS CURRENTLY WRITING CHAPTERS FOR DBIA’S MANUAL OF PRACTICES AND AN UPCOMING BOOK ON DESIGN-BUILD IN THE WATER/WASTEWATER SECTOR. dbia.org summer//2011 7 http://www.ccmyersinc.com http://www.dbia.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue

IQ Summer 2011: The Federal Issue