Volume 10, Issue 14- Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Mary Scott Nabers, President/CEO, Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
Cyber breaches are destructive, costly and horrific incidents. Government agencies, hospitals and big retailers are primary targets because of the massive data they hold. They are especially attractive to cyber sleuths because that data is critical to ongoing operations. 

Last month, Atlanta was the victim of such a cyberattack. SamSam, a targeted ransomware virus, breached the city's network and it literally forced the city back into the Dark Ages where people had only paper and pens to do business. There was no access whatsoever to critical electronic records.  

Even now - weeks after the attack - many systems are still encrypted. While Atlanta's story is making headlines, it is not the only entity with cybersecurity framework that is attractive to attackers deploying SamSam. Other targets are local government agencies, hospitals and universities. These are organizations which not only have cyber vulnerabilities, but can also be forced to pay a ransom rather than deal with a network infection or forced downtime. 

The Atlanta attack came without warning. The malicious SamSam ransomware began spreading throughout the city's computer systems without any indication of how it entered the system. It quickly hit at least five of the city's 13 departments - locking them out of their network completely, and others were forced to shut down and move to paper records to prevent the virus from spreading. 

Today, some of Atlanta's departments are attempting to function without access to 16 years' worth of records but much of the city is still in significant chaos. The attackers have demanded a $51,000 ransom payment. Officials are unwilling to discuss details, which is understandable. Some employees have been allowed to turn computers back on, but even now, many systems remain unusable.

Georgia- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked Congress last month for funds to build a new laboratory building. CDC officials have received $480 million to replace the 13-year-old building at the agency's main campus in Atlanta. Money for the project was included in the $1.3 trillion, 2,232-page government spending bill passed by Congress in March. 

According to design plans from the hired architectural firm, the infectious diseases laboratory facility will be an 11-story, 370,000-square-foot building that includes Biosafety Levels 2, 3, and 4 laboratories. There will be adjacent office areas, as well as an attached five-story facility to provide space for specialized functions, including analytical equipment labs, molecular biology suites and a central glass wash facility. The project also includes the construction of a new three-level, 48,000-square-foot central utility plant. CDC officials have not provided a timeline for the project.
Indiana- The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has received $161.2 million in federal transportation funding to be dispersed to 66 cities, towns and counties in rural portions of the state. The projects chosen were submitted beginning in October 2017. Combined with local funds, the $212 million will pay for road and bridge improvements, sidewalks and trail projects. Rural communities will design, develop and purchase land for projects that would be bid during the fiscal year beginning July 2021. 

While the funds are dedicated to construction, INDOT will be financially participating in design, engineering and right-of-way acquisition components of these projects. Funding will cover 27 bridge rehabilitation/replacement projects, 31 resurfacing/reconstruction projects, 17 transportation alternative program projects and six traffic safety projects. The complete list of projects is located here.
Oklahoma- University of Tulsa is planning on a $65 million overhaul of the Gilcrease Museum. Actual construction will not proceed for another two years but the university has chosen a firm to complete an interpretive master plan and feasibility study of the museum. The expansion and renovation of the museum are part of several projects approved by voters in the $884.1 million Vision Tulsa sales tax package. 

The interpretive master plan will be paid for with private funds and is expected to take approximately six months to complete. The document will then be used by the University of Tulsa and the city to create a request for proposals for an architect. The university hopes to have an architect selected by the end of the year or by early 2019 with design and construction expected to take approximately four years.
   View our Government Contracting Pipeline and Texas Government Insider newsletter archives
Louisiana- Louisiana issued a request for proposal for contractors to supply new voting machines. The state is receiving $6 million in federal grant money to help complete the project. The project is estimated to cost anywhere from $40 million to $60 million. There is a need to allocate additional funding for this project in next year's budget. The request for proposals is wide open but likely will not consider anything that has a Wi-Fi or other internet connection. With past elections being vulnerable to hackers, Louisiana believes the safest voting booths are those that have limited connectivity and point of entrance. 

Features of the new machines should include a touch-screen-style system to be placed on stands or tables. Those style machines will be easier to store and will provide a voter-verified paper receipt for any post-election recounts to make it easier for auditing. The hope is to have the voting machine contract awarded by June 30 and all the equipment replaced, through a phased-in process, by 2020. This project is very timely as the antiquated machines used for early voting are currently running very low on spare parts to keep them operational.
California- California State University Fresno has approved development of $60 million University Student Union (USU) and plans to break ground on the project by the summer of 2019. The USU board plans to compose a bid for architects and construction firms. The bid will contain the nature of the project and budgetary requirements to complete it. It is a proposed three-story, 80,000 square-foot building that will include a 24-hour space, a rooftop terrace and a multipurpose room. 

A $149 student fee will be added to students' cost of attendance when the USU is finished. Other fundraising will also help pay for the project. There is no precise plan yet as to how that money will be raised, but some general ideas, like naming of some facilities, will be discussed. Though students got a glimpse of how the facility may look once built, the renderings could change during the design process. The current USU is expected to remain in its place.
Arizona- The city of Scottsdale is looking at a potential $60 million upgrade to the Scottsdale Stadium. The facility is used by the San Francisco Giants as a home for spring training. Scottsdale is putting out a request for proposals (RFP) for a $5 million design/build contract and plans to choose a candidate by July. The Scottsdale City Council still needs to approve full spending and construction plans for stadium renovations in the heart of the Old Town area. 

Estimated costs will run between $40 million and $60 million. This includes improved seating and shade, additional viewing areas and expansions of the clubhouse, player training areas and special event spaces. Shade, communal areas for drinks and food, and being able to host special events are becoming increasingly important for ballparks and other sports venues. The proposed renovations will boost the stadium's position as a premier spring training venue and add features to make it a year-round multi-use event center that takes advantage of its location. Scottsdale Stadium is already one of the top draws in Arizona's Cactus League and seats 12,000 fans. It also hosts Arizona Fall League games.
Florida- The former Jacksonville City Hall Annex and Duval County Courthouse will soon be developed into a new convention center. The Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) is requesting proposals for a firm to develop the 8.4 acres of city-owned property. 

The request includes guidelines for a full-service convention center hotel with a minimum of 350 rooms, 200,000 square feet of public exhibition space, a 40,0000-square-foot ballroom, 45 breakout and meeting rooms and a full-service restaurant. Additionally, the development must include a parking garage with 1,700 spaces and options for retail, additional dining and possibly boat slips and a marina. Submissions will be scored on a 100-point scale which evaluates the submission based on several factors including a public-private partnership approach. The deadline for bids is Aug. 1.
Keep up with today's news on infrastructure, P3s and more. Check out the latest articles from Mary Scott Nabers that are read in newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the nation. 
Connecticut- The state of Connecticut wants to redevelop a 32-acre parcel of land in Waterford that was once a 1930s-era tuberculosis sanatorium for children. The facility has been vacant since 1996. Developers have until July 27 to submit proposals. In 2014, a proposed condominium complex was vetoed by the governor, who wanted to see a development in this coastal community that focused on more direct enjoyment of the land. 

Now, the state is considering a public-private partnership (P3) to develop the area into a high-end lodge and spa. In return for developing the land, the private partner would receive at least a 50-year lease. Buildings on the property are listed on the State and National Historic Registers of Historic Places.
New York- Saratoga and Albany counties unveiled plans for a jointly-owned and funded $45 million waste-to-energy plant in the village of Menands. Both counties expect to save $1 million annually in biosolids disposal costs and to obtain revenue from energy production after 20 years. In addition, leftover solids will be sold as fertilizer for agricultural purposes. 

The Menands project has been under discussion for about two years and requires formal approval from the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors and Albany County Legislature. A request for proposals for the design phase, expected to take about a year, will be issued in June. Final construction costs and timelines will be determined throughout the bidding process. The anaerobic digester facility will primarily take in sewage sludge but may also be used for food waste along with fats, oils and grease that would act as a catalyst for processing.
California- The Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which owns the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), is reaching out for redevelopment ideas on 93 acres of undeveloped land, the first step in its long-planned 340-acre LAX Northside Master Plan. LAWA will be seeking a request for proposals. The areas have been split into two different parcels and both are north of Westchester Parkway in Westchester.  

The first parcel is zoned for office and recreational uses, with up to 10,000 square feet of new floor area. The city of Los Angeles is separately planning an underground storm water treatment facility there, but the land above is still viable for development. The second parcel is between the parkway and a small single-family residential neighborhood and also is zoned for office use with up to 765,000 square feet of new floor area. The goal of the 340-acre LAX Northside Master Plan is to connect Westchester and Playa del Rey with pedestrian pathways through a mix of commercial uses and green space.
Washington State- The city of Lacey requests the services of a qualified consulting firm to investigate the feasibility of developing and operating an indoor sports facility for local sports organizations, as well as attracting potential regional, state, and national tournaments. The indoor facility may include an indoor track and basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts. The sports facility could also provide baseball, fastpitch and soccer fields. The indoor facility may also include a snack stand, restaurant/bar and retail sales. The city seeks recommendations regarding public-private partnerships (P3) that could bring this type of facility to Lacey, if determined feasible. 

Proposals will be evaluated based on the firm's experience with similar projects and estimated project budget. Interested firms should submit a project approach and identify the individuals, along with their expertise, who will be assigned to the project. Examples of relevant work are required, and should showcase the quality, breadth, and approach used in prior projects. Proposals must be received by April 11. 
Connecticut- In August 2017, the University of Connecticut (UConn) located the operations of its 58-acre West Hartford campus to its new downtown Hartford location. The property had been under contract to the town of West Hartford, but that contract expired in December 2017. The UConn is currently seeking parties who may be interested in acquiring the property. West Hartford's Town Council plans to review a new vision statement at their upcoming meeting for the former UConn campus. The statement is part of a recently compiled Community Engagement Report and will serve as a guideline for representing what residents value in the campus redevelopment process. 

While the town does not own the 58-acre campus, the statement will assist the UConn in marketing the property to developers. The statement recommends using public-private partnerships to maximize community use on the campus, such as an extension of the Trout Brook Trail. Structures the town wants to preserve for community use include the playground, athletic facilities and parking on the southeastern portion of the campus.
Minnesota- A master redevelopment plan is in the works by Burnsville City officials for a shopping center and retail corridor located at County Road 42. A request for qualifications from consultants to lead the planning process went out March 23 and responses are due by April 23. The city council is scheduled to approve a contract with the chosen consultant on June 5. The aging retail area has come under scrutiny as many shopping malls nationwide have struggled with vacancies caused by national retail bankruptcies and the rise of online shopping. 

The Burnsville Center, which opened in 1977, had an estimated 19 vacancies out of 150 retail spaces late last year. Parts of the Burnsville Center have been re-designated as mixed uses and once the plan is approved by the Metropolitan Council, the zoning changes will go to the city council. The proposed new zoning includes areas of unused parking at the Burnsville Center and some land west of Burnhaven Drive. The plan will guide current and future landowners as they develop or redevelop and will identify needed public improvements in streets, sidewalks or other infrastructure.
California- Shasta County supervisors have decided to push forward with plans to expand the county jail and add 60 beds, showers and other infrastructure over the next two years. Supervisors have agreed to add space to the jail and bring in an independent company to evaluate the possibility of privatizing the facility. County staffers will craft a request for proposals (RFP) and look for bids from outside companies. 

Renovations are expected to cost $1 million from the county's $7.5 million capital project reserves. The work could be finished in 18 months, but the county wants to get a rule-waiver from the state to start the work earlier. The county will also draft design plans and cost estimates for converting two Shasta County Superior Court trial rooms attached to the jail into additional inmate housing.
Minnesota- Built in 1928, the Hopkins Schoolhouse is in desperate need of repair. There are only three buildings like it left in the state and Hugo's historical commission is considering options for maintaining the structure. One option the commission is considering is to restore the building that rests on 2-acres of land through a public-private partnership. 

Under such an arrangement, the building would remain city-owned and a business would lease the one-room school house. The city plans to patch a large hole in the roof and will pursue listing the school on the national historic register. A timeline for the process has not been released but the city is expected to make a final decision in the next few months.
Louisiana- The state of Louisiana is looking for ways to generate money for road repairs and construction and has discussed the option of having toll roads. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development confirmed it is willing to consider tolls on existing interstates to generate money if Congress approves such a measure. One prime candidate for tolling on an existing interstate would be I-20, which runs across the top of Louisiana. 

State officials have also looked at tolling bridges instead of interstate corridors and adding high-occupancy vehicles lanes that allow people to avoid paying tolls if they have more people in their vehicles. The state is open to creating a public-private partnership in which a private company would loan the state money to repair the infrastructure upfront and then the structure would be tolled to pay the company back for its investment. The state would need action from congress to move forward with such a project.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 6
Grant Thornton will be hosting a webinar, "Tolls, congestion pricing, VMT fees: Are we lost?" from 1-1:30 p.m. on April 6. The landscape for funding transportation projects is rapidly changing. State and local governments are increasingly looking for new and efficient revenues to fund transportation budgets. This webcast will explore several options including tolling, congestion pricing, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees and local option sales taxes. Register for the webinar here. 

Speakers include: Brien Desilets, Head of Infrastructure Advisory, Grant Thornton; Anne Brown, PhD Candidate & Graduate Student Researcher, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; Martin Wachs, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; and Naveen Lamba, Data Analytics Director, Grant Thornton.
April 9-10
The P3 Hub Midwest Conference of 2018 will be held April 9-10 in the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile at 505 Michigan Avenue. The conference will present a series of roundtable sessions, interactive panel discussions, presentations and networking opportunities while focusing on public-private partnership (P3) opportunities in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota and many other states in the Midwest. 

The event will bring together U.S. procurers, mayors, governors, investors, contractors and advisers to debate the future of P3s. Senior public officials and private sector delegates will be on hand to discuss the latest opportunities to build and manage public assets through P3s on both sides of the Mississippi. This is your chance to hear all the information on where the latest project activity is emerging. Registration is open for the conference here. Receive a discount when registering for the conference by entering the code, Strategic10. View some details of the events here.

At 12 p.m. on April 10, Mary Scott Nabers will present during the P3 conference on a panel entitled "The growth and management of the local municipal and civic pipeline - How are cities stepping up without any movement from the federal government." The session will explore P3s from a city level addressing how cities should navigate infrastructure development, procurement partnerships and payment structures as well as ways for state and federal entities to support municipal efforts. 
May 3
Grant Thornton will be hosting a webinar, "A local funding model for the nation?" from 1-1:30 p.m. on May 3. The landscape for funding Los Angeles has become a world leader in local transportation funding solutions. Through its Measure R and Measure M referenda that authorized local incremental sales taxes, it has created a revenue stream of more than $100 billion over the next 40 years to fund transportation improvements. In parallel, LA Metro launched its own highway program and set about investing funds across several modes of transportation. The webinar will explore these initiatives and other transportation funding options for local government. Register for the webinar here.

Speakers include: Brien Desilets, Head of Infrastructure Advisory, Grant Thornton; Lan Saadatnejadi, Former Executive Officer of LA Metro's Highway Program; and Naveen Lamba, Data Analytics Director, Grant Thornton.
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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

- Bryan M. Sastokas has been hired as the chief information officer (CIO) at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Sastokas has been Long Beach's CIO and head of its Technology and Innovation Department since 2015. He replaces Metro's former CIO, Dave Edwards, who retired earlier this year. Sastokas will begin his new position April 9.
- The city of Tacoma, Wash. has confirmed the appointment of Daniel Key to the position of information technology director. Key comes from Seattle's publicly owned electric power utility where he served as the information technology director. 
- DJ Gribbin, the White House's top infrastructure adviser is leaving the administration to pursue other opportunities. Gribbin formulated Trump's infrastructure plan that would inject funding to repair the nation's roads and bridges. That plan was released in February. Trump conceded last week that his plan would probably have to wait until after the midterm elections.
- President Donald Trump has nominated Ronny Jackson to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Ronny is a rear admiral in the United States Navy who has served as a White House physician for more than a decade. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would replace David Shulkin. 
- University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) President Kathryn A. Foster has accepted an appointment to serve as the 16th president of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), effective July 1. Foster, who became UMF's 14th president in 2012, will continue in that position through June 30. Foster will take the place of TCNJ president R. Barbara Gitenstein. 
- The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has named law enforcement veteran David Huchler as its new chief of police. Huchler joins the Airports Authority after 20 years of service with the police department in Alexandria, Va. Huchler will direct the operations of the police force at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and the Dulles Toll Road. 
- Bryan Chodkowski has been appointed as Moraine's next city manager. Chodkowski is to officially begin working in Moraine, Ohio in June. He will take the place of Dave Hicks, who had been city manager since 2001. Chodkowski was the Riverside city manager for nine years before taking on his new role. 
- Adrian Douglas has been chosen as the president of Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kan. Douglas, who begins her new position May 9, will replace Mark Smith, who has served as president since February 1. Douglas will leave her position as vice president of business services at Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas to take on her new role. 
- The city of Roanoke, Va., has hired former police chief Chris Perkins as the chief of security for Roanoke City Public Schools, a newly-created position for the city. Perkins, who retired in 2016 after 24 years with the Roanoke Police Department, will begin his new role May 1. 
- Christopher Hawthorne, the Los Angeles Times architecture critic since 2004, will become the city's first chief design officer. Hawthorne's new job will be to consider how to improve design elements of Los Angeles while collaborating with city officials, departments and architects on a wide range of public projects including housing, parks and transit. 
- Julie Kenney has been hired as the new deputy secretary for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. She started with the department on April 2. Before joining the department, Kenney had been active in the agribusiness industry for nearly 15 years, serving in marketing and communications roles for private industry. 
- Neeli Bendapudi has been chosen as the University of Louisville's 18th president. She is currently the provost and executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas school of business. She will succeed James Ramsey who resigned in July 2016. Bendapudi will begin her new position on May 15. 
- Ty Lewis will replace retiring Chief Robert Burton in the city of Paso Robles, Calif. Lewis has served on the Paso Robles Police force since 2002, rising from the ranks of officer. Lewis will formally take over as police chief on July 15. 
- Charles Coney, assistant county manager for Macon-Bibb County, was named as the new Hampton city manager in Georgia. Coney will take the place of Hampton's former city manager Daryl Dotschay, who resigned in August. 
- Daniel Curia has been chosen as the new chief of the Charleston Fire Department in South Carolina. Curia is currently the fire chief in Durham, N.C. Curia replaces former chief Karen Brack who resigned in March 2017. Curia officially starts as the new fire chief on July 30. 
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