The government marketplace is changing rapidly, and strong trends point to a future environment that is quite different. The evolution that is occurring will impact all industry sectors as well as government.

America leads the world with 16 percent of the global green economy, according to a recent research report from Palgrave Communications. That translates to $1.3 trillion or 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Currently about 9.5 million American workers hold green economy jobs. This is only one of the new trends impacting the government marketplace … but it is a big one.

New public sector endeavors are evident throughout the U.S., and planning documents point to even more diverse opportunities for green economy projects. Citizens, industry, government, education, and the environment will be impacted as the world shifts. Technological innovations are revolutionizing every aspect of our world, and it is especially evident when related to clean air mandates, new modes of transportation, and global competitiveness.

Electric vehicles, charging stations, and autonomous vehicles are a major focus for government leaders, and projects related to all three categories are being incentivized by funding availability and tax credits. Because of the advanced technology required for these types of projects, collaborative initiatives are common.

New green economy trends will result in changes that some industry sectors will find disruptive. However, changes already are underway, and the trends are strong. A few examples of what to expect follow.

The legislature in the state of Washington recently passed a major piece of legislation that supports clean air. The new law is more than significant, however, because it will eventually force producers of carbon-heavy fuels such as gasoline and diesel to buy biofuels and underwrite new charging stations for fleets of electric cars and trucks. The Washington State Legislature made a bold statement by approving a ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered cars by 2030. The result will be a significant increase in the number of electric vehicles on the road and a need for many more charging stations. A different type of transportation infrastructure will be required, and new contracting opportunities are already on the drawing board in many parts of the state.

Tennessee – Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) released the state’s annual three-year transportation program on April 28 that features $2.6 billion in infrastructure investments in 68 project phases.

The program emphasizes the repair and replacement of bridges, with activities beginning on 55 structures in 33 counties. Twenty-one of those bridges are on the state highway system, with the other 34 on local roads.

TDOT will continue to build on the IMPROVE Act’s progress, which provides for infrastructure investments in all 95 counties. This year’s program budgets dollars for 123 of the 962 projects listed as part of the 2017 legislation.

Construction will begin in fiscal year 2022 on several critical transportation projects across the state including:

In addition to the 2022 budgeted program, partial plans for 2023 and 2024 are included for planning purposes. The multimodal program contains components for rail, waterway, and aviation projects, funds statewide initiatives to improve safety, and addresses congestion.

New York – The state’s Department of Health (DOH) released a request for information (RFI) to aid the agency in creating a Medicaid Enterprise Systems roadmap.

Upon completion, the roadmap will serve as a guide for the department’s design, development, and implementation of Medicaid enterprise systems, including procurement of management information systems, eligibility and enrollment modules, and supporting services.

The DOH’s Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP) is the single state agency responsible for the administration of the New York State (NYS) Medicaid program to approximately 6 million beneficiaries.

The NYS Medicaid Program comprises three major systems and several smaller ancillary systems. The three major legacy systems are the:

Executing changes in the systems is a lengthy process, coordinated across large, independently managed vendors. Each of these major systems physically resides in different data centers, independently operated by the associated contractor. The contracts supporting all three of these systems are nearing the end of their contract term and will need to be replaced via competitive procurement within the next three to five years.

DOH officials may be interested in viewing presentations from vendors who have indicated they have a demo of an approach and solutions. Meetings with these vendors are likely to be scheduled in December or January 2022.

The deadline for RFI responses is 5 p.m. ET June 14.

South Carolina – The No. 1 interstate priority for South Carolina is moving into the early stages of construction with bidding on the third phase of the Carolina Crossroads I-20/26/126 project expected in 2022.

The five-phase $1.7 billion Carolina Crossroads project in its entirety is planned to provide a safer and modern interchange design for the infamous Malfunction Junction in the Midlands region of South Carolina.

Phase 3 consists of reconstruction of the interstates 20 and 26 system interchange, reconstruction of the I-26-Interstate 126 system interchange, reconstruction of the I-26-St. Andrews Road interchange, reconstruction of the I-20-Bush River Road interchange, completion of widening of I-20 west of the I-20-I-26 interchange, and widening of I-26 from just west of St. Andrews Road to the U.S. 378 interchange. A request for qualifications will precede a request for proposals in 2022.

Remaining phases will advance over the next several years in succession. Upon completion, the corridor will have:

 All phases of the project are scheduled for completion by 2029.

California – The board of directors at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) approved an $898.6 million budget for the new Airport Metro Connector (AMC) light rail station.

Envisioned as the new transit “Gateway” to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street will link the Crenshaw/LAX Line and Green Line to the LAX automated people mover system.

The AMC Project will center on a vast circulation hub connecting a new light rail station, an expansive bus plaza, a multi-level active transportation/bike hub, and a private vehicle drop-off zone. Within the central hub there will be a full customer service center, redundant vertical circulation systems, and commercial space.

Rail amenities will contain the largest light rail platform in the Metro system with two grade separated rail crossings, each with escalators and dual elevators, new swing door faregates, and full roof coverage over the entire platform.

The bus plaza will have 16 separate bus bays, several with articulated bus capacity, with infrastructure to add charging capabilities at all bays.

Pre-construction site work is scheduled to begin in May on the first phase of the project. The award of the construction contract is set for summer 2021 for the second phase.

Louisiana – The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) on April 28 awarded $302 million in funding for restoration activities in the Gulf Coast states impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Included in the funding is the approval of more than $140.4 million for ecosystem restoration activities that will be implemented in the near term. Additionally, the RESTORE Council budgeted over $161.5 million for priority activities that will be evaluated in the future.

Funds will go to 20 projects in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas that address water quality and quantity, habitat acquisition and conservation, coastal resilience, and other ecosystem restoration needs.

Texas is expected to use its $79 million tranche to finance projects within four approved Texas programs: the Texas Land Acquisition Program for Coastal Conservation; Shoreline Protection Through Living Shorelines Program; Texas Coastal Water Quality Program; and Chenier Plain Ecosystem Restoration Program.

Florida stands to receive close to $74 million, Mississippi will get about $69 million, and Alabama will accept about $40 million as part of the RESTORE Act, the law created to respond to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill.

Illinois – The state’s Department of Central Management Services (CMS) will host a pre-proposal meeting at 10 a.m. May 18 for the sale of the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago.

Due to prolonged deferred maintenance and delayed capital projects, it is estimated that the cost to bring the center into a state of good repair exceeds $325 million and is projected to increase to more than $525 million by 2026. By selling the facility, the state may relocate its core services to more appropriate and efficient replacement spaces.

Opened in 1985, the center is a 17-story building, encompassing approximately 1.2 million square feet of which the state occupies nearly 780,000 square feet. The site comprises a full city block in the heart of the Chicago Loop.

Redevelopment of the property would spur economic activity on the LaSalle Street corridor and is estimated to create up to 5,500 jobs during the development and more than 15,000 jobs after completion.

A state bill signed in 2019 provides for the sale of the center by a competitive request for proposals process within two years. This bill was amended due to COVID-19, and the revised timeline is April 5, 2022.

Michigan – Grand Traverse County issued a request for information (RFI) for vendor input on replacing the county’s aging enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

The county wishes to find an alternate solution to its AS/400 custom code ERP that has reached its end of life. The financial system was written in COBAL and is highly customized.

Replacement solutions should include financial, purchasing, payroll, and human resources functions. The county will require information for professional services necessary to implement the system and train county staff.

Grand Traverse uses general ledger, budget control, accounting, project cost tracking, inventory control, accounts receivable, treasury, human resources, benefits, payroll, time entry, property tax collection, and point of sale receipting.

RFI submissions are due by 4 p.m. May 14. The county plans to issue a request for proposals on June 4 with responses due by June 11. The project is scheduled to begin June 28.

Indiana – The city of Fort Wayne anticipates bids for 22 large, multi-year water, sewer, and storm infrastructure projects in 2021 as it continues its $92 million improvement plan to improve reliability, solve drainage issues, and protect the environment.

Among the major projects is the construction near the Third Street Sewer Pump Station of a consolidation sewer to intercept combined sewage from several neighborhoods on the north side of the river and transport it to a drop shaft connected to the Three Rivers Protection and Overflow Reduction Tunnel.

During rain events, 137 million gallons of combined sewage (sanitary and stormwater) flow into the St. Marys River at this location. When the tunnel is operational at the end of 2023, that amount will be reduced by more than 90 percent.

Additionally, three other consolidation sewers are under construction or will begin this year, and 12 miles of sewer pipe are being lined throughout the city in 2021.

The city’s efforts to replace 70 miles of aging water main within five years continue with replacements planned for 2021 in the neighborhoods of Hamilton, West Central, Southwood Park, Tamarack, Covington Dells, Five Points, Centerhurst, Fairfield, Fairmont, and Oakdale.

Its five-year plan to complete more than 30 major stormwater projects continues in Vesey, Hessen Cassel Road, Diane Drive, Mayfield Road, Vance Avenue, Blackhawk, North Anthony, and Lincolndale areas. That stormwater five-year plan goes through the end of 2022.

South Carolina – Sustained record activity at Inland Port Greer is driving plans for expansion by South Carolina Ports.

Expansion of the inland port will involve building additional rail processing and storage tracks within the terminal, expanding the container yard to the east and west, enlarging the existing chassis yard, and building new facilities for heavy lift maintenance and terminal operations.

The expansion is supported, in part, by a $25 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The BUILD grant supports the expansion of Norfolk Southern’s Upstate rail network. These improvements include lengthening the lead track alongside the mainline track outside of Inland Port Greer in Greer, South Carolina, as well as providing additional capacity to the passing and siding track in Carlisle, South Carolina, to accommodate longer trains carrying cargo to and from the Port of Charleston.

These complementary efforts will allow for additional container capacity for customers at Inland Port Greer, and additional rail infrastructure to enhance rail capacity and efficiency.

Port officials said they expect to advertise heavy lift maintenance and terminal operations projects by early 2022.

Kansas – The city of Wichita is seeking technical and budgetary information for a permit tracking and billing program.

In the city’s request for information (RFI), it seeks input on a reliable system that would allow for permittees to apply and pay for permits online or through an application. It would need to integrate with the city’s geographic information system and interface with its billing system, generate and track permits, and incorporate bid prices and quantities.

Other desired features are the ability to accommodate multiple users with different permissions and be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The city’s Engineering Department creates about 8,000 permits a year that are directly associated with work conducted in the city right-of-way and include the measurement, tracking, and payment of quantities.

RFI submissions are due by 3 p.m. May 14.

Georgia – The city of Atlanta will activate public land for affordable housing as part of its One Atlanta Housing Affordability Action Plan.

An April inventory of publicly-owned properties with qualities fit for affordable housing found that the city, the Beltline, Metro Atlanta Land Bank, and Invest Atlanta own a combined 490 parcels totaling 877 acres that could potentially be developed to meet the initiative.

City administrators presented the first four properties slated for activation for affordable housing development to a City Council committee on April 27.

Three of the properties are single lots that will be developed as single-family plus accessory dwelling unit housing. The other property is a 0.9-acre site across from City Hall that will be developed as dense, mixed-use infill housing in conjunction with Invest Atlanta.

In addition, the city will establish an interagency advisory council to identify more public land for development as affordable housing. The advisory council will include city staff, representatives from Invest Atlanta, Atlanta Housing, the Metro Atlanta Land Bank, community members, and other affordable housing partners. This group will seek to achieve long-term affordability through innovative design and financing practices in new housing developed on public property.

Tennessee – A joint project between the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to develop a 200-megawatt solar farm has boosted the city to become the No. 1 investor in solar power in the southeast.

The solar farm will be built in Clay County, Mississippi, to support Knoxville’s renewable energy needs. KUB’s investment in the project helped enable 50 megawatts of new battery storage technology that will increase power grid resiliency.

TVA sees a bright future for solar fueling the region’s economy. Since 2018, its Green Invest program has attracted nearly $2.7 billion in solar investment and procured over 2,100 megawatts of solar.

Washington – Gov. Jay Inslee named Cheryl Strange as secretary of Washington’s Department of Corrections (DOC) on April 29. She will succeed Steve Sinclair who announced his retirement in January. Strange is serving as the secretary of the state’s Department of Social and Health Services. Previously, she served as DOC’s deputy secretary.

Rhode Island – The University of Rhode Island board of trustees named Marc Parlange as its president, effective August 1. He will succeed David Dooley who will retire in June. Parlange is provost and senior vice president of Monash University in Australia. Prior to that, he was dean of the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia in Canada.

Florida – The Miami Beach City Commission appointed Alina Hudak as city manager. Hudak replaced Jimmy Morales who stepped down in late 2020 to accept a position as chief operations officer for Miami-Dade County. Hudak joined Miami Beach as assistant city manager in February 2020. Before that, she served as director of multiple Miami-Dade County departments as well as assistant county manager, county manager, and deputy county mayor.

Iowa – The state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) announced Elizabeth Matney as Iowa’s new Medicaid director, effective June 1. She will replace Mike Randol who resigned in August to accept a position in the private sector. Matney currently serves as a health policy adviser for Gov. Kim Reynolds. Before that, Matney was DHS’ Medicaid managed-care director and quality assurance director.

Georgia – Chatham Area Transit hired Stephanie Cutter as the agency’s chief financial officer. Cutter most recently served as city manager for Savannah, Georgia. Prior to that, she was Savannah’s assistant city manager and budget analyst.

California – The city of Chico selected Thomas Bahr as airport manager for the Chico Municipal Airport on May 3. Bahr most recently worked for the city of Show Low, Arizona, where he served as airport manager. Previously, he was an adjunct professor of aviation for Utah Valley University.

Mary Scott Nabers, Publisher

Devin Monk, Editor

Government Contracting Pipeline, a publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., is a free, weekly newsletter detailing important happenings nationwide and the premier source for federal, state, and local government news and contracting opportunities.