Meeting Minutes

DELDOT / ACEC-DE

Transportation Partnering Committee

August 18, 2009

Attendance:

DelDOT: Secretary Carolann Wicks

Natalie Barnhart – Chief Engineer

Marti Dobson – Director, Technology and Support Services

Jim Hoagland – Manager, Contract Administration

Ralph Reeb – Director, Planning

ACEC-DE: Mike Angelo – McCormick Taylor

Ted Januszka – Pennoni Associates

Scott Rathfon – Century Engineering

John Pietrobono – Urban Engineers

Mike Troxell – URS

Tom Carroll – Landmark Engineering

Ray Harbeson – RKK Engineers

Discussion on DelDOT Consultant Cost Reductions – The discussion focused on Governor Markell’s desired goal of reducing state government contractual service costs by approximately 10%.

• Secretary Wicks discussed the FY 11 program. Revenues have not rebounded from declines seen over the past year. Governor Markell will not consider an FY 11 increase to Transportation Trust Fund revenues through a gas tax or fee increase since general tax increases were necessary this year despite a drastically reduced state budget. Secretary Wicks will brief the Governor on cost saving measures enacted by the Department of Transportation in September.

• Natalie Barnhart met with various consultants to discuss ideas on cost reduction measures that could be implemented by the Department in regard to professional service contracts. Natalie discussed the results of her meetings. Natalie will further investigate the feasibility of several items including split overhead rates for construction and design, unnecessary plan sheets in PS&E documents and better use of Department resources in consultant designed projects. Natalie also stated that she will continue to look at “value added” professional service selections from the Department’s pool of open-end consultants for selected projects. Natalie offered to discuss potential recommendations to Secretary Wicks with a small group from ACEC-DE prior to meeting with the Secretary.

• ACEC-DE reiterated their position against overhead caps and their strong opposition to “value added” selections. ACEC-DE feels that the “value added” selection process goes directly against Qualification Based Selections (QBS) which ACEC very strongly supports on both a local and national level.

Next Meeting: October 27, 2009 @ 1:30 pm in the Dover Room

Website: www.cecde.org P. O. Box 1858 Phone: 302-730-8384

E-mail: cecde@dca.net Dover, DE 19903-1858 Toll Free: 877-442-3233

Fax: 302-734-0580