Z-0079

AN ACT Relating to expedited prison construction; adding new sections to chapter 39.04 RCW; creating a new section; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that fair and open competition is a basic tenet of public works procurement, that such competition reduces the appearance and opportunity for favoritism and inspires public confidence that contracts are awarded equitably and economically, and effective monitoring mechanisms are important means of curbing any improprieties and establishing public confidence in the process by which contractual services are procured. The legislature finds that there exists an urgent need for additional correctional facilities due to the inadequate capacity of existing correctional facilities to accommodate the present size and predicted growth of offender populations. The legislature further finds that both the need and the urgency to construct additional state correctional facilities requires the temporary use of more expedient methods for awarding state construction contracts for correctional facilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 39.04 RCW to read as follows:

(1) In addition to currently authorized methods of public works contracting, and in lieu of the requirements of RCW 39.04.010 and 39.04.020 through 39.04.060, capital projects funded for over ten million dollars appropriated and authorized by the legislature for the department of corrections in the 1989-91 biennium at the McNeil Island corrections center, the Clallam Bay corrections center, the construction of new correctional facilities under the authority of the secretary of corrections including drug camps; work camps; a new medium security prison and such other correctional facilities as may be authorized by the legislature during the biennium ending June 30, 1993, may be accomplished under contract using the general contractor/ construction manager method described in this section. For the purposes of this section, "general contractor/construction manager" means a firm with which the department of general administration has selected and negotiated a maximum allowable construction cost to be guaranteed by the firm, after competitive selection through a formal advertisement, and competitive bids to provide services that may include value engineering, scheduling, cost estimating, constructability, alternative construction options for cost savings, and sequencing of work, and to act as the general contractor during the construction phase. The department of general administration shall establish an independent oversight advisory committee with representatives of interest groups with an interest in this subject area, the department of corrections, and the private sector, to review selection and contracting procedures. The general contractor/ construction manager method is limited to contracts signed before July 1, 1996.

(2) Contracts for the services of a general contractor/construction manager awarded under the authority of this section shall be awarded through a competitive process requiring the public solicitation of proposals for general contractor/construction manager services. Minority and women enterprise total project goals shall be specified in the bid instructions to the general contractor/construction manager finalists. The director of general administration is authorized to include an incentive clause in any contract awarded under this section for savings of either time or cost or both from that originally negotiated. No incentives granted shall exceed five percent of the maximum allowable construction cost. The director of general administration or his or her designee shall establish a committee to evaluate the proposals considering such factors as ability of professional personnel; past performance in negotiated and complex projects; ability to meet time and budget requirements; location; recent, current, and projected work loads of the firm; and the concept of their proposal. After the committee has selected the most qualified finalists, these finalists shall submit sealed bids for the percent fee, which is the percentage amount to be earned by the general contractor/construction manager as overhead and profit, on the estimated maximum allowable construction cost and the fixed amount for the detailed specified general conditions work. The maximum allowable construction cost may be negotiated between the department of general administration and the selected firm after the scope of the project is adequately determined to establish a guaranteed contract cost for which the general contractor/construction manager will provide a performance and payment bond. The guaranteed contract cost includes the fixed amount for the detailed specified general conditions work, the negotiated maximum allowable construction cost, the percent fee on the negotiated maximum allowable construction cost, and sales tax. If the department of general administration is unable to negotiate a satisfactory maximum allowable construction cost with the firm selected that the department of general administration determines to be fair, reasonable, and within the available funds, negotiations with that firm shall be formally terminated and the department of general administration shall negotiate with the next low bidder and continue until an agreement is reached or the process is terminated. If the maximum allowable construction cost varies more than fifteen percent from the bid estimated maximum allowable construction cost due to requested and approved changes in the scope by the state, the percent fee shall be renegotiated. All subcontract work shall be competitively bid with public bid openings. Specific goals for women and minority enterprises shall be specified in each subcontract bid package that responsive bidders will have to meet or exceed. All subcontractors who bid work over one hundred thousand dollars shall post a bid bond and the awarded subcontractor shall provide a performance and payment bond for their contract amount if required by the general contractor/construction manager. The bidding of subcontract work by the general contractor/construction manager or its subsidiaries is prohibited but it may negotiate with the low-responsive bidder in accordance with RCW 39.04.015 or rebid if authorized by the director of general administration in the event no bids are received, the bids received are over the budget amount, or the subcontractor fails to perform.

(3) If the project is completed for less than the agreed upon maximum allowable construction cost, any savings shall accrue to the state. If the project is completed for more than the agreed upon maximum allowable construction cost, excepting increases due to any contract change orders approved by the state, the additional cost shall be the responsibility of the general contractor/construction manager.

(4) The powers and authority conferred by this section shall be construed as in addition and supplemental to powers or authority conferred by any other law, and nothing contained herein shall be construed as limiting any other powers or authority of the department of general administration.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 39.04 RCW to read as follows:

Methods of public works contracting authorized by sections 1 and 2 of this act shall remain in full force and effect until completion of contracts signed on or before June 30, 1996.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall expire June 30, 1996.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.