Senator Bill Dodd, a former Napa County Supervisor,
introduced a measure on behalf of CSAC this week that seeks to
expand the tools counties have to plan and deliver infrastructure
projects. The bill would extend Construction Manager At Risk
(CMAR) authority to other types of infrastructure projects.
Current law allows counties to use CMAR on projects in excess of
$1 million for the erection, construction, alteration, repair or
improvement of buildings until January 1, 2023. SB 914 would
expand the types of eligible projects beyond buildings, such as
flood control projects. The measure retains the option to award
the project to the lowest responsible bidder or by the best value
method and counties must also meet specified skilled and trained
workforce requirements.
A CMAR contract is a competitively procured contract with an
entity that guarantees the cost of a project and furnishes
construction management services, including, but not limited to,
preparation and coordination of bid packages, scheduling, cost
control, value engineering, evaluation, preconstruction services
and construction administration. Before construction can begin on
a project, the owner and construction manager must agree on
“guaranteed maximum price” for the project. The construction
manager is responsible for delivering the project within the
agreed-upon price, thereby assuming the risk for cost overruns.
The result is a better-designed, properly-phased, and
cost-effective county infrastructure project.
CSAC encourages counties to take individual positions of support
on this helpful measure.
