At a Glance
JAMES
T. FLEMING, Commissioner
Jonathan
Holmes, Deputy Commissioner
David
O’Hearn, Deputy Commissioner
Established - 1987
Statutory authority – CGS Chapters 59 and 60, 4b-1 et seq.
Central office - 165 Capitol Avenue,
Hartford,
CT 06106
Number of permanent full-time employees – 182
Recurring operating expenses – $45 million
Organizational structure - Office of the Commissioner; Facilities Management; and Design and Construction.
To be the leader in providing quality facilities and
in delivering cost-effective, responsive, timely services to state agencies in
the areas of planning, design, construction, facilities management, leasing,
property disposition and security.
With our diverse, competent workforce, to partner with our customers and industry providers, to make the best use of the state’s resources.
The Department of Public
Works (DPW) is responsible for the design and construction of nearly all major
state facility capital projects, leasing and property acquisitions for most
state agencies, facility management, maintenance and security of state
buildings in the greater Hartford area as well as certain properties outside of
the Hartford area, and the administrative functions of establishing and
maintaining security standards for certain state facilities and surplus
property statewide.
The department also assists
agencies and departments with long-term facilities planning and the preparation
of cost estimates for such plans.
DPW provides facility-related services to the majority of Connecticut’s state agencies and commissions. Many DPW services, such as security, parking and snow and ice removal, also benefit members of the public who visit the facilities. It is the policy of DPW to work in close cooperation with its client agencies to ensure that the finished product reflects the needs of the agency and facilitates the delivery of their services for their clients.
·
A new residence hall and
parking garage at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven at a cost
of approximately $26.3 million.
·
A new residence hall and
parking garage at Western Connecticut State University’s Westside Campus in
Danbury at a cost of approximately $26 million.
·
A new residence hall at
Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic at a cost of approximately
$12.8 million.
·
A new laboratory at the
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven at a cost of
approximately $6.4 million.
·
A new fire station at
Stone’s Ranch Military Reservation in East Lyme at a cost of approximately $2.4
million.
·
A new Military classroom
support building / leadership hall at Camp Rell in Niantic at a cost of approximately $1.6 million.
·
A new Military warehouse
and maintenance facility at Camp Rell in Niantic at a cost of approximately $1
million.
· A new Family Court at 90 Washington Street in Hartford, a lease-purchase agreement.
Legal Services
DPW
continues to focus efforts on the review of the construction and consultant
selection processes, with emphasis on incorporating best practices, achieving
transparency and ensuring integrity in each selection process.
In July 2004 DPW Commissioner James T. Fleming co-chaired the bi-partisan contracting reform task force created by Governor M. Jodi Rell. The task force analyzed the state’s vulnerabilities in the selection and procurement processes with the goal of avoiding improprieties, favoritism, unfair practices or ethical lapses in the future, or the appearance of such. The entire scope of state contracting and procurement was examined, including the awarding of contracts for construction, leases, personal services, property management and the purchase of goods and equipment. Recommendations were presented and many have been implemented, such as the creation of a single portal for all state bid and contract opportunities, strengthening of the state’s commitment to ethical conduct, and creation of an oversight board to ensure compliance with a uniform procurement code.
Facilities management continued its reorganization efforts to better serve
its tenant agencies and improve performance related to environmental, safety,
building inspections, capital project planning, preventative maintenance, and
the management of property management firms.
In
this effort, facilities management implemented many process improvement
initiatives including standardization of preventative maintenance and building
inspections. The division provides
office space for approximately 9,000 state employees and manages 7 million
square feet of space including surplus properties pending transfer disposition.
During fiscal year 2004 – 2005, the leasing and property transfer unit’s portfolio consisted of approximately 2.8 million square feet of office space for 80 state agencies. There are 240 leases and another 60 lease-outs for a total of 300 lease agreements. During the fiscal year, three leasing agents handled more than 100 different projects including the signing of a key agreement involving the 200,000 square-foot, 55 Elm Street lease for the constitutional officers in Hartford. The property transfer unit also handled many projects during the year, mostly significantly, the transfer of the former Department of Mental Health Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown. The property, consisting of 258 +/- acres with buildings and other improvements, was sold to the Town of Newtown for $3,900,000.
DPW's statewide security
unit continued its mission to improve the overall level of security for state
employees, clients, visitors, and assets of the State of Connecticut in both
state-owned and leased facilities.
In addition, throughout the year DPW staff members participated in national preparedness exercises sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and training drills conducted by the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
The Department of Public Works’ 2004 Affirmative Action Plan was approved by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities at its May 2005 Commission meeting. At the time the plan was approved, the agency’s workforce consisted of 179 full-time employees. Of those represented, 55.8% were white males; 24.5% were white females and 19.6% were minorities.
The Department is committed to the principles and practices of affirmative action and strives to increase the representation of women and minorities through providing opportunities for upward mobility, and promoting small and minority-owned businesses through a strong contract compliance program.