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May 16, 2006
PDOT Gets Tagged for Lack of Subcontracting
Yesterday's O includes an article indicating that PDOT has violated statutes for putting re-paving projects out to bid (possibly making it a net-neutral PR day for PDOT, they also got named best employer by the Women in Transportation Seminar, as noted in the Daily Journal of Commerce).
This peaked my interest, because I'm currently reading the book Governing by Network, which discusses strategies for delvering government services in hybrid public/private/non-profit-sector arrangements. While I'm only part way through the book, the key idea is that you ask yourself the outcomes-based question: how can I assemble a network that delivers [insert public benefit here]? In this case, "what network of partners and services can we put together to keep Portland's streets up to standards?"
I wonder if asking that question would deliver an answer different than just taking bids on certain classes of repaving projects?
Link to book at Powell's
Link to book at Multnomah County Library
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Posted by Chris Smith at 6:17 AM
Comments
May 16, 2006 12:54 PM
Garlynn Says:
You know, I think it's a bit unfair to PDOT to ding them for... going out and repairing roads. I think they should be applauded for having so many full-time road-repair crews on the job, all the time, all over the city, attempting to keep up with the backlog of street repair projects! If anything, the question should be, how can the city basically create/maintain a permanent mobile road-repair machine that gets to every street in the city at some point before that street falls below the pavement condition index threshold -- as well as fix any potholes that appear in the interim?
I'm not sure that these is a role for the private sector in that scenario. It seems to me to be a public-sector role to maintain the streets. I think this criticism is misplaced. If PDOT is constructing a new street, or completely re-constructing an existing street, fine, invite the private sector.
But if it's just re-surfacing, just get it done!!
