Legislators bypass Jones Lang LaSalle, chose Siemens Corp., for services at Cordell Hull building
Legislative leaders have chosen Siemens Corp. to provide building management services at the just-renovated Cordell Hull State Office Building over Chicago-based real estate giant Jones Lang LaSalle, reports the Times Free Press.
While JLL now manages operations at the existing Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Building, home since 1973 for lawmakers’ offices and committee hearing rooms. Those buildings will be vacated starting next week as legislators move to Cordell Hull.
County, company settle probation lawsuit for $14.3M
Rutherford County and Providence Community Corrections have settled a class action lawsuit over private probation practices for $14.3 million, reports the Murfreesboro Post. The settlement will compensate nearly 30,000 Tennesseans for fees the company allegedly extorted from probationers.
TV station gets bed bugs from prison (via mail)
Two inmates at South Central Correctional Center, a prison in Wayne County operated by CoreCivic under contract with the state of Tennessee, mailed WSMV TV a letter containing dead bed bugs said to be collected inside the facility.
From the Nashville station’s report:
News 4 took them to Belmont University professor and entomologist Dr. Steven Murphree.
“I can tell it’s a bed bug. I just haven’t seen one that is so large like that,” Murphree said.
The letters sent to our newsroom said the bed bug problem in the mental health building has been going on for a year. They say while employees do spray once in a while, the spray doesn’t work.
…The inmates say when a former staff member alerted CoreCivic to the issue, they said he was unqualified to identify a bed bug.
…Jonathan Burns, the spokesperson for CoreCivic sent News 4 this statement:
The health and safety of our employees and the individuals entrusted to our care is our top priority. CoreCivic received a report concerning the possible presence of bedbugs at South Central Correctional Center in August 2017. Facility leadership moved aggressively to address the issue.
Within 24 hours of receiving the initial report, the facility was professionally inspected and treated for bedbugs.
Haslam administration abandons state park privatization plans
Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau told a state legislative committee today that Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration is abandoning plans to privatize operations at Tennessee state parks, reports the Times Free Press. He said TDEC’s focus will now be on using more than $100 million previously approved for state parks to begin addressing decades of ignored capital needs.
Legislature could leave JLL when it vacates the Legislative Plaza this fall
It’s at least possible that Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle, “Gov. Bill Haslam’s favorite real estate management-services provider, “ won’t get the contract for janitorial and maintenance services at a renovated Cordell Hull State Office Building when the General Assembly move there this fall, reports Andy Sher.
Senate Speaker Randy McNally and House Speaker Beth Harwell confirmed to the Times Free Press that JLL has no automatic lock on a contract for services at the 1950s-era Cordell Hull building when a $116 million renovation is complete.
“We have decided to put it out for bid, and of course, they can bid and other companies might bid,” McNally said. “But we’re looking, you know, for the best deal we can get.”
Judge rules records of failed Fall Creek Falls privatization effort must be made public
The Tennessee Department of General Services must release records related to the failed privatization effort at Fall Creek Falls State Park, Davidson County Chancellor Bill Young ruled Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by the Nashville Scene and the Nashville Post.
The case was unique because the state received no bids on a proposal to demolish and rebuild the Inn at Fall Creek Falls, despite amending the original request for proposals several times. A May 1 final deadline passed with no bids. The Scene asked for the records that would normally be available for public inspection at the end of any bid evaluation process.
The state claimed that because no bids had been evaluated, TDGS was not required to release the records associated with the process. The Scene filed suit on May 31.
Chancellor Young disagreed, noting that the state’s public records law instructs that it “shall be broadly construed so as to give the fullest possible public access to public records.” He ordered the records to be made available, ruling that any documents or communications that the state claims are protected by attorney-client privilege must be submitted to the court for evaluation.
“It’s a good day for transparency in Tennessee,” says Chris Ferrell, CEO of Southcomm, the parent company of the Scene and Nashville Post. “While I’m sorry we had file suit in order to get the state to comply, it’s reassuring that the courts recognize that the state can’t decide to hide things from the public in such an arbitrary way.”
Young instructed Scene attorney John Williams and lawyers for the state to agree to and submit an order to the court by early July. Deputy Attorney General Janet Kleinfelter said in court that the state may ask for a stay of Young’s ruling, pending an appeal.
Open records lawsuit seeks documents on failed Fall Creek Falls State Park privatization effort
The Nashville Post and Nashville Scene, sister publications with the same ownership, have filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court against the state Department of General Services under Tennessee’s Open Records Act, contending officials wrongfully refused to release documents related to a failed attempt at outsourcing operation of the Fall Creek Falls State Park Inn.
State officials give final approval to five-year outsourcing contract with JLL
News release from Department of General Services
The State of Tennessee has executed a five-year contract with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) to provide statewide facilities management services. The contract is effective today (May 26, 2017).
JLL was selected following a two-year multi-step procurement process led by the state’s Central Procurement Office that included representatives from higher education, general government and the legislature.
As we have consistently said, the contract will protect the livelihoods of current state facilities management employees, and is another tool for state departments and institutions to use to keep their expenses low, reducing the need for cost and tuition increases.
To view the contract, (go HERE.)
Contract Background and Highlights
· The State of Tennessee began to look at opportunities in professional facilities management services after studying results from 10 million square feet of state-owned office buildings currently under a similar arrangement in which taxpayer savings of about $26 million were achieved over three years. An additional third-party inspection of the cost analysis upheld forecasted savings if the program were expanded to more state buildings.
· Participation by state agencies and institutions is voluntary.
· The contract includes strict provisions that JLL will retain all current state facilities employees (provided they pass a background check and drug screening).
· JLL will provide compensation equalization for every employee that is transitioned to ensure that they are made whole at the time of transition.
· Tennessee’s facilities management program implemented in 2013 is considered innovative nationally, receiving awards from the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) in 2014 and from the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) in 2015.
Today the state is also announcing Charles Burkett as the contract governance executive. A Memphis native, Burkett is a 41-year veteran of the financial services/ banking industry, and most recently a member of the University of Memphis leadership team serving as advisor to the president. In his role at the university, Burkett was responsible for a range of strategic initiatives including implementation of quality improvement measurements of student satisfaction and managing residence life and dining.
In his new contract governance role, he will be responsible for ensuring the overall oversight of the statewide contract to ensure best service across all stakeholders, and for serving as the main point of contact for interested entities that would like to request a quote for service.
Burkett is a former member of the state’s FM Steering Committee, and will continue to serve as a liaison between the statewide contract with JLL and committee members, which will transition in name to Board of Advisors. Representatives on this advisory committee are from higher education and general government leadership.
Note/UPDATE: The Nashville Post reports Burkett will be paid $95 per hour under a contract, which would be $197,600 for a full year of 40-hour week – more than $20,000 more than his salary at the University of Memphis. Further:
He (Burkett) also was a member of the Facilities Management Steering Committee, which oversaw the secretive two-year process that resulted in JLL’s contract. Roberson said the steering committee will transition to a “Board of Advisors” overseeing the contract.
Roberson said the membership of the new board of advisors could be shaken up, but as it currently stands it consists of the head of the Department of Customer Focused Government, Terry Cowles (salary: $150,000); Bob Oglesby, the commissioner of the Department of General Services (salary: $159,996); Mike Perry, the head of procurement in General Services (salary: $147,900); Larry Martin, the commissioner of the Department of Finance and Administration (salary: $190,260); Brock Hill, a deputy commissioner of the Department of Environment & Conservation (salary: $146,532); Russ Deaton, the deputy executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (salary: $155,004); Rick Nicholson, the budget analysis director for the Senate (salary: $110,220); and David Miller, the CFO of the UT system (salary: $310,000). TBR has not had a member on the committee since Warren Nichols left for a new job at the beginning of the year but is expected to appoint someone soon.
Outsourcing update: Discontented legislators, JLL satisfaction survey questioned, etc
Some state legislators are not satisfied with Department of General Services Commissioner Bob Oglesby’s response to their request for an economic impact statement on the impact of a new contract for outsourcing management of more state buildings — or with Jones Lang LaSalle’s performance under its current, more limited contract. So reports the Nashville Post in reviewing the status of Gov. Bill Haslam’s privatization efforts.
An excerpt:
Comptroller poses 53 questions on JLL outsourcing contract, awaits answers
State Comptroller Justin Wilson’s office has run a proverbial fine-toothed comb through the governor’s potential building management contract with Chicago- based Jones Lang LaSalle, reports the Times Free Press.
The contract is valued at an estimated $1.9 billion over a five-year period, the amount state and higher education facilities are expected to pay for operating their buildings.
As a result of the review, Wilson said in an interview, administration officials have “already indicated to me they will make changes. Now what they are exactly I don’t know.”
