TPW Commission Meets November 5-6

State Parks Bond Repair Program Making Progress

As has been reported previously, TPWD received approval from the LBB of our Business Plan for State Parks FY08-09 repair and construction program in late Spring 2008. That approval was necessary before any of the bonds approved by voters and the Legislature could be released to TPWD to begin state park repairs. The Bond Review Board approved the bond package this summer and the first funding became available to TPWD in August. In order to accelerate the implementation of the projects, TPWD has bundled the projects into three “packages” instead of bidding them individually. Three firms have been selected to perform the design work in the three packages, organized into three regions of the state, and fee negotiations are underway with those firms through early November. Design contracts will be in place in November, and then design work will commence. A request for proposals has been issued for construction firms that will be utilized to build the projects, and responses are due on October 30, 2008. These firms will be under contract in January 2009 and the first outsourced construction projects will begin early next summer. However, there are several in-house constructions projects that got underway this month. All projects in the program are expected to be completed by November 2011.