Moving Ahead

With the election last fall of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a new permanent commissioner, Joan McDonald, was announced in January. McDonald salutes how the department managed almost twice its normal workload despite depleted staffing. “[The agency] got those projects out the door ... by reallocating resources and working very closely with the consulting engineering community and the construction community.”

McDonald adds that the agency will continue that spirit of partnership that developed in 2010.

Despite its successes, the agency faces a tough road ahead. Losing workers to early retirement is a significant obstacle, Richardson says. “The technical brain drain is a concern,” she adds.

The state has responded in part by contracting design work to external consultants. McDonald says she’ll focus on balancing staffing resources. “We need to be very strategic and get the design work done, and that will be a combination of in-house staff and consulting engineering,” she says. “Right now the work is split about 50-50.”

The agency also is concentrating on minority- and women-owned business enterprise goals for 20% project participation. Since the fall, it has co-hosted workshops and a summit centered around the issue.

The agency faces another round of budget planning, aiming for a $1.8-billion construction program. McDonald says the governor is focused on delivering a budget on time by April 1 to avoid payment conflicts.

The department also will be working out its role on state-driven smart growth initiatives, long-range planning for investment in high-speed rail projects and discussions over alternative project delivery methods.

Industry participants are hoping it’s a smoother ride overall, despite lingering concerns. “It’s a different administration in Albany, and we’re not anticipating the problems that they had before,” says Cold Spring’s Forrestel, adding that uncertain federal highway funds are a concern. “We hope that Albany can find the way to provide adequate funding.”