| Go Oregon! |
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| Preparing Go Oregon! |
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On Feb. 5, 2009, Governor Ted Kulongoski signed Go Oregon! into law, authorizing sale of bonds to fund important capital projects at public facilities throughout Oregon.
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Go Oregon! will quickly make $175 million available to pay for construction, renovation and major deferred maintenance of buildings and other facilities owned by state government, local communities, universities and community colleges. It will create badly needed jobs, reinforce existing jobs, and inject money into Oregon’s communities. By helping to “prime the pump” of the state economy, Go Oregon! will benefit everyone—businesses and wage earners alike.
State agencies are finalizing a streamlined procurement process to speed the start-up of Go Oregon! projects. If you or your company wants to bid on a Go Oregon! contract, visit the Oregon Procurement Information Network (ORPIN) Web site to view the opportunities. Check back often to keep track of the latest developments.
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Quick Links
Bond authorization:
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The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has begun preparations to implement the bill. Knowing that citizens, legislators and media will have many questions about the status of implementation, as well as specific questions about the individual projects provided for in the bill, we have begun work on a system that will provide answers to those questions.
The following is a brief update:
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Temporary procurement guidelines. The State Procurement Office (SPO) has begun drafting temporary procurement guidelines for agencies to use during the period covered by the emergency declaration that the DAS director will issue pursuant to the bill. This declaration will enable SPO and the agencies to speed the procurement process without cutting corners that affect quality of work, the environment, fairness, prevailing wages and other important concerns. The State Procurement Office showcased the guidelines at an all-agency meeting on Feb. 4. |
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Interagency and intergovernmental agreements. The DAS Operations Division has finalized drafts of interagency and intergovernmental agreements that will link each agency to DAS in order to fund their respective projects under the certificates of participation (bonds) and expedite the process. The agreements will also ensure that contracts and work schedules are in place and that DAS meets the May 1 reporting requirement contained in the Budget Notes for SB 338. |
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Reporting database. The DAS Facilities Division and DAS Operations Division have begun work on a reporting database to summarize and report to the Legislature in accordance with the Budget Notes. The system features “geo-reporting” that will enable state government to determine the economic effects of the stimulus program by region. It will also provide project managers valuable information about the availability and proximity of materials and suppliers. DAS expects the system to be partially operational in the next three weeks, pending establishment of the database. |
Until the reporting database is fully operational, DAS will have only a limited ability to answer specific questions about the status and effects of individual projects. For the time being, the best source of general information is the Legislative Web site:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/comm/lfo/
Click “Deferred Maintenance and Economic Stimulus Package.”
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