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Lt. Gov./
Commissioner
Carol Molnau
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In response to Minneapolis Star Tribune articles criticizing Mn/DOT state contracts,
Governor Tim Pawlenty announced at a news
conference Tuesday the formation of a work group to examine the state contracting
process. Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau and Brian Lamb, Commissioner of
Administration, will chair the Mn/DOT Contract Management Work Team. The group's
charge is to develop recommendations within 60 days for improvements in processes
and coordination between the two departments.
"When Governor Pawlenty asked me to head the Minnesota Department of Transportation,
he said reform and accountability would be this Administration's foremost goals
at Mn/DOT," said Molnau. "The men and women of Mn/DOT are hard-working, conscientious
and committed to doing the best for their state, because they are taxpayers,
too. Is there room for improvement at Mn/DOT? Of course. Every state agency
should strive to improve how services are delivered. That’s what we are going
to do."
Representatives from both departments will develop recommendations to ensure
that contracting practices comply with the law and serve the public interest.
Assistant Commissioner/Program Support Group Director Dick Stehr, along with
Joanne Wagner and Jim Cownie from the Office of EEO and Contract Management,
will serve as Mn/DOT representatives. Kent Allin, Betsy Hayes and Paul Stembler
will represent the Department of Administration.
An editorial in Monday's
Star Tribune described the dilemma that Mn/DOT has faced in recent years.
On the one hand, Mn/DOT has been under pressure to deliver transportation projects
with $459 million in one-time money. On the other hand, the contracting process
has sometimes thwarted that goal, according to the editorial.
The Minnesota House and Senate transportation committees scheduled Mn/DOT
staff to offer testimony at legislative hearings on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 regarding
Mn/DOT's contracting practices.
Molnau is scheduled to speak to the Association of General Contractors on Jan.
30. Deputy Commissioner Doug Differt spoke to the American Council of Engineering
Companies of Minnesota on Jan. 29. They have emphasized that Mn/DOT is working
with the Department of Administration to resolve contract problems. They also
have highlighted streamlining improvements that Mn/DOT has already made, such
as electronic bidding, the design build process and the pre-qualifying of consultants.
In these meetings, Molnau and Differt asked members of both groups to submit
cost-savings suggestions to Mn/DOT’s
Web site. Molnau praised Mn/DOT employees for submitting more than 1,000
budget-trimming suggestions via the Mn/DOT
internal Web site as well.
When asked at the news conference to identify the greatest surprise she found
at Mn/DOT, the Lt. Gov. said, "My greatest surprise is the great cost-saving
ideas from employees. They stepped up to the plate. Not only are they hard-working
employees with good ideas, they are taxpayers too and care about how dollars
are spent."
To find out more about the work group, read today’s
articles broadcast or published by various news media around the state.
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