Wolk design build legislation focuses on district

Would authorize all Yolo and Solano Counties cities to enter into design-build contracts

As amended, Assembly Bill 1329 would provide only the cities of Yolo and Solano Counties the option of entering into design-build contracts for the design and construction of public buildings, meaning that these cities could hire a general contractor to be responsible for both the design and construction work. The amendment also included a 5-year sunset. Before the amendment, the bill provided all cities the authority to use design build. The bill was narrowed as a result of opposition to providing a blanket authority to all cities.

"This legislation would give cities in my district the option of using the successful design build method on public projects, helping government, private industry, and labor to work together more efficiently," said Assemblywoman Wolk. "The design-build concept helps reduce construction complexity and cities' exposure to risk. Solano County utilized the design build concept to build its government center on time and under budget. I look forward to giving the cities of Yolo and Solano Counties the option of putting this winning model to use."

Of the 13 counties and cities that have been given the design-build option, six—including Davis, West Sacramento, and Woodland—have used the option to construct one or more capital outlay projects. In Yolo County, the Woodland police facility was built using design-build contracts. Unfortunately, this authority expires in January 2006.

A recent report by the Legislative Analysts Office titled Design Build: An Alternative Construction System noted that almost all cities and counties which were allowed to use the design-build method through special legislation were pleased with the outcome. Nearly all reported that compared to the traditional design-bid-build process, it took less staff time to construct a project and resulted in fewer claims and less litigation. The report found that this was because the local agency was largely removed from disputes between the architect/engineer and the construction contractor.