CHSRA appoints CAO; issues RFQ for third phase of high-speed rail system

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) named Deborah Harper chief administrative officer, where she will oversee CHSRA's administrative operations, which include the Office of Human Resources, the Office of Business Services/Facilities and the Office of Information Technology. Her post begins December 1.

 

As chief administrative officer, Harper will develop, manage and provide direction for these departments to ensure CHSRA’s strategic goals and objectives are met. She will also serve as its equal opportunity officer and title VI coordinator.

Most recently, Ms. Harper was the Deputy Secretary of Administration with the California Department of Veterans Affairs, where she managed the Administrative Services Division including Information Services, Financial Management Services, Human Resources, and Capital Development and Facilities Management. She also worked at the Board of Equalization for seven years and the Department of Justice for five years.

Additionally, CHSRA issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for design-build services for Construction Package 4 (CP 4), representing the next 30-mile phase of construction through the counties of Tulare and Kern and the cities of Wasco and Shafter.

“CHSRA continues to deliver on its voter-mandated mission to build high-speed rail in California that will connect the major regions of the state through the ever-growing population centers in the Central Valley,” Jeff Morales, CHSRA chief executive officer. “As we have already seen with the ongoing construction work in the Central Valley, high-speed rail is creating jobs, small business opportunities and benefitting the local economies.”

Firms will have until January 30, 2015, to submit their statement of qualifications. CHSRA will then review these applications and establish a shortlist of the most highly-qualified firms to provide design-build services for the project. Firms will be selected based on experience, technical competency, ability to perform and other factors. The qualified firms will then be eligible to submit formal design-build proposals in 2015.

Work on CP 4 will extend approximately 30-miles through the Central Valley beginning one mile north of the Tulare/Kern County to Galpin Street north of Bakersfield. The estimated $700- to $900-million design-build contract will bring jobs to the Central Valley, an area with one of the highest unemployment rates in California and the nation. The route will also provide environmental benefits, relieve roadway congestion and spur economic development.

The selected design-build firm will be responsible for all work required to design and construct the CP 4 segment in the Central Valley. The work will include construction of at-grade and aerial sections of the alignment and the relocation of 4.6 miles of existing BNSF tracks. This phase of construction received state and federal environmental clearances earlier this year.

 

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