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- MINUTES -

Liaison Committee KC District USACE of Engineers • ACEC/MO • ACEC/KS

August 18, 2011

USACE Kansas City District Kansas City, Missouri

The meeting was convened at 11:00 a.m. In attendance: K.C. USACE ACEC/MO ACEC/KS COL Anthony Hofmann Terry Flanagan - HNTB Rich Johannes - URS MAJ(P) Jason Evers Shawn Goetz - Hanson Rich McCollum - HDR Steve Iverson Joe Marsh - Terracon Jim Waller – B&V Rex Goodnight Clarence Munsch - GBA Rex Ostrander Bob Goodwillie – HG Consult Jim Pennaz Jim Turner John Benson Doug Mellema John Holm Tom Graff Josh Marx Larry Myers Current ACEC/MO and ACEC/KS Committee members not in attendance: ACEC/MO ACEC/KS Rod Young - PEC Rick Worrel – Affinis Scott Heidner - ACEC 1. USACE Program Update - Briefing by Steve Iverson (Briefing handout was provided

and is attached)

• Budget cuts are the theme for this next year’s budget – with anticipated declining workload for 2012 and an anticipated $115M reduction from 2011

• With a concern and emphasis on maintaining technical competence, USACE anticipates in-house design to go up.

• Centers of Standardizations (COS) have been an issue for USACE Districts that haven’t had a COS role. USACE KC District is focusing on supporting and/or possible becoming a COS for:

o Sustainability o Dam Safety

• USACE Districts play a critical role in their area of responsibility bringing support, oversight, and technical competency for civil works, and natural disasters (flooding, tornados, hurricanes,…). This has been evident with the Districts support

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associated with the Joplin tornado recovery and the Missouri River flooding fight and recovery. ACEC’s support with Congress, reinforcing a need for funding and the Districts role is critical.

• The environmental restoration program and funding for the Missouri River is in jeopardy of being killed or delayed significantly.

• The District is on target to meet / or exceed their Small Business contracting metrics

• No emergency supplemental for Mississippi and Missouri River flooding recovery is anticipated “at this time” – currently USACE is reprogramming and shifting funds to help focus on critical needs.

• Funding will continue to be a big challenge with no earmarks, the debt deficit, and the coming election year. A continuing resolution is anticipated for funding at the Federal level this year.

2. Joplin recovery update – Briefing by COL. Tony Hofmann

• FEMA Delegated this assignment to USACE o Responsible for Debris removal o Setting up fire stations and schools o Providing temporary housing

• USACE has had 110 folks involved in the assistance

3. KC District support outside traditional KC District Installation and Civil Works

Programs (such as support to Afghanistan, role in national levee program, etc.) - Briefing by COL. Tony Hofmann

• Funding cuts are on the horizon for other Federal Government Departments, so USACE will be stepping up to take on more work from them (Example would be the Veteran Administration).

• MILCON spending is also going down • KC District is being charged with building the Army/BRAC/Sustainability • The 5 Military Installations that the KC District is responsible for have been asked to

reduce staff – this may create opportunities for the A/E Community 4. USACE guidance and bulletin for implementation of their current policy for doing

“appropriate” design work in-house - Briefing by Rex Goodnight & Jim Turner

• This discussion was brought about by James Dalton bulletin on Technical Competency (memo attached)

o Projects are picked by districts that meet their areas of expertise o Staff is then added to meet the anticipated work load o Typically each PM is assigned 3-4 projects annually (approximately 70% of

Civil Works and 40% of MILCON) o USACE is anticipating taking on more work as budgets shrink to keep staff

challenged versus outsourcing • Appropriate is intended to mean “doing enough to challenge in-house staff”

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• USACE has a goal of performing between 30-50% of all work internally without including the HTRW work.

• KC District has taken on role of subconsultant to other Districts performing environmental work.

• KC District believes they have reached their maximum employment of 240 Civil folks although there will be some attrition.

5. Status of Flood flight efforts - Briefing by COL Hofmann and Josh Marx

• The fight started on May 26, 2011 now at Day 86, 90 KC USACE members still involved.

• Gavin Point discharge today is 150000cfs, dropping 5000cfs/day until reaching 90000cfs, where it will stay for awhile before dropping 5000cfs/day again.

• High water will occur on the Missouri River through September • Hoping to have the River back in its channel in October • All non-Federal levees north of KC on the Missouri River have been breached • Hurricane season is upon us and the Mississippi & Missouri River basins will likely

need $500M - $1B to rehab the levees. 6. Future Agenda Items

• USACE Program Update. • USACE Role /ACEC Support relative to possible National role for:

o Dam Safety o Sustainability

• ACEC Report on Current Issues and Challenges • USACE Evaluation of the Actual Missouri River Levee destruction

Next Meeting:

November 17, 2011 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Black & Veatch