North Dakota Government Efficiency Task Force Targets State Building Maintenance

(Photo by Jeff Beach / North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – A North Dakota task force on government efficiency will take a swing at cutting maintenance and construction costs on state-owned buildings.

Brian Larson, director of construction management at the University of North Dakota outlined several steps the state could consider to lower building costs — most notably eliminating the need for architects or engineers to consult on some maintenance projects.

Larson said the state has a requirement that any project estimated to cost more than $250,000 include hiring an architecture or engineering firm. He said some maintenance projects, such as replacing a roof, resurfacing a parking lot or upgrading heating and cooling equipment can exceed that threshold, but don’t necessarily need a consultant’s expertise. Larson said the requirement can easily inflate the cost of a project by 10%

North Dakota’s Legislative Task Force on Government Efficiency voted to have Larson work with Legislative Council and the state’s new construction manager on drafting a bill to address the consultant guidelines and other suggestions from Larson, which include trying to make the bidding process for construction projects more competitive.