Congratulations to the Winners of the 2006 Excellence in Right-of-Way Awards
Congratulations to the winners of the 2006 Excellence in Right-of-Way Awards and all who were nominated for these awards. This biennial awards program was developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to honor those who excel in streamlining or improving the real property acquisition process while ensuring that property owners' and tenants' rights are protected. The awards recognize outstanding innovations that enhance the right-of-way professional's ability to meet the challenges associated with acquiring real property for a Federal-aid project.
This year, FHWA received more than 40 entries describing exceptional right-of-way programs, projects and leaders from around the country. The winners in the five categories demonstrated successful methods to effectively and efficiently purchase and manage right-of-way in their states. The recipients will be honored during the 2006 FHWA and AASHTO Subcommittee on Right-of-Way and Utilities annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.
In this brochure, you will read about how technology assists the right-of-way process as well as see how important communication, teamwork, and hands-on assistance are to the field of right-of-way. Our goal with this program is to spotlight and share great ideas from around the country that will benefit the right-of-way community and the public.
Again, I congratulate all of the winners in the 2006 Excellence in Right-of-Way Awards. Thank you for developing innovations in meeting the challenges of acquiring real property and serving the public.
J. Richard Capka
Acting Administrator
Contents
Excellence in Right-of-Way Stewardship Award
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Excellence in Right-of-Way Innovation Award
Utah Department of Transportation
Excellence in Right-of-Way Leadership Award
Robert Macpherson (California Department of Transportation)
Mickie McJunkin (Georgia Department of Transportation)
Excellence in Right-of-Way Streamlining and Integration Award
Florida Department of Transportation
Honorable Mention
Arizona Department of Transportation
Excellence in Right-of-Way Technical Specialties Award
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project
Honorable Mention
South Carolina Department of Transportation
Excellence in Right-of-Way Award Judges
Stewardship Award
Minnesota Department of Transportation
This Award recognizes the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) for their success in hosting the 2005 Right-of-Way Professional's Workshop in September 2005. This is the 13th year they have hosted an annual workshop for right-of-way professionals.
The workshop included topics of interest to practitioners engaged in the acquisition of right-of-way for transportation improvement projects. The Workshop topics were of value to both public and private sector employees. The core subjects included title examination, appraisal, purchasing and relocation assistance. Related topics included eminent domain, the use of design/build techniques, an overview of the overall right-of-way acquisition process, state-aid processes, valuing and negotiating real estate rights over railroad property, and dealing with utilities. The keynote speaker was Gerald Solomon, right-of-way project manager for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project in Boston, Massachusetts.
The 2005 Workshop attracted approximately 300 participants, of which 37 percent were Mn/DOT employees and 63 percent were from the private sector and local public agencies. The first event in 1993 was restricted to Mn/DOT employees. The Department has come to appreciate the contributions made by its public and private sector partners. This is the only event of this kind in the State of Minnesota.
The Workshop was developed in concurrent course tracks, which were tailored for appraisers, real estate professionals, attorneys and engineers. The coupling of related topics assisted particular groups of workshop participants to maximize their learning experience. For the first time, a track was designed for the acquisition of a fictitious "mock parcel" from "Concept to Condemnation." The sessions were presented in a sequential order commonly known as "the acquisition process."
As in past years, the schedule was divided into "blocks." This was done to meet the requirements of the Minnesota Department of Commerce for certification of continuing education credits. To receive the maximum number of appraisal/real estate/attorney credits at this workshop (15), participants were required to attend a different class during each hour of the specified block. A session block identification number was given at the conclusion of the last class of a designated block. Attendees were encouraged to attend those classes that pertained to their licensing requirements.
Contributors: Minnesota Department of Transportation and Allan Pint.
Innovation Award
Utah Department of Transportation
This Award recognizes the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Right-of-Way Division for their commitment to tracking all right-of-way purchases for highway projects to reduce project and process delays. The Division has developed the Electric Project Management (ePM) Right-of-Way Tracking program to handle this job.
With this database, the UDOT tracks reports for current or past right-of-way projects that have been entered into this new system. Searches can be made by owner, project number, parcel number, and other project attributes. Data can be exported to create Microsoft Exel spreadsheets and imported into Microsoft Project for project scheduling purposes. The system shows the ownerships that have been cleared for construction, those in condemnation, or those in the process of relocation.
Already, the following advantages have been realized:
- Checks are issued to property owners in a shorter time with fewer errors.
- Forms are filled out electronically with the data automatically entered.
- Contracts and construction notes, which were negotiated with the property owners and may be critical to the construction phase of the project, are available to engineers and construction crews.
- Linked aerial images of the properties are available and reduce staff time in the field.
Future electronic enhancements to the systems are envisioned to include the ability to store electronic appraisals, generate relocation documents, deed descriptions and project drawings for each property within the right-of-way database. Eventually, the UDOT Document Management (DM) system will be linked to the ePM Right-of-Way Tracking program.
Although the main beneficiary of the system is the UDOT, consultants, project managers, surveyors and others may access the database and view most information. Some eminent domain and appraisal records are restricted until project completion.
The success of this project results from coordination with surveyors, engineers, appraisers, relocation specialists, acquisition negotiators, title agents, closing agents, Information Support Services staff and management staff. All of these stakeholders are delighted with the system and feel it is worth the effort that created it!
Contributors: Terry Butcher, Alan Dearden, Monty King, Lyle McMillan, Karen Stein, Terri Theobald, and Steve Wilkins.
Leadership Award
Robert (Bob) Macpherson - California Department of Transportation
This Award recognizes Robert (Bob) Macpherson for his significant contribution to the field of right-of-way and his dedication to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Bob Macpherson has been a Right-of-Way Agent with Caltrans for 39 plus years. His career has been in District 4 (San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area) for more than 27 years and Caltrans Headquarters (Sacramento) in excess of 12 years. Bob is also a past officer and Director of the local chapter of the International Right-of-Way Association.
He has been the District 4 Division Chief for Right-of-Way since March 1997, and has led the District to the best overall "delivery" record three times. During his tenure, District 4 has continued to expend 100 percent of its annual Right-of-Way Capital Allocation—even though it is one of the largest districts in the state, with significant political involvement from the nine counties and numerous cities.
His reach extends to other Caltrans functions. His opinion and strategic thinking are so valued throughout Caltrans that he is often invited to weigh in on Department-wide issues. He never misses an opportunity to educate groups, whether internal or external to Caltrans, about the function of right-of-way. Bob continues to develop positive business relationships with the Department's regional partners.
Bob MacPherson is a compassionate person with a sincere regard for his staff. He is a reasonable man who is fair in all of his dealings. Ever aware of the public perception and personal impacts of right-of-way work, Bob always tests business decisions with probing questions, such as "What would you do if it were your property?" and " How would that read on the front page of the newspaper?"
Many consider him a "human database" of right-of-way activities, based on his knowledge and long experience. He knows, understands and honors the "old school," traditional right-of-way system, but also adapts well to new methods.
Leadership Award
Mickie McJunkin- Georgia Department of Transportation
This Award recognizes Micke McJunkin for her lifetime commitment to the field of right-of-way and her proactive leadership within the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). Mickie has worked for the GDOT for the past 32 years and was promoted to her current position as Right-of-Way Assistant Administrator in 2003, the first female to achieve this position within GDOT.
Mickie's commitment to leadership is recognized in her exceptional effort and initiative in refining the right-of-way process pertaining to the Transportation Enhancement (TE), Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) and Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) programs.
After Mickie coordinated and participated in Local Public Agency right-of-way statewide training, a joint effort of GDOT and FHWA, she realized that additional coordination and program guidance was needed in the TE, LCI and CMAQ program. She noticed a lack of right-of-way knowledge among the local agencies charged with carrying out these programs. She wanted to assure compliance at the local level with federal and state regulations and laws. Mickie immediately took the initiative to revise current GDOT right-of-way procedures, developed additional guidance for the programs and coordinated with groups to improve the TE, LCI and CMAQ programs.
Mickie has demonstrated her leadership abilities to develop solutions and achieve consensus to assure GDOT attains its goal of "on-time" project delivery. She willingly volunteers to participate on project teams and task forces in the Department to improve interagency efforts to work as a One-DOT team. Mickie has played a major role in numerous high profile projects, including the first signature bridge in downtown Atlanta.
Mickie is an inspiration and role model for the Department women and men who follow in her shoes. Her commitment to excellence and creative approaches has improved the overall delivery of transportation projects for the Georgia Department of Transportation. As Mickie blazed a new trail for women at GDOT, she sets a high standard of excellence for all that follow behind.
Streamlining and Integration Award
Florida Department of Transportation
This Award recognizes the Florida Department of Transportation and the TBE Group, Inc. for developing the Right-of-Way Considerations for Engineers course to educate engineers on right-of-way cost savings.
The Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT's) right-of-way acquisition program, including eminent domain, is one of the largest, most complex and most expensive in the country. Within FDOT, there has been a longstanding critical need for engineers to effectively recognize damage issues early, during the design process, and develop successful engineering solutions to reduce impacts to property and business owners, avoid litigation, reduce right-of-way payments and costs, and accelerate project schedules. FDOT realized the key to success was education, specifically developing a course that teaches project managers, engineers and designers to analyze
right-of-way considerations and costs savings at the beginning of the project.
FDOT selected consulting firm TBE Group to develop and teach a course on right-of-way costs and considerations. The completed course was promoted via the Internet, FDOT, the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers, the Florida Engineering Society, and similar resources. In addition, TBE submitted the course to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. The Board approved the course for eight professional development credit hours toward Professional Engineer (PE) licensure. Furthermore, TBE is now certified as a Continuing Education Provider.
Right-of-Way Considerations for Engineers, a daylong course, includes specially designed course materials for each participant and is taught by an instructor with extensive experience in right-of-way issues. Teaching aids include 170 PowerPoint slides to help illustrate the material, and class participation and discussion are encouraged. The course content includes case studies and focuses on innovative problem-solving techniques that challenge all project participants to rethink, readdress and rework solutions for optimum cost efficiency while satisfying the needs of property and business owners. To date, more than $100 million in right-of-way savings have been realized using these techniques.
Kenneth M. Towcimak, Director of FDOT's Office of Right-of-Way, expressed his high degree of satisfaction with the TBE-developed course. Referring to the course as "an economic and cost-effective solution," Mr. Towcimak said, "The FDOT Office of Right-of-Way is confident that this highly effective course has [fulfilled] and will continue to fulfill an important need in the engineering community, will result in considerable future cost savings through improved engineering design decisions for right-of-way, and, through such improved design, will reduce the social and economic impacts on property owners impacted by right-of-way takings for transportation projects."
Contributors: Florida Department of Transportation, Kenneth Towcimak, TBE Group, Inc., and Richard Doyle.
Streamlining and Integration Honorable Mention Award
Arizona Department of Transportation
This Honorable Mention Award recognizes the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for their Right-of-Way (R/W) Plans CADD Standards.
Several ADOT Sections as well as groups outside the Department use ADOT right-of-way plans. Legal description writers, appraisers, acquisition agents, relocation agents, attorneys, surveyors, designers, permits and maintenance staff, the general public, and the FHWA are among the most frequent users of these plans. Due to the increasing needs of the diverse variety of users, the complexity of ADOT R/W Plans has increased through the years.
For the last several years, on-call consultant firms have developed ADOT R/W Plans and the Plans have been coordinated and reviewed by ADOT right-of-way Plans Section technicians. Due to the complexity of R/W Plans, the number of different consultants developing the plans, different plans reviewers, and the vast group of users, a clear and detailed set of standards is required to maintain accuracy and uniformity. Prior to the recent development of the current set of ADOT R/W Plans CADD Standards, the standards were dated 1986 and only available in hardcopy format.
In September 2000, the ADOT R/W Plans Section formed a Standards Team to develop the necessary standards. The new standards are in CADD MicroStation format and they include both color and black and white detailed exhibits of all drawings typically contained within a set of ADOT R/W Plans. The color exhibits contain detailed standard CADD parameters as well as blocks containing Helpful Hints. The parameters cover the standard levels, colors, text parameters, line codes, and weights.
Today's standards provide clear and consistent examples of how applicable information should be illustrated. This simplifies the development process and has resulted in time and cost savings. The uniform manner in which information is currently illustrated on R/W Plans is a benefit to the many users. Standards exhibits are available for reference at: http://www.azdot.gov/highways/row/rowplans/index.asp
Contributors:Arizona Department of Transportation and Sabra Mousavi.
Technical Specialties Award
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project
This Award recognizes the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (WWB) Project for excellence in the Property Management field by creatively and efficiently managing the Hunting Point apartments as part of the bridge project. All aspects of the $2.43 billion project, from design to construction, have been and continue to be a collaborative effort between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Maryland State Highway Administration (MSHA) and the District of Columbia Department of Public Works (DCDPW).
To facilitate construction of the WWB Project in a time-efficient, cost-effective and tenant/community-sensitive manner, VDOT decided to purchase and manage the remaining apartment buildings on the project in late November 2001 for as long as active construction was occurring in the area. Now known as Hunting Point on the Potomac, the two properties consist of two high-rise and five garden style buildings (a total of 645 units), with an on-site hair salon and convenience store. Having immediate control over areas adjacent to construction has been a major advantage for the space-constrained and complex WWB Project. This control has ensured greater protection of tenants and workers alike and eliminated the possibility of third party claims against the project, which could have resulted in construction delays.
To effectively carry out the daily property management duties, a Property Management Team was established that consisted of representatives from VDOT, FHWA and Grady Management, the property management firm hired by VDOT. The Team has worked tirelessly for more than four years to maintain and operate the Hunting Point properties, while identifying and addressing critical construction-related issues facing residents as well as a multitude of other tenant issues. Through regular newsletters, flyers, informational meetings and open public hours, the Team has maintained an up-front, ongoing dialogue with residents.
The extensive efforts to ensure compatibility between Hunting Point residents and major construction have paid tangible dividends for VDOT, which will ultimately benefit Virginia taxpayers. Under VDOT's ownership, the overall occupancy rate of the buildings has averaged 79 percent versus the originally expected 50 percent. This increased occupancy for the four-year ownership period has already generated rent revenues in excess of $10,000,000. These revenues and the proceeds received from the upcoming sale of the properties will be applied towards VDOT's WWB Project construction costs, thus allowing originally allocated federal Interstate funds to be redistributed toward other pressing transportation needs within the Commonwealth of Virginia. With nearby construction now completed, the Team is focusing on the sale of the properties, which is expected to provide a significant return on the initial investment of $84.4 million.
Contributors: Elaine Delude, Brent Eckard, Barbara Middleton, Ronaldo "Nick" Nicholson, Bryan O'Sullivan, Murray Piper, and Paul Rotondo.
Technical Specialties Honorable Mention Award
South Carolina Department of Transportation
This Honorable Mention Award recognizes the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) for instituting a new and innovative approach to reduce its surplus property inventory by using private real estate contractors.
The responsibility of the disposal of surplus property lies within the SCDOT's Rights of Way, Property Management Section. The SCDOT surplus database had increased to 715 parcels over many years and the inventory continues to accumulate with approximately 100 major projects completed each year. There is a strong need to augment the Property Management Section's ability to handle all of its functions without the expense of adding a large staff.
The SCDOT has contracted with two real estate firms to work with the Property Management Section to help market and dispose of surplus property. The objectives are to sell the property considered surplus by the SCDOT and, in-turn, return tax-exempt property to the tax rolls and generate revenue for the SCDOT.
The sales price of a parcel is set by the SCDOT based on appraisals, a broker's opinion of the property value, local tax office information (if available), and staff experience of sales with like properties. For parcels valued at less than $20,000, the proposed sale price is based on a broker's opinion of values with SCDOT approval.
The results of the program to date are as follows: one hundred and thirty-three (133) parcels have been given to the contractors to sell and twenty-eight (28) parcels (both economic and uneconomic), have been closed and sold by the realtors for a total of $3,125,050.00, with commissions paid of $260,984.00. The potential surplus list contained 715 properties at the beginning of the agreement and now contains 335 properties, a reduction of 53 percent. Receipts for the previous year were $2.5 million; to date, current receipts are $3.2 million, or 28 percent increase, which exceeded the goal.
In summary, the SCDOT Property Management Section streamlined the present process used by the Department to liquidate its surplus property. The program has proved advantageous to both parties, with $3,125,050.00 in closed sales by the realtors, and combined with sales from Property Management, the Department has returned approximately $4,361,000.00 to Title 23 funds.
Contributors: South Carolina Department of Transportation and Oscar Rucker.
Judges
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Lester R. Cisneros Mr. Cisneros, an Associate with TBE Group, has 22 years of experience in the right-of-way profession. He is the Utility/Right-of-Way Liaison in New Mexico for TBE's Right-of-Way Service Group. His career includes more than three years as the Right-of-Way Director for the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) and he was the Railroads & Utilities Section Manager at NMDOT. Mr. Cisneros received BA and MA degrees in Social Science and Organizational Management, respectively. |
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Ralph Divine Ralph Divine is employed by HMB Professional Engineers, Inc., as a Right-of-Way Adviser for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project (LSIORB). As part of his assignment, he is working with Community Transportation Solutions, a partnership of three major firms including HMB. He retired from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in December 2003. During his forty years of service in the Division of Right-of-Way, he was the Right-of-Way Manager in four District offices and the state's Director of Right-of-Way and Utilities. He also represented Region 3 on the Executive Board of Directors for the AASHTO Subcommittee on Right-of-Way and Utilities. |
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James H. Finnegan, SR/WA James H. Finnegan, SR/WA, is Senior Vice President, Western Division, of Universal Field Services, Inc. Before joining Universal, he spent 20 years as a top manager with Caltrans. A senior member of the International Right-of-Way Association (IRWA), Mr. Finnegan received Chapter 27's Professional of the Year Award in 1999 and the Louise L. & Y.T. Lum Award in 1990. He was a Frank C. Balfour Professional of the Year finalist four times. Mr. Finnegan has developed several IRWA courses and seminars and taught more than 300 courses. He has held numerous IRWA Committee positions and currently serves on the Association's International Executive Committee. Mr. Finnegan has a BA degree in Business Administration from Fresno State University, and anMA degree in Public Administration from California State University, Sacramento. |
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Lee Satterfield Hamre, R/W-RAC Ms. Hamre has worked in the right-of-way acquisition and relocation field for more than 12 years specializing in large, federally assisted transportation projects that require Uniform Act compliance. She is Relocation Assistance certified by the International Right-of-Way Association, aswell asa certified Instructor for all IRWA Relocation Courses. In June of 2003, Ms. Hamre became President and Principal-in-Charge of H.C. Peck & Associates, Inc., a national right-of-way firm founded in 1988 to provide professional land services to both private industry and government agencies. |
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