City Councilman says proposed resolution will save Fresno taxpayers millions of dollars

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno City Councilmember Lee Brand says his new proposed resolution will save city taxpayers millions of dollars.

It's called the Construction Management Act, and will go before city council for approval in a little more than a week. Its purpose, Brand says, is to create policies and practices to improve the fiscal management of city construction projects, especially the large ones ($10 million or more), like the Fresno-Yosemite International Airport concourse project more than 10 years ago. Lee says that project was $65 million before change orders pushed it to more than $100 million.

The act includes elevating the standards for selecting engineers, contractors, and architects. It would also improve the initial review and peer review process, and would create a central database for all citywide construction projects.

"I'm trying to make a system better than it is right now," Brand said. "It's not going to be perfect but I think it represents a huge increase in terms of the city's ability to physically manage and better manage its projects."

Brand says the ultimate goal of the act is to finish every city construction project on time and on budget.