A Maryland appeals court docket questioned Monday if it was too late for judges to determine whether or not a dropping bidder correctly filed a bid protest on a state contract to develop toll lanes for Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway.
Maryland
Maryland appeals court hears arguments in toll lanes bid protest
“How does the Board of Public Works’s approval of the primary [contract] impression whether or not or not what we’re speaking about right here is moot?” mentioned Choose Terrence M.R. Zic. “ … They’ve accredited it. The place can we go from right here?”
The protest, filed by Spanish agency Cintra, alleges the Maryland Division of Transportation violated its personal procurement guidelines by deciding on one other workforce that lacked a lead development contractor on the time. The Cintra workforce additionally argued that the profitable proposal, by Australian toll highway operator Transurban, was based mostly on unrealistically low development prices that would result in delays and value overruns.
The one-hour listening to in Annapolis was the most recent public airing of Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s largest infrastructure proposal, which the state has valued at $6 billion.
Legal professionals for MDOT and Transurban have argued the contract was awarded correctly and that Cintra filed its objections too late underneath the mission’s procurement guidelines. The appellate court docket requested attorneys for Cintra, MDOT and Transurban to submit briefs over the following seven weeks on whether or not the timeliness of the bid protest’s submitting stays related.
Hogan (R) has proposed increasing I-270 and the western a part of the Beltway with two toll lanes in every path to permit motorists to purchase their means out of congestion. Opponents have mentioned further lanes would trigger an excessive amount of environmental harm and promote auto-dependent sprawl. The mission additionally would substitute and widen the 60-year-old American Legion Bridge.
The predevelopment settlement allowed the Transurban workforce to plan the lanes at as much as $54 million of its personal expense. Nonetheless, the settlement’s actual worth got here in granting Transurban the proper of first refusal on the 50-year contract to finance, construct and function the lanes in alternate for conserving many of the toll income. That long-term contract continues to be being negotiated.
It’s unclear whether or not the state’s Board of Public Works — composed of the governor, comptroller and state treasurer — would approve a 50-year contract whereas a bid protest is pending, which might enhance the state’s monetary threat. The board accredited the predevelopment settlement in August 2021 by a 2-to-1 vote with out discussing the bid protest.
Douglas Gansler, a lawyer for the Cintra workforce, informed the judges the bid protest remained related as a result of his consumer desires a court docket to require MDOT to reopen the bid course of. He mentioned MDOT additionally may resolve the case by granting the predevelopment contract to the Cintra workforce or by paying it “damages” for improperly denying it the deal.
Gansler, a former state lawyer common and former Democratic candidate for governor, mentioned the Board of Public Works additionally may contemplate the deserves of the protest when deciding whether or not to grant the Transurban workforce a 50-year development and operations contract.
When the board accredited the predevelopment settlement, Gansler mentioned, it didn’t know the way “egregious” MDOT’s choice of the Transurban proposal was.
“As soon as they’ve that data when [a project contract] comes up once more, one may assume they’d view the choice otherwise,” Gansler mentioned.
The appeals court docket was contemplating the slim query of whether or not a Montgomery County Circuit Courtroom Choose erred in ruling that Cintra had waited too lengthy to protest Transurban’s lack of a development accomplice. Cintra has requested the appeals court docket to reverse that ruling and that MDOT rethink the declare on its deserves.
MDOT has requested the appeals court docket to reverse one other a part of the circuit court docket ruling — that different elements of Cintra’s protest in regards to the Transurban groups’ development price assumptions had been filed in time.
Lydia B. Hoover, an assistant state lawyer common, informed the appeals court docket Monday that the Board of Public Works is the “final physique awarding contracts within the state.” She mentioned the board may take a court docket ruling “underneath advisement,” however she didn’t know of any state procedures that will require it to reverse a earlier contract award.
MDOT has mentioned the Cintra workforce wrongly waited till after it misplaced out on the contract to protest the profitable proposal’s lack of a lead development agency. The Transurban workforce introduced in September it has since chosen Los Angeles-based Tutor Perini as its lead development contractor.
Cintra mentioned MDOT had assured it that the make-up of the groups would “proceed to be reviewed in compliance” with the bid guidelines. Cintra couldn’t know till after the contract was awarded, Gansler argued in a court docket submitting, that MDOT would “erroneously” choose a workforce with out freeway development expertise.
Underneath Hogan’s proposal, the primary section of high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes would come with the Beltway between the Virginia aspect of the American Legion Bridge and the exit for Previous Georgetown Highway in Bethesda, in addition to I-270 south of I-370. One of many I-270 HOT lanes would come from a transformed carpool lane. The common lanes could be rebuilt however stay free.
Challenge supporters hope to get a 50-year deal to the Board of Public Works earlier than term-limited Hogan leaves workplace in January. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore and Republican nominee Dan Cox have mentioned they’d contemplate main modifications to the plan.
Maryland
Best Online Colleges In Maryland Of 2024
Pro Tip
Ensure that your prospective college offers globally recognized credentials if you plan to further your education or practice internationally.
Consider Your Future Goals
Considering your goals when choosing an online college helps you select a program that fits your current needs and prepares you for long-term success.
If you intend to work right after graduation, choose a program that aligns with your desired career path. Look for concentrations or specialized tracks that can provide in-depth knowledge in your field.
However, if you plan to pursue further education such as a master’s or doctoral degree, ensure that credits from your online college are transferable to other schools. Also ensure that the college’s credentials are globally recognized, if you intend to work or study abroad.
Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options
Online colleges in Maryland (particularly private institutions), can be quite expensive, compared to other online schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average undergraduate tuition and required fees for four-year public schools is $9,750 per year; meanwhile, enrollees in four-year private colleges may pay north of $38,000 per year.
If private university tuition is out of your budget, consider enrolling in a state-owned online school such as the University of Maryland Global Campus, which only requires about $8,000 in annual tuition and fees.
Aside from seeking affordable online programs, here are other ways to fund your college education:
- Complete the FAFSA®
- Apply for institutional scholarships
- Take a private student loan
- Enroll in a work-study program
- Ask your employer about a tuition reimbursement program
Maryland
Maryland voters weigh in on presidential election, governor’s approval in new Gonzales Poll
BALTIMORE – With a little more than two months until election day, the majority of Marylanders surveyed in the new Gonzales Poll would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump for president.
A total of 820 registered voters in Maryland who indicated they are likely to vote in the 2024 general election were queried for the poll by live telephone interviews, utilizing both landline and cellphone numbers between August 24 and August 30.
A cross-section of interviews was conducted throughout the state, reflecting Maryland’s general election voting patterns, the pollster said.
The Gonzales Poll stated that “the margin of error, per accepted statistical standards, is a range of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points and if the entire population was surveyed, there is a 95% probability that the true numbers would fall within this range.”
Presidential survey
According to the latest Gonzales Poll, 56% of Marylanders surveyed said they would vote for Harris over Trump for president.
The poll says 84% of Democrats support the Harris/Tim Walz ticket and 80% of Republicans support the Trump/JD Vance ticket. Also, 83% of Black voters polled would vote for Harris/Walz.
Among the independents, 38% favor Harris/Walz and 36% prefer Trump/Vance, according to the poll.
Gov. Moore’s approval gets a bump
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who led the state’s response to the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March, has the approval of 64% of Marylanders surveyed. Moore has a 35% “mostly soft approval” among Republicans who were surveyed (7% strongly approve, 28% somewhat approve),” the poll shows.
His approval rating increased by 33% since the last Gonzales Poll in the winter.
Last month, the governor spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris, who was nominated as the party’s presidential candidate.
He framed Harris’ candidacy as “the story of a prosecutor who defended our freedoms and had Maryland’s back when we needed it most. And now MVP: We’ve got yours.”
President Biden’s approval
The Gonzales Poll shows that 53% of Maryland voters surveyed approve of the job President Joe Biden is doing, while 45% disapprove. Seventy-six percent of the Democrats believe Biden is doing a good job in office, and 84% of Republicans disagree.
State transportation and juvenile reform
According to the poll, 95% of Marylanders think it is “important for the State to invest in improving its transportation infrastructure.”
And, when it comes to juvenile crime, voters were asked, “What type of laws, in your opinion, ultimately better help our children under 18 who commit crimes – Laws that are strict, which include things such as juvenile detention and boot camps. This hold individuals responsible and accountable for their behavior; or Laws that are lenient, which include social programs and counseling. This recognizes that society is responsible for much of this behavior?”
The poll shows that 58% of Marylanders are in favor of strict laws, which holds juveniles responsible and accountable for their behavior, and only 34% desire laws that are lenient.
“A majority of nearly every demographic group backs strict laws to inspire a sense of personal responsibility and to best assist our juvenile offenders ultimately realize at least a chance at a successful, happy life,” the poll said.
Is the country going in the right direction?
Fifty percent of Marylanders polled say the country is headed in the right direction, while 45% say the country is headed in the wrong direction.
According to the poll, 93% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the right direction are voting for Harris/Walz, and 70% of Maryland voters who think the country is moving in the wrong direction are voting for Trump/Vance.
In the previous poll, 41% of voters said the country was headed in the right direction.
“The mood of voters in Maryland vis-à-vis how they perceive things overall going in the country is a tad less grumpy than it was in winter,” the Gonzales Poll said.
Maryland
Maryland Native Wins $85,000 on ‘Name That Tune’ – The MoCo Show
Entertainment
Proud Montgomery County, MD resident Gavriella Kaufmann (Potomac) won her episode of FOX’s game show “Name that Tune”, which aired last week.
Kaufmann, who was born and raised in Potomac and graduated from Churchill High School in 2015, stated in an interview with FOX 5, that she has always been into music and referred to herself as a music and game show savant. When she saw an ad on LinkedIn about being on season 4 of the game show, she immediately knew she had to do it.
“I’ve loved game shows for as long as I can remember, and music has always been a huge part of my life. Being on Name That Tune was the perfect combination of both passions—it was like a dream come true.” Kaufmann told us.
The episode had a happy ending, with Kaufmann winning a whopping $85,000! She added, “When I was on Name That Tune, I was so focused on doing my best and naming as many songs as possible that I completely lost track of the score. It wasn’t until Jane, the host, told me my total. I was in complete shock, but it was such an incredible moment!”
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