County chooses Banner as preferred owner’s representative; staff to return scope, fee for Aug. 5 approval

Cochise County officials on July 23 identified Banner (presented as VANR/Banner) as the preferred owner’s representative for the county’s proposed jail replacement and asked staff to return a final scope and fee for board approval at the Aug. 5 meeting.

Banner representatives delivered an overview of their credentials, a 90-day startup action plan and options for construction delivery methods. Cody Newsom, who introduced himself as “the mountain region area manager for VANR” and said “I will be your principal in charge for the new jail project,” described Banner as a minority-woman-owned program, project and construction management firm with specialized justice experience and nationwide projects. Mike Bieber, introduced as the firm’s project director, and Shannon Lobdell, introduced as project manager, outlined services Banner would perform as an owner’s representative, including project controls, risk registers, budget management and stakeholder coordination.

The firm presented a 90-day action plan that it said would finalize roles, validate the CHIN planning report, establish executive reporting and prepare procurement documents for design teams and contractors. Banner recommended early risk mitigation, a living project-management plan and a layered contingency structure (contractor contingencies within a guaranteed maximum price plus an owner contingency) to manage escalation and unknowns. The firm also described three delivery methods the county could use — traditional design-bid-build, construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) and design-build — and the tradeoffs for schedule, cost control and owner input.

Discussion at the meeting emphasized that the county’s procurement choices must follow state law governing qualifications-based selection and county procurement codes. Sharon Gilman, Cochise County administrator, said the selection process followed the required qualifications-based approach and that, if the board directed, staff would bring a scope of work and fee proposal back for formal approval. Banner’s presenters said a realistic programing and design schedule for a roughly $120 million program could allow 12–15 months for programming and design and construction start in about 18–24 months, depending on delivery method and final scope.

Board members asked Banner to prepare a high-level milestone/phasing schedule suitable for inclusion in the election publicity pamphlet and for public outreach. Banner said its 90-day plan would produce the project controls and milestone schedule that would help the county move “quickly” if voters approved funding. The board did not sign a contract at the work session; staff said they would return a final scope/fee for board action at the Aug. 5 meeting.

Why this matters: An owner’s representative acts as an owner-side advocate through planning, design, procurement and construction; selecting one signals the county’s move from planning toward procurement and project delivery. The vendor’s choice of delivery method and the allocation of contingencies will affect schedule, risk and how firms price guaranteed maximum prices or proposals.

Banner’s presentation included specific examples of prior jail and public-safety projects, which the firm said inform its recommendations about durability, operations-driven design and staging for future expansion. Board members stressed transparency, frequent reporting and stakeholder coordination (including the sheriff’s office and court system) as central to the owner’s-rep role. The county will decide whether to approve a contract at the Aug. 5 board meeting.