Mississippi Transportation Commission approves slate of MDOT work assignments, contracts and agreements; moves to executive session on workers' comp

At its meeting (date not specified in the transcript), the Mississippi Transportation Commission approved a consent package of authorizations covering bridge design and right-of-way work, construction supplemental agreements, master contracts for testing and design services, property conveyances and professional services contracts.

The package included work assignments under MDOT master contracts to design right-of-way plans for bridge replacements on Mississippi Highway 28 in Neshoba County and on Mississippi Highway 3 over Satarsha Creek in Yazoo County; a series of training and hydraulic engineering assignments under Michael Baker International; a quality-assurance inspection assignment for sign structure steel fabrication; and an agreement with Warren County to relocate a crossover and two connections to U.S. 61 related to the Vicksburg Port expansion. Several property quitclaim deeds conveying surplus right of way to adjoining property owners were approved, with stated exchange payments.

Why it matters: the approvals fund and authorize engineering, construction and right-of-way work on state highways and bridges, set up master contracts that MDOT will use for future work assignments and establish agreements that affect local traffic and port expansion projects.

Key actions and financial items approved by the commission included:

- Work assignments and design services: HDR Engineering Inc. (work assignment not to exceed $169,008.41) for bridge No. 37.6 on Mississippi Highway 28; Volcker Inc. (not to exceed $129,321.21) for bridge No. 21.2 over Satarsha Creek on Mississippi Highway 3; Michael Baker International (training/materials and bridge hydraulic recommendations) with work assignments listed statewide and for Mississippi Highway 30 at Cypress Creek in Lafayette County (examples shown with amounts not to exceed $442,785.53 and $200,399.29, respectively).

- Supplemental construction agreements: a class 3 supplemental agreement with APAC Mississippi Inc. adding $150,224.60 for profile milling on a mill-and-overlay project on Mississippi 145 in Lauderdale County, bringing the revised contract to $5,990,586.24; and a supplemental agreement with UEP Stockstell LLC adding $8,100,000 for removal/replacement of edge drain or drainage material on I-10 widening projects in Hancock and Harrison counties (the presenter noted a typographical error in a larger total shown in the agenda and said it would be corrected).

- Master contracts and procurement: authorization to advertise for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) master contracts for right-of-way services and surveying statewide; IDIQ master contracts for mechanical, plumbing and electrical design and review services; IDIQ master contracts for material sampling and testing with individual firms capped at $1,500,000 under those master contracts and work assignments over $100,000 requiring separate commission action.

- Research, planning and professional services: a work assignment with Mississippi State University (work assignment not to exceed $371,242) to continue studies investigating mitigation of embankment slope failures statewide; contracts for Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) professional development with several trainers (amounts cited in the agenda: $50,000; $70,000; $65,000); and a small purchase contract with Local Impact Analytics for financial planning services (not to exceed $240,000).

- Property and local agreements: memoranda of agreement with local public agencies to establish development responsibilities for listed projects; quickclaim/quitclaim deeds conveying small parcels of surplus right of way to adjoining owners (examples: 0.23 acre for $550; 0.03 acre for $231; an 8.26-acre radio tower site conveyed for $14,537.60); and an agreement with Warren County to relocate a crossover and two connections to U.S. 61 at the county’s expense related to the Vicksburg Port expansion project.

- Equipment, software and services: awards and renewals for information-technology and administrative needs, including a Dell Tech Inc. master subscription (term noted) and procurements for ground-penetrating radar software, a learning-management system for CDL and LPA certification training (three-year term, $51,114.24), and data-center server purchases and maintenance (amounts shown in the agenda).

- Finance and payroll authorizations: ratification of accounts payable and payroll dockets for specified pay periods and authorization to draw funds from the Lawrie proceeds fund administered by the Department of Finance and Administration for lottery projects for January 2025.

The commission answered a few procedural questions during the agenda presentation: a commissioner asked what a cantilever sign is and staff described it as a single-support overhead sign adjacent to the traveled way; staff explained that updates to airspace agreement wording were required by the Federal Highway Administration; and staff said the Mississippi State University study is intended to produce a workflow that can be applied statewide to mitigate embankment failures.

Votes at a glance:

- Approval of minutes from the previous meeting: motion moved and seconded; vote recorded as "Aye" and the motion carried (transcript: "Move approval." / "Aye.").

- Approval of the agenda and consent items (the package described above): motion moved and seconded; the motion carried (transcript: motion to approve the agenda followed by "All in favor... Aye").

- Motion to enter executive session to discuss settlement of a workers' compensation matter permitted by statute: motion made and seconded; commission recessed into executive session. The transcript indicates the executive session was requested under the statutory provision mentioned on the agenda.

Other items recorded in the agenda included an appointment under Mississippi Code Annotated §65-2-3 (appointment of Thomas Frederick Stokes to the State Transportation Arbitration Board for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2025) and acceptance of several insurance settlements for damage to MDOT property in small dollar amounts.

The commission did not debate the technical merits of the majority of the listed contracts at length during the public portion of the meeting; many items were presented by staff and included in the consent package. The meeting record shows several clarifying procedural responses by staff on specific items and the commission recessed into executive session to consider a workers' compensation settlement matter permitted by statute.