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Committee discusses rollout, contractor praise and next steps for ‘Alabama Builds’ public-works site
Summary
Members, staff and contractors told a legislative interim committee the Alabama Builds public-works site has eased project notices, citing a $25 posting fee, an early example where the site preserved a project after a newspaper error, and requests for trade-filtering and cost data to shape recommendations to the legislature.
At a meeting of the Joint Interim Committees, members, staff and contractors reviewed early use of the statewide public-works advertising site Alabama Builds and discussed next steps for the site’s phase 2 rollout, data collection and possible future mandates.
The committee heard that contractors welcomed a centralized site and the low $25 flat posting fee. "And for $25 only, as a flat fee, that that got a lot of cheers," said Speaker 1. Members noted the site’s notice-of-completion feature and that contractors are especially eager for trade-specific filtering so bidders can see relevant projects.
The committee also reviewed an early success: an engineer reported a newspaper notice was caught in junk mail and did not print, but because the project had also been posted on Alabama Builds and the site includes a safe-harbor provision, the project was able to continue. "We interpret it exactly as you would a newspaper. It's 3 3 days on 3 separate weeks, not 21 days," Speaker 2 said when describing how the three-week advertising requirement is being applied in practice.
Implementation timing and technical readiness were discussed. Speaker 4 said DCM is preparing a detailed requirements document for State Business Systems and that, once provided, State Business Systems estimated a January–April window for phase 2 work. Speaker 3 cautioned that planning begins Jan. 1 and public rollout will follow after that planning is complete.
Members weighed whether use should remain optional or become mandatory later. Speaker 2 said optional adoption was intentional to avoid overwhelming public owners and finance staff; the committee could recommend mandating the site once users are comfortable and known issues are resolved. Speaker 6 urged a broader look at public-notice law, warning that the legislature is unlikely to change notice requirements piecemeal and recommending a comprehensive approach to statutory publication requirements.
The committee asked for more data to support recommendations. Speaker 1 proposed the report list projects the site saved and estimate taxpayer costs avoided by preventing rebids or delays. Speaker 4 noted early metrics: 14 posted ads, roughly 60 account holders and more than 100 notification sign-ups. Speaker 2 requested average advertising-cost data; Speaker 4 said ALDOT can supply relevant figures and agreed to pull data for the committee.
Speakers suggested the final report include short-, medium- and long-term recommendations, stakeholder comments as an appendix, and comparisons with other states (AGC state matrices or, if unavailable, a surrounding-states survey). The committee’s draft report will be circulated in advance of the next meeting, which was set for Dec. 1 in the same room.
The meeting concluded with the chair noting draft circulation is intended before the next meeting; the committee adjourned.
