Worth about $3.5 million a year, the three-year contract calls for CH2MHILL OMI to be responsible for operating nearly all city services forCentral, including public works, planning and zoning, code enforcement,building permits and inspections, and general administrative functions.Public safety services such as police and fire will continue to be providedby East Baton Rouge Parish.

Central's City Council voted unanimously to select CH2M HILL OMI during itsmeeting Jan. 17th. Through the new public-private partnership, the citycontrols operations and decision-making, relying on CH2M HILL OMI people toimplement and manage all services and to meet the city's requiredperformance standards.

"After thoroughly exploring our options, we believe this partnership modelis the best way to give Central citizens top-quality service in the mostefficient manner," says Mayor Shelton "Mac" Watts. "We'll have a focusedstaff that is focused solely on helping enhance Central's quality of lifeand that is fully aligned with our mission to be 'a community that cares.'"

"Helping cities successfully accomplish important civic work is at theheart of what we do, whether it's efficiently reviewing permits, caring forpublic parks, or repairing potholes. By applying our operations,maintenance and engineering expertise and resources, we will be on callwith excellence around the clock for Central's citizens," says Gary Miller,senior vice president of CH2M HILL OMI. "This partnership is the first ofits kind in Louisiana and will serve as a model for other communities tofollow in the future."

Central (http://www.centralgov.com/) is one of Louisiana's newest cities,incorporated in 2005. Covering roughly 66 square miles, it is located inEast Baton Rouge Parish and is home to about 27,000 people. It is CH2M HILLOMI's fifth municipal services partner, joining the Georgia cities of SandySprings, Milton, Johns Creek and Chattahoochee Hill Country in relying onthe company's city services experience.

Clients in government and industry rely on the people of CH2M HILL OMI toprovide a range of custom-tailored operations and maintenance solutions.The company's services include water and wastewater system optimization;contract O&M of water, wastewater and other utilities; and completemunicipal operations, including administration, public works and communitydevelopment -- all backed by a commitment to safety, quality, innovationand customer service. Founded by CH2M HILL in 1980, the Englewood-basedcompany serves clients in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Puerto Rico.For more information, visit www.omi.ch2mhill.com.

Headquartered in Denver, Colo., employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leaderin engineering, procurement, construction and operations for government,civil, industrial and energy clients. With more than $5 billion in revenueand 24,000 employees, CH2M HILL's work is concentrated in the areas ofenergy, water, transportation, environment, nuclear and industrialfacilities. Visit www.ch2mhill.com.