Carmen Franks

Carmen Franks serves as Assistant City Engineer within the Public Works – Engineering division of the City of Urbana, where she plays a pivotal role in overseeing the procurement of civil engineering services critical to the city’s infrastructure lifecycle. Her responsibilities include managing the solicitation, evaluation, and award of contracts for transportation, water, and sewer system projects, ensuring alignment with municipal engineering standards and public safety objectives. As a primary procurement contact, she leads the technical and contractual oversight of design-build, professional services, and construction management acquisitions, working closely with project managers and urban planners to translate infrastructure needs into competitive, compliant solicitations. Carmen Franks collaborates with a broad network of licensed engineering firms and specialized consultants, primarily engaging firms with demonstrated expertise in civil infrastructure design, hydraulic modeling, and transportation planning. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently partners with firms possessing strong track records in municipal engineering, prioritizing technical competence, local experience, and adherence to Illinois Department of Transportation and EPA standards. Her procurement approach emphasizes merit-based selection, rigorous peer review, and performance-based contract management. Franks does not currently utilize socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of her procurements conducted under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic emphasis on technical merit and capacity over socioeconomic preferences, though she remains compliant with all federal and state small business participation requirements. Her contracting patterns indicate a preference for qualified, experienced firms regardless of size, with no formal bias toward 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), encompassing civil, structural, geotechnical, and environmental engineering disciplines. She routinely procures services related to roadway design, stormwater management, utility coordination, and Complete Streets initiatives, demonstrating deep expertise in municipal infrastructure planning and regulatory compliance. Her technical domain spans ADA accessibility standards, stormwater BMPs, and infrastructure resilience planning under climate adaptation frameworks.