Congress Passes 3-Month Extension Before August Recess

The Senate has approved H.R. 22, the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act by a vote of 65-34. The House has not yet begun action on a long-term bill.  The DRIVE Act covers six years of funding authorization for highway and transit programs, with annual average increases of approximately 3 percent. To pay for the increased funding levels, the bill would make modifications to several tax law provisions and alter other fees and revenue provisions, many of which are unrelated to transportation. The "pay fors" only cover three years of the funding increases so, if enacted, it will be necessary to find additional revenue for the Highway Trust Fund to fully fund DRIVE Act levels in the final three years of the authorization.

 

The House passed a five-month extension earlier this year that included an $8 billion transfer of general fund revenue to the trust fund to allow for consideration of a long-term bill later this year without disrupting the highway program payments to states. However, as the House prepared to leave for the five-week summer recess, there was pressure on them to adopt the Senate long-term bill. Instead of adopting the Senate bill, the House passed a shorter three-month extension and indicated they plan to complete action on their own version of a transportation reauthorization bill. The Senate followed the House and passed the extension by a vote of 91-4.  

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2015 AGC of Minnesota / PAS Survey

Every two years, AGC of Minnesota sponsors a Specialty and General Contractor Executive and Staff Compensation Survey.  The survey provides important information regarding previous and anticipated compensation increases, bonuses, fringe benefits, etc. Participants will be able to determine how their compensation practices compare to other participants as a whole, and to others in their particular type and size.  Most non-craft job classifications are covered.  This survey is performed on a confidential basis by PAS (nationally recognized construction industry compensation analysts) as a service to AGC of Minnesota Specialty and General Contractor members.  AGC will not be involved in the collection or reporting of the data and the survey will be entirely between the contractor and PAS.  Complete confidentiality is guaranteed.
 

This year, the survey will only be sent to those who sign up in advance. Register with Pat Lynch at  plynch@agcmn.org or at 651-796-2181 to participate.

 

The survey will be sent in mid-August to those who register.
·         Those contractors who participate will receive a free report.  
·         Those contractors who do not participate will not receive a report.  
·         Copies will not be made available for purchase.
 
Please register now if you wish to take the survey.

What Happens to Old Hard Hats?

How often does your company replace employees' hard hats? Do you have a system to track when they need replacing, or is that up to each employee? What do you do with old hard hats? Do you have a resource for recycling them? We recently had an inquiry about what to do with hard hats that should no longer be used and would like to hear about your company's policies and procedures. Responses should be sent to Pat Lynch at plynch@agcmn.org.

Nicollet Mall Project Contractor Informational Meeting

The final design for the reconstruction of the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis will be complete late this fall and the City will be soliciting bids for construction during November/December 2015. Work on the project is scheduled to start in March/April 2016 and continue through mid-year 2017. The project is 12 blocks long (approximately 1 mile) and runs from Washington Avenue to Grant Street. It will be a complete reconstruction of the street and sidewalk areas from building face to building face within the 80 ft. right-of-way. The construction cost is estimated to be $30 - 35 million.

 

Work includes, but is not limited to, removal of existing surfaces, and the construction/installation of new concrete base pavement, curb and gutter, storm drain utility work, precast concrete paver surfacing on both the street and sidewalk areas, new specialty street lighting, new traffic signals at 11 intersections, and significant landscaping with large trees and other specialty features.

 

A meeting to meet the project team and view a presentation on the design, scope and schedule is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, at 10:00 am at the Currie Maintenance Facility (1200 Currie Avenue North, Minneapolis).

Saint Paul Saints Game

AGC of Minnesota's Construction Leadership Council (CLC) invites you to attend the August 18 Saint Paul Saints vs. Sioux City Explorers game at CHS Field. Festivities will begin at 5:30 pm. Cost is $42 per person for a buffet dinner and game ticket.  For more information and to register for the event, click here.

Sporting Clays Fundraiser

Join us for the 16^th annual Sporting Clays Fundraiser on Monday, August 24, at Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club in Prior Lake. Proceeds from the event support scholarships presented by the AGC of Minnesota Foundation to students in postsecondary construction-related programs. Registration and sponsorship information is available here. NOTE: The early bird registration deadline is Monday, August 10. 

SRI and Lifetime Achievement Awards - Nominations Open 

Is there someone you work with who personifies the attributes of Skill, Responsibility and Integrity? Or whose outstanding contributions to the industry over an extensive career might earn them recognition with the Lifetime Achievement award? Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 SRI and Lifetime Achievement awards, to be presented at a new event, a Recognition Dinner being held at the Saint Paul Hotel on October 14. The deadline for submitting nominations is September 1. The application is available here.

AGC Bookstore Monthly Featured Products -

Safety Products 

Through its on-line bookstore, AGC of America offers monthly featured products, available at a discount to AGC members.  A link to the bookstore is available through our home page, www.agcmn.org or athttp://store.agc.org?AffiliateId=AGCO254.

 

The AGC bookstore has a variety of safety products, ranging from basic safety brochures to OSHA regulation books for on-site construction safety. AGC also has several DVDs designed to help keep construction workers knowledgeable about their surroundings and how to prevent accidents from happening on the jobsite. Help your workers develop a well-rounded knowledge of what it takes to be safe at work with these safety products.

These items are available during the month of August at a 15% discount using coupon code SAFE15.