Austin Chapter AGC
Austin Chapter AGC Monthly News Update
March 2015
In This Issue
Upcoming Chapter Events
Cyrier Elected to State House
Legislative Day March 12
ACC Construction Task Force Submits Report
Texas State Students Win Building Competition
Downtown Construction Noise Debate Continues
Resumes and Job Listings
Quick Links
 
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UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS
10 Hour OSHA - March 26/27
First Aid/CPR - March 31
Spring Golf - May 11
AGC TBB Convention - July 28-31
 

Safety training available on demand!  Contact Larry Connelly to schedule. 

SECOND AGC MEMBER ELECTED TO TEXAS STATE HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES

John Cyrier, President of Sabre Commercial, Wins HD 17 Race
 

Austin AGC Chairman Phil  Thoden congratulates Rep. John Cyrier after his official swearing-in ceremony on March 3.

Congratulations to John Cyrier for winning a runoff election on February 17 to become the Texas State Representative from District 17!  John netted 52% of the vote to defeat his opponent by a slim 329 vote margin out of nearly 8,000 cast. He was officially sworn in on March 3. 

 

Cyrier has worked with AGC member companies for more than 10 years and is currently President of Sabre Commercial. He joins Rep. Paul Workman (HD 47) as the second Austin AGC leader to serve currently in the Texas legislature.


Cyrier's campaign was strongly supported by the construction industry. The Austin AGC Chapter PAC gave $1,000 to the campaign and the AGC Texas Building Branch PAC added another $5,000 from industry supporters.
 

AGC LEGISLATIVE DAY MARCH 12 at CAPITOL 

The AGC Texas Building Branch (TBB) legislative day is Thursday, March 12 at the Capitol.  Join with AGC member contractors from around the State of Texas to visit with your Representatives and Senators about issues impacting the commercial construction industry.  

We'll gather together in the Capitol on Thursday morning for a review of current issues and to pick up a packet of information to leave with each local office visited.  There is also a Wednesday night reception at the Austin Club as some AGC members from around Texas will already be in town for the early Thursday morning start.  A schedule of events is available here.

 

The Austin AGC office will coordinate meetings so all you need to do is show up on Thursday and spend a few hours walking the State Capitol and visiting local legislator's offices with other AGC contractors.  

 

To register and for more information, please contact Phil Thoden at the Austin AGC. 

 ACC BOND WORK UPDATE
ACC Task Force Presents Report on Wages and Working Conditions to Board of Trustees
 
Since mid-December, an Austin Community College (ACC) Task Force has met to discuss construction wages and working condi tions on upcoming ACC bond projects.  The Austin AGC, along with 12 other industry, labor and ACC administration officials, has participated in these discussions. 
The Austin Community College (ACC) Task Force on Construction Wages and Working Conditions deliberates.
 
The Task Force's official recommendations were provided to the ACC Board of Trustees  on February 16.  No further action by the Board has taken place since, but Trustees may  discuss the report at their next regular meeting in April.  Among the recommendations:
  • Mandatory workers compensation coverage for workers;
  • OSHA 10 and 30 hour training for workers and supervisors;
  • Identify local craft training opportunities for local workers where contractors can advertise upcoming jobs;
  • ACC collaboration with Workers Defense Project (WDP) for worksite orientations;
  • Encourage ACC to expand bilingual craft and safety training programs;
  • WDP staff on jobsites to monitor working and wage conditions;
  • Minimum pay rate tied to ACC's wage floor;
  • ACC support for WDP Better Builder Program "core values" as defined in the items listed above.

AGC raised concerns and voted against the "Better Builder Program" certification because:

 

1)      The Task Force was not given specifics as to what the ultimate size, scope and cost of seeking Better Builder Program certification would be.  AGC could not support what could be a blank check for bond program funds to be diverted from the construction of ACC buildings to a fuzzy, undefined goal. 

 

2)      The  Task Force  was not given clear, specific detail about what WDP Better Builder Program certification requires. We learned the Program calls for general standards on safety, wages, workers comp, and hiring, and that these asks can be defined in a number of different ways that can vary from project to project.  AGC believes the program should provide contractors with better clarity as to what specifically, and consistently, is required of them and the workforce.  To allow otherwise is to invite differing interpretations, confusion and possible litigation. 

 

AGC also voted against use of WDP staff as worksite monitors for similar reasons. There is no price tag attached to this professional service that WDP would provide, and AGC believes it is a process that can be accomplished offsite with WDP staff serving as a point of contact for workers who believe they are unpaid or otherwise unprotected.

  

Contact Phil Thoden for more information.
 TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY CONSTRUCTION STUDENTS WIN BUILDING COMPETITION

 

TSU Takes First Place Overall Out of 12 Universities!

 

TSU Construction students celebrate first place win

For the past 5 years, students from the Texas State University - Construction Science & Management program have participated in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) - Commercial Build Competition, hosted by the construction association TEXO.

This year's Commercial-Build team was awarded 1st Place Overall! The competition was composed of 12 universities with Oklahoma State University taking 2nd, and UTSA taking 3rd.  The Austin AGC is a proud supporter of of a TSA Student Chapter.

 

The competition is a rigorous process that allows students to apply in-class education to real-life projects. On February 28th, the team was given a Request for Proposal at 8:00 AM and given 16 hours to develop a proposal as a fictitious company seeking out the construction job. The proposal elements included a schedule, estimate, logistics plan, safety plan, organizational chart, pre-construction services, construction methodology, and project management plan. During the competition, teams were issued over 30 subcontractor bids, RFI's/RFI responses, and several addendums. After their final proposal was submitted, the students traveled to Dallas where they presented their proposal to a panel of judges. 

 

This year's project was for a Holt Cat Sales & Service Facility located in Little Elm with General Contractor and AGC Member, AUI Contractors, on the panel of judges. The project presented the team with a number of elements, such as the complex MEP systems and specialized concrete slabs that required the team to apply their problem solving skills. 


 

Mitchell Classen, who also was awarded 3rd Best Presenter, put it best by saying "this year's project really made us think on our feet and communicate effectively as we all dove into the details of the Holt Cat facility." 

 

Student team members were awarded $1,000 for their 1st place award and Texas State University received a $4,000 grant from the TEXO association. Involvement in this competition has been wonderful for students over the years and success has been in the making. 

 

As a supporter of the TSU Construction Students Association, the Austin AGC is proud of these students and the fine job TSU is doing to build future construction industry professionals! 

DOWNTOWN CONCRETE POURS UPDATE
Stakeholder Meetings Continue; 120 Day Temporary Measure Expires end of March
 

Chapter staff and several member firms continue to participate in stakeholder meetings with industry, residents and City officials about construction noise overnight in downtown.  The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 10 at City Hall beginning at 5:30pm. Attendees are trying to find a compromise about time limits and decibel levels. The current ordinance expiring at the end of March contains the following provisions: 
 
 

- Establish 2am curfew for concrete pours in the Central Business District (CBD) and Public (P) zoning areas.  Curfew does not apply to concrete finishing;

- Grandfather all projects in the CBD or P zones that for a building permit before December 1;

- Establish 60 day stakeholder process to develop a permanent solution;

- Require sound and light mitigation plans to the city for overnight pours;

- Require notification of nearby residents and business owners of planned pours; 

- Direct the City Planning and Development Review Director to establish rules for allowing overnight pours under 'special' circumstances;

- No expansion of overnight pour permitting to the Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) zone as was recommended by City staff and supported by AGC.
 
  

More background information about the issue is available on the City website here. 

CONSTRUCTION RESUMES and JOB LISTINGS 
Check  Out texasconstructioncareers.com for Texas Construction Resumes and Job Listings 
 

AGC Chapters around Texas have formed a partner website called texasconstructioncareers.com  to help you find employment or an employee.  Check out the job bank page to post your resume or review potential hires.