ACEC Impact: Your Monthly Roundup of ACEC Washington happenings 
A Fiscal Year In Review
ACEC Washington follows a June 1- July 31 fiscal year. In this past 2016-2017 year, there were numerous activities, events, and achievements. Here are just some of the highlights:

  • Successfully prevented increases in B&O taxes on services
  • Defended QBS- Intervened in 25 objectionable procurements, with success in all but three.
  • Number of FTEs in ACEC Member Firms grew from 7013 to 7433 (6% increase)
  • Top award winners from ACEC Washington at National Engineering Excellence Awards, including the Grand Conceptor Award for the SR520 project.
  • Launch of our Advancing Women and Minorities in Leadership initiative, including 56 attendees at our inaugural event.
  • Contributed $100,000 to successful Sound Transit ST3 Campaign
  • Net Transfer of $102,500 to Reserve Investment Account in FY 16/7
  • Annual PAC contributions of $25,730 
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QBS Watch:Non-Negotiable Contracts and Indemnification Clauses
As has been mentioned in earlier newsletters, ACEC is actively pursuing procurements which allegedly prohibit negotiated of contract terms and conditions. We have had a number of successes in this area as well as several disappointments. We are continuing forward, however, and are working with the specific public owners in question to address our concerns.
 
Almost invariably, though, we also see in these same procurements form contract terms and conditions that are one-sided and heavy-handed. This is often especially true of the indemnification clauses they contain. The question is what to do about them. There are attorneys that believe they are not a problem because they are so unenforceable they can readily be defended against in the event of litigation. ACEC believes that, while this might be very true in a number of cases, there is still risk involved and it could well cost considerable amounts of money to get to that point even if you are successful.

Instead, ACEC is taking a different approach as a matter of principle. We believe that contracts... 
Engineering Excellence Awards 2018: Call for Entries
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2018 Engineering Excellence Awards. Initial entry forms are due September 29, 2017. See link below for full brochure and other important dates. For questions please contact Linda Roux, lroux@acec-wa.org
Another Successful Annual Golf Tournament


On Friday, August 11, players hit the links at The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge for our 2017 Annual ACEC Golf Tournament. We had great attendance this year with 80 players, and 17 wonderful sponsors. Players enjoyed the sunny weather at this new venue and fun sponsor-led activities along the course, including corn hole, refreshments, longest drive, and closest to the pin competitions.

Through the sale of mulligans and raffle tickets, the tournament raised over $2100 for the ACEC PAC. This money goes a long way in supporting our legislative efforts both in Washington and nationally. Thank you to all who contributed!

A special congratulations to the foursome of Kevin Medved, Bruce Callow, Andrew Mitchell, and Lafe Hermansen from Peterson Sullivan, LLP, this year's tournament champions! A huge thank you to our Golf Committee Chair and Board Member Scott Roux for all of his efforts to make this year's tournament a success. We hope to see you all there next year!
Sponsors from BergerABAM man their hole
The winning foursome from Peterson Sullivan LLP with Golf Committee Chairman Scott Roux
Sound Transit Asks ACEC Membership For Input on Standard Specifications
As part of our ongoing liaison relationship with Sound Transit, the ACEC membership has been asked to help the agency in one of its current efforts. The membership has been asked to help valid its approach on a list of potential standard specifications Sound Transit plans to prepare by the end of 2017. Sound Transit’s goal is to support streamlining and efficiency in design and construction while ensuring quality work performed.  To help support this goal, Sound Transit is considering standardizing the specifications identified in the following list .

THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN!  Sound Transit would specifically like interested ACEC members to respond to the following questions:
·        Are the standard specifications identified helpful to ensure consistency, efficiency and quality of work in construction of our system?
·        Are there any standard specifications you would suggest we not standardize? If so, please explain why.
·        Are there any standard specifications we should standardize that are not on the list? If so, what are they and why should they be standardized?
·        Sound Transit also welcomes the membership’s feedback on approach for implementation. At this time, the agency is working to define the agency’s preference for implementation and will also seek ACEC’s more specific input in the future once the approach is confirmed. However, in the interim, Sound Transit welcomes ideas to help inform its process and evaluation.
Thank you, your input is important and appreciated! If you are interested in helping, please respond by no later than close of business September 7 th . Please email your response to vcollins@acec-wa.org . It will be collated with all the other individual responses and be forward to Sound Transit.
  We want to hear from you! Would you like to to see your firm highlighted? Do you have suggestions for seminar topics or ideas for events? Pressing legislative issues you'd like to see ACEC tackle? Let us know! 
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