The trustees for the Carpenters’ pension fund for agreements that cover parts of Wisconsin, Northern Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota voted this week to adopt a Lifetime Income Benefit fund design. We are gathering further information and are setting up a video conference (possibly the afternoon of Nov. 30) with representative trustees to explain the changes. Please contact Mike to join the conference.

The Laborers have created a great new tool to identify and solicit bids from qualified contractors in MN and ND markets, helping both general and specialty contractors. Click here if you need to update your company's information!

Every fall, we take time to recognize individuals and companies who have excelled in various categories. Our Skill-Responsibility-Integrity (SRI) Award and Lifetime Achievement Award are presented to individuals who exemplify commitment to personal excellence and to the construction industry.

Our Jeff Jensen Memorial Construction Safety Excellence Awards and CHASE Awards are given to companies who have excelled in the area of health and safety on their jobsites and through participation in the Construction Health And Safety Excellence (CHASE) program in the past year.

JOIN US on Tuesday, November 17 at 8:00 a.m. for a brief live kick off and viewing our first award video together as we honor Mark Ryan (Carl Bolander & Sons Co.) with the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award.

We'll also have special messages from four well-known celebrities throughout the week, starting at our live event on Tuesday (we can't tell you who, but you won't want to miss them!) And you'll learn how you can win one of three $100 American Express gift cards by helping us celebrate this week of recognizing all of our award recipients!

Click here to view all of the 2020 award recipients.

Notice is given to the voting members of ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF MINNESOTA, a Minnesota cooperative organization (the “Association”), that the December 2020 annual meeting of the voting members will be held virtually at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, for the following purposes:

Immediately following our brief annual business meeting, AGC members will hear from presenter Brent Darnell on the timely topic of managing stress.

Yesterday, the MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the MN Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved permits for Line 3 Pipeline Replacement project. The MPCA issued a 401 certification, a permit awarded if the project's impact on water falls within the state's standard. The state agencies approved eight permits and licenses related to utility crossing of state land, dust control, hydrostatic testing, and horizontal directional drilling. Enbridge has now received all ten of the DNR permits and authorizations for the safety and maintenance focused Line 3 Replacement Project. The 401 permit will be sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a final approval to ensure it meets Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The federal agency must complete that process before the MPCA then considers the project's construction stormwater permit before construction can begin, potentially by the end of the year. Line 3 is a shovel-ready, $2.6-billion private investment that will bring 4,200 construction jobs and millions of dollars in local spending and tax revenues. 

The AGC Legislative Committee will virtually meet two times in the next month to develop 2021 legislative policy recommendations to the AGC Board of Directors. Please contact Laura Ziegler for the Zoom information.

First week in December TBD

Thursday, December 17^th at 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The Minnesota Board of Electricity adopted the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) effective November 17, 2020. Significant changes include revised service disconnect rules, power over ethernet, and conducting load calculations.

Gopher State One Call (GSOC) will be implementing a new start time policy for excavators and facility operators on web submitted e-tickets. The new policy starts on December 1, 2020. It is important that you review the new policy so that you and your company don't have delays in your projects.

Estate planning is important for everyone, but business owners have unique needs. Planning is especially important with the uncertainty of the current pandemic. Having an inadequate plan, or no plan, can be costly and wreak havoc with the business. Learn more

Several committees are currently seeking new volunteers for upcoming terms beginning March 2021. Click here to learn more about getting involved, and then complete the Volunteer Interest Form to indicate your availability and interest.