RAMCA Celebrates Golden Anniversary 50th Anniversary Gala

RICHTHMOND
AREA
MUNICIPAL
CONTRACTORS
ASSOCIATION
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS:

RAMCA Newsletter
March 24th—Dinner
Meeting, Short Pump
Hilton

V O L U M E
April 27th—
Legislator’s Night, VA
War Memorial

May 10th—George
Bickerstaff Memorial
Golf Outing, The Club
at Viniterra

September 8th— Jack
Bargamin Golf Outing,
Mattaponi Springs Golf
Club

October 30th —Dinner
Meeting, Short Pump
Hilton

November 17th—
Annual Meeting, Short
Pump Hilton
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
RAMCA 50th
Anniversary
1-7
Dept of Labor
Classifications
8
Verizon Markings Resolution
9
DOL Expands
Overtime
9
New CSE
Standards
10
Cobbs Creek
Reservoir
11
CTB Six-Year
Plan
11
Spring Golf
Summer Networking
Flying Squirrels
Night
Summer Golf
12-13
14
15
16-17
Upcoming Events 18
In the News/
Committee Info
19
Platinum & Gold
2015 Sponsors
20
RAMCA Board
21
X X V I I
N O V E M B E R
2 0 1 5
RAMCA Celebrates Golden Anniversary
On November 14th RAMCA celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a party that will be remembered by all who a ended, and well over 200 RAMCA members and special guests were there to enjoy the celebra on which was held at the pres gious Country Club of Virginia. RAMCA's founding members were recognized as were every award winner in the associa on's 50 year history, and each RAMCA President that helped guide the associa on over five decades of challenges and opportuni es. A endees were introduced to the history of "challenge coins then were presented a specially minted RAMCA 50th Challenge Coin and were urged to always carry it with them at RAMCA events or face the tradi onal consequences of being challenged and not having their coin. A er a warm and welcoming cocktail recep on accompanied by a jazz trio a endees were treated to a sumptuous dinner followed by separate room desert bar featuring a custom made, RAMCA 50th Anniversary cake. The evening was topped off by hours of casual socializing and dancing to Flashback, RAMCA member Coleman Ly tle's well known band. It truly was a night to remember and many photos were taken and will be posted to the RAMCA website. We also need to take a moment to recognize all of the generous sponsors who helped insure that RAMCA's biggest event ever would be financially sound, and first class in every respect. So we thank all of the sponsors listed below and look forward to our next big anniversary party. Congratula ons to all of our members who make and have made RAMCA successful for fi y years! 50th Anniversary Gala Sponsors!
RAMCA Thanks the Gala Diamond Sponsor
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RAMCA 50th Anniversary Sponsors
RAMCA Thanks the Gala Gold Sponsors
BLAKEMORE
Construc on _______________ * * * _______________ RAMCA Thanks the Band
RAMCA
SponsorThanks the Gala Silver Sponsors
Southers Concrete, Inc. RAMCA Thanks the Premium Bar Sponsor
RAMCA Thanks the Cake Sponsor
RAMCA Thanks the Jazz Trio Sponsor
RAMCA Thanks the Dessert Sponsor
RAMCA Thanks the Band Sponsor
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RAMCA 50th Anniversary Sponsors
RAMCA Thanks Our Guest Sponsors
BLAKEMORE
Construc on _______________ * * * _______________ RAMCA Special 50th Anniversary Guests
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Glazebrook
Former RAMCA President
Branscome - Richmond
Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Collins, Jr.
Former RAMCA President
McLane Construction
Mr. Claude Daniels
Former RAMCA President
Lee Hy Paving
Mr. James Martin
Former RAMCA President
J.A. Martin & Sons Consruction
Mr. and Mrs. Massoud Tahamtani
State Corporation Commission
Director, Division of Utility and Railroad Safety
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RAMCA 50th Anniversary Photos
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RAMCA 50th Anniversary Photos
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RAMCA 50th Anniversary Photos
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RAMCA 50th Anniversary Photos
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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ISSUES NEW GUIDELINES ON WORKER MISCLASSIFICATION
Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division issued guidance regarding the misclassifica on of employees as independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). According to the DOL, employee misclassifica on occurs when workers who fit the defini on of employee are designated as independent contractors, barring them from receiving benefits like over me pay, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensa on. The DOL contends misclassifica on results in foregone tax revenue and workers not receiving benefits they would be en tled to as employees. The new guidance uses case law and examples from the workplace to illustrate how employers can be compliant with the "economic reali es" test to determine whether a worker is an employer or contractor. Though the test includes several factors, the central ques on is whether a worker economically depends on an employer (an employee) or is using his skills in business for himself (independent contractor). Overall, the guidance will make it more difficult for employers to classify workers as independent contractors. Under the new policy,
inspectors who
determine that
companies are
misclassifying workers as
independent contractors
can take penalty
reductions off the table.
In 2012, the Virginia Joint Legisla ve Audit and Review Commi ee (“JLARC”) commissioned a study on employee misclassifica on in Virginia. It projected that over 200,000 self-described independent contractors should be designated as employees. That’s more than twenty percent of Virginia’s workforce. JLARC also es mated that state agencies could collect upwards of $28 million annually in tax revenues from businesses. Recently Virginia's governor issued an Execu ve Order designed to crack down on this problem by instruc ng the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, the state agency that enforces Virginia's Occupa onal Safety and Health Act (VOSH) to add inves ga ng misclassifica on of workers to their normal safety inspec on du es. RAMCA has objected strenuously to this ac on and recently the RAMCA Execu ve Director tes fied before a legisla ve commi ee outlining why using VOSH inspectors to enforce and unrelated complicated set of rules regarding worker classifica on is bad public policy and bad for the construc on industry. Ordinarily, VOSH reduces penal es for OSHA viola ons for business size, demonstra on of good faith and a history of workplace safety. Without penalty reduc ons, businesses cited for OSHA viola ons can be fined up to $7,000 for each serious infrac on. Fines can rise up to $70,000 for failing to abate a hazard or for willful or repeated infrac ons. Under the new policy, inspectors who determine that companies are misclassifying workers as independent contractors can take penalty reduc ons off the table. Inspectors can also require licenses for all contractors on site to ensure compliance with the Department of Professional and Occupa onal Regulaon (“DPOR”). Use of unlicensed contractors may expose companies to addi onal fines, proba on, suspension and license revocaon. Inspectors also have begun to refer small contractors to the Virginia Workers’ Compensa on Commission for further audits. RAMCA will con nue to ac vely engage in this discussion and is talking with our lobbying team and a coali on of other businesses about the possibility of introducing legislaon at the 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly to deal with this unwise expansion of OSHA authority into an unrelated area having nothing to do with safety inspec ons. RAMCA
NEWSLETTER
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RAMCA Negotiates Resolution with Verizon Markings
RAMCA played a key role in both calling for a mee ng and represen ng excavators in a long nego a ng session with Verizon and other industry stakeholders and state regulators at the Virginia State Corpora on Commission on September 28th. The purpose of the mee ng was to develop a procedure for excavators that absolves them from liability of fines when encountering clear evidence of copper service lines and damaging those lines when Verizon has marked the locate cket as "Code 30, No Conflict." This issue surfaced mid-year when Verizon decided that they were unnecessarily paying large amounts of money to their contract locator (S&N Communica ons) in order to mark exis ng residen al copper line facili es that were basically abandoned due to the fact that people are now using wireless communica ons for their homes. These old copper phone lines are basically "abandoned lines" that Verizon does not want to pay to mark. As a result they terminated their contract with S&N and established their own "800 call center" and directed contractors to call if they encountered clear evidence of copper telephone lines that they were crossing in spite of receiving a "no conflict" cket response. This created a real dilemma for excavators arose because in spite of calling in a normal locate cket, seeing clear evidence of a phone line, and then calling in a three hour no ce, (thereby following every required legal mandate), if they dug through the exis ng they could get fined for cu ng that line by the SCC and charged a repair cost by Verizon. But a er many hours of discussion RAMCA President Buddy Hummel and the RAMCA Execu ve Director were able to nego ate the following procedure which only applies to Verizon copper service drops in residen al applica ons. Verizon will respond to VA811 excava on no ces that present a "no conflict" situa on with a Code 30 disposi on. If, a er receiving Verizon's Code 30 disposi on, an excavator believes it sees clear evidence of an unmarked buried facility line and calls in a 3-hour cket to VA811, Verizon will confirm the accuracy of its original Code 30 no later than 30 minutes of its receipt of the 3-hour cket. In confirming its ini al Code 30 disposi on, if the only Verizon facility in the general area of the proposed excava on is an abandoned copper service drop Verizon will respond to the 3-hour locate cket with a new code developed for this purpose. Verizon will immediately issue an e-mail communica on to the excavator advising that the excavator will not be liable to Verizon in the event the excavator damages Verizon facili es by digging within the area of the proposed excava on. Verizon will also discon nue distribuon of its current e-mail no fica on to excavators regarding its no-conflict facility locate disposi ons to avoid conflict with the current VA811 communica on process. on and monitoring Verizon will con nue to collaborate with the excavator community and other relevant stakeholders in the implementa
of the agreed upon process, and to address any concerns that may develop and/or to consider opportuni es for process improvements. This procedure has been voted on and approved by the State Corpora on Commission's Miss U lity Advisory Commi ee. RAMCA President Buddy Hummel serves on the commi ee and was instrumental in passage of this new procedure. DOL Issues Proposed Rule Drastically Expanding Overtime
On June 30, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule that is expected to significantly increase the number of employees who are eligible for over me. The proposed rule increases the minimum salary threshold for exempt workers from the current level of $23,660 to $50,440. The rule also sets a mechanism for automa c annual updates to the salary level. The rule applies to all "while collar" exemp ons, which include the execu ve, administra ve, professional, outside sales, and computer employees exemp ons. The DOL es mates that this change will immediately impact nearly five million workers and many more in the coming years. Policy experts warn that those government mandated benefits won't materialize for most workers. They believe that business owners will be forced to off-set the new costs with some combina on of layoffs, lower base pay, and hiring or promo on freezes. Companies might have to cut down on the number of managerial jobs they offer, making it more difficult for employees to climb the professional ranks. Making more employees eligible for over me by severely restric ng the exemp ons will not guarantee more income, but instead will nega vely impact small businesses and dras cally limit employment opportuni es. The rule may also force more people into part- me work. 9
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10
5 Key Differences in the New Confined Space Entry Standard
By Casey Willet ‐ Director of Training/United Rental Trench Safety There are 5 key differences in Confined Space Entry (CSE) from the construc on rule, and several areas where OSHA has clarified exis ng requirements. The 5 new requirements include:  More detailed provisions requiring coordinated ac vi es when there are mul ple employers at the worksite. This will ensure hazards are not introduced into a confined space by workers performing tasks outside the space. An example is a generator running near the entrance of a confined space causing a buildup of carbon monoxide within the space.  Requiring a competent person to evaluate the work site and iden fy confined spaces, including permit spaces.  Requiring con nuous atmospheric monitoring whenever possible.  Requiring con nuous monitoring of engulfment hazards. For example, when workers are performing work in a storm sewer, a storm upstream from the workers could cause flash flooding. An electronic sensor or observer posted upstream from the work site could alert workers in the space at the first sign of the hazard, giving the workers me to evacuate the space safely.  Allowing for suspension of a permit, instead of cancella on, in the event of changes from the entry condi ons list on the permit or an unexpected event requiring evacua on of the space. The space must be returned to the entry condions listed on the permit before re-entry. In addi on, OSHA has added provisions to the new rule clarifying exis ng requirements in the General Industry standard. These include:  Requiring employers who direct workers to enter a space without using a complete permit system prevent workers’ exposure to physical hazards through elimina on of the hazard or isola on methods such as lockout/tagout.  Requiring employers who are relying on local emergency services for their emergency services, arrange for responders to give the employer advance no ce if they will be unable to respond for a period of me (due to responding to another emergency, a ending department-wide training, etc.)  Requiring employers to provide training in a language and vocabulary the workers understand. Finally, several terms have been added to the defini ons for the construc on rule, such as “entry employer” to describe the employer direc ng workers to enter a space, and “entry rescue” , added to clarify the differences in the types of rescue employers can use. VOLUME
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11
October Dinner Meeting Features Cobb Creek Presentation
RAMCA members were treated to a most informa ve presenta on on the Cobb's Creek Reservoir Project being constructed by Henrico County up river from the City of Richmond. This massive public works project will create a unique way for the Richmond area to deal with draught situa ons by storing massive amounts of water from the James River during normal flow mes and releasing that water back into the river in mes of water shortages. Bill Mawyer, Deputy Director of Public U li es for Henrico County, presented an overview of the project and a Power Point presenta on complete with overhead drone photographs of the project's current status. The Cobb's Creek project will provide numerous work opportuni es for RAMCA members in the coming year, and an on-site project tour is currently being discussed for interested members. CTB Approves Six-Year Improvement Plan
The Commonwealth Transporta on Board (CTB) approved the Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP) which allocates $13.3 billion to transporta on projects over the next six fiscal years beginning July 1, 2015. The Program includes $9.9 billion for highway construc on and $3.4 billion for rail and public transporta on. The program does not include new projects that will be subject to a scoring process passed by the General Assembly last year. Projects will be scored according to the following factors: 




Safety - reduce the number and rate of fatali es and severe injuries Conges on - reduce hours of delay people spend in traffic and efficient movement of people through the transporta on system Economic Development - support economic development and improve movement of goods and services Accessibility - increase access to jobs and mul modal op ons Environmental Quality - improve air quality and avoid impacts to natural, cultural and historic resources Land Use - support efficient land development pa erns Projects in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads will score higher if they reduce conges on. Projects in other parts of the state will score higher if they increase economic development. Once projects are scored, the CTB will select projects for funding to be included in next year's update of the SYIP. VOLUME
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RAMCA Spring Golf - May 10th, 2015
The George Bickerstaff Memorial Golf Ou ng was held on a gorgeous day (sunny, warm and NO humidity!) at The Club at Viniterra . Cigars, beverages, and a cook-out following a day of golfing was enjoyed by a sell-out crowd of 36 teams! Thank you to all the sponsors (listed on page 12) for making this another successful RAMCA tournament. The George Bickerstaff Memorial Golf 2016 Ou ng will be held at Brickshire on Thursday May 12th. A cra beer tas ng for non-golfers is being planned in conjunc on with the tournament culmina ng with a BBQ following the tournament and tas ng. VOLUME
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RAMCA Spring Golf - May 10th, 2015
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RAMCA Social - July 9th, 2015
The second networking social of the year was held on a hot, humid day in the middle of the summer. Over 40 RAMCA members beat the heat inside BURN in the Pig & Pearl. While business talk dominated, summer vaca ons taken or being planned were shared. Cool beverages and the freshly shucked oysters (the “pearl: in Pig & Pearl), were enjoyed by many! 14
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RAMCA Family Night with the Flying Squirrels!
Over 100 RAMCA members and their families gathered in the Picnic Zone on July 30th to enjoy some BBQ and some baseball. It was a hot, humid and s cky Richmond summer night but that didn’t stop the fun! Thank you to Branscome—Richmond for generously sponsoring the BBQ dinner. 15
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Jack Bargamin Golf Outing—September 10, 2015
A second sold-out RAMCA golf event for 2015 was held at the beau ful Ma aponi Springs Golf Course. The weather looked like it might spoil the day but luck was on our side and although a li le wet, everyone got in 18 holes! A great day of golf was had by all! The 2016 Jack Bargamin Golf ou ng will be held again at Ma aponi Springs on Thursday September 8th, 2016. VOLUME
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Jack Bargamin Golf Outing Sponsors—September 10, 2015
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Erosion/Sediment Control, and CPR Training Offered
RAMCA will offer First Aid/CPR cer fica on training program on January 23th. Please check your mail mid-December for registra on informa on on this required first aid course. In addi on, if you are in need of the VDOT-required erosion and sediment control contractor cer fica on please visit the home page of the RAMCA web site (www.ramca.info) and click on the bu on that says "ESCCC Registra on" for more informa on. Save the Date! 2016 Calendar of Events!
Members have already been mailed the RAMCA 2016 Calendar of Events. Please take a moment to note these gatherings on your calendar so you will not miss any of these associa on networking and educa onal opportuni es. Next up is our March Dinner mee ng at the Short Pump Hilton where members will hear from our lobbying team about ma ers affec ng our industry at the just-concluded 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly. In addi on, you won't want to miss our always-impressive Legislator's Night Event at the Virginia War Memorial in late April. Also, our first golf event of the year is planned for May 12th at Brickshire and will feature a special "Cra Beer Tas ng" prior to dinner for non-golfers who want to join the post golf fun. Lot's more RAMCA special events are being planned so stay tuned! Wednesday April 27th, 2016 Thursday May 12, 2015 (rain date Tuesday May 17) RAMCA Dinner Mee ng (rain date Thursday April 28th, 2016) Social Hour 6:15 p.m., Dinner & Mee ng begin at 7:00 p.m. Legislator’s Night George Bickerstaff Memorial Golf Tournament Virginia War Memorial Brickshire Golf Club 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Shotgun Start at 1:00pm Spouse and significant others strongly encouraged RAMCA guests encouraged (Cra Beer tas ng for non-golfers) Thursday September 8th, 2015 Thursday October 20th, 2015 Thursday November 17th, 2015 (rain date Tuesday Sept. 13) RAMCA Dinner Mee ng RAMCA Annual Mee ng Jack Bargamin Golf Tournament Social Hour 6:15 p.m., Dinner & Mee ng begin at 7:00 p.m. Social Hour 6:15 p.m., Dinner & Mee ng begin at 7:00 p.m. Short Pump Hilton Short Pump Hilton RAMCA guests and poten al new members encouraged RAMCA guests and poten al new members encouraged Thursday March 24th, 2016 Short Pump Hilton RAMCA guests and poten al new members encouraged Ma aponi Springs Golf Club Shotgun start at 1:00 p.m. RAMCA guests encouraged! VOLUME
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Members in the News!
Please welcome the following new members to the RAMCA family! RAMCA is pleased to welcome new associate members Link-Belt Mid-Atlan c and Pirtek West End to the ever-growing and impressive roster of the associa on. Please take a moment to welcome their representa ves to RAMCA when you see them at an upcoming RAMCA event. Associate Member Contact: Suchit Gandhi Phone: 804-442-7140 Email: [email protected] Associate Member Contact: John Wilton, Al Din no, Jessica Luck, Tim Means Phone: 804-798-9740 Email: [email protected] adin [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] RAMCA member Allan Myers recently announced the acquisi on of Daisy Construc on and Edgemoor Materials. Congrats on the con nued growth of Allan Myers as it strengthens its Mid-Atlan c presence. RAMCA Committees
RAMCA is seeking members to serve on three important commi ees listed below. Please contact Vanessa at the RAMCA office if you would like to help keep the RAMCA momentum moving forward by volunteering to serve on a RAMCA commi ee. Golf Commi ee Social Commi ee Membership Commi ee 
Aid RAMCA staff in the planning and execu on of the twice-yearly golf tournaments. 
Aid RAMCA staff in the development of the yearly ac vity calendar. 
Develop a list of possible new Contractor and Associate members to target for RAMCA membership. 
Suggest new and different courses for future tournaments. 

Work with social commi ee to develop a Member/Guest style event. 
Develop new contests and games to keep the tournaments new and interes ng. Suggest loca ons for monthly RAMCA happy hours or other nocost RAMCA casual networking events. 
Serve as RAMCA “ambassadors” at events making guests feel welcome, introducing poten al and new members to current members. 
Solicit hole, beverage cart, cigar cart, and food sponsorships. 
Plan a social targe ng new members (Member/Guest type event) to increase awareness of RAMCA. VOLUME
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RAMCA Thanks the 2015 Platinum Club Members!
RAMCA Thanks the 2015 Gold Club Members!
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Meet Your 2016 RAMCA Board!
RAMCA OFFICERS
RAMCA DIRECTORS
President Buddy Hummel Henkels & McCoy Vice President Richard E. Smith RJ Smith Companies Secretary/Treasurer Mason Ayers J. E. Liesfeld Contractor, Inc. CONTRACTOR DIRECTORS: RAMCA STAFF
Cur s Smith Louis Smith Construc on Co. Inc. Tup Purcell C.T. Purcell Excava ng, Inc. David Houser Blakemore Construc on Coleman Ly le Ly le U li es, Inc. ASSOCIATES DIRECTORS: Mark Singer Execu ve Director Vanessa Pa erson Consul ng Manager Steve Rhyne For line Waterworks James Jordan Mar n Marie a - Virginia District AT‐LARGE DIRECTORS: RAMCA
1108 E . Main Street, Suite 1200
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-346-0522
E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
John Gran er James River Equipment Dave Moore Slurry Pavers, Inc. 21