April 2015 - Idaho AGC

Idaho Associated General Contractors
April 2015
Member’s Edge Newsletter
School construction will add to demand for Treasure Valley builders
by Bill Roberts, Idaho Statesman
New March
Members
Ada County Roofing
Cherry Glass & Aluminum
Fabulous Floors, Inc.
www.fabfloors.com
Moss Adams, LLP
www.mossadams.com
Qualitree, Inc.
www.qualitreeidaho.com
Taylor Brothers Fire &
Safety
www.taylorbrothersinc.com
Webster Fire Protection
www.websterfireprotection.com
Worldwide Rental
Services
www.wrsrents.com
If you are a big-building construction contractor in the
Treasure Valley, this could be the best days you’ve
seen since the Great Recession.
But that could prove troublesome for three Treasure
Valley school districts — West Ada, Vallivue and Melba
— which will spend about $122 million for five new
schools and expansion of another after voters
approved bonds Tuesday.
That’s on top of nearly $50 million in estimated
construction costs for two new Boise hotels
announced last week, coming construction of the J.R.
Simplot Co. new headquarters office in Downtown
Boise, and construction of multi-family residences
throughout the valley.
If all the work comes at once it could stretch demand
beyond the construction workforce, which could lead
to delays, or rising bid prices.
Brian Obie, president and CEO of Obie Companies,
said he's aware of the glut of big commercial projects
under construction or in the planning phase around
the Treasure Valley. He knows competition for builders
could drive up the price of the hotel he wants to build
on the southeast corner of Capitol Boulevard and
Myrtle Street in Downtown Boise.
"The contractors that we're talking to have assured us
that they've got loyal (subcontractors) and that we'll
get competitive bids. But yeah, we have that concern,"
Obie said. "We're maybe building in a time that is more
costly than it would have been in the recession."
But Obie stressed that he wants his hotel, The Inn at
500 Capitol, to be around a long time. In the long run,
he said, paying more to build the project won't matter
as much as it seems to now.
Builders are beginning to feel the pressure, said Wayne
Hammon, Idaho Associated General Contractors CEO.
The lag time between signing contracts for a project
and turning dirt has been about four weeks, he said.
That stretching into eight weeks.
And he’s unsure of the number of subcontractors,
particularly in plumbing and heating and air
conditioning, that will be available as construction
projects prepare to come on line.
On the positive side, Hammon said, building material
costs aren’t rising quickly, largely because much of the
rest of the world, including China, is in an economic
slump and demand for steel and concrete isn’t soaring
West Ada School District didn’t even wait for Tuesday’s
vote to lay plans for construction of Victory Middle
School to ease overcrowding at Lake Hazel Middle
School south of Interstate 84.
West Ada’s Board of Trustees is expected to award
bids for Victory Middle School on Thursday and begin
turning dirt in late April.
Linda Clark, district superintendent also, is hoping to
move up construction of a new elementary school
south of the Interstate by a year to an opening date of
2016. Both projects reflect the district’s pressure to
ease overcrowded school. But moving that quickly
could also put the district ahead of growing
construction demands that might raise bid prices.
Source
Let the AGC save you more money in 2015
Inside this issue:
Do business. Get rewarded.
Upcoming Events & Classes
2
Events Recap
2
Highway Information Fast Lane
3
Building Idaho’s Future
4
Summer Outing
5
Hot Mix Asphalt Training
6
Low Impact Development
Seminar
7
iYERP Environmental
Stewardship Awards
8
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OSHA Safety Stand-Down
9
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Skill. Integrity. Responsibility.
Events & Classes
Page 2
Meetings & Events
Upcoming Safety Classes
Apr 7-9
Safety Fest - Pocatello
Boise
Apr 8
Hot Mix Asphalt Training
Apr 15-16
Water Pollution Control Manager
Apr 9
Legislative Committee
Apr 30
First Aid/CPR/AED
Apr 30
Contractor Connection
May 13-14
OSHA 10
May 15
Eastern Idaho Golf Tournament
North Idaho
Aug 13-15
Summer Outing
May 20-21
Register for Classes & Events
w w w . i d a h o ag c . o r g / e v en t s
Water Pollution Control Manager
Don’t see a class you need?
Call us at (208) 344-2531 and we’ll make sure
to notify you when we schedule one!
Idaho AGC
Events Recap
Congratulations to the CLC Poker Tournament Winner!
Thank you to everyone that came out and made
1st PLACE!
this year’s Construction Leadership Council poker Russ White,
tournament the biggest and best one yet!
Western States
Equipment
Idaho AGC Members Meet & Mingle with Idaho Legislators
2015 Legislative Reception at 8th & Main
Jack Snyder (Western
Construction), Carolyn Snyder, and
Lt. Governor Brad Little
Rex Hansen (American
Geotechnics), Representative Clark
Kauffman, and others
Mike Burke (Concrete Placing
Company), Sharon Burke, and
Lt. Governor Brad Little
Chuck Graves (McAlvain Group
of Companies) and Rich Kinder
(HDR Engineering)
Page 3
Highway Information
Fast Lane
ITD Director Straightens out agency
Lawmakers credit Brian Ness with turning around bureaucracy bound department
BOISE - Lawmakers may not agree on how to meet the state's
transportation funding needs, but the fact they're even willing to
discuss the issue is due largely to Idaho Transportation
Department Director Brian Ness.
When Ness was hired to run the transportation department in
2010, the agency was under a dark cloud. A 2009 performance
audit found the department was inefficient, lacked strategic
vision and had no long-term infrastructure management plan.
Until those shortcomings were resolved, the Legislature wasn't
about to increase its funding.
"We didn't know where the money was going," said House
Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer, R-Meridian. "When he
(Ness) came here, that was the problem."
Ness, 57, grew up in the Midwest. Prior to coming to Idaho, he'd
worked nearly 30 years for the Michigan Department of
Transportation, gaining experience in almost every facet of the
agency's operations.
"I was six months short of being fully vested (in Michigan's
retirement plan) when I came here," he said. "I told my wife I
didn't see how I could walk away - but there are only 50 of these
jobs in the country. It's a once-in-a-career opportunity to be
offered one."
During his time in Michigan, Ness picked up ideas on a variety of
topics: successful management practices, programs that worked
well or that failed miserably, opportunities for improvement.
When he arrived in Idaho, he brought them all to bear.
"When I arrived at ITD, I came with a philosophy about
government," Ness told the joint budget committee in February. "I
felt strongly that government agencies needed to change and
serve the citizens, not serve themselves. They needed to remove
layers of bureaucracy and push decision-making closer to where
the work was being done. They need to change their work
cultures, which in most agencies is too passive, and measure
performance to make sure they're improving."
Since 2010, he's done just that, eliminating multiple layers of
management, cutting employment by 6 percent or 110 positions
(largely through attrition) and using the savings to beef-up the
frontline maintenance and operations capabilities.
"He cleaned house as much as he could," Palmer said.
Ness also became the transportation department's biggest
cheerleader, constantly highlighting the improvements that were
taking place. At the same time, he never missed a chance to
remind lawmakers of the long-term consequences of inadequate
funding.
One of his main goals, Ness said, was to "give employees their
jobs back."
Too often, government agencies pay people "based on the
number of layers beneath them, rather than the skills needed to
do the job," he said. That promotes inefficiencies, encourages
bureaucracies to add more and more layers and makes it harder to
measure performance.
"I thought there had to be a better way," Ness said.
An added benefit of trusting employees to do their jobs was that it
encouraged innovation.
"When employees feel important and have the ability to make
decisions, they'll find better ways to do things," Ness said. "We're
seeing new initiatives, saving a tremendous amount of money and
building morale."
For example, improvements in cash flow management and cost
estimations allowed the transportation department to add $180
million in construction projects to its five-year plan - without any
additional revenue.
Another initiative that's gaining nationwide attention, Ness said, is
the agency's winter maintenance program, which uses in-road
sensors to measure road conditions.
"We started measuring the percentage of time the road is clear of
ice and snow," he said. "We went from 28 percent clear to 61
percent clear - during a storm. That's pretty phenomenal. By
measuring it, employees have something to shoot for and they
have the information to see how they're doing."
Road crews are now taking that one step further, Ness said. They're
using winter weather forecasts to adjust their work schedules to
make sure they have a full shift when the storm hits.
If management had dictated those changes, he said, employees
would have balked. But by giving them responsibility, they found a
better way.
"No other government agency employees take as much pride in
what they do as transportation," Ness said. "They really take
ownership. It's like they're maintaining their property."
Given the Legislature's political differences on the issue of tax
increases, the innovations and improvements at the transportation
department haven't resulted in an influx of new money - but they
have made the agency the standard for what lawmakers want to
see from other state-funded enterprises.
"Every year, he (Ness) comes in and tells us what's being done to
make things better," Palmer said. "Every year there's something
different. I haven't seen that from any other state agency, and I
wish I did. With my business, I have to do it every day. You have to
improve to survive."
Senate Transportation Chairman Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, said
the transportation department and Ness "set the bar" for other
state agencies.
"He's brought us documented savings and efficiencies and showed
us how he was putting that money on the highways," Brackett said.
"He deserves a lot of the credit for restoring ITD's relationship with
the Legislature."
Comments Needed on DOT Proposal to Allow Local Hire Preferences
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) established a pilot
program that will allow state and local governments to use local
geographic hiring preferences on their federal-aid highway and
federal transit assisted contracts. The pilot program is effective
immediately and will last one year. DOT also issued a notice of
proposed rulemaking to make these changes permanent by
altering existing Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations. Read the pilot
program proposal here and the Notice of Proposed Rule Making
here.
FHWA and FTA regulations have traditionally prohibited the use of
local hire preferences because of their impact on competition;
however, there have been efforts by some in Congress to allow the
use of local preferences. A provision in last year’s transportation
appropriations legislation allowed transit agencies to use local
hiring requirements on FTA-funded projects for FY 2015.
AGC urges members and chapters to submit comments on this
proposal. The comment period is very short, ending on April 6,
2015. While AGC has requested that the time be extended there is
no assurance that this will happen.
You can submit comments directly to DOT by using this link.
While your own unique observations would be better AGC has a
sample letter on our website that you can send to DOT opposing
this change. To send the AGC model letter please follow this link.
Page 4
Building Idaho’s
Future
Notice of Rulemaking
Division of Building Safety Public Hearings
Please be advised that the Idaho Building Code Board has
scheduled two public hearings, April 14, 2015, and June 23,
2015, to allow interested parties to recommend proposed
amendments to currently adopted building and energy codes.
The public hearings will be held at the Division of Building
Safety (DBS) at 1090 E. Watertower St., Suite 150, Meridian,
Idaho 83642, and via videoconferencing at 1250 Ironwood
Dr., Suite 220, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814, 2055 Garrett
Way, Building 1, Suite 4, Pocatello, Idaho 83201, DEQLewiston, 1118 F Street, Lewiston, Idaho 83501, DEQ-Twin
Falls, 650 Addison Ave., West, Suite 110, Twin Falls, Idaho
83301 and DEQ-Idaho Falls, 900 N. Skyline, Suite B, Idaho
Falls, Idaho 83402. Attached to this notice is a copy of the
tentative agenda for the April 14th meeting. The Board will
permit oral comments or presentations to be made to the
Board by any interested individuals at that time. The board encourages interested parties to present proposals orally at the
April 14 hearing or to submit written proposals for the record at
any time prior to April 14, 2015. The board will conduct the
second hearing at its June 23 meeting. All change proposals
must include supporting information needed to facilitate consideration of the proposal.
Should you have any questions or concerns about this rulemaking process or the public meetings, please contact me or an
appropriate member of the DBS staff at 208-334-3950, or the
Chairman of the Idaho Building Code Board Andrew Bick at 208726-8608 and [email protected]. The Idaho Building
Code Board looks forward to your participation in this process.
TENTATIVE AGENDA
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING/PUBLIC HEARING
IDAHO BUILDING CODE BOARD VIDEOCONFERENCE MEETING
Division of Building Safety
1090 E. Watertower St., Ste. 150, Meridian
1250 Ironwood Dr., Ste. 220, Coeur d’Alene
2055 Garrett Wy., Bldg. 1, Ste. 4, Pocatello
1118 F St., Lewiston (DEQ)
650 Addison Ave. W., Ste. 102, Twin Falls (DVR)
900 N. Skyline, Suite B, Idaho Falls (DEQ)
dbs.idaho.gov (208) 332-7137
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (MT)
(Note: North Idaho - Meeting Commences @ 8:30 a.m. PT)
9:30 a.m.
CALL TO ORDER – Andrew Bick, Chairman
o Roll Call & Introductions
o Open Forum
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approval of the April 14, 2015 Agenda
2. Approval of the February 24, 2015 Board Meeting Minutes
PUBLIC HEARING
3. Negotiated Rulemaking – Review proposed amendments to the currently adopted building and energy
codes.
INFORMATIONAL AGENDA
4. Legislative Update – Steve Keys
5. Program Manager Report – Arlan Smith
6. Operational Report – Steve Keys
7. Administrator Report – C. Kelly Pearce
a. Financial Report – C. Kelly Pearce and Fred Sisneros
12:30 p.m.
ADJOURN
All times, other than beginning, are approximate unless otherwise noted. Agenda items may shift depending on Board preference. 03/05/15r
Save the Date
August 13-15, 2015
Summer Outing
A GENDA SNEAK P EEK
“Lessons in Leadership”
Bill Whitacre, CEO of J.R. Simplot Company
Thursday
Afternoon - committee meetings
Evening - reception
Friday
Morning - Leadership Session with
featured guest speakers
“Update from Washington”
Afternoon - Golf Outing
Raul Labrador, United States Congressman
Saturday
Morning - Board Meeting
“Building a Successful Company from the Inside Out”
Dr. Linda Clark-Santos, Boise State University
Whitetail Golf Outing
Reserve your room now!
Call (800)657-6464 and mention Idaho AGC
for a room in the AGC block
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Code of Federal Regulations (23 CFR 637)
requires that each road building agency
ensure that materials and workmanship be
covered within the QA program to ensure
that the highest quality system will be built.
Your Idaho Best Management Practices
Asphalt Training includes:
Idaho
Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)
Workmanship Training
Teamwork & Safety, Surface Preparation, Delivery,
Placement, Compaction, Joint Construction,
Segregation Mitigation, and Acceptance Test Strips.
Weds., April 8 (8A – 4P) – Thurs., April 9 (8A – Noon)
AGC Training Room
Boise, ID
Contact Tim Murphy via e-mail at:
[email protected]
for more information and to register.
Students will work together with Tim Murphy
of Murphy Pavement Technology, Inc. as we
explore HMA quality and efficiencies through
a review of the mix design, production,
process control, PWL, and deep exploration
of the construction phases (primarily).
7649 So. State St. * Chicago, IL 60619
Ph: 773-874-9800 Fax: 773-874-1136
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ACF West Presents:
Low Impact Development Design Solutions
Join us for a half-day presentation of some of the most innovative products in the marketplace, to address increasing
requirements for Low Impact Development solutions. We will cover design, maintenance costs, and life cycle benefits
of these new approaches. We have assembled a “dream team” of geosynthetic professionals to share their product
knowledge and jobsite experience with you.
Lunch provided, Professional Development Hours awarded.
Salt Lake City
Boise
Wednesday April 22nd
Thursday April 23rd
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Wednesday April 22nd, 2015
Salt Lake Community College- Miller Campus
9750 South 300 West
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Thursday April 23rd, 2015
Associated General Contractors (AGC)
1649 Shoreline Dr. Ste. 100
Boise, ID 83702
8:30am – 12:30am
8:30am – 12:30pm
S p e a ke r s
Melissa Hurley - ACF West, Inc.
ACF West is a regional distributor of geosynthetic products for LID & Civil infrastructure applications.
Doug Buch - Pavedrain
The Pavedrain system is a Permeable Articulating Concrete Block/Mat (P-ACB/M) that creates both a performance pavement and
stormwater infrastructure, to create a system with a lifecycle cost that beats any other approach.
Corey Simonpietri - R-Tank
R-Tank™ stormwater detention, infiltration, and recycling systems provide underground storage of stormwater. This system is an
alternative to stormwater basins and a more efficient, space saving alternative to other underground systems.
David Batts - Focal Point
FocalPoint High Performance Modular Biofiltration System is used for filtration of removal of pollutants typically found in urban
stormwater runoff. The modular treatment system is used as a complete, integrated system designed to treat contaminated runoff from impervious surfaces.
W h o S h o u l d At t e n d
MS4’s (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System)
Civil, Hydraulic, Stormwater Engineers
Geotechnical Engineers
Developers / Property Owners
Municipal Stormwater Professionals
Landscape Architects
Transportation Agencies
How to Register
Please RSVP to
[email protected]
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go to our website
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Pavement Engineers
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Please join us for the
5th ANNUAL
iYERP
Environmental
Stewardship
Awards
iYERP
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Lyle Pearson Mercedes-Benz Showroom
351 Auto Dr. Boise, Idaho
6:00pm – Social and light refreshments
6:30pm – Awards and Raffle
Presented by
Idaho AGC
A PROUDCHAPTER OF AGC OF AMERICA
Please RSVP to Virgi Blaine - [email protected] or 871-6301
The Idaho Youth Education Recycling Partnership {iYERP} – raising funds through metal recycling to create
educational opportunities for Idaho youth and promote environmental stewardship
Stopping Falls, Saving Lives
2015 National Safety Stand-Down to Reach Workers Worldwide
Over the last 10 years, more than 3,500 workers have died from falls. In fact, falls remain the leading
cause of death in construction, accounting for more than a third of deaths in the industry. If you’re
involved in construction or any other high-risk industry, you may be familiar with these numbers. But
what you might not know is that there’s a growing safety movement that focuses on saving the lives of
workers through fall prevention education.
Last year marked the first National Safety Stand-Down for fall prevention in construction, a combined
effort from OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and CPWR – The Center
for Construction Research and Training. During the stand-down, employers and workers paused their
workday to focus on preventing falls through talks, demonstrations and trainings.
The Stand-Down was a tremendous success, reaching more than 1 million workers and thousands of
employers. Almost 5,000 Stand-Downs were reported in all 50 states and internationally. OSHA’s
Harwood grantees also trained more than 105,000 workers and employers on fall hazards during the
event. Small businesses, large corporations, and some of the country’s biggest construction companies
stopped their work to dedicate time to fall safety. Because falls can happen anywhere and anytime,
costing workers and employers their livelihood, participation was not limited to the construction industry.
Nearly 15% of Stand-Down certificates were given to non-construction employers. In fact, the largest
single participant was the United States Air Force, reaching approximately 650,000 active duty, civilian
and reserve service men and women.
NASCAR driver Greg Biffle joined officials from OSHA, the Department of Labor and more than 400
construction workers to talk about fall safety at a $400 million renovation project at the Daytona
International Speedway.
As part of a presentation on proper methods of fall prevention, Greg
Biffle was
outfitted
a safety harness
andweeks.
hoisted off
the ground at
Stand-Down
has
been inextended
to two
Our
the Daytona International Speedway.
Due to the success of the 2014 program, this year’s
goal is to have over 3 million workers participate in over
20,000 stand-downs from May 4 to 15, 2015. As the
economy continues to grow and the full construction
season begins, we hope the Stand-Down will remind
employers and workers that fall prevention is an
important part of every workplace safety plan.
“Fatal falls and injuries touch workers in all kinds of jobs
across the country; it’s a broad problem that has a terrible
impact on workers and their families,” said Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health
Dr. David Michaels. “Given the tremendous response
we’ve received, it’s clear that this is an important issue to
a great number of people across this nation. I know it is
to me and all my colleagues here at the Department of
Labor, which is why we are so pleased to work towards preventing these tragedies through innovative and
collaborative efforts like the Safety Stand-Down.”
Employers and workers all over the nation are encouraged to pause in their workday to talk about fall
prevention in construction, and dedicate themselves yet again to the safety of this nation’s most valuable
resource: workers.
To learn how to partner with OSHA during the Stand-Down, get information on how to conduct a
successful event, resources for employees and workers, receive a certificate of participation, and the latest
news, visit www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown.
If you choose to participate, we’d love to see any pictures! Email to mailto:[email protected]