September 30, 2016

News

OCA Informs FHWA of its Position on DBE Goal Counting Waiver
ODOT’s Disparity Study, which was used to establish a 15.6% DBE Utilization Goal for federal fiscal years 2017 to 2019, reported that DBEs of a variety of ethnicities were underutilized on federally funded contracts administered by ODOT. To address this issue, ODOT submitted a waiver request to FHWA which would change the way DBEs would be counted based on their ethnicity. (Currently, all DBEs are counted equally when they are subcontracted on ODOT projects.) ODOT’s DBE Committee and Board of Directors are opposed to this change in the method of recognizing the contribution of DBEs, and OCA has communicated our position directly to the National DBE Program Manager for FHWA. You may view a summary of ODOT’s waiver request here. OCA’s letter to FHWA may be viewed here.

Government Shutdown Averted: Continuing Resolution Prohibits New Starts for Federal Construction Projects
Yesterday, the House and Senate passed a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government operating through Dec. 9. The CR was necessary as Congress has once again failed to enact any of the 12 annual appropriations bills before Sept. 30. The CR, which largely funds government operations at fiscal year 2016 levels, prohibits new starts for any federal construction projects and fails to provide the increase in federal highway and transit funding that was authorized through the FAST Act for fiscal year 2017. Additionally, the CR did not include many of the AGC-supported policy riders. However, AGC will continue to advocate for enactment of fiscal year 2017 funding bills that end the prohibition on new starts for federal construction projects, provide increased funding for federal transportation programs and include AGC-supported policy riders. Congress will have to refocus on completing the annual funding bills when they return to Washington, DC after the November elections.

AGC-Supported WRDA Bill Overwhelmingly Passes House
The House of Representatives passed (399-25) the AGC-supported Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016. Among other water resources projects, the House WRDA bill authorizes roughly $5 billion in funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works projects, including navigation (dredging, locks), flood control (levees), hydropower (dams), recreation (parks), and water supply. The House Bill also includes $300 million for the Great Lakes protection measures and $170 million to clean up Flint, Michigan's contaminated drinking water. The Senate passed its WRDA bill on Sept. 15. The House and Senate will likely hold a conference on the two WRDA 2016 bills after the elections in November. AGC will continue to pursue passage of WRDA in both the House and Senate and fight for all AGC priorities in the bill through conference and presidential signature.

Multiple Crane Training Classes in Columbus in November
CICB, of Orlando, Florida is conducting several crane related safety training classes in Columbus, Ohio in November. The classes and proposed dates are as follows:

Mobile Crane & Rigging Inspector Training - November 14-16

Overhead Crane/Hoist & Rigging Inspector Training - November 16-18

Basic Rigger/Signal Person - November 9-10

Basic Rigger/Signal Person Train the Trainer - November 9-11

To view a full schedule of training programs or for more information, contact CICB at: (800) 327-1386, or visit their website at: www.cicb.com.  

                                                        

AGC Surveying Contractors about the Future of Construction
As AGC of America approaches its Centennial Year in 2018, they are taking steps now to make sure the association continues to meet the present and future needs of the industry. As part of that effort, they are asking members to help them gain a better understanding of how the construction industry is and will continue to evolve and the steps they need to take to ensure they continue to help member firms thrive. To that end, they are asking us to take a few moments to complete a relatively brief survey they have prepared. All member firms of OCA are members of AGC of America so your input is very important to our national association.

The direct link to the survey is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Industry_Assessment. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for an Apple Watch. They will be sharing all results from the survey with OCA so we, here in Ohio, will be able to learn from it as well. Thank you for taking a few minutes to fill out AGC’s survey!

Final Acceptance of ODOT Projects               

Upcoming Events

Executive Liability Update and Trends Seminar
This program will update participants on the latest trends and risks regarding fiduciary, employment practices, cyber and crime. You will get an overview of changes in regulations and laws that will impact your business and personal liability. Click here for more information.                                                                                                                

Click here to view OCA's upcoming events.

                                                                                                               

Safety Talks

Click here to view the OCA Jobsite Safety Talk.