THE BUILDINGBRIEF

Building a Better Kansas Since 1946 • www.agcks.org

September • October 2009

In this Issue

President’s Report. 2

Safety Corner. 3

2009 State Fair. 4

AGC-PAC Golf Results. 8

Student Chapter Update. 10

Member Events. 11

Legislative Update. 12

Training Update. 13

HR Corner. 14

New Members. 15

Continued on page 4

KC3 Construction Learning Center Continues to GrowWhat a difference a year makes. In 2008 thanks to eight days of significant rainfall the state fairgrounds began to look like a lazy river only without the inner tubes. 2009 started where last year left off raining the first day, but by Saturday morning the sun shined brightly the rest of the fair.

The great weather was only one of the factors that resulted in over 2,100 “counted” visitors at the Kansas Con-struction Careers Coalition (KC3) Construction Learning Center in Sep-tember, an increase of 500 from 2008.

A second factor for the increased traf-fic was perhaps the most important to AGC weighing the return on investment. Volunteers received numerous comments from parents and kids expressing their excitement to return to the Construction Learning Center this year. Others came back one last time before heading home for the day.

It appears that after three years, KC3 is beginning to reap the rewards of invest-ing in the promotion of career opportunities in the industry.

“We’ve always said this project is about planting the seed in a child’s mind about construction,” said Dan Welch, KC3 Chairman. “After three years, we saw the growth of interest in those returning for their second or even third year. As these kids get older, we must stick with them and continue our message so when they graduate we’re hopefully THE option for them,” Welch added.

Attendance continues to grow at the Construction Learning Center as AGC

A fifth grade class from Buhler Elementary completes a math question as part of the Kansas’ Largest Classroom program. Over 100 fifth-grade students visited the Construction Learning Center on Monday.

Secretary of Agriculture Josh Svaty gives his best shot at backhoe golf. Svaty is the youngest Secretary of Ag since Sam Brownback held the office at age 30.

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president’s report

Bev SauerweinPresident, AGC of KansasSauerwein Construction, Wichita

“A lone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”- Helen Keller

Since the last AGC board meeting, many great events have occurred showcasing a great united effort within our organization. We had two successful PAC outings in the past couple months. These events are critical to our success politically and 2010 will no doubt be a busy year. Thank you to all of you for your participation and sponsorships of these events.

During the last couple of months, AGC assisted members with issues involving their local communities. Members in Hutchinson contacted AGC regarding a proposal to the city council that Hutchinson construct a substantial sized building with the city’s own forces. AGC provided information as to why this made little sense, which was included in member testimony at the coun-cil meeting. Unfortunately, the proposal passed and the city is now in the General Construction business. AGC will monitor its progress to see how it goes. Our main concern was the precedent this sets and hopefully other municipalities do not follow suit.

AGC played an important role in setting up a meeting between AGC’s City of Wichita Liaison Task Group and representatives of the city of Wichita, including Mr. Bob Layton, the new City Manager. Layton was eager to meet us and discuss areas where we can work together. AGC was pleased to find Mr. Layton has past experience working with an AGC chapter through his work in Iowa. AGC and city leaders discussed several ideas on how we can work better with the city. Please see the topics below discussed with Mr. Layton and other city officials and respond to any inquires as appropriate. Your participation is important.

• Feasibility of Implementing Combination Commercial Inspections • Expansion of Trades Board to include General Contractors • ADA Accessibility Guidelines • Revised Drainage Standards

While it is difficult to become involved in all local issues, if there are issues that could have a significant impact on your company, especially those that could become bigger issues if spread to other areas, please let the AGC office know.

The Kansas State Fair produced another very successful Construction Learning Center. The public’s participation in this event is growing every year. Being a part of Kansas Largest Classroom created some very busy mornings as surrounding schools brought in varying grades to learn a little math and have some fun. The students impressively helped built two playhouses during the week of the fair. The playhouses were donated to the Wichita Children’s Home and to the Kansas State Fair Foundation to be a future auction item.

Corey Peterson, Dennis Kerschen and I attended the National Leadership Conference in Washington DC. We are able to network with chapter leaders from across the country and see first-hand the operations of the National Office and its activities on Capitol Hill. The National PAC is funded solely by member companies directly contributing to the National PAC. Our State PAC can fund only our State political efforts. I would like to challenge our members to truly engage in the AGC efforts, not just locally, but also on a national level.

We also had the unique opportunity to meet and discuss issues with all but one of the Kansas House and Senate representatives. We asked their support in legislation covering economic development, construction workforce development, making sure Kansas receives fair share of stimulus money, three percent withholding on Federal contracts and card check. We also requested com-

Continued on page 10

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safety cornerBy Dan PabstAGC Safety Committee ChairmanSafety Consulting, Inc.(316) 250-7070dpabst@safetyconsultinginc.com

Did You Know? Hard Hat Use, Care, And LifespanIf you ask a group of children to draw a picture of a construction worker, what one feature on the worker would probably be the most common? It probably would be the hard hat. Don’t you think?

We all own at least one if not more hard hats. How many people have their “favorite” hard hat and wear it no matter how it looks? Over the years, I have had to take hard hats out of service that were nearly 10 years old. Several hats have been found still in use between 5 and 10 years old. So, how long is too long?

What about wearing the hard hat “backwards;” is this allowed? By backwards I mean with the bill facing toward a person’s back, not over the forehead. Each manufacturer of hard hats have them tested, and if the hat passes the prescribed test in the “backward” position, then it can be worn backwards, so check with your manufacturer, I’m sure they have literature available on this issue. Some companies have made it policy that the hat is to be worn bill forward no matter what.

A commonly used hard hat is the MSA V-gard cap or hat (full brim). So, I will reference their recommendation for care, use and life span.

Always inspect the shell for breakage, cracks, craze pattern, discolor-ation, chalky appearance, or any other unusual condition. The hat should

not be used if any of these issues are found. The suspension should be checked for loss of flexibility, cracks, breaks, frayed straps, or damaged stitching. If any of these conditions are found, replace the suspension before wearing the helmet.

How long can a hard hat be worn safely? This has been a question asked for years, and still misunderstood by many. MSA’s recommendations are: 1) Inspect the hat regularly and replace it or any part necessary. Never take a chance with your safety. 2) Suspension - Replace after no more than 12 months of use. 3) Entire Hat - Replace after no more than five years of use.

Remember, these are maximum guidelines for the lifespan of MSA brand. If you use a different brand, please check with your manufacturer.

Lastly, make sure workers take care of their hard hats. Make sure they don’t alter or modify the hat in any way. Never use paint, solvents, or hydrocarbon type cleaners (that is, M.E.K., thinner, gasoline, kerosene) on their hat. These may cause unnoticeable damage.

As always, if you have a safety related questions, I can be reached at 316.250.7070 or via email at dpabst@SafetyConsultingInc.com.

AGC Hosts Golf Outing for Western Kansas Members

There appears to be a theme for AGC golf outings this fall- bitter cold. AGC staff traveled to Garden City, KS for the Western Kansas Golf Outing at Southwind Golf Club. Twenty golfers braved temperatures in the low 40’s for the scramble tournament. The winning team of Justin Sanchez, Marcus Ramos, Tony Shadrick and Kelly Wright, all with Tatro Plumbing Co., Inc., received gift certificates to the Southwind pro shop. All four players bought hot chocolate.

Tatro Plumbing continued their success into the proximity prizes, as Philip Garcia won the closest to the pin prize on hole 9 while Marcus Ramos won the longest drive.

Thank you to all of the golfers and sponsors who participated in the event.

Thank you Western Kansas Golf SponsorsHole SponsorsLee Construction, Inc.Paul-Wertenberger Construction, Inc.Restoration & Waterproofing Contractors, Inc.Tatro Plumbing Company, Inc.

Prize SponsorRestoration & Waterproofing Contractors, Inc.

Two AGC Past Presi-dents, Gail Lee (left), Lee Construction, Inc., and Darwin McClung, Hutton Construction, catch up before taking to the course at Southwind Golf Club.

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2009 state fair staff estimates over 3,500 people passed through the exhibit when counting parents and teachers. While volunteers do their best to get an accurate number of visitors, there are those who always slip through the cracks.

KC3 strives to add excitement each year through new activities for visitors. With anything new comes the unknown. It’s always a gamble whether new activities will be successful, worthwhile and generate interest. There is no doubt the two new activities this year couldn’t have received better feedback.

With materials donated by AGC General Contractor member Hieb and Associates, LLC, children helped build two playhouses. KC3 created a schedule for the houses with work running periodically from Saturday to Saturday during the fair. The materials were precut and labeled to help with assembly for the kids, but the rest of the work was all thanks to the children who were supervised by industry volunteers.

To help leave a lasting mark on each playhouse, a sign was placed inside with the signatures from those who helped with the projects. The play-houses were donated to local charities. With the help from Sauerwein Construction one playhouse was transported from the fairgrounds to the Wichita Children’s Home.

With support from North Central Kansas Technical College and Conco Construction, kids were able to learn from industry professionals the art of bricklaying. The bricklaying activity brought a good portion of the traffic onto the grounds that might not have otherwise stopped because of its high-traffic location at the intersection of Fort Leaven-worth and Lake Talbott.

KC3 is already looking into planning options for 2010 and for expansion opportunities with other industry organizations. Thank you sponsors and volunteers for your overwhelming support of the Construction Learning Center.

Left: A group of children help with the trim work on the second playhouse built as part of the KC3 Construction Learning Center.

Right: After each child fin-ished their work on the play-house, they signed their name on the board that was placed inside each playhouse.

Below: When complete, both playhouses were donated to local charities- the Kansas State Fair Foundation and the Wichita Children’s Home.

Clay Kubicek, Education Director at Crossland Construction, helps a child with the assembly of a playhouse wall.

AGC member Gib Compton (right), Compton Construction, talks with a family as they watch the backhoe golf activity.

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2009 state fair

Mike Welch, BRB Contractors, shows a child coins before hiding them in the sand. The child would then operate the playground excavator to find the coins.

Above: Rick Hajney, masonry instructor at North Central Kansas Technical College, teaches a group of children how to properly lay brick.

Right: A young girl plays with Legos as part of the building blocks activity at the construction learning center.

Below: Kris Denton, KCA staff, prepares to place a tempo-rary tattoo on a construction learning center visitor.

Above: Lonnie Paquette (right), Riley Construction, Manhattan, and Luke Doll (left), Martin K. Eby Construction, talk with AGC staff member Ward Nippert.

Below: Patrons line up outside the north gate entrance on the fairgrounds on KC3’s day of sponsorship. Banners like the one seen in this photo were placed around the fairgrounds to promote the construction learning center.

KWCH Channel 12 reporter Roger Cornish gives his best shot at the Backhoe Golf competition. Cornish put together a piece which aired on Wichita’s CBS affiliate Thursday evening newscast.

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2009 state fair

Thank You 2009 State Fair SponsorsAPAC Kansas, Inc. Shears DivisionBRB ContractorsCentral Mechanical ConstructionCentral Mechanical WichitaCommercial MechanicalCompton Construction CorporationConco ConstructionConcrete Supply of TopekaCrossland ConstructionDondlinger & Sons ConstructionFerrell Construction of TopekaGreater Wichita NAWIC ChapterHieb & AssociatesHi-Tech InteriorsIMA of KansasJ & R SandKBS ConstructorsKelley ConstructionKoger Agency, Inc. Koss ConstructionLaForge & Budd ConstructionLockton Companies

Luminous Neon Art & SignMartin K. Eby ConstructionMidwest Drywall CoMuller ConstructionRiley ConstructionSauerwein Construction Schifman Remley & AssociatesSenne & CompanySherwood ConstructionSimpson & AssociatesSnodgrass and Sons ConstructionSporer Land DevelopmentStar Lumber & SupplyThe Law CompanyThe Monarch Cement CompanyThomas McGeeTopeka NAWIC ChapterUnited RentalsUnited Steel Inc./ Central Steel Inc.Walters Morgan ConstructionWray Roofing

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2009 state fair

Thank You 2009 State Fair VolunteersCarla Welch, BRB ContractorsDan Welch, BRB ContractorsKathy Laird, BRB ContractorsMike Laird, BRB ContractorsMike Welch, BRB ContractorsEzel Lever, Builders Plus Concrete LLCHal Callen, Builders Plus Concrete LLCSteven Buckley, Builders Plus Concrete LLCRandy Heidrich, Building Controls & ServicesLinda Geesaman, Central Air GroupLylla Rausch, Central Air GroupBeth Marolf, Central MechanicalRollie Marolf, Central MechanicalLance Spence, Commercial Insurance GroupDan Swelar, Commercial MechanicalJake Mattison, Commercial MechanicalAdam Doll, Compton ConstructionBrenda Compton, Compton ConstructionGib Compton, Compton ConstructionTodd Hinshaw, Compton ConstructionAustin Rising, Conco Construction, Inc.Humberto Jimenez, Conco Construction, Inc.David Walker, Corporate Safety ComplianceMike Harp, Corporate Safety ComplianceJason McVey, Decker ConstructionMike Mathia, Dondlinger & Sons ConstructionRon Matteson, Ergon Asphalt & EmulsionsKenny Hartter, Ferrell Construction of TopekaPat Tolin, Ferrell Construction of TopekaTim Browder, Ferrell Construction of TopekaBill Burnett, Hi-Tech InteriorsCasey Willich, Hi-Tech InteriorsKarl Earnest, Hi-Tech InteriorsKeith Truesdale, Hi-Tech InteriorsBret Burton, IMA of KansasJana Forrest, IMA of KansasMarc Nuessen, IMA of KansasTom Logan, Kansas State UniversityDeb Cormier, KDOTDebra Hepp, KDOTDoria Watson, KDOTKate Craft, KDOTRobyn Dudney, KDOTCody Nelson, Key ConstructionDaniel Earnest, Key ConstructionCecil Ward, Lafarge North America Dean Boatright, Lafarge North America John Cummings, Lafarge North America

Mike Hoffman, Lafarge North America Mike Roudybush, Lafarge North America Anita Lawrence, LaForge & Budd ConstructionConnie Goodnight, LaForge & Budd ConstructionRon Sellers, Luminous Neon Art & SignJudy Corley, M&M Insurance AssociatesMarcia Boos, M&M Insurance AssociatesAaron Young, Martin K. Eby ConstructionCliff Pray, Martin K. Eby ConstructionMichael O’Toole, Martin K. Eby ConstructionTim Caudle, Martin K. Eby ConstructionJess McCullough, McCullough Excavation Inc. Arlan Penner, McPherson High SchoolJanelle Womack, National Catastrophe Restoration, Inc.Jessica Dunbar, National Catastrophe Restoration, Inc.Rick Hajney, North Central Kansas Technical CollegeBill Strenth, Pittsburg State UniversityJim Otter, Pittsburg State UniversityLonnie Paquette, Riley ConstructionCindi Bramlage, SAMCOBev Sauerwein, Sauerwein ConstructionFrank Sauerwein, Sauerwein ConstructionChad Buresh, Simpson & AssociatesChris Baalmann, Simpson & AssociatesJason Vogel, Simpson & AssociatesJosh Vogel, Simpson & AssociatesJustin Burch, Smoky Hill, LLCKarisa Burch, Smoky Hill, LLCKarston Burch, Smoky Hill, LLCKim Brown, Smoky Hill, LLCKimbel Burch, Smoky Hill, LLCSteve Bartholomew, Smoky Hill, LLCSusan Burch, Smoky Hill, LLCDavid Snodgrass, Snodgrass and Sons ConstructionMark Schmidt, Snodgrass and Sons ConstructionDave Griffin, The G. W. Van Keppel Co Bill Brand, The Law CompanyDennis Kerschen, The Law CompanyCurt Kitson, The Monarch Cement CoJeff Preisner, The Monarch Cement CompanyRandy Worrell, The Monarch Cement CompanyEmilee Harwell, TravelersRob Nace, TravelersShawn Byrne, TravelersDan Carlyle, UCIEd Armendariz, UCIScott Mueller, Walters-Morgan ConstructionTamra Mueller, Walters-Morgan Construction

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agc-pac golf fundraiser

It felt more like a day for hunting than a day for a golf fundraiser, but 60 AGC members braved the elements for the AGC-PAC golf tourna-ment at Sand Creek Station Golf Course.

The cold, overcast day prevented teams from scoring extremely low in the 9-hole scramble, 9-hole shamble format, although, the winning team put together a respectable score of 98 (10-under par for tournament format). That team was Ed Parr, Restoration and Water-proofing Contractors, Casey Henning, Carter-Waters, Brad Tindell, Restoration and Water-proofing Contractors, and Craig Stromgren, Safety Consulting, Inc. The score is taken by adding the front nine scramble score to the two best scores on the back nine shamble format.

The primary purpose of AGC/PAC is to lend finan-cial support and recognition to state legislators and candidates who recognize the importance of the con-struction industry in Kansas and show a tendency to support AGC policy positions. With AGC’s efforts to increase its presence at the statehouse come expecta-tions to carry a strong PAC. Thanks to the support from AGC member companies, the AGC-PAC made its break into the top 20 PACs statewide, contributing over $33,000 in House and Senate races.

AGC continues to carry the torch for the commercial building construction industry at the statehouse and faces challenges each year by other organizations. Next November in addition to the Governor’s race, the 125-member House of Representatives will be up for reelection. AGC will need continued support into next year’s elections to support those candidates who are favorable to issues affecting the construction industry.

Special Thanks to the PAC Golf Sponsors

Beverage Sponsor Foley Equipment

Breakfast SponsorR-Quip Equipment Rental

Specialty Hole SponsorsCommercial Mechanical, Inc.Sauerwein ConstructionLamunyon Cleaning & RestorationFoley Equipment

Hole SponsorsCentral Air ConditioningCretcher HeartlandMartin K. Eby ConstructionIMA of Kansas/Midwest Drywall Co.IMA of Kansas Lafarge North AmericaThe Law CompanyMonarch Cement Co.Restoration & WaterproofingSharp Construction Co., Inc.Thomas McGee, L.C.Wray Roofing

Mike Brown, Martin K. Eby Construction, front, chips be-fore the AGC-PAC fundraiser at Sand Creek Station Golf Course.

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agc-pac golf results1st Place Gross

1st Place Net

2nd Place Net

3rd Place Net

Specialty Winners

Ed Parr, Restoration and Waterproofing Contractors; Casey Henning, Carter-Waters; Brad Tindel, Restoration and Waterproofing Contractors; Craig Stromgren, Safety Consulting, Inc.

Dwayne Criswell, Kruse Sheet Metal; Craig McCol-lar, Glickman Metal; Lucas Saggerty, Foley Equipment Rental; Bruce Richardson, Foley Equipment Rental.

Brad Unruh, Wray Roofing; Rick Wray, Wray Roofing; Jack Sims, Wray Roofing. Not pictured: Joe Lorimor, Wray Roofing.

Front Row: Craig Dietz, Lafarge North America; Matt Knoblaugh, Foulston Siefkin LLP; Jon Hidelberg, Lamu-nyon Cleaning & Restoration. Back Row: Jesse Hopper, Hopper Glass; Chad Leivian, Flint Hills Resources.

Kurt Kitson, Monarch Cement; Steve Paul, Paul-Wertenberger Construction; Bob Wertenberger, Paul-Wertenberger Construction. Not pictured: Randy Worrell, Monarch Cement.

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Kansas State University

student chapterupdate

KSU-AGC Hit the Ground Running

Kansas State University’s student chapter of Associated General Contractors of America has had a very exciting start to the fall 2009 semester. We started the semester by learning that we earned 2nd Place in the Associated General Contractors Outstanding Student Chapter Contest. We have already had many activities and have many more to come in order to reach our goal to win 1st place!

KSU-AGC is proud to announce that we have over 120 members. Last year we had 125 members at the end of the spring semester. With around 400 students in our program, we are hoping to turn half of the department into members.

We have seen a lot of interest in work projects and other activities from our members. Many of our members are taking on leadership roles by helping organize and assist with work projects. Our members are staying informed in new and exciting ways. We have decided to take advantage of the technologies that most college students are using. We are redesigning our website, and we can be found on Facebook. It is a great way to get a quick message out to our members. We already have 80 members and the number keeps growing.

Just as the semester was beginning, KSU-AGC was already finishing a work project. Last Fall, we participated in ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition in Chapman, KS. We headed back to Chapman to finalize a few projects. We sanded down all of the walls at the community park to give them a smooth finish and applied an extra layer of slurry where it was necessary. We also repaired some of the benches in the park.

As the semester progressed, part of our chapter traveled to the Kansas State Fair. We went down to help staff the KC3 booth. We helped people learn about different aspects of construction through interactive games

mon sense be applied in immigration reform and the health care issue.

In other news, the AGC office recently received two checks for its participation in affinity programs. The first was from Enterprise. Two contractors in Wichita use its services and for their participation our Chapter received a nice check. AGC’s Verizon discount program has also given us a nice check for the second quarter of the year. This is an easy way to lower your cell phone expenses and give the association a new revenue resource.

that people of all ages could enjoy. We also co-hosted our department’s welcome picnic with the student chapter of Architectural Engineering Institute. We had a great turnout; it was the first chance for our students to meet socially with each other and with the faculty.

We are very excited about the next few months. We have a lot of activities coming up. The first is a Hutton Construction job site tour. Hutton Construction is working on an addition to the Manhattan Medi-cal Center. We will be meeting with Brett Rohr on Friday, October 16th for the tour.

Our next work project is for Baptist Ministries. We are excavating and pouring a concrete slab for them. This is a great project for students to take advantage of. They have the opportunity to see and gain hands on experience with this process from beginning to end.

A few of the projects in the works include a remodel for Manhattan Christian College. We are planning on converting a large library to separate offices. We are also communicating with Habitat for Humanity and are ready to help them when the opportunities arise.

The main project we are working towards is our Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans. We went to New Orleans last spring and helped two families rebuild their homes. It was a great experience for everyone who went. This year we already have 28 students excited to participate.

We are also planning other activities. We are planning a tour of JE Dunn’s Kansas City Headquarters. We have received great interest for this tour due to the fact that their building achieved LEED gold. We are also scheduling a tour of the renovation of the State Capitol Building in Topeka.

Watch for information on the 2010 Convention. We have a full Friday of informative speakers lined up and you won’t want to miss the networking opportunities.

Our dedicated staff at AGC of Kansas will continue to work hard for the construction industry in Kansas. We all need to show support by bringing in new members and participating in the Chapter’s efforts in workforce development. Together we can all make a difference.

Sincerely,

Bev Sauerwein

President’s Report, continued from page 1

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membereventsAGC Holds northeast Kansas Steakfry at Bybee Cabin; Receives Great Response from South Central Steak Fry in Wichita“A tradition unlike any other” is a staple in springtime used by Jim Nantz in commercials leading up to The Masters, golf season’s first major championship. AGC’s northeast Kansas steak fry is a great, unique tradition which is closing in on 40 years.

This fall, approximately 160 members ventured to the By-bee Cabin south of Topeka to network and socialize and play horseshoes or cards with friends and peers in the construction industry while enjoying a great steak. AGC would like to thank the Bybees for their wonderful job again this year.

One can never predict that something as simple as a steak fry will turn into a tradition running 37 years strong. One week before the northeast Kansas steak fry, AGC invited south central Kansas members to Eberly Farm in Wichita for the south central Kansas steak fry. Nearly 90 members and guests were greeted by a wonderful evening and atmosphere. Only time will tell if the south central steak fry will turn into a staple event for AGC, but based on this year’s response, odds are likely that AGC will be back next year.

Top: AGC members enjoy their dinner at the northeast Kansas steak fry hosted at the Bybee cabin.

Above: The team of professional grillers from the Bybee crew prepare steaks at the northeast steak fry.

Below: AGC President Bev Sauerwein, Sauerwein Construction, talks with Tim and Doddie Heffle, IMA of Kansas at the south-central Kansas steak fry.

Above & right: Members social-ize before dinner at Eberly Farm in Wichita. This was the first year that a steak fry has been held in Wichita over the last 10 years.

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legislative update

Legislative Efforts Become Priority as Construction Industry is Targeted by Harmful Legislation...what might have been.

After being the target of harmful legislation for the past few years, the construction industry has been forced to step up its legisla-tive efforts to prevent the passage of more radical legislation in the years to come.

Starting in 2006, labor unions and the Department of Revenue pushed a strong message of ramped abuse by contractors intentionally misclassifying employees as independent contrac-tors. The result was the passage of a bill which strengthened the state’s ability to prosecute employers through investigations even without probable cause of violations. Employers now face criminal charges and penalties up to $1,000 per employee per day who were misclassified as independent contractors when they should have in fact been treated as employees. Several construction companies have been put out of business because of this ambiguous law and its penalties.

2007 was particularly an unfair year for the construction in-dustry. First, lawmakers passed legislation implementing energy efficiency standards for public buildings, including schools. These new standards require buildings to achieve efficiency levels 30% higher than ASHRAE standards. Proponents admit this increase was an arbitrary number set because it seemed significant enough to make a difference. Most importantly, if a building does not achieve the desired level of efficiency after one year, the con-tractor will be required to come back and fix the structure at the contractor’s expense so the building achieves the required energy standards.

Next in 2007, due to the significant reserves in the state’s un-employment insurance fund, business organizations lobbied hard for reductions in unemployment rates for the top 20% positive rate employers. This rate cut affects only those employers with little to no turnover, leaving construction companies with tradi-tionally higher turnover rates without any tax break, even those companies with a positive balance.

The Department of revenue successfully lobbied to expanded the general contractor liability for unpaid unemployment taxes for subcontractors to include all unpaid taxes. The Department of Revenue will now enforce the collection of these taxes through the general contractor if they have contracted with a subcontrac-tor who has unpaid taxes.

2008 brought another round of attacks on the construction industry. This time, public owners took advantage of the lack of voice from the industry.

First, public owners passed alternative delivery legislation containing minimal selection criteria, leaving the process very unclear in how construction managers are selected, with little transparency.

Both the Board of Regents and the counties passed bills exempt-ing themselves from bidding statutes on construction projects altogether. Regents institutions stated that due to smaller con-tributions from the state and reliance on more private donations for operating budgets, they are no longer the public institutions they once were and therefore should be able to operate like a private institution. County officials feel they would be better served if exempted from state bidding statutes since each county faces varied circumstances. Both groups of owners also pushed for the passage of their own alternative delivery bills, establishing very minimal selection criteria for the selection of a construc-tion manager.

Lawmakers also passed legislation stripping school districts of capital outlay state aid for construction projects, almost guaran-teeing little to no new school construction in the coming years.

If you’ve made it this far in this article, you’ve probably been scratching your head wondering where has AGC been? The answer to that question is- at the statehouse. This entire article has taken legislation that has been proposed and given a worst-case scenario of ‘what could have been’ if your association was not paying attention to the bills important to the day-to-day operation of your company.

The outcomes you read are not true. AGC hopes you take time to read the weekly Under the Dome updates sent during the legislative session and encourages you to get involved with the process. Without AGC and its presence at the Capitol, you could be reading these articles for real.

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trainingupdate

A slow down in the construction industry has increased the importance for a company to look at the way they do business. Making adjustments can mean doing things differently. One change some companies are making involves Building Information Model-ing (BIM). BIM is one of the most exciting developments in the construction industry and is changing the way projects are built. Last winter the AGC of America released BIM 101: An Introduc-tion to Building Information Modeling, which is the first of six planned courses in the BIM Education Program Series. The 2nd in the Series, BIM Technology is being released later this month. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is another change of the way business is being done in the construction industry. The AGC of America scheduled a Webinar titled “Integrated Project Delivery (IPD: Why Owners Choose Multi-Party). Workforce Development remains an important element for a company’s success, albeit for different reasons. The “green” movement has not gone away even though many thought it would. LEED certification requirements changed as of July 1, 2009. Keeping informed of environmental regulations , such as

By: Ward NippertDirector of Workforce Developmentwnipper@agcks.org(316) 634-6391

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Stormwater & Erosion Control and crane certification require-ments are of great importance. These topics are just a few that have been identified by chapter members as ones which they would like the association’s assistance.

AGC staff continues involvement in several areas of workforce development which include overseeing NCCER Curriculum in secondary & post secondary schools and serving on advisory committees for many programs. Hutchinson Community College has made changes, and in spring 2010, will implement courses on their campus which are a part of the Commercial Construction Associate Degree. There are tentative plans to hold the Con-struction Boot Camp next summer which was originally planned for last summer.

Workforce Development for the AGC of Kansas can best be man-aged by a workforce committee. Members of the Training Center Advisory Committee and others interested in workforce issues are invited to attend a planning meeting to be held at Simpson & Associates in Wichita on November 5. Anyone interested in attending should contact Ward Nippert.

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hr cornerBy Mary Legge, SPHRGroup Benefit Specialists, Inc.(316) 491-2600 ext 115mlegge@group-benefit.comwww.group-benefit.com

H1N1 - What Should HR Be Doing?

I’m no doctor, but I can tell you the bug that my husband and I had last January was nasty. Every time I hear the term H1N1 my mind instantly goes back to that week. The first three days I spent in bed. The next one I patted around in my socks. It was finally on Friday that I actually was productive at work. Critical things were performed by my co-workers and the rest was waiting for me when I got back. But what would have hap-pened if a large number of our company employees were hit at the same time?

I am not saying that H1N1 is going to be a pandemic, but as small, medium and large companies we all have assets that we need to protect from disaster. I recently read a check list for companies to be prepared in case of a pandemic. I believe some of the items can be useful to think about even if it is just another flu season.

Identify critical processes and ensure multiple employ-•ees can performs these effectively.Test your backup plan prior to implementation to •work out the bugs. That includes having people work from home.Review your sick leave policy. Does it discourage em-•ployees from coming to work sick?Define the rules when the company will send home •someone who is sick.Identify critical vendors/suppliers. What are they doing •to make sure you receive the services and materials that are critical to your company?

And communicate with your employees. H1N1 is in the news every day. Your employees are concerned about your plans. Implement steps they can take everyday that will help with germs of any kind: wash your hands regularly throughout the day, clean germ ‘hot-spots’ daily (don’t forget the vending machine buttons and the conference room chairs), maintain a personal distance of several feet and consider forgoing the handshake, supply tissues for ready use of anyone when they sneeze. Consider hanging posters that detail the flu symptoms and what to do if you get the bug.

Although this might be just another flu season, you might want to consider finding a major checklist of your own. If it turns out worse, it will be the prepared companies that will bounce back quickly and not end up on life support.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson appeared last week before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-ture to discuss the Clean Water Act's (CWA) permit program and EPA's immediate plans to strengthen its enforcement efforts. Jackson specifically called out construction sites as one of "the biggest threats" to our nation's waters, adding that EPA needs "to target enforcement to the most serious violations and the most significant sources." To address what she describes as an "unacceptably low" level of enforcement activity, Administrator Jackson announced the release of EPA's new action plan to strengthen federal and state CWA en-forcement.

In her testimony to the Committee, Administrator Jack-son stated that "it is long overdue for EPA to reexamine its approach to Clean Water Act NPDES [National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System] enforcement to…address the water pollution challenges of this century." Recipients of all types of NPDES permits can expect to see increased enforce-ment by EPA - including criminal and civil penalties for non-compliance - as well as more reporting and public oversight. The Administrator went on to highlight EPA's new “Clean Water Act Enforcement Action Plan” that calls for the follow-ing actions:

1. Target Enforcement to the Most Important Water Pol-lution Problems - EPA will tackle violations of existing law by the sources of pollution posing the biggest threats to water quality.

2. Strengthen Oversight of State Permitting and Enforce-ment Programs - In situations where states are not issuing protective permits or taking enforcement to achieve compli-ance, EPA needs to act to strengthen state programs and to pursue federal enforcement actions as necessary.

3. Improve Accountability and Transparency - EPA believes that making information on environmental discharges available to the public will increase the pressure on regulated facilities to self-police and reduce their pollution.

EPA Administrator Testifies Before Congress on New Clean Water Act Enforcement Action Plan

national news

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