October 23, 2006

AGC Board Endorses Tom Brown for Encinitas City Council

For years, the AGC has been urging contractors to become involved in either appointed or elected political positions. Public entities are involved in nearly every aspect of our industry and often need the background and expertise that individuals experienced in the industry can bring to the process.  Each year we ask the AGC President to use his position in the association to convince members to volunteer for public boards/commissions or even to run for political office. This year’s AGC San Diego President Tom Brown, Sierra Pacific West, Inc. decided to do more than urge other members to become involved and has become involved in the process himself…..as a candidate for the Encinitas City Council.  During the AGC Board’s October 10^th meeting the Board officially endorsed Tom for the position.

We encourage AGC members to support Tom’s candidacy with a contribution……for information simply go to the campaign’s web site….www.ElectThomasLBrown.com

 

AGC’s November 8^th Open House…..Don’t Miss It!!!
By Jim Ryan AGCSD Executive Vice President

OK…..I have been around the AGC for a fairly long time….since 1978 to be exact…and during that time I have not seen all of the AGC Chapter offices throughout the country, but I have seen many of them.  Your new AGC San Diego Office and Training Center is one of the best in the country!!!! The only chapter that compares is probably the AGC of Washington in Seattle…which is located on a lake in Seattle and has a commercial marina as part of its complex.

What is unique about the AGC San Diego facility is that the building is focused on training.  The newly renovated facility has about 25,000 sq ft and only about 7000 sq ft of office space…the rest is devoted to classrooms, meeting rooms, and hands-on apprenticeship training.  The safety training facility within the building is second to none. The classrooms and meeting rooms contain state-of-the-art electronics…..some of the most sophisticated audio visual training equipment available today.

Anyway….the AGC’s new facility is ready to ”show off” on Wednesday November 8^th beginning at 5 pm.  The Open house is sponsored by ABD Insurance Services and Cement Cutting, as well as several of the contractors that worked on the facility. 

We urge every AGC San Diego member to attend and see for yourself how this outstanding facility will better serve the construction industry in San Diego and surrounding areas.
Click here for the Open House registration form.

 

AGC’s Holiday Dinner Dance – Saturday, December 2^nd

Some traditions are definitely worth keeping….the AGC San Diego Holiday Dinner Dance, which will be held at the Hotel Del Coronado on Saturday December 2, 2006, is one of those traditions.  For over 70 years, the San Diego Construction industry has set aside one Saturday evening each December to gather together and celebrate the past year and look forward to the upcoming year. The Holiday Dinner Dance is designed to be an evening of fun to be shared with your peers in the industry….no speeches….no meeting.

The Del defines the Christmas season in San Diego.  For generations, the hotel has been decorated with thousands of lights. Many families make the Thanksgiving “lighting” of the Del one of their holiday traditions.  The AGC Dinner Dance is held in the hotel’s 100+ year old Ballroom. The Ballroom, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, is an outstanding venue and provides the perfect setting for a truly San Diego holiday celebration.

The event usually is a sell out and this year appears to be no exception.  Members interested in attending are encouraged to respond to the invitation that is attached…the cost is $190 per person for registrations received before November 6 and $225 per person for registrations received after that date.  The registration includes a gourmet dinner, entertainment and dancing.  The room block expires on November 3^rd.

New members are encouraged to attend.  The Holiday Dinner Dance Committee will provide special seating for new members to ensure that the AGC Holiday Dinner Dance will be a special evening. 

Sponsors for the 2006 Holiday Dinner Dance are California Bank & Trust and Alliant Insurance. 
Click here for the Dinner Dance registration form.

The event is Black Tie.  Questions?....Please contact Rae Krushensky on the AGC Staff at 858 558 7444 x107 or email at raek@agcsd.org.

 

Engineering Work…..Are there Projects to Bid????????
By Jim Ryan, AGCSD Executive Vice President

I received a call last week from one of our AGC members that works mainly on the engineering side of the industry for our local cities, the County, and Caltrans.  He was concerned.  It seemed like the number of projects out for bid has been dramatically reduced.

I suspect this is a temporary “lull” in the action. During last week’s Independent Transnet Oversight Committee (ITOC) meeting, SANDAG presented figures concerning the immediate infusion of funding for projects should Prop 1 B pass on November 7^th.  SB 1266, the legislation that created Prop 1B contained specific language for funding for local projects throughout the state.  The county of San Diego will receive $70,000,000 in new funding, and the cities in the county will receive the following:

Carlsbad Chula Vista Coronado Del Mar El Cajon Encinitas Escondido Imperial Beach La Mesa Lemon Grove National City Oceanside Poway San Diego San Marcos Santee Solana Beach Vista TOTAL

$3,053,090 6,980,622 865,522 400,000 3,135,140 2,014,322 4,535,705 889,172 1,796,409 819,251 2,046,378 5,618,210 1,626,083 41,899,071 2,344,191 1,748,052 429,986 3,019,814 $83,221,018

My advice to the caller from last week……vote for the Governor’s infrastructure funding package!!!!!

 

Fiscal Watchdog Group Supports Infrastructure Investment

With $37 billion of state infrastructure bonds and over $3 billion in local tax and bond measures on the November 7 ballot, you would think that our local public watchdog, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA), would be concerned whether or not we can afford getting into further debt. 

The 56 Board Members of SDCTA, a taxpayer advocate dedicated to promoting cost-effective and efficient government and opposing unnecessary new taxes and fees, are concerned, but they also know the importance of investing in our failing infrastructure.  Last week, SDCTA released an analysis of a number of state and local measures.  It supported 10 of the 12 infrastructure measures (it didn’t take a position on the state housing bond, and took an “oppose” position on the sales tax increase in the City of Vista).

AGC, which is the strongest advocate of infrastructure investment in the construction industry, and supports all 12 infrastructure measures, applauds the SDCTA in its decision to support most of the measures.  However, we need to continue to drive home the point that our infrastructure is failing, and we need to effectively communicate that point to our members.  With that being said, we are once again attaching our voter guide.  Please print it out and distribute it to your employees!

 

Important Election Dates to Remember

Today, October 23, is the last day to register to vote.  If you would like to vote on November 7 but have not registered yet you should go to the San Diego County’s Registrar of Voters, 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite I, San Diego, 92123.  You can also access their website at www.sdvote.com or by calling 565-5800.  The last day to apply for an absentee ballot is October 31.

 

John Elliott to be Honored with Good Scout Award for 2006

On Wednesday, November 1, the San Diego-Imperial Council, Boy Scouts of America, will be honoring Eagle Scout John Elliott (Executive Vice President, Roel Construction) with its Good Scout Award for 2006.  He will be recognized at the Council’s 1^st Annual Construction and Building Industry Lunch-O-Ree, beginning at 12 Noon at the Sheraton- Mission Valley

John has been a leader in business and community for over 40 years, and he lives the values of the Scout Oath and Law in his daily life.  His dedication, hard work, and integrity have contributed significantly to the growth and vitality of San Diego.

The Lunch-O-Ree is not only a special way to honor John, but it is a great way to support continued growth of Boy Scouting in our communities.  The money raised at the luncheon will help fund programs for over 30,000 scouts in San Diego and Imperial Counties.

We have attached a flyer about the luncheon, which includes a registration form.  We hope you complete it and attend this special occasion.  If you have any questions or would like to sponsor a table, please contact Russ Strenk, Marketing and Communications Director, at 619-298-6121, extension 240.
Click here for the flyer and registration form.

 

City of San Diego to Review Lobbying Rules

On Wednesday, the City of San Diego Rules Committee will consider proposals by the Ethics Commission that would dramatically change the way city officials can be “lobbied” on issues as well as raise funds for political campaigns.  The proposals, if enacted by the City Council, will tighten up the reporting requirements of lobbyists, lobbying firms, and business/trade associations (such as AGC) when having direct contact with City Officials to influence municipal decisions.  Also, some of the proposed reporting requirements for political contributions could effectively eliminate City Council Members’ ability to raise campaign funds.

AGC will be attending the Rules Committee meeting and will continue to monitor the potential impact of these proposals…stay tuned.

 

IMPORTANT….AGC San Diego Membership Directory Information Requested- Deadline November 3rd

Thank you to those members who have already updated their directory listings.  We are kindly requesting one person from each company to update the information for the AGC- San Diego’s Membership Directory. We’ve made it simple!  Please click on the following link: http://www.agcsd.org/members/memberupdate.php  and complete the requested information, then click Submit at the bottom of the page.  This can also be accessed at www.agcsd.org on home page: Member Listings --àUpdate Membership Information drop down).

Any questions, please contact Marcy Knopman at 858-731-8162 or email mknopman@agcsd.org

 

AGC Annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA) – Deadline Nov 22- by 12:00 noon

The AGC Annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA) program sponsored by Willis has been an ongoing and evolving effort by the AGC of America to recognize companies who have developed and implemented excellent safety and loss prevention programs achieved through management commitment, employee training and program innovation.

The purpose of the CSEA is to recognize those construction companies who excel at safety performance. CSEA will closely examine each candidate's commitment to safety and occupational health management and risk control. Unlike the National AGC Safety Awards (NASA) program that limits the criteria to frequency rates, the CSEA selection process is considerably more comprehensive. Judges will look for evidence of company management commitment, active employee participation, safety training, work site hazard identification and control, and safety program innovation.

Participants will be required to complete the application forms and submit them to their local AGC Chapter. The AGC Chapters will select finalists in each category (if applicable) and submit those recommendations to AGC of America. Members of the AGC Safety & Health Committee will review the Chapter's submittals at the winter meeting. Then the finalists in each category will compete at the AGC National Convention for either a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place award. Finalists will have an opportunity to give an oral presentation in front of five judges. The first, second and third place awards will be determined after oral presentations. The winners will be announced at the Willis Safety Awards Breakfast during the AGC Annual Convention.  For a CSEA application, please request a copy from Marcy at mknopman@agcsd.org. 

The deadline for submitting entries to AGC is 12 noon on Wednesday, November 22, 2006

 

 

OCTOBER  CLASSES
October 24 – Project Engineering 7:00 AM- POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 7th
October 25 – CPR/First Aid- 8:00 AM
October 25 – WEBCM – 7:30 AM
October 26 – STP- Session #1 – 7:00 AM

Coming in November…
November 1 – Blue Print Reading Class Begins- Session #1 – 1:00 PM-5:00 PM Click Here
November 2 – Supervisory Training Program – Session #2 – 7 AM-11:30 AM
November 3 – Advanced SWPPP Training – 7:30 AM
November 7 – Project Engineering – 7:00 AM – Click Here
November 8 – Trenching & Excavating CPT – 7:00 AM
November 8 – Blue Print Reading Class – Session #2 – 1:00-5:00 PM  
November 9 – Supervisory Training Program – Session #3 – 7 AM
Nov 13-17^th   –   NCCCO- Contact 619-466-8580 ext. 709
November 14 – Microsoft EXCEL II
November 15 – Construction Estimating Boot Camp- 8 AM
November 15 – Blue Print Reading Class – Session #3 – 1:00 PM
November 16 – SPT Program – Session #4 – 7AM
November 16 – Project Mgmt Course- Session #6 – 7:00 AM
November 17 – OSHA 10 Hour – 7:00 AM
November 29 – CPR/First Aid – 8:00 AM

 

OCTOBER MEETINGS – All meetings will be held at AGC unless indicated otherwise
October 24- Meetings & Events Committee – 12:00 PM
October 25 – County of San Diego Liaison Committee – 1:00 PM (subject to change)  MOVED TO NOV. 28th
October 27 – Builders’ Exchange – 7:00 AM
October 31 – Airport Liaison Committee @ Airport -11:00 AM (subject to change)  MOVED TO NOV. 16^th at AGC

NOVEMBER MEETINGS
November 1 – Safety Committee Meeting – 7 AM
November 8 – AGC Board of Directors Meeting – 3:00 PM
November 14 – Navy Liaison Meeting – 11:30 AM
November 15 – Public Building Liaison Meeting – 7:00 AM
November 16 – Specialty Contractors Council – - LOCATION FOR THIS MEETING @ AGC 7:00 AM
November 16 – Airport Authority Liaison Committee Meeting- LOCATION FOR THIS MEETING @ AGC –11:00 AM
November 28 – County of San Diego Liaison Committee Meeting – 1:00 PM
November 29 – City of San Diego – 1:00 PM

 

Save The Dates:
November 8 – AGC OPEN HOUSE – starting at 5:00 PM – 6212 Ferris Square
December 2 – Holiday Dinner Dance at Hotel Del Coronado
December 13 – AGC Annual Meeting – Mission Bay Hilton
January 23, 2007 – Installation Dinner – Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines
(Installation of Officers & Directors, AGC Membership Awards, Safety Awards, & Apprentice Graduations)