AGC Holds First Board Meetings of 2008, Installs Officers
By: Pam Gray
2008-01-28
AGC of California held its first State Board of Directors and Division meetings for 2008 on January 10-11 at the Disneyland Grand Californian in Anaheim. The meetings were followed by the installation of officers' banquet on Friday evening, January 11th.
AGC's State Board covered a variety of business issues during its first meeting of 2008, including laying out the association's major goals in the year ahead in accordance with AGC's Strategic and Operating Business Plan. Those goals include continuing to increase non-dues revenue over 2007; increase public relations and marketing, and focus on effective regionalization, among other things.
In addition, Legislative Committee Chair David Colon, NK DAVID CONSTRUCTORS, outlined the association's 2008 legislative program. The program will focus on a host of issues impacting the construction industry, including AGC sponsored or co/sponsored legislation dealing with meal and rest periods, public works – liquidated damages, and limited liability companies, among many other issues. AGC will continue its focus on legislative grass roots activism, with the association's annual Legislative Day slated for June 18, 2008.
California Senator Dick Ackerman addressed the AGC state board of directors regarding the current status of the proposed state budget, which had been unveiled by the Governor the previous day. The Senator noted that the proposed budget, which included deep spending cuts, showed a deficit of $14 billion dollars. He reported that the Governor has assured him that there will be no new tax increases.
AGC Division Meetings
AGC of California's two occupational division boards of directors, the Building Division and Jt. Engineering Division, held their first meetings of the year the day prior, on January 10. Highlights of the Building Division meeting included an in-depth discussion on prescriptive versus performance specifications for design/build projects; discussion of critical changes for AGC contract documents; and an update on various new and proposed Cal/OSHA regulations. The Jt. Engineering Division board heard from Paul Meyer, executive director of the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC), on an important new court ruling for CELSOC that should prove beneficial for contractors. Directors also heard from Caltrans representatives regarding new DVBE regulations as well as an update on the status of project funding for the transportation projects provided for in the Prop 1B bond measure.
Projects 2008
Immediately following the AGC of California State Board of Directors meeting on January 11, AGC held its annual Southern California regional project forum, Projects 2008. More than a dozen leading local, regional and state agencies turned out to provide information on hundreds of million of dollars in projects they have coming out to bid in the coming months. A few of the owners on hand to discuss their programs and upcoming bidding opportunities with contractors were:
- the Los Angeles Unified School District, with information on its $20 billion new school construction and modernization program;
- the Port of Los Angeles, showcasing over $400 million in projects out to bid over the next year;
- the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, showcasing over $800 million in projects to be awarded in the next year and a half;
- Caltrans District 7 (Los Angeles and Ventura County), with information on an estimated $2.1 billion in projects slated to bid in fiscal years 2008/09; and
- the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, with an estimated $250 million in projects slated to bid in the first half of 2008.
AGC Officers Installation Banquet
Well over 300 people turned out to welcome AGC of California's leadership for 2008 during the Installation of Officers banquet that followed the AGC meetings on January 11 at the Disney Grand Californian hotel and spa. 2008 Officers who were installed included President Wayne Lindholm, Hensel Phelps Construction Co. Irvine; Sr. Vice President Tom Foss, Griffith Company, Santa Fe Springs; Vice President Bob Christenson, Panattoni Construction, Inc., Sacramento; Treasurer Gerry DiIoli, Herzog Contracting Corp., Oceanside; and Immediate Past President Steve Blois, Blois Construction, Inc., Oxnard.
AGC of California and its districts plan a variety of meetings, events and educational forums in the year ahead. Just a few of the statewide highlights for 2008 include: the 21st Annual Constructor Awards banquet on April 5 in San Francisco; the AGC Spring Conference and Meetings in Monterey May 14 to 16; the AGC Safety Awards of Excellence luncheon in Southern California on June 11th; AGC Legislative Day in Sacramento June 18; and the AGC Fall Conference and Meetings in Indian Wells October 15 to 18. For more information on these or any other AGC events, visit AGC's website at www.agc-ca.org or call AGC at (916) 371-2422.
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