GBC Reports..., August 20, 2003

2003 Build New York Awards
The jury has met and the winners have been selected! Four projects, out of 18 excellent submissions, will be honored with the GBC's 2003 Build New York Award.

Carey Construction (Kingston) is a winner for their historic restoration of the Matthewis Persen House in Kingston. Carey and its team restored this 1690 Dutch house, accurately utilizing 17th century Dutch techniques.

Murnane Building Contractors (East Syracuse) and its team will be honored for its Turning Stone Casino Resort Expansion project in Verona. This was actually three projects, run concurrently over two years: A luxury clubhouse for the golf course, a two-story casino/office addition, and renovations to 45,000 square feet of casino space.

And, for the first time in the Build New York Awards' history, we have a double winner. Sano-Rubin Construction Co. (Albany) and its team will be honored for two projects. The Fine Arts Wing at the Hawthorne Valley School in Ghent was built to the exacting standards of the owner, and renovations to the Emergency Department at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany were completed with special attention to the needs of the staff and patients of the hospital.

For further details on the winning projects, click here.

Our congratulations to the winners, and, indeed, to all the entrants. The jury had a variety of excellent projects to choose from and the choice was not an easy one. Plan to join us on October 16 for a celebration of building excellence (see announcement below).


GBC Safety Excellence Awards
We are also pleased to announce the winners of the GBC Safety Excellence Awards for 2003. The GBC Safety Excellence Award recognizes and honors Member firms with excellent safety programs, who consistently maintain safe working conditions on their jobsites, and who continue to improve upon their existing safety programs year after year.

LeCesse Construction Company, West Henrietta, NY
Lehigh Construction Group Inc., Orchard Park, NY 
Northeast Construction Services, Inc., Syracuse, NY 
Sano-Rubin Construction Co., Inc., Albany, NY
Storm King Contracting Inc., Montgomery, NY 


Awards Event - Join Us!
The winners and entrants of the GBC's Build New York and Safety Excellence Awards will be honored at a gala on the evening of October 16 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs. We will have a buffet reception, with the awards presentation to follow in the Museum's Hall of Fame Room. Invitations will be in the mail right after Labor Day - please plan to join us!


SED Waffles on Design Delegation "Approval"
GBC Says, "You Can Call It George"
GBC recently reported that the State Education Department's Office of Professional Discipline had pressed a structural engineering firm in New York City to use the word "approved" when dealing with a submittal related to design delegation. This was in keeping with the Regents' Rules on design delegation. Subsequent to that, however, the same issue came up with another New York City structural engineer and the State Education Department waffled and said that stamps stating "no exceptions taken" and "reviewed only for the loads imposed on the structure" are okay. We can only speculate why they did an about-face, but the GBC and ESSA (Empire State Subcontractors Association) have registered our complaint.

In a meeting held at the State Education Department recently, ESSA and GBC expressed grave concern over the softening of the rules set forth in the Regents' Rules. Those rules were adopted in 1996 to allow for some design to be delegated within very strict parameters which include the requirement that the principle design firm "approve" the submitted design "for conformance with the established specifications and parameters" and for determination that the design "conforms to the overall project design and can be integrated into such design." In the meeting, GBC indicated "The designer can call it 'George' as long as the specifications define 'George' as meaning that which is required by the Regents' Rule."

Following the meeting, SED is looking more deeply into the issue and we await their determination. There has been some suggestion from ESSA that a lawsuit to compel SED to enforce the Regents' Rules might be considered should they continue to allow the "weasel words" noted above. We will keep you posted.


Projects of the Month Needed
Have you looked at the GBC's website lately? For the last few months we have included a GBC Project of the Month on our homepage (www.gbcnys.agc.org). Do you have a project we can use? All you need to do is send a picture of the project (a .jpg file is best) and a brief description of the project, including location and date completed, to Pam Martin, pamm@gbcnys.agc.org. Put your name in lights!


The Associate Corner's Back!
Back in the days when the GBC NEWS was snail-mailed to all Members, we included a feature we called The Associate Corner. Articles on subjects of interest to the Members were written by GBC Associate Members, experts in their fields. We discontinued the practice when we went to the shorter, more frequent GBC Reports, but have decided to bring it back as a monthly, stand-alone feature that will be e-mailed to all Members.

Now, we need volunteer writers. Associate and Specialty Members, here's your chance to put your expertise in front of the GBC Membership. We are accepting proposals for articles, 500-1000 words long, on a subject of general interest to the GBC Membership. This is not to be an advertisement for your firm, but rather information that Members can use. A brief paragraph on your firm's services, with contact information, may be included.

Interested? Contact Pam Martin, pamm@gbcnys.agc.org, with a brief synopsis of your article. First come, first to be published!


ACE Mentors Needed
It's that time of year again! GBC is on the lookout for interested members that would like to assist in mentoring high school students in the world of construction. We need industry mentors for the Albany and Buffalo ACE Mentor programs for the 2003-2004 school year. Please contact Brendan Manning at the GBC at brendanm@gbcnys.agc.org or at (518) 869-2207 as soon as possible. It's never too early to begin training our future workforce. 


AEs, CMs and Proposers of State Work Must Disclose Lobbyists 
Executive Order 127, issued on June 16, applies to procurement efforts for AEs, CMs and proposers on state work that commences on or after August 14, 2003. The Executive Order requires entities that are seeking to procure state work not required by law to be awarded to the low bidder, to identify persons or organizations authorized to lobby contracting agencies on their behalf, and indicate whether they have been found to be in violation of this Executive Order within the previous five years. Affected state agencies are required to record information about persons contacting them in an attempt to influence procurement decisions, and determine whether proposers have been in compliance with the Executive Order. 

The Executive Order is available online at www.gorr.state.ny.us/gorr/EO127_fulltext.htm and the OGS guidelines are available online at www.ogs.state.ny.us/legal/ExeOrder127/overview.asp

The OGS guidelines are intended to assist both contracting agencies and potential proposers with compliance, and provide additional details regarding the scope and requirements of Executive Order 127. Key features include the following: the guidelines and list of those agencies that apply (can only be accessed on-line), some of the procurement activities (not all), model forms to be used by bidders to identify advocates, and established procedures for periodic submissions rather than for each individual bid.

For additional information regarding implementation of the Executive Order or interpretation of these guidelines, you can contact the OGS Legal Services Bureau at 518-474-5607.


Managing Your Sub in a Soft Economy 
Keep your eyes out for a flyer for an upcoming GBC educational program titled "Managing Your Sub in a Soft Economy." This half-day program will offer panelists' perspectives from the construction industry, legal and surety worlds. It's targeted to those in your firm who work with your subcontractors and need an update on contract documents, the prompt payment law, bonding and additional insureds, prevailing wages, joint checks and factoring and liens as well as identifying the signs of trouble. If you would like more information, contact Brendan Manning at GBC at brendanm@gbcnys.agc.org or at (518) 869-2207. 


Looking for Future Construction Leaders 
Be on the lookout for a brochure and application to nominate the GBC Future Construction Leaders of NYS class of 2004. This program provides priceless industry information for the future leaders of your organization. The group meets four times each year in different regions of the State where attendees learn about contract documents, spec reviews, project delivery systems, finance, risk management, human resources issues and a host of other topics. The class typically consists of 20-30 mid-level employees typically with 5-15 years of experience in the industry. Past attendees have included senior superintendents, project managers, estimators and operations managers. This is one program that your industry leaders should not miss. Contact Brendan Manning at brendanm@gbcnys.agc.org or at (518) 869-2207 for more information. 


NIOSH Seeks Comments on Noise Database
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health plans to measure the noise output from powered hand tools used in the construction industry and develop a searchable, internet-based database with the results. NIOSH hopes that the database would facilitate the use of engineering noise controls in the construction industry.

NIOSH is seeking comments on the proposed study, particularly concerning usefulness, feasibility, and possible enhancements. If you have comments to offer, e-mail Charles Hayden at chanden@cdc.gov or fax him at 513-533-8139.


AGC Advanced Management Program 
The AGC of America is once again offering its Advanced Management Program. The session will take place from November 7-13, 2003 at the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas. It is targeted at general and specialty contractors' senior managers. This intensive course is designed to give you the skills and knowledge you need to lead your company in a highly competitive market. Some of the topics include strategic management, safety management, implementing change, and construction financial management. For more information, visit the AGC website at www.agc.org and click on Education and Training and then Management Programs, or contact Brendan Manning at brendanm@gbcnys.agc.org or (518) 869-2207. 


Upcoming Events
Please check the GBC Calendar for a complete list of upcoming events, with links to registration forms.