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A Letter From the Editor
Dear HRUHCA Member,
HRUHCA has been very busy in the second quarter
of 2011! The association has moved to a new office
location, attended the State Corporation Commission's annual "Damage Prevention Conference," hosted local Congressman Randy Forbes, participated in the
"Drive Safe Hampton Roads" annual industry show,
and honored our contracting firms who went "above
and beyond" to achieve a great safety record in 2010.
In addition, HRUHCA is now participating with state regulatory agencies and industry partners in a series of summer meetings to re-write important legislation that
will impact anyone who drives trucks and trailers in the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
Thanks to our many inquiries and letters from our members, VDOT will be holding for the first time in two years, their erosion and sediment control certification class in the Hampton Roads Area on Friday, June 17th at the Hilton Norfolk Airport.
It is important that you send your people to this class if you need the training. VDOT is watching this class because we have told them that there is a need for this class to be held in the Hampton Roads Area. If we do not get the turnout, then VDOT may not continue to hold the class here. So please support this class so next year you won't have to have your people traveling to Richmond, Northern Virginia, or Roanoke to take the class.
To register for this class you will have to download the class flyer. Please go to the HRUHCA website at www.hruhca.com to download the flyer.
The HRUHCA VDOT Work Zone Classes continue to draw great interest. The association holds monthly VDOT Work Zone Classes. If you work in VDOT easements you will need to keep your folks certified. Register for the VDOT Work Zone classes coming up in June by going to our website and registering. The online registration for the June classes will soon be posted on our home page.
Finally, sign-up for the HRUHCA June membership dinner meeting by going on the HRUHCA website ( www.hruhca.com) and registering. We have a great program in store for you on Tuesday, June 14th at the Chesapeake Marriott as the President and Safety Director of the Dominion Terminals talk about what you need to do in the event of a catastrophic event or fatality on your job-site.
Accidents do happen and sometimes in the flash of a moment those accidents can turn deadly. Your firm will need to be prepared when the state inspectors and the local media show up at your site. Don't miss a very informative presentation from a firm that has had a fatal accident. Mr. David Hofe will share their experiences and their insight into a very important topic that will help you prepare your firm in the event of a serious accident or fatality.
In addition to a great program in June, the association will be honoring the srecipients of the 2011 HRUHCA memorial college scholarship program. Mr. Allan Gibbs, Chairman of the HRUHCA Memorial Scholarship convened this year's selection committee that consisted of Ms. Andy Lerner of Peninsula Paving Company, Mr. Bill Breeden of PAPCO Commercial Fuels, and Mr. Charlie Adams of Suburban Grading and Utilities.
After much due diligence, the Committee has selected four very impressive young scholars to receive scholarships. I am proud to announce that the four winners are:
Mr. Sheldon Dryer, HRUHCA Sponsoring firm Chesapeake Contracting
Ms. Amanda Lee Parker, HRUHCA Sponsoring firm Rish Equipment
Mr. Garrett Gotteschalk, HRUHCA Sponsoring firm Hanson Pipe Products
Mr. John F. Graves, Jr., HRUHCA Sponsoring firm Kevcor Construction
Congraulations to all of the winners and congratulations to the parents and the HRUHCA firms for mentoring and supporting such fine young people.
Finally, HRUHCA welcomes engineering firm Hurt and Profit back to HRUHCA as our newest member firm in 2011.
As always, on behalf of our Board of Directors, I thank you for your continued support of this great association and I look forward to visiting with you at one of our upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Jim Stepahin
Executive Director
HRUHCA
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Congressman Randy Forbes
 HRUHCA Preisdent Bill Witt and wife Bridgette (WB&E Construction) share a moment with Congressman Randy Forbes at the March dinner meeting.
HRUHCA welcomed Chesapeake Congressman Randy Forbes (R-4th) to the March dinner meeting as the association's special guest speaker on the evening of Monday, March 21st at the Chesapeake Marriott Hotel.
A lifelong resident of Virginia, Randy began his career in private law practice helping small and medium-sized businesses and ultimately became a partner in the largest law firm in southeastern Virginia.
From 1989-2001, he served the Comonwealth of Virginia in the General Assembly. He served 7 years in the Virginia House of Delegates prior to his election to the Virginia Senate in 1997.
He served 3 1/2 years in the Virginia Senate until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2001.
 a Suzanne and Stacy Lewis (Lewis Consitruction of Virginia) visit with Congressman Forbes at the HRUHCA March dinner event
Congressman Forbes spoke very emphatically about the importance of keeping America's small businesses competitive with other nations. He also emphasized the need to keep federal governemnt regulations and regulatory agencies off the backs of small businessmen so that they can compete on a global basis and make a living free of needless impositions.
Forbes was also concerned with putting American's back to work. His solution was to continue to promote competitveness with foreign business:
" With the unemployment rate at 9 percent, it is vital that we promote growth and competitiveness, create well-paying jobs, and enable innovation and investment".
Forbes also emphasized the importance of increasing our country's manufacturing industry. In order to accomplish this initiative, Forbes has co-sponsored the "National Manufacturing Strategy Act", which requires the President to submit a National Manufacturing Strategy to Congress during every presidential term.
Under this bill, the President's Manufacturing Strategy Board would conduct a comprehensive analysis of the American manufacturing industry and take into consideration relevant reports and recommendations issued by Federal agencies, Federal advisory boards, academics and the private sector. Based on the analysis, certain strategies and policies would be recommended to strengthen and improve the manufacturing industry.
Terry Pruitt and Preston Fussell (Precon Construction) share a pose with Congressman Forbes An interesting side note to Forbes visit is the looming redistricting effort that is currently underway in the Commonwealth. Forbes Congressional District is very much under scrutiny and he may well have a very difficult upcoming election if the Democratic Senate and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus succeed in influencing the make-up of the 4th Congressional District.
Virginia is moving its redistricting process along faster than other states because of state legislative elections in November, but the Congressional map remains in fluid form.
Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) tasked a newly formed bipartisan advisory commission to offer independent guidance to what is a partisan process. With Democrats in control of the state Senate and Republicans holding the House of Delegates, the final plan will require bipartisan support.
There is currently a push by state Senate Democrats to increase the number of voting-age African-Americans in Forbes' 4th district, which is already more than one-third African-American.
With the state's current black population at 20 percent, the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus increased its push to add another Congressional district to at least come close to being a majority-minority.
State Sen. Mamie Locke (D), chairwoman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and a leader in the push for allowing for greater African-American influence on Congressional elections, said in an interview that everything remains up in the air at this point.
"We've gotten a preliminary drawing for what the 4th and the 3rd districts could look like that was done by a professor at Norfolk State," she said. "But we also have a couple of Senators and the Division of Legislative Services working on a plan."
The second plan, she said, would make the 4th district majority-minority and push Scott's 3rd district below 50 percent African-American.
"One of the issues that's likely to arise is how is the Justice Department going to respond to the plans that Virginia sends them," commission Chairman Bob Holsworth (HRUHCA past special guest speaker) said of Virginia's status as a Voting Rights Act state.
Holsworth noted that "there is a significant minority presence in the areas in and around Forbes' district," and the Department of Justice could decide it should be minority-influenced, as the black caucus has indicated it wants.
Scott, now in his 10th term in Congress, has never faced a competitive election. Forbes has also won easily since winning a competitive special election shortly before the Congressional districts were redrawn in 2001.
Forbes' 4th district currently runs from the western and southern suburbs of Richmond south to the North Carolina border and east to include the independent cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake.
Charles City currently resides just inside the 3rd district border, but under a proposed plan, it could be among the areas pushed into the 4th district to increase the African-American population.
State Sen. Don McEachin (D), another member of the caucus, said they "have been in dialogue with Rep. Scott every step of the way, and he is aware of the plans" regarding the possibility of removing portions of his Richmond- and Hampton Roads-based district.
If part of McEachin's state Senate district, which includes Charles City, is pushed inside the 4th district, one source said he could be looking to challenge Forbes in a newly competitive district next year.
Randy Forbes visits with Lewis Witt (Innerview, Ltd) and HRUHCA President Bill Witt (WB&E Construction)
Although the future make-up of the 4th Congressional Distict is still undetermined, Congressman Randy Forbes has many advantages over upcoming challengers that will be difficult to overcome.
He is a very intellegent individual and a seasoned politician. He has garnered much support and respect in Chesapeake.
HRUHCA members enjoyed his visit and a large majority of members support his positions and his message of increased manufacturing & jobs and decreased regulation.of small business.
The association wishes him luck in his upcoming election and look forward to a future visit.
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HRUHCA Lobbyist Myles Loria Briefs Membership at April Dinner Meeting
HRUHCA Lobbyist Myles Loria of the Hunton and Williams Law Firm traveled from Richmond to brief the association on the results of the 2011 Virginia General Assembly at the HRUHCA April membership dinner meeting. The event was held at the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina Hotel on Tuesday, April 12th.
The following article is a summation of Myles final report to the membership.
The scheduled adjournment of the 47 day 2012 General Assembly session stretched into a 48th day due to disagreements surrounding revisions to the Commonwealth's two year $80 billion budget document.
The General Assembly approved nearly 1600 bills during the regular session.
Governor McDonnell was able to "push through" his transportation package which represents the largest infusion of funds into the state's infrastructure program in more than two decades (approximately $3 billion). The package will help fund 900 projects state-wide.
The issue that forced the General Assembly into overtime, the budget, ended up being a document that members in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle supported unanimously, which is the first time in many, many years the budget received universal support from both chambers and both parties.
The respective budgets approved by the House and the Senate several weeks ago differed dramatically.
The Senate wanted to dramatically increase spending on core services such as K-12 education and Health and Human Resources in an effort to begin restoring the $4 billion in cuts that were necessary to close last year's budget shortfall.
In contrast, the House was focused on correcting long-term imbalances in areas such as the Virginia Retirement System and the Rainy Day Fund that could adversely impact future budgets.
In the end, the House and Senate budget conference committee reconciled the two budgets by, in effect, meeting each other halfway on both the spending priorities and the long-term issues.
Other notable budget items include:
- Provides $100 million for public colleges and universities to help stabilize tuition costs, increase student financial aid, and increase the number of in-state undergraduate seats
- Places $30 million into the Behavioral Health Trust Fund to help move intellectually and developmentally disabled Virginians into community care
- Restores $65 million in cuts for reimbursements for Medicaid health care providers and provide an additional $47 million to restore waiver slots for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other behavioral health services
- Provides $22.6 million for sheriffs, $12.4 million for local police departments, and $3 million for state troopers
- Provides $46 million to begin eliminating the accelerated sales tax, which is a budget-balancing trick that forces retailers of a certain size to collect sales tax a month earlier than normal
- Requires state employees to pay 5% of their salary toward their retirement (the requirement is offset by a 5% salary increase.
Transportation Funding:
As referenced above, the House and Senate reconciled the differences between HB 2527 (sponsored by Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) and SB 1446 (patroned by Senator William Wampler (R-Bristol) and Senator Chuck Colgan (D-Prince William County).
The substantive difference between the two bills was the use of general funds to help capitalize the newly created Infrastructure Bank. The House proposed investing $150 million, while the Senate rejected using any general funds for the Bank. In the end, the House and Senate agreed on using $33.7 million in surplus general fund dollars for the Infrastructure Bank.
The transportation funding bills, which were overwhelmingly agreed to by both chambers, require at least 20% of the proceeds from the newly created Infrastructure Bank to be used to make grants to localities for transportation projects, with the remaining resources to be used to make loans to private or public entities for transportation projects (both the grants and the loans will be for projects that will be chosen by the Bank).
The bills also authorize the issuance of approximately $1.2 billion in Transportation Grant Anticipation Revenue Notes (GARVEEs). The proceeds from the GARVEE bonds will be used for transportation projects as determined by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
In addition to the use of the GARVEE bonds, the bills also increase the amount of the Virginia Transportation Capital Projects Revenue Bonds to be issued from $300 million to $600 million over the next two fiscal years (totaling $1.2 billion by 2013).
These infrastructure bonds were the result of the transportation bill that passed the General Assembly in 2007.
The bills also increases the availability of dollars for the Revenue Sharing Program, which is a dollar for dollar match program, from $50 million to $200 million, and increases the per project cap from $1 million to $10 million.
It is worth noting that one of Governor McDonnell's signature efforts, the proposal to privatize the Commonwealth's ABC operation was never even considered by the 2011 General Assembly.
E-Verify:
In what ended up being a drama filled final day for the two bills related to requiring businesses that contract with the state to utilize the E-verify program, Delegate Jackson Miller (R-Manassas) offered amendments on the House floor to Senate Bill 1049 patroned by Senator George Barker (D-Fairfax County).
Senator Barker's bill was the compromise E-Verify legislation that VUHCC lobbyists helped to negotiate.The compromise that was negotiated provides that any employer with 50 or more employees for the previous 12 month period must use E-Verify for newly hired employees when entering into a contract with the state that is in excess of $50,000. The bill would become effective December 1, 2013. .
Taking of Private Property:
VUHCC, along with a variety of other business interests, were successful in efforts to remove damaging amendments to House Joint Resolution 693, sponsored by Delegate Johnny Joannou (D-Portsmouth).
HJR 693 seeks to amend the Virginia Constitution by clarifying that no private property shall be damaged or taken except in cases where it is for a public use, without just compensation to its owner.
Since this is a resolution that amends the Virginia Constitution, the measure must be passed in two General Assembly sessions that are separated by an intervening election, so this resolution must be passed again by the 2012 General Assembly.
What to Expect in the Coming Months:
In addition to the Reconvened Session of the General Assembly that will consider Governor McDonnell's actions to legislation that was passed during the regular session, the General Assembly will also be holding a special session to address the decennial redistricting process, which will redraw all the House, Senate, and Congressional districts. In addition to the always contentious redistricting process, which will help shape the political map in Virginia for the next decade or more, all 140 members of the General Assembly will be up for re-election this November.
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About HRUHCA
We are the voice of the Heavy Construction Industry in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
To find out more about our association, please visit our website at:
HRUHCA
3105 Western Branch Boulevard
Unit 8
Chesapeake, Virginia 23321
Phone: (757) 484-7500
Email: (Executive Director Jim Stepahin) jstepahin@hcca.net
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In This Issue
- Congressman Randy Forbes visits HRUHCA as speical guest speaker at March dinner meeting
- HRUHCA lobbyist Myles Loria briefs membership as special guest speaker at April dinner metting
- VDOT to hold erosion and sediment control class in Hampton Roads
- HRUHCA Holiday Party Plans Set
- HRUHCA helps re-write of HB2022
- HRUHCA welcomes new members
- Don't miss June dinner meeting!
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Don't Miss The HRUHCA June Membership Dinner Meeting
Don't miss the HRUHCA June membership dinner meeting. The association will be presenting its 2011 Memorial Scholarships to young men and women who are seeking a college education. In addition, HRUHCA will be hosting a presentation on "What you need to know in the event of a catastrophic accident or fatality." Accidents happen. Sometimes the safest situations can turn deadly in an instant. And when they do and you are faced with a fatal determine a positive or a negative outcome. Mr. David Hofe, safety director at Dominion Terminal Associates has faced this type of situation "head-on." When an employee died in a tragic job site accident at his facility, a world class shipping terminal providing export and coast wide coal loading services became an instant media sensation and all eyes were on David and his firm. Come listen and learn how you need to be proactive in preparing in advance for a catastrophic event like a fatality and the steps that you need to take with your employees and your management to deal with the many issues that you will instantaneously confront. Also, find out how Dominion Terminals provided any and all manner of support for the family who lost their loved one. To register for the HRUHCA June membership dinner meeting, please click on the following hyperlink. This will take you directly to the meeting registration website: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=7uxpj8dab&oeidk=a07e3w7ie5o6b3eefb0 |
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The HRUHCA 2011 Holiday Gala
Although our thoughts at this time of year are not on mistletoe and wrapping paper, the association and the holiday gala committee are organizing to prepare for the 2011 HRUHCA Holiday Gala.
Due to availability of venues and prime dates, the 2011 holiday gala will be held this year on Saturday, December 10th (the second Saturday of December) at the beautiful and historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach.
The holiday gala committee are in the process of organizing all of the details which will soon be released to the association.
So please save the date of December 10th as HRUHCA prepares to "raise the roof" at the grand Cavalier Hotel.
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HRUHCA Helps "Re-Write" Truck-Trailer Permit Bill (HB2022) To Prevent Excessive Permit Fees
Northern Virginia Delegate Joe May, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, has instructed the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to work with industry stakeholders who use overweight and super weight trucking permits to review the current permitting system for these vehicles over the summer and make recommendations to his committee on a House Bill (HB2022) that we (industry stakeholders) had asked legislators to table during the session.
Thanks to the work of HRUHCA lobbyist, Mr. Mark Singer, Mr. Dale Bennett of the Virginia Trucking Association, and other industry stakeholders who reviewed the legislation, the bill (HB2022) was "tabled" in committee to allow for a summer review (the original legislation called for DMV and VDOT to do this process "alone" with little or no industry support).
Thanks to a study that was undertaken by VDOTs research arm in Charlottesville a few years ago, key members of the Virginia General Assembly involved with transportation have been influenced to the idea that overweight and super weight tractor-trailers need to pay more in taxes and permits.
As there is little support to raise gas or general sales tax by the party currently in power in Richmond, a more popular way to potentially raise revenues to help our crumbling roads and bridges is by raising permit fees to make the system more "equitable?" to those vehicles who are causing "most" of the damage.
The Commissioner of DMV, Mr. Richard D. Holcomb, must report to Chairman Joe May and his Committee on December 15th with his recommendation for "a uniform system of permitting for overweight and oversized vehicles..."
Delegate May has given the Commissioner what he is expecting in advance of the report and it is not good for our industry. In his letter of explanation to Commissioner Holcomb, he writes that he is looking for a "tiered" schedule of fees that (in his words) should have:
"...some relationship between the fees charged and the weight of the load. It is expected that the relationship will be a non-linear one since the amount of roadway deterioration caused by increased loading increases exponentially with the increase in load." "There has been a substantial amount of work done by both USDOT and VDOT (the previous study) on the relationship between load and associated deterioration." "It is expected that the new proposed schedules would reflect the results of some of this work."
I think that you will see from these instructions by Delegate May to Commissioner Holcomb that he is expecting large increases in permitting fees for overweight and super weight permits.
HRUHCA will be monitoring and providing input that we hope will minimize these increases. We will be there representing our members and working hard to convince VDOT, DMV, and ultimately the Virginia General Assembly that:
1) The current state or our economy (now) is not the time to implement a very burdensome fee increase to one specific industry and class of vehicle.
2) Our firms already pay large taxes, inspection fees, and permitting fees for the privilege of driving the roads and bridges of Virginia, and
3) A "permit fee increase" is the same as a "tax increase." Why on the one hand are legislators so averse to raising taxes but they have no qualms with increasing permitting fees which are essentially "taxes."
While it is anticipated that the industry will not ultimately prevail in completely "heading-off" increases in permit fees,we will have a direct impact on the amount of these fees and in the end we will save our member's money over what DMV,VDOT, and the Virginia General Assembly will want to enact.
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HRUHCA Persuade VDOT To Hold Erosion and Sediment Control Class in Hampton Roads
 At the request of the Hampton Roads Utility and Heavy Contractors Association (HRUHCA), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), for the first time in two years, will be holding its Erosion and Sediment Control Contractor Certification course (ESCCC) on Friday, June 17th at the Hilton Airport Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia. This course will be administered and taught by the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA). This course is intended to train individuals involved in implementing Erosion and Sediment Control Plans on VDOT projects and rights-of-way. Participants who complete the course and pass the examination at the end of training will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate meets VDOT's E&S certification requirements. There are no prerequisites for this course. The brochure is now posted on the HRUHCA website. Please visit www.hruhca.com and download the flyer if you are interested in having anyone in your organization take the course. Please note: It is very important that we support this course. We have told VDOT that there are many people who need this course in Hampton Roads. The success of this class will determine whether VDOT holds classes in Hampton Roads in the future. So if you need to have people trained to do erosion control and you work on VDOT websites, please consider supporting this class by sending your people to be trained. |
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Welcome New Member
The association is pleased to announce that the Engineering and Surveying firm of Hurt and Proffut, Inc. have re-joined the association.
Hurt & Proffut, Inc.
6330 North Center Drive
Suite 141
Norfolk, VA 23502
Phone: (757) 461-4009
Fax: (757) 461-3971
Contact: Robert Erwin, L.S
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