Unlike most large Bay Area cities, Oakland has not charged development impact fees to pay for affordable housing, but that is likely to change soon. The ramifications of a proposal to impose fees on new residential and commercial development in Oakland will come into much clearer focus on January 26, 2016, when the Oakland City Council's Community and Economic Development Committee reviews detailed City staff recommendations on the fees, which are intended to pay for affordable housing, transportation infrastructure and other capital improvements. City staff has proposed a phased approach and different fee levels based on three geographic zones, and has set a preferred deadline for when the fees would kick in. The fees are expected to apply to market-rate multi-family construction, town homes, single-family homes and commercial development.

If approved by the Community and Economic Development Committee, the recommendations would go to the full City Council for approval. Click here to see the full report. 

February 1st is here, which means it is time for many companies to post OSHA Form 300A. Form 300A is a summary log of all work-related injuries for 2015. From February 1st through April 30th, companies are required by the OSHA Recordkeeping Standard to post a log, Forms 300, 300A. Included in the log should be the total numbers of job-related injuries and illnesses from 2015 that were logged on the OSHA 300 form, as well as information on the number of workers and hours worked in the year. Even if there were no recordable incidents in 2015, companies required to post must still comply. The log must be certified by a company executive and posted in a common area from February 1st through April 30th. If you have employees who will not see the form in its posting area, copies should be made available to them. Download these forms from the Cal/OSHA website.

Our 5th Annual Day at the Capitol is March 9, 2016. Contractors' personal stories and interactions with elected officials have been impactful over the last four years, and have had a favorable result on legislation to protect the union electrical contractor's interest. Complete and return the attached registration form and plan to join us in Sacramento as we continue our efforts in outreach and advocacy. Questions? Contact  Julie Russell. 

The IBEW 595/NorCal NECA Joint Safety Committee is pleased to announce the 2016 Marv Jensen Safety Award program, established to recognize excellence in safety demonstrated by NorCal NECA member contractors and IBEW Local 595 electricians/technicians. Marvin Jensen was an impassioned advocate of safety and demonstrated his dedication to safety awareness throughout his career. He was a safety pioneer and his leadership, presence and dedication will always be remembered.

As in years past, individual recognition and awards will be presented at the Chapter's Fall General Member meeting in September. Congratulations to last years winners!

• Leland Rogers, Rosendin Electric, on the LBNL Computational Research & Theory Facility project.
• Manuel Martinez, Columbia Electric Inc., on the BART Pedestrian Improvements project.
• Steven Pedersen, SilMan Construction, on the Tesla Motors Paint Shop Mezzanine project.
• Justin Neely, SilMan Construction, on the Tesla Motors S-X Assembly project.

Please refer to the attached program guidelines and submit your entry form no later than April 29, 2016. Please contact Juanita Mitchell at the Chapter office if you have any questions.  

 

Remember...Safety First = Family First! 

The Northern California Chapter, NECA Member Services Committee is proud to announce its 10th Annual Project Excellence Awards competition. This program was developed to recognize excellence in electrical/technology installations and the NECA contractors responsible for their outstanding achievements.

Projects completed between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015, in Alameda, Napa, Solano, San Joaquin, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties are eligible for entry. Projects outside of the Chapter's jurisdiction may be considered depending on circumstances, location and complexity.

• Gain unparalleled industry recognition!
• Benchmark your achievements!
• Celebrate your team's accomplishments!
• Business Development Partnerships!
• Could be featured in a construction magazine or local or regional newspaper!

View the program rules and enter your projects for our 2016 competition by March 31, 2016. Questions? Contact Juanita Mitchell.

Plans are underway for our Annual Spring General Member Meeting. More information to come as our agenda is finalized. We hope to see you there!