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2014 PLATINUM SPONSORS
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2014 Gold Sponsor
NEW CONCEPTS Inc
2014 Silver Sponsor
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From the Executive Director's Desk
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Greetings Members!!
- The NUCA of NM office building is being remolded, but we're still open for business! Our committee meetings are scheduled to be held at the regular office location in August, just please excuse the dust and weeds as we'll be in top form by October. September meetings may be changed for the convenience and safety of attendees. I will of course keep you all updated in plenty of time.
- I'm sure you know that our annual golf tournament, Last Ditch Open, is coming up on September 19, 2014! This is our biggest fundraiser and the money we raise ensures the perpetual installation of our scholarship program. If you love to play golf, you should sign up a team; if not, consider being a hole sponsor for only $250 and your company will get recognition and appreciation! All golf tournament Hole sponsors receive a professionally made sign for the day of the tournament, a plaque presentation at the post-tournament reception, recognition in the program, web page and newsletter! We also need door prizes donated. For more information, see the link provided below.
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Did you know that 2015 will mark NUCA of NM's 35th Anniversary?
Recognize these gentleman? -- The 1st person to send me an email identifying all in this picture will receive a prize.
We'll be raiding the history bunker and pulling out some memories to celebrate. If you have a picture or a story for a publication, please contact the office.
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Jane Jernigan, Executive Director
NUCA of NM
505 888 0752 Phone
505 362 8950 Cell
505 884 0668 Fax
nucanm@nucanm.org Email
NUCA of NM is on Facebook!! This page will be used for announcements and posting pictures from events. It'll also have links to articles, newsletters, and online registration. CLICK HERE to view our page and "Like Us" on Facebook.
**You do not have to be a member of Facebook to see pictures and postings**
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The New Mexico Regional Common Ground Alliance (NMRCGA) is a non-profit association dedicated to ensuring public safety, environmental protection, and the integrity of services by promoting effective damage prevention practices. NMRCGA is an official charter of the national Common Ground Alliance.
NUCA of NM was instrumental in setting up a charter in New Mexico and has been involved ever since. We represent the excavator group and have a strong voice in doing so. Several members and NUCA of NM's Executive Director have served as Board Members since the inception of the NMRCGA, and Jane Jernigan currently serves on the Executive Board as Secretary. Membership in the NMRCGA is open to all stakeholders and is free. Your voice, expert analysis, and opinion is what is sought. Please consider attending the next General Membership Meeting on October 30, 2014 11am at the NM811 office.
The general membership meets once a quarter and discusses various topics related to damage prevention such as whitelining, wide area locates, vacuum excavation, etc. Outcomes of these discussions often result in a change in the New Mexico One Call Law and/or a "best practices." Any "best practices," endorsed by the NMRCGA must come with full consensus support from experts representing the following stakeholder groups: Excavators, Locators, Road Builders, Electric, Telecommunications, Oil, Gas Distribution, Gas Transmission, Railroad, One Call, Public Works, Equipment Manufacturing, State Regulators, Insurance, Emergency Services and Engineering/Design.
Recent discussions have produced a Notice of Proposed Ruling (NOPR) from the NM Pipeline Safety Bureau (PSB) regarding the use of vacuum excavation. Also, you'll start seeing a new positive response when you check your line locate requests if the lines have NOT been marked due to unforeseen circumstances in the field such as "no access, bad address." Be vigilant with these responses and contact the Underground Facility Owner immediately so that the problem can be resolved.
Also, the Damage Reporting and Enforcement Tracking System (DRETS) Task Force will be reviewing data from the previous year that was collected from reports after damages have occurred to determine root cause(s). Recall, that it is the law to file a report when damages occur in New Mexico. (Click Here for more information) Kari Biernacki is the chair of the task force and Jane Jernigan will also serve as a member of the task force.
The NMRCGA also has a Conference & Expo in odd numberd years. The next one is scheduled for September 14-17, 2015 at Isleta Resort, Albuquerque, NM. If you would like to participate in the planning of the expo, please contact Jane at 888 0752. We will meet once a month starting in August 28, 2014 at 9am at the NM811 office.
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| Upcoming Dates | |
08/08/14 Hoisting Council (See Below for more details)
08/11/2014 Membership Committee 1:30pm
08/12/2014 CICA Meeting at APD Training Academy at 10:30am
08/13/2014 Safety Committee 8am
08/14/2014 Planning Committee 8am
08/14/2014 Education Committee 9:15am
08/21/2014 Membership Meeting 11:30am - 1:00pm Click to Register
09/19/2014 Last Ditch Open
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Member Meeting
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Please join us for the NUCA of NM Membership August 21, 2014 at the Albuquerque Country Club from 11:30am to 1:00pm.
Guest Speaker Jerry Lovato, AMAFCA
PLEASE RSVP by no Later than August 18, 2014
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Sponsorships and Registration Now Open
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Last Ditch Open
September 19, 2014
PAAKO RIDGE
9am Shotgun Start
To Register
Or Sponsor
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Public Private Partnerships
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During the interim, there have been meetings between interested parties discussing draft legislation for a Public Private Partnership (P3) bill to be introduced during the 2015 NM Legislature. The previous bill (2013) passed the House and ran out of time on the Senate side; however, the bill did have several issues that may have prevented it from being passed if time were allowed. For this reason, heads are together and we're re-thinking a few things that will, hopefully, add to the success of the passage of the bill through both the house and the senate next year.
Why do we need P3 Legislation? Public Private Partnerships do happen already in New Mexico and have been quite successful in recent years. The bill being proposed will make P3s more available for use and will also include some oversight to prevent corruption. With less and less Federal dollars available for infrastructure, water facilities, roads, bridges, and the like, we must advance this type of funding in order to keep our communities safe, operational, and liveable! As our infrastructure fails, so do our communities. P3s are not the "fix all" but they are a step in the right direction for getting things done in a time saving, money saving, productive way.
For more information on P3 Legislation, contact NUCA of NM Lobbyist Jane Jernigan at 505 888 0752 or email to nucanm@nucanm.org |
NUCA Fall Leadership conference
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CLICK HERE For More Information and to REGISTER ONLINE
NUCA's Fall Leadership Conference will include:
Four NUCA Institute Modules
Management Seminars
Keynote Brunch
Contractor Round Tables
Committee Meetings
Board Meeting
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Highway Transportation Fund (HTF)
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Information provided by Will Brown, NUCA Director of Government Relations
07/31/2014
The Senate amended the House version and sent their new version back to the House. The Rules Committee (which is responsible for setting the agenda and-you guessed it- the rules for voting on legislation) has determined how the bill will move forward. Here's what you need to know:
- The bill will be brought up for a vote before the House as an unamendable disagreement with the Senate Amendments. This means that the House will not have to re-vote on their previously passed funding mechanisms (which are the difference between House and Senate versions) and that the bill will go directly back to the Senate without further action by the House.
- The Rules Committee allowed themselves some leeway- allowing the Committee to bypass most regular order rules and bring up legislation with only a few hours of notice on anything related to H.R. 5021.
- If the House passes the disagreement with the Senate Amendment (which only requires a majority) it is likely they will adjourn and begin the 5-week August Recess. If the House is not able to reach the required 218 votes, they will be forced to utilize their second option and quickly draft or rewrite H.R. 5021 to send back to the Senate.
- Either way, it is clear the House will act on something today forcing the Senate to decide whether to agree with the House version or let the DOT begin halting payments to states for road and transit projects which is a political gamble.
08/01/2014
- Senate approved the House version of the HTF bailout, sending the bill to the President's desk and kicking the can until May 2014 because the funding will end and Congress will have to take up this measure again. It simply funds the program without actually making it sustainable. That's the nature of bailouts. What passed is simply a bandaid for the real problem: no sustainable way of funding the trust fund. What passed is an infusion of capital to the trust fund and delaying until the next time the trust fund runs out of money. The funding of these bills takes ten years of projected revenue to the treasury and spends it roughly over the next ten months. If congress is to do this again, they'll need another $11 billion from some other savings to pay for it.
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Safety Director's Forum
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2014 SDF Set for New Orleans, LA
NUCA's annual Safety Directors Forum brings together utility construction safety and risk management professionals for two days of networking and knowledge building. The 2014 program will be held at the Embassy Suites, New Orleans Convention Center from October 28-29 and will include open forum/roundtable discussion of key safety issues and expert presentations on construction safety. Register online today |
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NUCA of NM
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