CONSTRUCTOR
COVERING GENERAL BUILDING & GENERAL ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION agcsd.org
THE MAGAZINE OF THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA, SAN DIEGO CHAPTER, INC.
Elections Count...
PROTECT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THIS NOVEMBER Plus... AGC Members Support Monarch School; Stop The Attack On Road And Bridge Safety; Guidelines To Communicating Political Views With Employees
2018 VOLUME 3
THE VOICE OF CONSTRUCTION
AGC contents
SAN DIEGO The Associated General Contractors, San Diego Chapter, Inc. 6212 Ferris Square San Diego, CA 92121 Phone (858) 558-7444 Fax (858) 558-8444
@agcsandiego
www.agcsd.org
2018 Volume 3
6 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Elections Count... Protect Infrastructure Projects On November 6th!
12 HR COMMITTEE
Employer Guidelines for Political Communications
16 ENGINEERING A Failure to Act
20 BUILD & SERVE
Many Munificent AGC Members Magnanimously Support Monarch School
32 AGC's CLC
Hot Wheels and A Hot Summer Night with Future Industry Leaders
More Inside 8 14 18 26 30
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Day at the Races Affiliate Golf Day Upcoming Events Aztec Tailgate Baseball Bash
AGC CONSTRUCTOR Magazine is published quarterly. The opinions and assertions contained herein are those of the authors. Reproduction, either whole or in part, is not permitted without the express consent of the publisher. Copyright 2018 by AGC-SD CONSTRUCTOR MAGAZINE. All rights reserved. Advertising rates are available upon request. Call (760) 466-7790. AGC-SD Constructor Magazine, AGC San Diego, or Contractor News and Views are not responsible for content in ads submitted by AGC-SD Constructor Magazine’s advertisers. Sandy Caples: Publisher Mike Caples : Editor Jennifer Caples Flaharty : Graphic Design
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS Elections Count... Protect Infrastructure Projects On November 6th! By Brad Barnum, AGC Executive Vice President
Voter outreach wins elections, as it only takes one vote on either side to win or lose. That is why it is so important for AGC and its members to be engaged in the political process. AGC supports investing in the region's infrastructure, but opposes candidates and measures that make it more difficult to build important projects and effectively shut out contractors and apprentices. AGC's Voter Guide, on next page, will help you make an informed decision on some of the candidates and issues that may affect contractors, the construction industry, and the business community. Here is a sampling of some of the contested races or ballot measures: County and City of San Diego The future balance of power is at stake in both the County Board of Supervisors and at San Diego City Council. The outcome of the County’s District 4 and 5 races could set the stage for an all-out war in 2020 for the Democrats to try to take control of the long-time Republican-controlled County Board. The outcome of the City’s District 2 and 6 races could mean a Democratic supermajority come December, with the ability to override a Mayoral veto. We can’t let the above scenarios happen, so please vote for Bonnie Dumanis and Jim Desmond for County Supervisor, and Lorie Zapf and Chris Cate San Diego City Council! School Board Elections We need fair and open competition in school construction, and AGC has endorsed three candidates who oppose Project Labor Agreements (PLA). Vote for Mark Evilsizer for Palomar Community College, John Olsen for GrossmontCuyamaca Community College, and Andrew Hayes for Lakeside Union School District.
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School Bonds – Good and Bad There are 11 local school bond measures on the ballot. Eight of them represent $793 million, and seven of those have written commitments from their Governing Boards for fair and open competition and no PLA’s. However, three of the bond measures are in school districts that have PLAs on current bond programs. The Governing Boards are controlled by the unions, and they have no desire to veer away from the PLA path. Too bad all contractors won’t be able to bid on over $4 billion in construction projects. Naming the eight good bond measures isn’t necessary (just look at the Voter Guide); however, naming the three PLA-bound measures is appropriate – San Diego Unified School District, Sweetwater Union High School District, and Chula Vista Elementary School District. It’s a shame we have to name names…please vote “NO” on these measures. No on Proposition 6 – Protect $5 Billion Annually for Transportation Make no mistake, defeating Proposition 6 is important to the construction industry. If it passes, the County of San Diego and its 18 cities will lose nearly $1.5 billion over the next 10 years for important projects, and this doesn't include funding for Caltrans and other regional transportation agencies. All in, the region will lose $5 billion over the next decade, and Caltrans and SANDAG will be unable to leverage needed federal funds. Please join the California Professional Firefighters, California Association of Highway Patrol, American Society of Civil Engineers, first responders, business, labor and local governments, and vote “NO” on Proposition 6.
Your VOTE does make a difference! Please VOTE on November 6!
Voter Guide
Recommendations for November 6, 2018 General Election
The Board of Directors of AGC San Diego is pleased to make the following recommendations. For more information, please contact Brad Barnum, AGC’s Executive Vice President, at 858-731-8158. Additional ballot recommendations may be added as needed.
Candidates
State Measures
San Diego County Board of Supervisors Bonnie Dumanis - District 4 Jim Desmond - District 5
NO
San Diego City Council Lorie Zapf - District 2 Chris Cate - District 6 La Mesa City Council Bill Baber Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College John Olsen - District 1
YES
Palomar Community College District Mark Evilsizer
Proposition 6 Eliminates $5+ billion annually for needed transportation projects Proposition 10 Allows local governments to adopt rent control ordinances, and puts downward pressure on new rental housing development Proposition 4 $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds to provide for grants for construction, expansion, renovation of children’s hospitals
Lakeside Union School District Andrew Hayes
YES
Local School Bond Measures
Measure S - $15.37 Million for Santee School District
Measure DD $403 Million for Sweetwater Union High School District
Measure EE - $38 Million for Bonsall Unified School District
Measure VV $150 Million for Chula Vista Elementary School District
Measure GG - $8.6 Million Borrego Springs Unified School District Measure HH - $265 Million for Carlsbad Unified School District Measure JJ - $15 Million for Mountain Empire Unified School District Measure LL - $247 Million for Vista Unified School District Measure MM - $186 Million for Del Mar Union School District
NO
Measure YY $3.5 Billion for San Diego Unified School District These districts have a union-only Project Labor Agreement on a current bond program, and the Governing Boards do not support fair and open competition in construction.
Measure NN - $18 Million for South Bay Union School District
YES
Other Local Measures
Measure H (City of San Diego) Creates a limit of three four-year terms for Governing Board Members of the San Diego Unified School District Measure O (Otay Mesa Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District) $230 million in tax increment bonds to finance infrastructure projects Measure X (City of Oceanside) ½ cent sales tax increase for seven years for public safety, capital improvements, city services Measure CC (Southwestern Community College District) Creates a limit of three four-year terms for Governing Board Members of the District Measure SS (Valley Center Fire Protection District) $180 parcel tax to improve safety services and build a fire station
NO
Measure D (County of San Diego) Top two vote getters in County primary elections will move on to the General Election, even if one candidate receives a majority of the vote Measure Y (City of Oceanside) Requires voter approval to change land use designation or zoning of agricultural space or open space
Additional voter information, including candidate lists, the text and analysis of all the ballot measures, absentee ballot information, and a polling place indicator, can be accessed on the San Diego County Registrar of Voters’ website, www.sdvote.com. Information on state ballot measures can be accessed at the Secretary of State’s website, http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov
Paid for by Associated General Contractors of America - San Diego Chapter, Inc. 6212 Ferris Square, San Diego, CA 92121. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
Races
Day at the
July 20, 2018 Title Sponsors: Hawthorne CAT, Kyne Construction, Inc., Sherwood Mechanical, and Trench Shoring Company
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HR COMMITEE The Campaign Season is Heating Up…
Remember the Do’s and Don’ts of Communicating your Political Views in the Workplace By Rae Krushensky, Director of Membership Services/ Meetings & Events
The AGC San Diego has been actively involved in this political campaign season. Now is the perfect time to review important guidelines on what employers can and can’t do when sharing political views to employees. To help you determine what is and isn’t allowed, we’ve referenced the article below from the California Chamber of Commerce: Telling Employees How State Legislation, Regulations and Ballot Measures Affect Them and Your Company THE DILEMMA: You know that pending state legislation, a proposed regulation or a ballot measure will have a huge impact on your business, either directly because it affects your company/industry, or indirectly because of its impact on the jobs climate and economy. You’d like to let your employees know about your concerns — but can you? The answer is yes — If you keep in mind and follow some “do's and don’ts” outlined in state law or regulations. Following is a quick overview, including actions to avoid. You CAN: • Communicate with your employees, stockholders and their families about the company’s support of or opposition to state legislation, regulations or ballot measures. • Encourage your employees, stockholders and their families to support or oppose state legislation, regulations or ballot measures. 12 AGCSD.ORG
• Communicate your political messages to your own employees (and their families) through such means as: o Internal mail systems (separate from payroll distribution) o E-mail systems o Regular mail o Bulletin boards o Phone bank messages o Employee meetings • Inform employees, stockholders and their families about the effect of state legislation, regulations and ballot measures on the company, its employees and stockholders. You CANNOT: • Control or direct the political activities of your employees “through or by means of threat of discharge or loss of employment.” • Coerce your employees to support or oppose a ballot measure. • Reward or punish employees for their political activities or beliefs (or threaten to do so). • Put any political messages in or on employees’ payroll envelopes. NO PAYCHECK STUFFERS. CONCLUSION: Informing your employees and stockholders about the impact of proposed state legislation, regulations and ballot measures is within your right as a business owner. Just remember to inform them the right way! For more guidelines on political communications to employees, go to: www.calchamber.com/guidelines
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2018 Affiliate Golf Day August 6 Sycuan Golf Resort Title Sponsors: Alliant Insurance Services and Moss Adams LLP
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ENGINEERING A Failure to Act By Mike McManus, Director of Engineering Construction & Industry Relations
Recent national studies have consistently sounded the alarm on the state of the nation’s infrastructure, its growing effects on our economy and the growing gap in available funding to meet our future needs. American power rests on a sturdy economic, military and infrastructure foundation that took many generations to build. Is this the generation where that power starts to erode? I believe it could be if we fail to act. One such test is coming up in early November here in California. We must not fail to act. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the nation’s infrastructure earned a “D+” in the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. California faces some of the largest infrastructure challenges in the country: • Driving on roads in need of repair in California, costs each motorist approximately $844 per year • 5.5% of bridges are rated structurally deficient • An estimated $44.5 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs over the next 20 years • $26.2 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years • 678 dams are considered to be high-hazard potential • Schools have an estimated capital expenditure gap of $3.2 billion 16 AGCSD.ORG
The quality of our infrastructure has long been considered a significant public safety concern. Safe, well maintained and efficient roads not only prevent accidents but also carry first responders to medical and fire emergencies. The recent bridge failures around the world should teach us that the 1600 bridges in California that are deemed structurally deficient are just not acceptable. Nationwide, the funding gap for maintaining our roads is reported to be over a trillion dollars over the next seven years. Safe drinking water is something most Americans have never had to even contemplate, let alone be concerned about. Then we heard of the Flint, Michigan disaster which may be a prescient event for other parts of the country. It is not just the critical public safety issue of safe drinking water, it’s also the growing problem of water supply. The water supply along with the supply of electricity is now affecting the disposable incomes of families across the country, and especially here in California. This is a growing expense for business, which means rising prices for everyone. The funding gap over the next seven years to maintain our water, wastewater and electrical grid is reported to be $300 billion across the country. This deteriorating infrastructure impedes California’s ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace. Success in a 21st century economy requires serious, sustained leadership on infrastructure investment at all levels of government. Delaying these investments only escalates the cost and risks of an aging infrastructure system, an option that the country, California, and families can no longer afford. But the larger question at stake is the implication of D+ infrastructure on America’s economic future.
Poor roads and airports mean travel times increase. An aging electric grid and inadequate water distribution make utilities unreliable. Problems like these translate into higher costs for businesses to manufacture and distribute goods and provide services. These higher costs, in turn, get passed along to workers and families because we as a country have failed to act. One report has pegged the average costs to individual families at $3,400 per year. A significant portion of those costs are directly attributable to potholes, bad bridges, congestion and the extra costs of shipping goods. That is why it is important for each of us to get to the polls on Tuesday, November 6 and stop the attack on road and bridge safety. We stand to lose over $500 million a year for the San Diego region’s roads and bridges. We must not fail to act. Vote NO on Proposition 6!
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BUILD & SERVE Many Munificent AGC Members Magnanimously Support Monarch School By Marcy Knopman, Build & Serve Committee Staff Liaison
Founded in 1988, the Monarch School is dedicated to providing homeless and at-risk students with an accredited education while caring for their basic needs. Today, more than 300 students, kindergarten to 12th grade, are enrolled at Monarch School. AGC San Diego Chapter’s Build & Serve Charitable Alliance has partnered with Monarch over the years, and has been involved in various activities to give back to the community, including building school benches, collecting toiletries, providing backpacks/school supplies, hosting dinners, and presenting on Career Day (on two occasions); High School Career Day (thanks to Marty Anderson, AGC Apprenticeship Coordinator) and Monarch’s Women in Careers Middle School Assembly (thanks to Ashley Carnevale and Gaby Pasillas, TruDuct Sheet Metal Fabrication) to expose the students to the many types of careers in the construction industry.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT On Friday, September 14, 2018, Monarch School held its Annual Back-to-School Night Dinner where approximately 250 students and parents attended. AGC’s Build & Serve Charitable Alliance hosted the dinner for a second year, which included barbeque chicken and side dishes generously donated by Phil’s BBQ. Volunteers from the committee donated items, beverages, ice cream and desserts, and served the meal to the students and families. Seeing all the smiling faces made it all worthwhile. “We are so grateful for our partnership with AGC over the past years! AGC has been committed to giving our students the very best start to the new school year. Each student arrives to school on their first day with a new backpack because of the generosity of AGC. In August, this amazing organization delivers over 300 backpacks filled with school supplies. In addition, AGC provides our students and families an extra special meal during Back-to-School Night. Back-to-School Night is an opportunity for parents to visit their students’ classrooms and meet their teachers, as well as learn about community resources. Families gather at the end of event to enjoy delicious food served by the smiling faces of AGC. This year, we were surprised with a generous donation of Bombas socks! Thank you so much from all of us at Monarch for your kindness and generous support! Our students are ready to learn because of you!” said Allie Peterson, Volunteer Coordinator, Monarch School.
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Thanks for Donating
We would like to recognize the following members who donated items and gave up part of their Friday night to GIVE BACK! Varita Sureephong, Jolinda Kramer, Jessica White Cavignac & Associates Julia Hope Erickson-Hall Construction Co. Fabiola Barr, Dejah Hilliard, Delores Esparza Hensel Phelps Shea Kirkpatrick, Kailey Levin Mack Packaging Mandy Serrano SCST, Inc. Shay Kulkarni Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel, APLC
Interested in joining AGC’s Build & Serve Charitable Alliance? Contact Marcy Knopman at mknopman@agcsd.org or call (858) 731-8162 AGCSD.ORG 21
$25 Changed the Future of a Homeless San Diego Student By Nancy Erickson and Carmen Whiting, Total Package Professional Services (TPPS)
Did you know that there are more than 1.2 million homeless students across the country and 23,000 in San Diego County alone!? It's estimated that 75% of homeless students do not receive a high school diploma. The barriers these students face hinder their ability to become contributing, successful members of their families and society and place them at a high risk of becoming tomorrow's homeless adults. The AGC is proud to be a partner and supporter of Monarch School in San Diego. For its fifth year, AGC's Build & Serve Charitable Alliance adopted the Monarch School, and with the generosity of AGC members, we were able to raise funds to supply 300 backpacks filled full of school supplies to students who don’t have the means to buy basic materials for learning. The goal is to help these children break the cycle of homelessness and receive an education that allows them to become a self-sufficient, contributing member of our community.
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Socks For Students During this year’s AGC Affiliate Day Golf event, Pam Scholefield and Scholefield Construction Law shared its exhibitor’s hole sponsorship with AGC’s Build and Serve Charitable Alliance Co-Chairs, Julia Hope, Erickson-Hall Construction Co., and Ben Swanson, Hensel Phelps, to spread the word about all the good the committee is doing in the community, and showcasing all the community projects completed over the last nine years. "In addition, true to its motto of “Anything But Typical,” Scholefield Construction Law provided golfers with unusual swag in the form of premium socks that also benefited the Monarch School. For every pair of socks Scholefield gifted to the golfers, a pair of socks was donated to the Monarch School. This resulted in a donation of over 350 brand new pairs of socks! But, why socks? Because socks are the #1 requested clothing item at homeless shelters. The socks were a big hit with the Monarch School’s students and their parents when AGC’s Build & Serve Committee presented the socks at Monarch's annual Back-to-School Night Dinner," said Pam Scholefield.
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AZTEC
TAILGATE
September 8, 2018 Title Sponsors: Swinerton and Torrey Pines Bank
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2 l l a b Base Bash
Title Sponsor: Swinerton
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June 19, 2018 at Petco Park
Title Sponsor: Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP
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CLC Hot Wheels and A Hot Summer Night with Future Industry Leaders By Kellie Korhonen, Digital Communications and Technology Manager
AGC San Diego’s Construction Leadership Council (CLC) hosted the sixth annual Summer Mixer & Car Show in July with over 250 AGC members and industry partners. The AGC parking lot was transformed into a San Diego hot spot with local microbreweries on tap and delicious eats from local gourmet food trucks, along with classic cars and hot rods on display. This event provided AGC members, local industry partners, public officials and public agency leaders a casual environment to network and form relationships with other industry professionals. This event would not be possible without our many sponsors and event partner, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) San Diego Chapter, who sponsored the food and beverages. Providing young professionals in San Diego an avenue to develop into the future leaders of our industry is important. This event brings together CLC members and industry leaders to engage and network with each other. The CLC is part of the nationwide AGC organization that provides an open forum for early to mid-career construction professionals to receive training, network, socialize with peers, and exchange ideas on special issues facing the construction industry. For more information or to join the committee, simply email kellie@agcsd.org or call (858) 750-4268.
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It's Good Business to do Business with an AGC Member
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