October 2021 Construction Outlook

OCT | 2021

P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc. Completes Route 18 “Lateral Slide” for MassDOT

• Federal Vaccine Mandates Under Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan • Springfield Water and Sewer Commission A nnounces Major Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Renewal Program

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OCTOBER, 2021

Years of Excellence 1954-2021

OCTOBER, 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

OFFICERS President MARCELLA ALBANESE Albanese Bros., Inc.

President-Elect RYAN McCOURT

McCourt Construction Company

Treasurer BRIAN COONEY

C. C.Construction Inc.

Secretary CHRIS VALENTI

GVC Construction, Inc.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS VINCENT BARLETTA

Barletta Heavy Division

NICK BIELLO

J. D’Amico, Inc.

MIKE BISZKO, III

Biszko Contracting Corp.

ANDREW DANIELS J. Derenzo Co.

GEORGE DeFELICE

DeFelice Corporation

JERRY GAGLIARDUCCI

Gagliarducci Construction, Inc.

JOE GIOIOSO

P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc.

DAN HORGAN

R. H. White Const. Co., Inc.

LISA FRENCH KELLEY

W. L. French Excavating Corp.

BILL LEONARD

Aqua Line Utility, Inc.

JOHN OUR

Robert B. Our Co., Inc.

QUERINO PACELLA

RJV Construction Corp.

RICHARD PACELLA, JR. R. M. Pacella, Inc.

BRIAN RAWSTON

Jay Cashman, Inc.

FRED ROGERS

Scrap-It, Inc./Minichiello Bros., Inc.

ERIK SVEDEN

C. N. Wood Company, Inc.

JORDAN TIRONE

DeSanctis Insurance Agency, Inc.

DAVID WALSH

Pawtucket Hot Mix Asphalt

5 President’s Message:

Time to Invest in Modern Water, Sewer Infrastructure

9 Legislative Update:

• UCANE Testifies at Legislature’s ARPA Hearing on Water Infrastructure • Emergency COVID-Related Paid Leave to Be Extended • EPA Recognizes Seven Massachusetts Organizations and Citizens with Regional Environmental Awards • Employer’s Paid Leave Contribution Rate to Decrease • News in Brief

21 Legal Corner:

Federal Vaccine Mandates Under Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan

27 Public Works Pipeline:

An Interview with Glenn Ferguson, Director of Highways, Trees, and Grounds, Town of Norwell, MA

31 Combined Sewer Overflows Way Up In MWRA Territory 33 Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Announces Major Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Renewal Program 42 P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc. Completes Route 18 “Lateral Slide” for MassDOT 49 Construction Safety & Compliance:

An Interview with Jeff Gram, Vice President/Managing Partner J2M Consulting Associates, LLC

53 Get to Know Your UCANE Associate Members: John Hoadley and Sons, Inc.

55 Safety Corner:

Are Zero Accidents Really What You Want?

57 UCANE’s 9th Annual Trade Show 61 Spotlight on Cape Cod:

Lawmakers Highlight Importance of Wastewater Infrastructure

65 Estimating is Not About Winning Work!

Editor: Jeff Mahoney, Senior Editor: Anne Klayman, Associate Editor Suzanne Hatch, Magazine Designer/Assistant Editor: Sherri Klayman, Head Writer/Assistant Editor: Mike Lenihan Construction Outlook Chair: Marcella Albanese Editorial Board: Marcella Albanese, Ryan McCourt, Brian Cooney, & Chris Valenti CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK published monthly by the Utility Contractors’ Association of New England, Inc., 300 Congress Street, Suite 101, Quincy, MA 02169; Tel: 617.471.9955; Fax: 617.471.8939; Email: jmahoney@ucane.com; Website: www.ucane.com. Statements of fact and opinion are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of UCANE and the Construction Outlook editorial board and staff. Subscriptions are included in dues payments for UCANE members. Presorted Standard postage paid at Brockton, MA. POSTMASTER, please send form #3579 to Construction Outlook, Crown Colony Office Park, 300 Congress Street, Suite 101, Quincy, MA 02169.

JEFF MAHONEY

Executive Director

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As I began to think of a topic for this month’s President’s Message, I came across an Op-Ed written by MassDEP Commissioner, Martin Suuberg. The Commissioner stresses the urgent need to upgrade our water and sewer infrastructure and the magnitude of the problem Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) still present in 2021. UCANE strongly agrees with this timely and important message, and we hope that all federal, state, and local officials do as well. We want to thank Commissioner Suuberg for allowing us to reprint it here:

Time to Invest in Modern Water, Sewer Infrastructure As the Baker-Polito administration celebrates Climate Week in Massachusetts, we recognize that extreme weather events throughout the country this past year demonstrate the need for action on resiliency to protect public health.

L

ocally the intense rainfall the Commonwealth experienced during the course of the last few months highlights the threat to public health caused by climate change and the need to modernize outdated, aging water infrastructure.

A prime example is combined sewer overflows within several communities in Massachusetts.

The Commonwealth, like many states across the country, has older, urban cities where historically combined sewer and storm drain systems were constructed. These systems were designed with relief points, CSOs, to combine and discharge wastewater and stormwater into local bodies of water, such as rivers, to prevent the backup of wastewater into properties or onto streets when system capacity has been exceeded during a storm event.

CSOs pollute local watersheds, including the Merrimack River, which affects water quality, recreation and, most importantly, public health.

CSOs also include large volumes of stormwater with untreated or partially treated wastewater and can contain many types of contaminants.

A main concern with CSO discharges is the health risks associated with those discharges — especially when the water body where a discharge occurs serves as a source of drinking water, is used for recreation, or is used for shellfish harvesting.

To illustrate just how significant this issue is, before Tropical Storm Ida even traveled across Massachusetts earlier this month, dropping 5 to 6 inches of rain in some areas, the Merrimack River had already experienced more than 35 CSO events this year.

Those had allowed more than 200 million gallons of untreated sewage to flow into the river.

Martin Suuberg,

On the South Coast, we’ve seen Commissioner, MassDEP more than 100 million gallons of untreated sewage flowing into the Taunton River watershed, New Bedford Harbor, and Buzzards Bay since May 2021, with similar volumes in other communities.

To take a major step forward to address these concerns, Governor Charlie Baker has put forward a legislative proposal directing $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to modernize water and sewer infrastructure across the Commonwealth and help with issues like CSOs.

There are 19 CSO communities in Massachusetts with 229 active outfalls.

CSO communities, working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, are continuing to move forward with abatement plans; however, given the high costs and technical challenges of this work, implementation of CSO controls can take many years.

Unfortunately, the record amount of precipitation we have seen in the Commonwealth this year has led to more than 1 billion gallons of untreated sewage flowing into Massachusetts water bodies since May 2021.

As of February 2021, the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust had financed more than $1.4 billion in clean water sewer projects, with $255 million in CSO abatement projects across the Commonwealth since 2015. continued on page 7

OCTOBER, 2021

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President’s Message continued from page 5 But additional investment is needed to minimize risks associated with the release of untreated waste, toxic materials and stormwater through water sources, which will occur as climate change leads to more frequent heavy rain events, such as tropical storms Elsa and Ida. That is why Governor Baker has proposed to direct a significant portion of the state’s one-time federal aid to address this critical issue.

Importantly, in January 2021, Governor Baker signed legislation promoting public awareness of sewage in public waters.

To implement the law, MassDEP will soon be proposing rules that require systems with CSOs to publicly report when these CSO events begin, when they end, and the volumes associated with those discharges.

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We expect that the volumes reported will give us a better picture of the condition of our systems and more information on our outdated infrastructure.

The Baker-Polito administration has been a leader on this issue for many years, and Governor Baker has recognized the state’s ARPA dollars as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build on our investments, direct significant funding to address CSOs, and help our communities make urgent, needed upgrades to critical water and sewer infrastructure.

As recent weather events show, there is no time to wait.

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Martin Suuberg is Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. n

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OCTOBER, 2021

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UCANE Testifies at Legislature’s ARPA Hearing on Water Infrastructure

s the Massachusetts legislature returned to formal sessions at the start of September, it returned to holding public hearings on the potential uses for the Commonwealth’s portion of the America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). In July, the respective Committees on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Federal Stimulus held the first in a series of public hearings to gauge potential areas of need for the ARPA funding. At the initial hearing, Governor Baker outlined his proposal to put more than half of the state's ARPA allocation to work now on housing and homeownership supports, job training, water and sewer infrastructure, addiction treatment, and other areas.

For their part, the respective Committees on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Federal Stimulus have followed through on their commitment to hold four more public hearings after Labor Day. Of note, the public hearings focused on the following topics: (a) health care/public health/mental health/human services; (b) economic development/transportation/arts and tourism/climate/infrastructure; (c) education/social equity/safety/families and (d) an open public hearing for all and any interested parties to weigh in.

On September 9, the ARPA public hearing on economic development/transportation/arts and tourism/ climate/infrastructure was held. Foreshadowing the daylong hearing’s prominent theme Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, Executive Office of Energy and Environment Affairs, testified while sitting on the shores of the Merrimack River about the Commonwealth’s significant water infrastructure needs. While Secretaries Mike Kennealy (Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development) and Jamey Tesler (MassDOT) testified about their respective needs, water infrastructure was the central theme among elected officials and advocacy organizations, ranging from environmental and climate action to engineering groups.

OCTOBER, 2021

In both written and oral testimony, UCANE Executive Director Jeff Mahoney urged the Massachusetts legislature to recognize that water infrastructure can no longer remain “out of sight; out of mind.” Highlighting the significant needs identified by the Water Infrastructure Finance Commission in 2012 and the Office of State Auditor in 2017, Mr. Mahoney asked the Massachusetts legislature to: • Increase funding available for the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (CWT), the state agency that improves water quality throughout the Commonwealth by providing low-interest loans to municipalities and other eligible entities for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects.

• Give the CWT the maximum possible flexibility to work with municipalities and regional water districts to address their unique needs, including the ability to direct funding to economically distressed areas that lack necessary water infrastructure that can attract long-term economic development.

• Increase funding for the MassWorks Infrastructure Program (MassWorks), the competitive grant program that provides the Commonwealth’s largest and most flexible source of capital funds to municipalities and other eligible public entities for public infrastructure projects that support and accelerate housing production, private development, and new jobs.

House and Senate leadership have indicated that they envision a multi-tier plan for distributing the Commonwealth’s $5.3 billion share of discretionary ARPA funding. It is widely anticipated that the Massachusetts legislature will release and pass the first phase of this funding plan before the end of November.

To learn more about the Commonwealth’s use of the federal recovery funds, please visit: https://www. mass.gov/info-details/about-covid-19-federal-funds. continued on page 11

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Legislative Update continued from page 9

A

Emergency COVID-Related Paid Leave to be Extended

t the end of September, the Massachusetts Legislature streamlined and passed a bill extending the state's COVID-19 emergency paid leave program until April 1, 2022. The program was launched early this summer to offer workers up to a week off to quarantine, recover from the illness, get vaccinated, or help a sick family member. The $75 million program was scheduled to expire at the end of the month.

As reported by the State House News Service, legislators updated the law to require the state to spend up to $500,000 on a public information campaign to educate and promote awareness about the program's availability.

The bill directs the Executive Office for Administration and Finance to target the campaign at employers and employees. With just over $2 million having been used from the $75 million pool, lawmakers wanted to reallocate a portion of money for a public awareness campaign.

Under the Commonwealth’s existing emergency COVID-related paid leave program, Massachusetts employers must temporarily provide emergency paid sick leave to employees who are absent or unable to work for reasons related to COVID-19, including employee self-care and care of a family member with a COVID-19

OCTOBER, 2021

diagnosis or symptoms, compliance with an order to quarantine because of exposure or symptoms, and inability to telework after a COVID-19 diagnosis. The definitions of “employer” and “employee” includes local government. The new temporary state program is based on requirements in the federal sick leave program included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which expired at the end of 2020. Note for employers, the notice provisions requiring employee notification (i.e. visible information/posters) will also be extended.

Final note: a new provision in the bill specifically allows for helping a family member get a vaccine. Under the updated language, employees can also take paid leave to help a family member obtain a COVID-19 vaccine or care for them as they recover from an injury, disability, illness, or condition related to a vaccine. With the prospect of children under the age of 12 soon becoming eligible for vaccination, this provision takes on more significance.

For more information about the Commonwealth’s emergency COVID-related paid leave program, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-temporary-emergency-paid-sick-leave-program.

continued on page 13

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Legislative Update continued from page 11

EPA Recognizes Seven Massachusetts Organizations and Citizens with Regional Environmental Awards

T

he month of September saw the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) award seven individuals and businesses in Massachusetts who were recognized for their work to protect New England’s environment. These businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies were among 22 recipients across New England honored by EPA’s New England Office at the 2021 Environmental Merit Awards virtual ceremony.

According to its press release, the EPA New England’s annual Environmental Merit Awards are given to community leaders, scientists, government officials, business leaders, schools, and students who represent different approaches, but a common commitment to environmental protection.

Chuckie Green of Mashpee was honored with an award for Lifetime Achievement. Also recognized with awards were: Thomas Maguire of Arlington in the individual category. Food Link MA of Arlington, Nuestra Comunidad CDC with Windale Developers of Roxbury and Chelsea GreenRoots of Chelsea in the enviro, community, academia, nonprofit category; Regency Transportation of Franklin in the business category and, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) PFAS Team

of Boston in the government category. Finally, EPA recognized the Massachusetts Water Works Association; Massachusetts Rural Water Association; and the Massachusetts Water and Wastewater Response Network for their work along with other New England organizations to protect the public from COVID-19 associated risks and ensuring safe water in New England.

Of note, two of the recipients are organizations that UCANE works closely with in raising awareness about and addressing the Commonwealth’s water infrastructure needs. In the “Government” category, the EPA noted the following about MassDEP’s PFAS Team: “Staff in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection have worked above and beyond to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, chemicals known as PFAS. The department’s PFAS team has made tremendous progress in addressing PFAS issues by helping communities impacted by contamination, putting in place protective regulations, gathering data to determine the extent of contamination, and assessing PFAS in other media. The MassDEP has designated the equivalent of 13 full time staff to address PFAS over a oneyear period. This team has worked extensively with communities where PFAS were detected, reviewing treatment options, helping with permits, and providing the public with information on the health effects of PFAS. The MassDEP also promulgated a stringent drinking water standard, monitored water supplies in search of contaminated sites, provided free lab analyses for water systems, and developed sampling programs. MassDEP also continued on page 15

OCTOBER 2021

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OCTOBER, 2021

Legislative Update continued from page 13 created a new grant program to support PFAS treatment design, awarding $5 million to support 27 communities. With $2 million in state funding, the department created a program to help impacted public water supply systems provide safe drinking water.”

Further, the EPA issued a “Merit Award” in the Government category for the COVID-19 Ensuring Safe Drinking Water Team, a conglomerate of New England’s state drinking water programs, state water and wastewater agency response networks, and other water sector associations that ensured the safe operations of water utilities during the pandemic. This conglomerate included the Massachusetts Water Works Association; Massachusetts Rural Water Association; and the Massachusetts Water and Wastewater Response Network. In noting these organization’s contributions, the EPA wrote: “During the pandemic, water system managers and operators faced staff and chemical shortages, restricted access to assets, and health and safety challenges. In the midst of this, drinking water programs created new guidance around flushing, hydrant sampling, tap sampling, and

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Legionella control, as well as designed new protocols that enabled state staff to perform remote sanitary surveys of water utilities. The programs also issued email newsletters; helped with virtual meetings with the state drinking water staff; developed virtual training opportunities; and offered professional training to keep certified operators up to date. While the New England state drinking water programs worked to address the regulatory, policy, and technical assistance challenges of the pandemic, the state water and wastewater agency response networks worked to protect the health and safety of water system managers and operators. Because of their efforts, drinking water in New England remains safe and plentiful, even during the pandemic.”

EPA New England each year recognizes individuals and groups in the six New England states who are distinguished by their work to protect or improve the region's environment. The merit awards, given since 1970, honor individuals and groups who have shown ingenuity and commitment. For more information on EPA's Environmental Merit Awards, including photographs from the award ceremony please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentalmerit-awards-new-england. continued on page 17

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OCTOBER, 2021

Legislative Update continued from page 15

A

Employer’s Paid Leave Contribution Rate to Decrease

s first reported by the Boston Business Journal, the Baker-Polito Administration announced on the first day of October that employer costs for the state’s paid-leave program will decrease next year. While workers will be eligible to receive more in benefits thanks to rising wages statewide, employers’ contributions since the start of the program have exceeded costs significantly.

Under the new rate, for every $100 in eligible employee wages, the state will be owed 68 cents for the paid family and medical leave program in 2022. This represents a decrease from the 75 cents required in 2021. The rate applies to businesses that have not opted out of the state-run program for one of the alternative plans offered by insurance companies. Many employers will be responsible for a little less than half of what the state pays, 33.6 cents for every $100 in eligible wages. Businesses with fewer than 25 covered workers, however, do not have to pay into the paid-leave fund themselves. Employees must pay the remaining amount, though businesses have the option of covering part or all of that portion, too.

Business groups had expressed concern that the paid leave costs could increase next year because 2021 is the first year the claims have been paid out since the program was established in to law in 2018. In making its announcement, the Baker-Polito Administration reported that the State’s average weekly wage jumped to $1,694.24, up 14% from the previous year. This increase likely results

from businesses raising pay during the pandemic to find workers in an extremely tight and competitive market.

The paid leave benefits are tied to the average weekly wage. This year, the maximum payout is $850 per week. Next year, the benefit amount will increase to $1,084.31 per week. To date, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave paid out a total of $168 million in benefits and approved 43,440 applications for the leave between January and June, the first six months employees were eligible to take the leave.

For the fiscal year that ran through June, the state collected a gross of $987 million for the paidleave fund. For more information about the rate change and to view the agency’s annual report, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-family-and-medical-leave. continued on page 19

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Legislative Update continued from page 17

News in Brief •

•

•

MMA Hires New Legislative Director. The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) recently announced that Mr. David Koffman, former Legislative Director to House Global Warming Chair Sean Garballey, has been hired as its Legislative Director. Mr. Koffman most recently worked for more than eight years as government affairs director for the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges, where he also served as Deputy Executive Director. The MMA has an active legislative agenda and often supports a variety of measures that increase access to funds for improving underground utility infrastructure.

Curtatone to Join Clean Energy Firm. Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, who decided not to seek re-election this November, will assume the role of President of the Northeast Clean Energy Council, the clean energy industry and lobbying group. The New England Clean Energy Council was formed in late 2006, when leaders in the Massachusetts’ clean energy industry saw the need for a regional business association to convene clean energy stakeholders dedicated to growing the state and the region’s clean energy economy.

In October 2015, reflecting its growing activities in New York State and the rapidly growing community of member companies doing business in New York and across New England, NECEC became the Northeast Clean Energy Council.

Study Urges Weymouth to Consider MWRA Membership. A study of the South Shore's use and available water and wastewater capacity suggests communities could look to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority for future water needs, which Weymouth has already started to consider. The study done by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Weston & Sampson

Engineers looks at water and sewer in parts of five South Shore communities: Hanover, Norwell, Hingham, Rockland and Weymouth. Paid for by MassDevelopment and the South Shore Chamber of Commerce, the study examines how water resource management affects growth along the Route 3 corridor. Weymouth Mayor Bob Hedlund stated that his Administration will continue to look into this possible course of action. n

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Federal Vaccine Mandates Under Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced a broad COVID-19 Action Plan entitled “Path out of the Pandemic.” The Action Plan included two Executive Orders requiring most federal government employees and federal contractors to implement vaccine mandates and indicated that additional vaccine mandates will be required for large private employers and healthcare entities receiving certain federal funds. The focus of this article is on the requirements for federal contractors and large employers.

Federal Contractors “Covered” contractors are required to have their employees fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021.

Contractors are considered “covered” contractors if they are a prime contractor or any tier subcontractor on the following types of federal contracts: •

procurement contracts for services, construction, or leasehold interests in real property;

•

contracts covered by the Service Contract Act;

•

concession contracts; and

•

contracts entered into with the federal government in connection with federal property or land and which relate to offering services to federal employees, their dependents, or the general public.

“Fully vaccinated” means at least two weeks have passed since the individual has received the required amount of doses of the particular vaccine (e.g., 1 dose for J&J; 2 doses for Pfizer/Moderna). Given the December 8, 2021 deadline, this means covered contractor employees must receive their last dose no later than November 24, 2021.

Clerical and office staff personnel (e.g., human resources, billing) may be viewed as performing work “in connection with” a covered contract. Additionally, even employees who work remotely are required to be fully OCTOBER, 2021

vaccinated if they perform work on or in connection with a covered contract.

Required Clause Per Executive Order 14042, agencies are required to include a clause in covered contracts that the contractor and subcontractors of any tier will comply with guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (the “Task Force”), which addresses mandatory COVID-19 vaccination and other COVID-19 compliance issues. Agencies must implement the requirement: • For new contracts awarded on or after November 14: • For new solicitations issued on or after October 15; • For existing contracts, upon any extension or renewal and orders awarded, or options and orders exercised on or after October 15.

The required clause was published by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council on September 30, 2021, and is available at the following: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/FAR-CouncilGuidance-on-Agency-Issuance-of-Deviations-to-Implement-EO-14042.pdf The Task Force guidance encourages agencies to incorporate similar requirements into non-covered contracts and agreements with non-covered contractors, continued on page 23

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Legal Corner continued from page 21 and also to encourage compliance with guidance on existing contracts even before formal incorporation of the required clause.

Getting Covered Employees Vaccinated Federal contractors are not required to set up vaccination clinics for their covered employees. They can choose to do so, but it is not required. On the other hand, covered contractors are encouraged to inform their employees of the various opportunities for them to get vaccinated.

Proof of Vaccination Covered contractors are required to ensure their covered employees show proof that they are fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination can be demonstrated through a copy of the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccine card, a copy of immunization records from a health care provider or pharmacy, other medical records sufficiently demonstrating that the individual is fully vaccinated, or a copy of immunization records from a public health or State immunization information system.

Exceptions to Vaccine Requirement Covered contractors may have to provide reasonable accommodations to employees for medical/ disability reasons under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or religious reasons under Title VII. Under these laws, an analysis would be undertaken to determine if an individual who cannot get vaccinated had a medical condition/disability or sincerely held religious belief that qualifies for an exemption, would pose a direct threat in the workplace, and if so, then to determine if there is a way to provide a reasonable accommodation that, without undue hardship, would eliminate or reduce the risk of the employee posing a direct threat.

Continued Masking and Social Distance Individuals who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a mask indoors and in certain outdoor settings (e.g., crowded gatherings, sustained close contact). Covered contractors are required to comply with any applicable CDC guidance regarding continued masking and social distancing. For example: continued masking requirements in indoor settings where there is high community spread of COVID-19. continued on page 25

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Legal Corner continued from page 23

Designation of COVID-19 Coordinator To the extent covered contractors have not already done so, they will be required to designate a person or persons to ensure compliance with the executive order’s requirements, including disseminating information relating to the order and tracking proof of vaccination.

Additional Requirements The Task Force published its initial guidance on September 24, 2021 and may adopt additional requirements. Contractors will also be required to comply with guidance issued through FAQs on the Task Force website.

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In the coming weeks, we expect to hear more details on how these new sweeping mandates will be implemented and enforced. Additionally, more information is expected on what the potential ramifications will be for employers and individuals for failure to comply. n

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The most expansive component of the Action Plan is that President Biden directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to require their workers to either (1) get vaccinated; or

(2) test weekly for COVID-19.

It is expected that all U.S. based employees will count towards the 100 employee threshold.

Employers will likely have to evaluate the ability to accommodate individuals who cannot get vaccinated under the ADA (for medical/disability) or Title VII (for religious accommodations). Individuals who cannot get vaccinated are expected to be tested for COVID-19 at least weekly, and may need to comply with other social distancing requirements.

The ETS will likely provide additional details on an employers’ obligation to provide paid time off to allow employees to get vaccinated, or for the time and cost of any testing.

There has been discussion of possible penalties for failure to comply with the ETS (i.e., whether such a violation could be deemed a “serious” violation subject to a penalty of $13,653 per violation).

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An Interview with Glenn Ferguson Director of Highways, Trees, and Grounds Town of Norwell, MA Can you provide us some insight into your background, education, and history that led you into the field of Engineering and Construction?

I graduated from Purdue University in 1983 with dual degrees in Geotech and Civil Engineering. I spent a half dozen years after graduation working for several Civil Engineering companies before founding Green Environmental, Inc. (GREEN). GREEN is a multi-faceted turnkey environmental, engineering, and remediation company specializing in site assessments, soil and groundwater remediation, asbestos assessment and cleanup. We are in our 35th year.

GREEN’s clientele includes UCANE members, as well as, state and city municipalities, insurance companies and real estate developers. I am still the owner of GREEN and am fortunate to have a strong management team in place to run the day-to-day operations.

What motivated you to become so involved in the Norwell Community and when, why, and how did you attain your current position as Director of Highways, Trees and Grounds?

I’ve always been a firm believer that a healthy town is a result of its individual constituents.

When I moved my family to Norwell in the late 90s I started to get involved with the community by volunteering to be on a few committees. I wanted to offer some of my skills to the town and to learn more about how it operates. Since my four kids were enrolled in the public schools, I also took an interest in the school system. In 1998, I ran my first race for Norwell School Committee. I won it and I was re-elected to four more consecutive terms (15 years).

For a period of time it seemed like I was spending more time at various volunteer committee meetings OCTOBER, 2021

than I was at my day job. The Norwell Chamber of Commerce apparently thought the same thing. I was flattered and honored when the Chamber named me Norwell Citizen of the Year in 2015.

In 2016, Norwell’s highway director retired after 30 years. Norwell is only one of about four communities in Massachusetts where the highway director is an elected position. I thought that position might be an opportunity for me to combine my engineering and construction knowledge and maybe help make some important improvements to the Town’s infrastructure.

I entered the election and won the race in a field of four candidates.

After running a business in the private sector for 35 years, I’m now five years into learning how to get things done in the public sector. Although there might be a few more steps involved on the public side than I was used to, public works departments are able to get things done. I have great crews working in my department and a knowledgeable and caring Town Administrator and Select Board that I can talk to about funds and needed projects. We have made progress continued on page 29

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Public Works Pipeline continued from page 27 on important projects and I take pride in making the operation of the entire Highway, Trees and Grounds Department more transparent and accountable.

Can you give us a brief description of Norwell regarding make-up of the Highway Division, population, and the infrastructure assets that your Department is responsible for maintaining?

Norwell has a population of 12,000. The Highway Department is responsible for the maintenance of 80 miles of public roadways and 30 miles of drainage infrastructure. We also maintain 80 acres of recreational parks and playing fields along with two cemeteries. We handle the snow and ice operations, recycling, street light maintenance, and a host of things in between.

Our Department is staffed with 16 full-time employees and a dozen summer interns who are all kept very busy.

Norwell Water Department takes care of the town’s municipal water system. At present there is no town sewer system, with all businesses and residences being on private septic.

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I’m a firm believer in paying attention to the utilities existing below the surface before investing in overlay paving or road reconstruction.

What do you currently see as the most pressing infrastructure needs for the Town of Norwell in the next few years, and is there a 5-year Asset Management Plan in place to address those needs?

Maintaining the 80 miles of roads is a challenge every year. When oil prices are down and borrowing rates are low, I try to increase the road budget to improve efficiency. We also have over 100 stream culverts, many of which are past their useful life and often undersized.

I’m a firm believer in paying attention to the utilities existing below the surface before investing in overlay paving or road reconstruction. I’m currently working with an engineer to assess our old culverts and develop an orderly schedule for replacements over the next several years. continued on page 30

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Public Works Pipeline continued from page 29 Another recent pressing issue is the increasing number of diseased and dead trees along our roadways which can quickly become a public safety issue. Arborists are attributing this new problem to climate changes that we are seeing throughout the state.

I have made a lot of contacts in both the Engineering and the Construction communities over the years, including many UCANE contractors. If I have a question on how to proceed with an in-house project or if I need help on a project cost estimate for a funding request, I’ve been able to reach out to these experts.

UCANE’s Construction Industry Directory is on my desk and I consider it a very handy resource for myself and our entire Department.

How does your municipality normally fund infrastructure projects that your Department performs or contracts out?

What would be a typical annual budget for your Division?

Currently work for infrastructure improvements comes from a combination of three to four sources: Annual Budget, Town Articles, Bonds, and Chapter 90 Funds. This combination typically runs

$3-$5 million a year. Recently some selected CPA (Community Preservation Act) monies have been assigned to my Department for the creation of parking areas and walking pathways.

All of your commitments to the Town of Norwell, to Green Environmental, and to various professional associations (including UCANE and Plymouth County Highway Association) must make for a very busy week. Do you have a hobby on your “off-time” that might help you relax a bit?

You are correct that my workdays are quite busy. I have been involved with several professional associations, including UCANE, for most of my career. I’ve stepped back a bit but still enjoy those chances to catch up with old friends and listen to new ideas.

I also like to read and I’m in the process of reading all of the Pulitzer-prize winning literature novels. My favorite “get-away” passion has always been mountain climbing. When I was a bit younger I scaled some famous peaks around the world. In recent years I’ve stayed more local and have recently completed the “New England 67 Peaks” (>4,000 FT) – all solo. I appreciate the quiet time and it keeps me in shape. n

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Combined Sewer Overflows Way Up In MWRA Territory

From January through August of this year, combined sewer overflows in the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority service zone discharged more than twice as much sewage and runoff into public waterways than was expelled throughout all of 2020.

I

n the parts of Massachusetts that have combined sewer systems, in which surface runoff is put through the same pipes that carry sewage, heavy and persistent rains can overwhelm the systems. To prevent sewage backups into homes and streets, relief points called combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are built into the wastewater systems to discharge some of the sewage and rainwater into the nearest body of water.

driest on record in parts of the Northeast," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This year has been a different story -- Boston just "wrapped up the third wettest meteorological summer ever recorded" and the region had already received more precipitation (40.17 inches) by September 2 as it got during all of 2020 (37.54 inches), according to WBZ-TV's meteorology team.

Through last month, there had been 80 discharges totaling 594 million gallons at CSOs that the MWRA meters, according to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). In all of 2020, there were 58 discharges at those same MWRA-metered CSOs that emptied a total of 259 million gallons. Last year, all but one million gallons of the sewage and runoff discharged by the MWRA was treated before it was dumped into a waterway, EEA said.

The amount of rain is a major factor in CSO discharges, but officials said 2021 has also seen more of the kind of large storms that exacerbate the need for CSO discharges. After heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, the Department of Environmental Protection worked with wastewater system operators to assess CSO discharges into water bodies across the Bay State. In addition to the MWRA service area, CSO discharges are a major concern along the Merrimack River. - Colin A. Young/SHNS. n

The summer of 2020 "was one of the hottest and

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SPRINGFIELD WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION POST OFFICE BOX 995

SPRINGFIELD WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 01101-0995 413-452-1300

SPRINGFIELD WATER AND BOX SEWER POST OFFICE 995 COMMISSION

Established SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 01101-0995 POST OFFICE 1996 POST413-452-1300 OFFICE BOX BOX 995 995 SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 01101-0995 SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 01101-0995 Established 413-452-1300 413-452-1300 1996 Established ** PRESS RELEASE** 1996 Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Announces Major ** PRESS RELEASE** Renewal Program Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Springfield Water and Commission Announces Major U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator RadhikaRELEASE** Fox and Congressman Richard Neal Attend ** Sewer PRESS to Remark on $500 Million Water Infrastructure Program Water andWater Wastewater Infrastructure Program Springfield and Sewer CommissionRenewal Announces Major U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox and Congressman Richard Neal Attend FOR Water IMMEDIATE RELEASE and Infrastructure Renewal toWastewater Remark on $500 Million Water Infrastructure Program Program

U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator Radhika Contact: Katie Shea, Communications SpecialistFox and Congressman Richard Neal Attend to Remark on $500 Million Water Infrastructure Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Tel: 413-452-1311 Contact: Katie Shea, Communications Specialist FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Email: katherine.shea@waterandsewer.org Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Contact: Katie Shea, Specialist Tel:(September 413-452-1311 Contact: Katie Shea, Communications Communications Specialist Springfield,Massachusetts: MA 2021) –16, Today, Springfield, On 16, September 2021 on Bondi’s Island in Agawam, United States Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Email: katherine.shea@waterandsewer.org Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox and Congressman Tel: Tel: 413-452-1311 413-452-1311 Richard NealMA (MA-1) joined the Wateronand SewerIsland Commission and other state and local Email: katherine.shea@waterandsewer.org Springfield, (September 16,Springfield 2021) – Today, Bondi’s in Agawam, United States Email: katherine.shea@waterandsewer.org

officials to announce theAgency initiation of a major $500Administrator million WaterRadhika and Wastewater Infrastructure Environment Protection (EPA) Assistant Fox and Congressman Springfield, MA (September 16, 2021) – Today, on Bondi’s Island in Agawam, United States Renewal Program withjoined support EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Richard Neal (MA-1) theofSpringfield Water and Sewer Commission and other state and local Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator Radhika Fox and Congressman program.

The Commission recently closed on a $250 million low-interest loan through the highly officials to announce the initiation of a major $500 million Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Richard NealWIFIA (MA-1)program joined the Springfield Water andapproximately Sewer Commissionmillion and other state and local competitive that saveWater ratepayers in borrowing costs Renewal Program with support ofwill EPA’s Infrastructure Finance$60 and Innovation Act (WIFIA) officials to announce the initiation of a major $500 million Water and Wastewater Infrastructure over 30 years. program.

The Commission recently closed on a $250 million low-interest loan through the highly Renewal Program with support of EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) competitive WIFIA program that will save ratepayers approximately $60 million in borrowing costs “EPA is proud to partner onrecently this project that support a cleaner, safer, and program.

The Commission closed onwill a $250 million low-interest loangreener throughSpringfield the highly over 30 years. while creating more than 1,700 jobs.

With EPA’s WIFIA funding, these benefits will be realized competitive WIFIA program that will save ratepayers approximately $60 million in borrowing costs years sooner than otherwise possible,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. over “EPA30isyears. proud to partner on this project that will support a cleaner, safer, and greener Springfield “These wins water quality, quality, the local economy how the while creatingformore than 1,700air jobs.

With public EPA’shealth, WIFIAand funding, these benefitsillustrate will be realized “EPA is proud to partner on this project that will support a cleaner, safer, and greener Springfield Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will accelerate needed upgrades to revitalize across the years sooner than otherwise possible,” said EPA Assistant Administrator forcommunities Water Radhika Fox. while creating more than 1,700 jobs.

With EPA’s WIFIA funding, these benefits will be realized country.”

“These wins for water quality, air quality, public health, and the local economy illustrate how the years sooner than otherwise possible,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will accelerate needed upgrades to revitalize communities across the The Commission was selected among a competitive national pool of applicants for the $250 “These wins for water quality, air quality, public health, and the local economy illustrate howmillion the country.”

WIFIA loan, which is theDeal fifthwill largest awarded nationally in 2021, and the first ever WIFIA loanthe Bipartisan Infrastructure accelerate needed upgrades to revitalize communities across awarded in the state Massachusetts. financing will pool support and accelerate the$250 construction country.”

The Commission wasofselected among aWIFIA competitive national of applicants for the million of more than 30 projects in the Commission’s capital improvement program (CIP) that will improve WIFIA loan, which is the fifth largest awarded nationally in 2021, and the first ever WIFIA loan The Commission was selected among a competitive nationalsystem pool of applicants forand the $250 million drinking water water and sewer servicefinancing reliability, modernization, awarded in the quality, state of Massachusetts.

WIFIA will support and accelerate theenvironmental construction WIFIA loan, which is the fifth largest awarded nationally in 2021, and the first ever WIFIA loan protection for 250,000 residents across the Lower Pioneer Valley.

Significant portions of of more than 30 projects in the Commission’s capital improvement program (CIP) that willthe improve awarded in the state of Massachusetts.

WIFIA financing will support and accelerate the construction Commission’s systems have been in continuous service since their original construction, some over a drinking water quality, water and sewer service reliability, system modernization, and environmental of more than 30 projects in the Commission’s capital improvement program (CIP) that will improve protection for 250,000 residents across the Lower Pioneer Valley. Significant portions of the continued on page 35 drinking water quality, water and sewer service reliability, system modernization, and environmental Commission’s systems have been in continuous service since their original construction, some over a protection for 250,000 residents across the Lower Pioneer Valley. Significant portions of the Commission’s systems have been in continuous service since their original construction, some over a OCTOBER, 2021

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Springfield continued from page 33 century ago. The Commission is matching the WIFIA funding with more than $200 million in stateadministered financing from the Massachusetts Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRF).

Cornerstone projects of the Commission’s Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Renewal Program include: •

•

•

•

New Treatment Facility at West Parish Filters Water Treatment Plant ($168 million): Construction of new treatment process and other plant upgrades to permanently resolve disinfection byproduct issues and improve drinking water quality. More information: West Parish Filters Facilities Plan.

York Street Pump Station and Connecticut River Crossing Project, the site of today’s the announcement ($137 million): Replacement of a 1930s-era pump station and construction of three new wastewater conveyance pipes across the Connecticut River. More information: York Street Pump Station and Connecticut River Crossing Project.

Biological Nutrient Removal Upgrades at the Springfield Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility ($63.2 million): Upgrade of wastewater treatment plant’s 1970s-era aeration system, electrical system, and solids removal equipment to improve energy efficiency, safety conditions, and regulatory compliance.

Drinking Water Distribution and Sewer Pipe Upgrades in the City of Springfield ($31 million): Rehabilitation and/or replacement of drinking water and sewer pipe prioritized continued on page 37 based on age and potential for failure.

In addition to Administrator Fox, MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg and EPA Region 1 Acting Administrator Deborah Szaro and several other officials also provided comments at the event.

“An investment in infrastructure is an investment in our future and today's announcement reinforces that," said Congressman Neal. “I am proud that the Springfield region is the first in the state to benefit from the highly competitive federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, receiving one of the largest awards from the EPA in the nation.

This unprecedented investment will help Ferguson offers a complete line of products to build cover back our region’s drinking water and wastewater systems be more sustainable and resilient in the face of all yourtowater, sewer and storm water management needs, and from our relationships with the waterworks climate change, protect public health and our environment the risk of infrastructure failure, and industry’s top vendors give our customers peace maintain the long-term affordability of these critical services.” of mind through unmatched customer service, on-time delivery, and Otero industryremarked, leading fillI rates.

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Drinking Water Distribution and Sewer Pipe Upgrades in the City of Springfield ($31 million): Rehabilitation and/or replacement of drinking water and sewer pipe prioritized based on age and potential for failure.

Springfield continued from page 35 •

In addition to Administrator Fox, MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg and EPA Region 1 Acting Administrator Deborah Szaro and several other officials also provided comments at the event.

“An investment in infrastructure is an investment in our future and today's announcement reinforces that," said Congressman Neal. “I am proud that the Springfield region is the first in the state to benefit from the highly competitive federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, receiving one of the largest awards from the EPA in the nation. This unprecedented investment will help build back our region’s drinking water and wastewater systems to be more sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change, protect public health and our environment from the risk of infrastructure failure, and maintain the long-term affordability of these critical services.”

Springfield Water and Sewer Commission Chairwoman Vanessa Otero remarked, I am proud of the strategic project and financial planning the Commission has undertaken to secure these competitive financing opportunities. We are now able to advance more than 20 years of capital improvement projects in as little as six years and save customers in Springfield, Ludlow, and surrounding communities approximately $60 million in borrowing costs, while stabilizing rates in the future.

“We are facing an unprecedented and unavoidable need for reinvestment in our century-old drinking water and wastewater systems,” Commission Executive Director Josh Schimmel said. “We view the WIFIA program as an innovative means to renew and adapt our utility to 21st century challenges continued on page 39

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a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize all of our water infrastructure on an accelerated Established basis in order to reduce risks presented by 21st century challenges such as climate change and 1996 regulatory compliance.”

Springfield continued from page 37

in an affordable and sustainable manner. The unique and flexible terms of the WIFIA program offer s Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, “I want to commend Springfield Water and Sewer Commission a once-in-a-generation opportunity to modernize all of our water infrastructure on an accelerated Executive Director Josh Schimmel and his team for their continued efforts in identifying and securing basis in order to reduce risks presented by 21st century challenges such as climate change and this much needed investment. This $250 million EPA Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation regulatory compliance.”

Act Loan will support the Commission’s $500 million investment to improve vital and essential Mayor Domenic J. Sarno states, want to community. commend Springfield and Congressman Sewer Commission infrastructure for our residents and“Ibusiness I want to Water also thank Richard Executive Director Josh Schimmel and his teamand for initiatives their continued effortsofinour identifying and securing Neal and the EPA for their continued advocacy in support local infrastructure this muchMy needed investment.will This $250 million EPA Water Finance and Innovation projects.

Administration continue to work with all ofInfrastructure our local, state and federal partners to Act Loan the Commission’s $500 million to improve andto essential assure thatwill oursupport local infrastructure projects receive the investment and fundingvital needed maintain infrastructure for our residents and business community.

I want to also thank Congressman Richard their reliability for our population well into the future.”

Neal and the EPA for their continued advocacy and initiatives in support of our local infrastructure projects. My Administration will continue to work with all of our local, state and federal partners to assure that our local infrastructure projects receive the investment and funding needed to maintain Background their reliability for our population well into the future.”

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Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a Background federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. WIFIA’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure byFinance providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for About the Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act (WIFIA) at: regionally and nationally significant projects. More information can be found here: Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a https://www.epa.gov/wifia federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. WIFIA’s aim is to accelerate investment in continued on page 41 About the Drinking Water andby Clean Water State Revolving the nation’s water infrastructure providing long-term, low-costFund supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. More information can be found here: The Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF, CWSRF) are joint federalhttps://www.epa.gov/wifia Custom and Standard state financing programs that provide low-interest loans for water supply and wastewater Concrete Products...

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the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. More information can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/wifia Springfield continued from page 39 About the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund The Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF, CWSRF) are joint federalstate financing programs that provide low-interest loans for water supply and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. The programs are administered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Financing through the DWSRF and CWSRF programs offer loans at a lower-than-market rate of 2%. More information can be found at: here: https://www.mass.gov/state-revolving-fund-srf-loan-program.

About the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is an independent, regional public utility that provides drinking water and wastewater service to approximately 250,000 people in the lower Pioneer Valley.

The Commission provides retail drinking water service to Springfield and Ludlow, and wholesale drinking water to Agawam, Longmeadow, and East Longmeadow, as well as emergency/peak service to Southwick, West Springfield, Westfield, Chicopee, and Wilbraham. The Commission provides retail wastewater service to Springfield and wholesale wastewater service to West Springfield, Agawam, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, and Ludlow. More information can be found at: here: https://waterandsewer.org/.

More information about the Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Renewal Program, including details on key projects, is available on the Commission’s website: https://waterandsewer.org/wifia. **END**

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P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc. Completes Route 18 “Lateral Slide” for MassDOT

Readers of Construction Outlook Magazine will recall the September 2020 cover story about MassDOT’s expansive road widening project along Route 18 in Weymouth. The $56 million – 5-year project is being performed by UCANE Member P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc., from Hyde Park, Massachusetts. The project team recently achieved a critical project milestone when they successfully completed replacement of Bridge No. W-32-013 in late July.

MassDOT Route 18 Bridge in Weymouth over MBTA Commuter Rail - 70’ X 365’ Accelerated Bridge Construction by P.Gioioso & Sons, Inc., using a Lateral Slide Method

Looking South along Route 18 Pre Slide – New 70’ x 365’ bridge on left will slide 52’ to the right onto new piers via “Slide” method

42

Looking South on Route 18 Post Slide – Full width bridge was moved 52’ west over a long weekend.

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Installing Hydraulic Jacking System under new bridge

Background Bid in June of 2017, the four-mile highway project on Route 18 had many challenges along its length, but by far the most difficult part of the job was always expected to be the replacement of the large bridge that carried 40,000 cars a day over the MBTA Commuter rail. MassDOT had designated the Weymouth bridge to be replaced under the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) Program.

Designers of the project determined that conventional bridge replacement construction methods would result in extended and costly disruption to vehicular traffic, to MBTA commuter trains, and to local commercial and retail business. In order to mitigate construction impacts MassDOT and their design partner, HNTB Corp.

(Boston), specified that the new 365’ long x 70’ wide bridge was to first be completely built on temporary new concrete piers to be installed adjacent to the existing bridge. Once the new bridge superstructure was fabricated in-place at this temporary location, all Route 18 traffic would then be diverted onto it. Diverting the traffic would allow the existing bridge to be demolished and new (permanent) piers to be built at that location upon which the new bridge would ultimately rest.

The contract specified that during a long weekend, the massive new bridge would be moved off its temporary piers and relocated 52 feet away to rest upon the permanent piers – essentially in the same alignment and location where the original bridge had stood. The newly fabricated bridge would be moved horizontally using a system of hydraulic jacks that

OCTOBER, 2021

would “slide” the bridge off the temporary piers and onto the permanent piers.

This was certainly an ambitious construction method and only the second “lateral slide” design specified by MassDOT. The first was a portion of the Route 44 crossing over Route 24 in Raynham, completed successfully in 2020. The physical dimensions of Gioioso’s Route 18 bridge, its required 52-feet lateral slide distance, and its weight of six million pounds made this project (by far) the largest lateral slide ever attempted by MassDOT. Since breaking ground in the Fall of 2017 various milestones were met by the contractor and in December of 2020 the traffic on Route 18 was diverted over the new bridge at its fabricated – but temporary – location. Gioioso demolished the old bridge in January, and by June 2021 the new piers were installed – all while working above and around MBTA commuter trains (typically 24 trains per day). The lateral slide was scheduled for July 2021.

Setting Up the “Slide” System

The design of the temporary piers and the details of positioning the jacks and the steel beams, plates, Teflon guides, etc. to accomplish the lateral slide were the responsibility of the contractor’s consultant, Stantec (Burlington Office). Mammoet, USA, an international heavy lift expert from Rosharon, Texas, was tapped as subcontractor to supply and operate the unique and powerful hydraulic jacking system that would be required for the work.

Over 300,000 lbs of heavy steel beams were required continued on page 45

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P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc. continued from page 43

to support the bridge as it moved between the 15 concrete piers, nine temporary and six permanent. It was an elaborate design of vertical and horizontal fabricated beams, lifted into place, and welded with lateral supports in all directions. The steel beam support system was to be temporary only and would be removed after the slide.

The complicated jacking system would not only have to provide lateral thrust but vertical lift as well. This would require 32 jacks to first carefully lift the new bridge in order to remove the bridge bearings and position steel plates and Teflon glides on the piers and along the tempoLooking South – Preparing steel beam supports along South rary steel beam support system. Mammoet also Abutment in preparation for sliding the 6 million pound bridge provided nine “Pancake” jacks and six Horizon52 feet into final position tal Jacks with 48-inch throw. Setting up the steel beam support system and all the jacks and hydraulic hoses took six weeks of intricate coordination bevals the Teflon slide shoes had to be reset and lubrication tween Gioioso, Stantec, and Mammoet. By mid-July 2021 added, slowing the operation. everything was in position to attempt the “slide.”

After 14 hours of painstaking and precision work by a 15-person crew, the 52 foot horizontal slide was complete The “Slide“ Operation and the bridge was in its permanent location. It was 6 p.m.

The bridge slide weekend commenced at 11 p.m. on on Saturday and cheers went up. But there was still a lot Thursday night July 22, 2021 after the final MBTA train left to do and only 34 hours left on the clock. passed through the site. The weekend commuter train schedule was cancelled and ridership diverted via MBTA Restoring Commuter Traffic buses. All traffic (both directions) on Route 18 was deAlthough the new bridge was in position, there was toured. Gioioso was charged with getting the new bridge still extensive work to get done before traffic could resume into position, traffic rolling over the new bridge, and trains over or under the bridge. The same Jack Up/Jack Down rolling under the new bridge, by 4 a.m. Monday morning, operation needed to be completed again, this time in reJuly 26 – an ambitious 77 hour window. Mammoet had verse in order to remove all the slide hardware and to retwo 10-man crews and Gioioso had two 12-man crews install the bridge bearings. Crews using five scissors jacks committed to the continuous weekend operation. Each and five manlifts maneuvered around the railroad tracks crew would work 12-hour shifts. for the next 24 hours to dismantle all of the jacks, hydraulic hoses, and temporary falsework and cleanup along 200 The first order of business was to disconnect the atfeet of railroad track. tachments to Route 18 at both ends of the bridge. Then the entire bridge needed to be lifted to remove the bridge While crews worked below the bridge, more crews bearings, install the steel plates, guides, and other hardand heavy equipment worked on top of the bridge to ware, and then lowered back down onto the steel beam re-connect the bridge to the Route 18 roadway. Twosupport system. With crews working around-the-clock, inch-thick temporary roadway plates installed between the Jack-Up/Jack-Down took 29 hours, using 32 jacks the approach slabs and the bridge, in its new position. positioned perfectly to lift and lower the 6-million-pound Trucks and front-end loaders were busy relocating jersey bridge. By 4 a.m. on Saturday, July 23 the crews were barriers and installing guard rails, curbs, and sidewalks. ready to start the “slide”.

Hot mix asphalt was placed on the bridge approaches and sidewalk areas in order to make the new roadway The sliding system utilized all the jacks in unison. alignment safe for vehicles and pedestrians.

Gioioso hired Leica Geo-Systems to install and operate an automated survey system, with multiple instruments to Bridge W32-013 was opened to Route 18 traffic at constantly check for deflection at multiple locations on the 9 p.m. Sunday night – seven hours ahead of schedule. bridge deck and the foundations below. Individual jacks A TEAM EFFORT were adjusted accordingly to compensate as needed.

Some Pancake jacks carried as much as 500,000 lbs.

According to Joe Gioioso, president of P. Gioioso & each during the slide. Horizontal jacks were moved and Sons, Inc. and also the hands-on project manager for the continued on page 47 reset every 48 inches of advancement. At several inter-

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P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc. continued from page 45 entire job, much of the success of the lateral slide operation is credited to choosing great partners back in 2018. “We had worked several prior jobs with Stantec,” said Gioioso. “I had great respect for their capabilities and they didn’t let me down. Peter Moser led the Stantec team and his designs of the temporary support piers, the slide system, and the jacking forces required were all dead-on.” Gioioso added, “Although not familiar with Mammoet, we knew about some of their accomplishments and knew they had a warehouse full of jacking equipment unrivaled in the industry. They were a great choice and worked seamlessly with our crews from the first day on site to get the job done.”

Pre Slide Looking South – New piers with steel beam support Gioioso was high on praise for his own crews system. Bridge will slide laterally 52 feet east over the MBTA tracks as well, and especially his bridge Superintendent, and onto the new piers.

Chris McRae. “Chris has been with the company for 30 years – that’s longer than me!” mused Joe. sure things are done right, but at the same time he wants “He has run this entire bridge project since day one. For the job to always move forward. Whenever we hit a snag the slide weekend Chris wouldn’t leave the site. He surover the long weekend, Ed rolled up his sleeves with us to vived on coffee and some short naps in his truck. I can’t help get things back on track.” say enough about Chris’s dedication and loyalty.”

Chris, in turn, was quick to credit his tradesmen. “Our guys gave up their entire weekend without a single complaint. It was a hectic and stressful weekend for everyone.

I asked a lot from our crews and they all came through.”

Chris and Joe also credited MassDOT Resident Engineer Ed Moschella for his assistance throughout the long weekend. “After four years working with Ed, we know each other pretty well, “says Chris. “Ed is always making

UCANE congratulates P. Gioioso & Sons, Inc. on their record-breaking and successful “lateral slide” for MassDOT. We are proud to count them as members of our Association and wish them continued success. n

Post Slide Looking South – Bridge resting on the permanent piers.

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Construction Safety & Compliance: An Interview with Jeff Gram Vice President/Managing Partner J2M Consulting Associates, LLC

UCANE’s Construction Outlook editors recently caught up with Jeff Gram at a busy construction site in Boston. Jeff is the Vice President/Managing Partner with UCANE member firm J2M Consulting Associates, LLC of Mansfield, MA. We were able to get a few minutes of Jeff’s time to talk about the importance of safety in today’s heavy construction industry.

What is your background in Construction Safety and how long have you been with J2M Consulting?

I have over 41 years of experience in performing safety management and environmental support activities at heavy/civil construction projects and site locations. My start was as a field technician/ site safety officer, and I progressed through various management levels to the position of Safety Director for Modern Continental Construction. Well-known to many UCANE members, MCC was not only the largest heavy civil contractor in Massachusetts at one time, but had a national presence with revenues peaking at over $1 billion annually. In 2007, I began working for J2M Consulting and I am presently VicePresident and managing partner. We are a specialty consulting firm serving small to medium size heavy civil contractors to address civil engineering, land survey, safety engineering, and environmental compliance needs. I also have been a Certified Instructional Trainer, as administered by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, for 22 years.

What range of Safety related services does J2M Consulting offer to contractors engaged in excavation, highway, and utility construction?

perform periodic on-site audits, identification of corrective actions, craft worker and management level safety training, as well as subcontractor management. We work with contractors on all types of safety and environmental issues that they may encounter on a site.

We assist clients with sampling and testing of soils or air quality and making sure construction operations are meeting regulatory compliance standards. J2M prepares required reports and interacts with federal and state agencies as needed to keep the project moving, to document activities, and to close out the project.

Safety services provided to most clientele consists of the formulation and application of corporate safety programs and processes and development/ implementation of site-specific safety plans. We also

The COVID-19 Pandemic required contractors and their Safety professionals to react quickly to an uncharted array of safety protocols continued on page 51

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Safety & Compliance continued from page 49 in order to protect employees. How did you and your company adapt to this unique situation and what have you learned from the experience?

The onset of the pandemic was very dynamic with orders and shutdowns changing by the day.

The lessons learned on the projects that I have been involved with, was to be flexible in approach but at the same time have a strict written plan/guidance for all construction site personnel to clearly understand the state and federal requirements as they evolved.

Then by assuring that a clear transfer of information on a regular basis (daily huddle) was occurring, a constant flow of knowledge and understanding can be achieved. I was involved with multiple projects that were deemed essential and by establishing and following strict protocols each site was able to avoid schedule interruptions due to the presence or spread of Covid-19 cases.

take shape, do you see OSHA’s role changing in regards to the construction industry?

With former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh heading up the Department of Labor, we all know that his close association with labor means that worker safety is an important issue for him. He has recently asked for a 17% increase in OSHA’s operating budget in order to increase inspection personnel (among other areas) so I think all industries can expect increased site inspections over the next few years. A few contacts that I have in the administration have also indicated an enhanced focus on worker training in both a pro-active and enforcement approach is in consideration for the continued on page 52

Aside from COVID related Safety issues, what other Safety concerns were most prevalent among your horizontal construction clients in 2021?

There has been a sea of change in the construction safety industry with struck-by hazards being the leading cause of injuries for the first time in over 40 years of recordkeeping by USDOL/ OSHA. This now requires different priorities to be used in the development and implementation of safety processes during construction work. I have been working with the J2M Consulting Associates, LLC client base, primarily through training events, to enhance issue awareness among employees, and to identify potential preventive/corrective actions. Getting employees to refocus on activities that may have often become a daily routine is a challenge, but it is the first step in addressing this revised trend of “struck by” injuries that has occurred in the industry.

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Safety & Compliance continued from page 51 upcoming period. I am in agreement with this methodology. My experiences have identified that a lack of skill or knowledge on an issue is a leading cause factor for serious incidents. Training, in various forms, is the appropriate corrective action to address this threat to workers in the heavy construction industry.

As a member of UCANE’s Safety Committee, do you think contractors as well as their workers can benefit from participating in industry organized and OSHA endorsed events like Trench Safety Week and other similar Safety Stand Downs?

Absolutely. Workers must have a proper knowledge/skill level for the safe undertaking of a specific construction task. Without occasional reinforcement, it is quite natural that complacency can set in and become a real threat to a safe operation.

The stand-downs provide an excellent forum to allow for enhanced focus on a specific issue like trench safety and other topics. Awareness and focus are key for trade workers to have a total appreciation of safety related issues that routinely confront them when performing construction task activities. n

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OCTOBER, 2021

Patrick W. Saltmarsh Tim Hunt, CHST Dir. of Envt’l, Safety Health and Safety Corporate Director W. J. L. Derenzo French Excavating Corp.

Companies

Are Zero Accidents Really What You Want?

We have seen the banners on jobsites, the splash pages on websites, and the slogans during safety talks, “we are a zero accidents company/jobsite.” However, is that what we want to be preaching? Would a jobsite or a company with zero accidents have a strong safety culture or even be a safe working environment?

F

irst off, let’s agree that an accident can also be defined as an incident. A robust incident reporting culture has many near misses and first aid only incidents when it comes to reporting. Yes, you read that right. I said that it’s expected to have a lot of near misses and first aid only incidents. Humans do the work, and by nature, humans make errors. Error is anticipated in any day-to-day activity. Think back to the last day that you did not make a single error. It is estimated that the average human makes between four to six errors per hour. So let’s say five errors to make the math easier. How many people are on a typical jobsite, again to make the math easier, let’s say 100. So there’s a chance for 500 errors per hour or 4,000 errors throughout the eight hour workday on that jobsite. If there are many chances for errors to be made, why don’t we see incident rates off the charts?

That’s a good question, and the reason is that an error could be a mismeasurement, a mistake in work, a dropped tool, or any other number of harmless things that could go wrong. There are also safety policies and procedures in place to help prevent people from injuries and incidents. With any number of those harmless errors that occur throughout the workday, some in a strong incident reporting culture would show up as a near miss or first aid only incident. You forgot your gloves and decided to work anyway and cut your finger. The injury required only a simple bandage, and you went back to work. Another one of those incidents would be that you get yourself set up to work at height, you go and grab a tool out of OCTOBER, 2021

your tool belt, and it slips out of your hand, falling to the ground below. Nothing happens except your tool bounces around, and you have to retrieve it. Those are two easy examples of everyday incidents that would be reported as a first-aid only incident and a near-miss incident. When a near miss or first aid only incident is reported, the next question is how do you deal with them? In short, you should investigate and handle any incident that is reported the same.

We must view these incidents as gifts. As I stated earlier, we want to have many near miss or first aid only incidents. That sounds counterproductive at first, but it is not. When a mistake happens, and that’s what occurs when a near miss or first aid only incident occurs, then there are two things that it can continued on page 56

“BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS IN CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK”

55

Safety Corner continued from page 55 lead to. It is the role of everyone to take those incidents and learn from them. It’s been said that a smart person learns from their mistakes, but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others. If we take these lesser incidents and use them as teaching tools to prevent them from reoccurring, we work to prevent a more serious incident that could result in injury.

Construction is hazardous by default. Incidents will happen on a jobsite. Suppose you promote a zero-incident/accident culture. In that case, you will be missing out on opportunities to adjust procedures, policies, and methods to prevent serious injury or damage in the future. If a near miss or first aid only incident occurs and nothing happens as a result of it, then it is bound to occur again, and maybe the next time it won’t be a near miss or first aid only; it could be worse. If we ditch the zero accidents/incidents way of thinking, change the thought process to zero injury by promoting a report anything culture and redefining an incident as anything that happens outside of the ordinary. After all, isn’t that what we all mean when we say zero accidents anyway? n

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OCTOBER, 2021

UCANE’s 9thAnnual Trade Show Members are Happy to be Back Together Following an 18 Month Absence of in Person Events Although the majority of UCANE Contractor and Associate members have successfully navigated COVID-19 restrictions over the past 18 months, the pandemic has impacted normal operations for most Trade Associations, and UCANE has been no exception. Getting members together at board meetings, dinner meetings, and special events such as our Annual Banquet, Golf Outings, and our Annual Trade Show is important to an association in order to maintain both familiarity and camaraderie amongst its members. Holding such social and business events has been a challenge, with distancing and masking rules changing monthly and Covid variants continuing to appear, making these gatherings uncomfortable for many.

UCANE has been resourceful throughout this pandemic and board members transitioned to ZOOM for board meetings throughout the

OCTOBER, 2021

last 18 months. The leadership has conducted business, held a few in-person meetings, and the UCANE staff has kept the membership abreast of all news and legislative and agency activity that affects their businesses. One event that our Board of Directors did not want to see postponed again was our Annual Trade Show. continued on page 58

“BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS IN CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK”

57

Trade Show continued from page 57 Executive Director Jeff Mahoney and the UCANE staff followed the Board’s directive and got creative in order to accomplish this year’s 9th Annual Trade Show, which was held on Wednesday, September 22, between the hours of 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. In order to alleviate concerns about social distancing and another COVID variant, the venue this year was held outside instead of indoors. Thanks to Steve Connolly from ATS Equipment, accommodations were arranged at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton.

Our Trade Show offers an opportunity for us to thank those members and friends who advertise in our monthly publication, since it is their dedicated support that makes it possible to produce our nationally recognized magazine. Construction Outlook’s distribution and message is key in keeping the importance of infrastructure funding in front of our Legislators, City and Town Managers, and DPW Directors across the Commonwealth.

This year close to 40 companies took advantage of UCANE’s offer to provide a table and space where they could advertise their business and promote their products to UCANE members. With the amount of space provided at the Irish Cultural Centre, some Associate members were even able to bring in some heavy equipment for our contractors to try-out. continued on page 59

58

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OCTOBER, 2021

Trade Show continued from page 58 This year attendees of our Trade Show were treated to a barbecue lunch hot-off-the-grill featuring hamburgers/cheeseburgers, jumbo hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, pasta primavera, and more. Fresh baked desserts were also on the menu along with cold drinks and even Guinness on tap thanks to the generosity of ATS Equipment, Inc. The surprise guests at this year’s event were three former New England Patriots players who attended our Trade Show and socialized with the vendors and the attendees. Former players and Super Bowl Champions Joe Andruzzi, Jarvis Green, and Patrick Pass, (all sponsored by C. N. Wood Company, Inc.) welcomed guests with photo ops and no shortage of conversation.

These guys were very outgoing and were even in line to get on some of the heavy equipment. Fortunately, the equipment was unscathed and the big tent remained standing!

Although a beautiful day had been forecasted for a week prior to the event, mother nature decided to throw a brief shower at us, and some of our members had to scramble to get under cover of the large tent that the Irish Cultural Centre provided. But our Associate Members took things

OCTOBER, 2021

in stride and carried on with smiles on their faces.

Trying to promote membership camaraderie while still respecting some social distancing and COVID-19 concerns is not an easy task, but UCANE was not to be deterred. As a first-time event, our 2021 “Outdoor” Trade Show was a fun event and a success. Many of the attendees and vendors were very happy to renew acquaintances and to have an in-person event after 18 months of on and off COVID restrictions.

We once again want to sincerely thank our dedicated Associate Members who participated in our Trade Show and the contractors who supported them at this long overdue event. Our plan is to hold our 10th Annual Forecast Meeting and Trade Show in March, 2022 with our guest speakers, MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg, MWRA Executive Director Fred Laskey, and Boston Water & Sewer Commission Chief Engineer John Sullivan, all in attendance to give our members the forecast of jobs coming out to bid next Spring! continued on page 60

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59

Trade Show continued from page 59

Thank You to All of Our Trade Show Participants ATS Equipment, Inc. American Shoring Inc. B2W Software, Inc. Centinel Financial Group, LLC Concrete Systems, Inc. Core & Main Darmody, Merlino & Co., LLP DeSanctis Insurance Agency, Inc. Jack Doheny Company EJ Eastern States Insurance Agency, Inc. Ferguson Waterworks Gorilla Hydraulic Breakers Ideal Concrete Block Industrial Safety & Rescue Lorusso Heavy Equipment, LLC Milton CAT Monroe Tractor NSI Contracting, Inc. National Trench Safety North East Shoring Equipment, LLC Northland JCB/Alta Equip. Company Ocean State Oil Perma-Patch, LLC Pittbos, LLC E. J. Prescott, Inc. Rain For Rent – New England Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers Scrap-It, Inc./Minichiello Bros., Inc. Shea Concrete Products, Inc. Starkweather & Shepley Ins. Brokerage, Inc. Taylor Oil Company Tenna LLC Tonry Insurance Group, Inc. United Concrete Products, Inc. C. N. Wood Company, Inc. Woodco Machinery, Inc.

60

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OCTOBER, 2021

Lawmakers Highlight Importance of Wastewater Infrastructure BARNSTABLE – State lawmakers recently highlighted the importance of effective wastewater infrastructure with the groundbreaking of the Town of Barnstable’s Strawberry Hill Road Sewer Expansion Project.

C

ongressman William Keating, Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr, and 2nd and 5th Barnstable District State Representatives Kip Diggs and Steven Xiarhos attended the groundbreaking event, part of the first phase of the town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan.

“This is critical to Cape Cod with its singlesource aquifer, with its topology, the sand that’s there, the nitrogen issue and lawsuits, we can go on and on,” said Keating.

“If you live on the Cape, it’s part of our lives.

And not always the most pleasant part.”

Failures of inadequate wastewater treatment infrastructure have been cited by town officials

across Cape Cod as leading to issues such as an increase in toxic algae blooms and impacted quality of drinking water sources.

Officials including Keating have also said that inadequate wastewater infrastructure is partially responsible for the housing crisis in the region, as housing cannot be built or expanded upon without adequate wastewater service.

“We also know that important housing issues are affected by these nitrogen issues and groundwater issues and how as we move forward to deal with those issues, we couldn’t do it without dealing with this ahead of time,” said Keating.

Cyr also said that the project and other efforts continued on page 63

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OCTOBER, 2021

Spotlight on Cape

Boston Area Locations Cod continued

from page 61

meant to protect natural resources will help build stability for the coastal Cape community that is on the front lines of climate change.

Everett, MA 02149 2 Dexter Street 2 Dexter Street The Strawberry Hill project

Everett, MA 02149 Everett, MA 02149 specifically will expand sewer service to 300 properties in Cen431 Second Street 431 Second Street terville, cutting down on nitroEverett, MA 02149 Everett, MA 02149 gen pollution that threatens the BOSTON AREA LOCATIONS

health of water resources. The

2 Dexter Street 431 Second Street 100 Fremont Street entire plan eventually calls for Everett, MA 02149 Everett, MA 02149 Worcester, MA 01603 over 11,000 properties to receive sewer service.

The project is moving forward with coordination with Vineyard Wind, saving about $3 million for the town as the offshore wind developer pays for paving, surveying, and designing.

As part of the agreement, Minichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc., Vineyard Wind will land submaMinichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc. rine cables on the shore of CovServes over 2500 customers a week and is one of New England’s largest Serves over 2500 customers a week and is one New England's largest buyers, buyers, sellers, and processors of scrap metal.

For over 60 years our goal sellers and processors of scrap metal. For over 60 years our goal has remained ell’s Beach and use town roads remained the same - to in provide the best along prices in thetop industry along with the same - tohas provide the best prices the industry with notch to lay upland cables. top notch service!

Fred Rogers at 617-595-5505 customer service!

Callcustomer Fred Rogers at Call 617-595-5505 The 30-year CWMP plan Minichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc.,

Minichiello Bros./Scrap-It, Inc., consists of three 10-year phases, Serves over 2500 customers a week and is one New England's largest buyers, the Strawberry Hill project being sellers and processors of scrap metal.

For overa60week years ourisgoal Serves over 2500 customers and onehas Newremained England's largest buyers, part of the first. he same - to provide the best in theof industry along with notch sellers and prices processors scrap metal.

Fortop over 60 years our goal has remained customer service! the Callsame Fred -Rogers at 617-595-5505 to provide the best prices in the industry along with top notchOther individual projects that aim to reduce nutrient pollution customer service! Call Fred Rogers at 617-595-5505

in local water sources are also planned by the town or are in the permitting phase.

Turn your metal into money today!

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Minichiello Bros. Inc./Scrap-It Inc. Minichiello Bros. Inc.,/Scrap-It Inc. Reprinted from CapeCod.com n 2 Dexter Street Everett, MA 02149 Boston Area Boston Area Locations Locations 431 Second Street

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OCTOBER, 2021

Estimating is Not About Winning Work!

You know what I really hate as a general contractor? It was when we negotiate a nice project to build with a loyal customer at a great price and good contractor fee. Then after the job is completed, we spent more money than our estimated budget and therefore didn’t make the gross profit we should have. When we negotiated the guaranteed maximum price contract, the customer trusted us and didn’t question our costs. And then after project completion the final job costs significantly exceeded the budget. Looking for answers, we discovered our estimator didn’t have enough labor production hours in the bid and time needed to complete all the work required for our crews to perform the concrete and structural work. Plus, our estimate had a few holes and omissions as several items were missed, also costing us lots of money. This is a contractor’s worst nightmare!

Is your bid accurate or just an estimate?

Has this scenario ever happened to you? All the time, effort, and energy invested winning a nice construction contract or building a loyal customer relationship allowed you to negotiate a project. And then it is wasted with a bad inaccurate or incomplete estimate. When this happens, the boss goes and asks the estimator ‘what happened?’ He likely blames it on the project manager, or the superintendent, foreman, subcontractors, suppliers, weather, engineer, the City, bad plans, or his unhappy childhood! So, what do you do? You can’t fire him. You need to continue bidding lots of work to keep the pipeline full. Now what?

OCTOBER, 2021

What’s your estimator’s #1 priority?

1. Estimate jobs 2. Price jobs 3. Win work 4. Negotiate jobs 5. Be competitive 6. Make a profit 7. Don’t miss anything 8. Good subcontractor & supplier coverage 9. Know what things cost 10. Accuracy continued on page 66

“BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS IN CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK”

65

Estimating continued from page 65 Winning work is NOT the estimator’s top priority.

The #1 priority for all estimators must be accuracy! A perfect bid estimate is when the final job cost is exactly the same as the estimate. If your final job cost comes in under budget, is it because of a great crew, good planning, negotiating good material prices, buying out subcontractors cheaper, a padded bid, inaccurate estimating, or a combination of all of the above? As a contractor, your estimator’s top priority must be to calculate accurate job costs and not miss anything required to complete the contract scope of work. Winning work is not the role of estimators. Their role is to prepare an accurate budget within one or two percent of what the job will cost to build. Then the company management team’s guidelines, goals, and strategies determine the added overhead and profit mark-up to complete the final bid amount. You don’t want your bid to be an estimate of what it might cost plus or minus a fudge factor or a padded fluff amount to cover mistakes, omissions, or unknowns. In a perfect world, the only variable on any bid should be the difficulty factor, and the overhead and profit mark-up.

Profit Builder Circle To Develop Accurate Estimating 1. Calculate Accurate Estimates Accurate estimates are based on the real field production costs of labor and equipment to complete each task required by the project plus materials, tools, supplies, supervision, and subcontractors. The estimated costs are based on a detailed take-off of all the parts and pieces combined with accurate field labor production rates with no guesses, fluff factors, or

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OCTOBER, 2021

Estimating continued from page 66 padded quantities. Tracking job costs must be made by breaking down your work by phase, work type, and production. For example, to accurately estimate and track labor hours to install concrete foundations, the costs must be broken down into separate cost categories for layout, excavation, forming, installing rebar and embeds, pouring, and then stripping the formwork. To keep accurate labor production costs, it is mandatory to track labor hours for each cost code category rather than lump them all together as one cost item.

To calculate accurate estimated costs of work, the labor and equipment required must be based on similar past jobs and what it took to complete them.

Estimators must keep a detailed up to date cost history library of all past jobs sorted by job type, difficulty, special conditions, city, customers, and inspectors. A big part of an estimator’s responsibility is to also make sure the bid rates are updated and accurate.

A. Accurate Labor Burden Rate - Do you know how your labor burden rate is calculated? Is it accurate or an approximation of what your accounting department thinks it should be? An accurate labor burden rate is essential for accurate estimating. If your rate is padded, your bids will be too expensive,

and if it’s not complete you’ll bid too cheap. Each employee has a different burden rate based on their benefits, age, dependents, or tenure at the company.

Review all of your field employee’s burden rates for accuracy, and be sure to include accurate: taxes, worker’s compensation insurance, medical insurance, liability insurance, vacation, union dues, safety training, small tools, overtime, and down-time.

B. Accurate Crew Bid Rate - Excellent estimators use different crew rates to bid different projects based on what or who the job needs to perform different types of work. A crew on a difficult job needs more experienced workers, while a larger simple project can use less trained crew members. Figure different crew sizes and make-ups to determine your accurate man-hour crew bid rate. I like to calculate bid rates for 2, 3-5, and 10 men crews. You’ll find your bid rate varies considerably for different field crews and teams, so be sure to use the right one for each specific job.

C. Accurate Equipment Rates - Good estimators know what equipment can perform per hour and what it really costs. Calculate the actual ownership cost for each piece of equipment from pickup trucks to compressors, cranes, backhoes, or forklifts. Total the initial purchase price for each piece of equipment continued on page 69

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OCTOBER, 2021

Estimating continued from page 67 plus interest cost, maintenance, gas, and insurance over the life of the equipment. Divide this total lifetime equipment ownership cost by the expected number of billable hours you will be able to job charge over the life of the equipment to arrive at your accurate equipment cost per hour. Then add your overhead and profit markup for an accurate equipment bid rate.

Then keep track of how much work or production a typical piece of equipment can perform per hour.

D. Accurate General Conditions & Mobilization - Many poor estimators don’t verify what their general conditions or mobilization really costs on projects. They too often guess or use a percentage for the cost of job start-up, mobilization, move-on and move-off, project management, supervision, temporary facilities, utilities, clean-up, and job close-out.

This system produces inaccurate cost estimates.

Often unit prices used are outdated, not updated, or don’t match reality in the field. For example, when is the last time you looked at a temporary toilet invoice?

It varies by the number of services per month plus the delivery fees. I find on a typical eight month project, general conditions can vary from $5,000 to $25,000 per month or more. Accurate estimating must include a review of what general conditions or mobilization actually costs utilizing input from the field.

E. Accurate Overhead - Your company overhead is a fixed amount of money spent for the year to run your business. It is not a percentage of job costs or sales. Excellent estimators know what it costs to keep their company open without any jobs under construction - this is your fixed general and administrative expenses or overhead costs. Starting with your total annual overhead cost, divide it by your total projected annual job costs for every job you will build (not sales volume). This percentage will equal the actual overhead recovery markup you need to use to recover all of your overhead expenses for the year. For example: $800,000 projected total annual overhead / $5,000,000 projected annual job costs = 16.0% overhead markup for overhead recovery. Don’t get trapped into thinking you can use an industry average such as 10% or 20% to cover your overhead costs unless you want to go broke fast. Know your actual accurate overhead markup you need to breakeven and hit your goals at year end.

F. Accurate Profit Mark-Up - Profit is the annual fixed amount of money you want to earn for the year. Start every year by deciding how much pretax net profit you want to make over the next year. A good rule of thumb for contractors is to aim at a net profit mark of 40% to 50% return on your total annual overhead budget. For example, if your annual continued on page 70 OCTOBER, 2021

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Estimating continued from page 69 overhead is $800,000, a good net profit target is 50% of your overhead = $400,000 net profit. To determine the profit markup required to hit your goal, divide your total annual projected costs by your annual profit goal to determine the profit markup you need to use. For example: if you’re annual net profit goal is $400,000, divide it by your projected total annual job cost projection of $5,000,000. ($400,000/$5,000,000) = 8.0% required profit markup to hit your goals.

2. Job Start-Up To start every project right, hold a pre-job startup ‘Turn-Over Meeting’ where you turn the job over from estimating to the project team. Gather the estimator, project manager, superintendent, and foreman together to review the estimate, scope of work, inclusions, exclusions, schedule, and contract terms. At this meeting, among the many agenda items, a major priority is to develop the project goals, set the budget, select the required cost codes to track, and develop the job specific timecard for the labor production items you want to track. Have the foreman review the project scope, plans, and estimated labor hours prior to the meeting. Then he can help set and agree to the project goals and production budget. For labor and equipment items, develop the job budget and production hours for each cost code for your crew to achieve.

3. Track & Review Job Costs To develop accurate cost information for current job costs and estimating data to bid future jobs, job hours must be current and correct. Excellent estimators know accurate estimating starts with accurate information from the field foreman and crews who do the work. Step one is to insist your timecard is divided into the cost codes you want to estimate with and keep track of. Then, it’s the project manager’s responsibility to insure field workers and foreman are filling out timecards correctly. Regularly meet with job foreman or field superintendents to make sure the work time shown is accurate and for the work done in each task’s cost code category.

Have timecards filled out and turned in daily. The simplest method is to utilize time tracking software on tablets or cell phones that integrate with your accounting system. The foreman records and approves hours per cost code by task worked on. Next the project manager reviews and approves the time cards to make sure information is accurate and coded properly before it gets into the accounting system.

Update & Track Job Cost Weekly - Next setup your job cost tracking system to develop weekly scorecard production hour reports for the field foreman, superintendent, and project manager to review continued on page 71

Don’t Dig Yourself into Trouble!

CALL DIG SAFE BEFORE YOU DIG. ®

The Perfect Excavation: • Pre-mark the location of intended excavation using white stakes, paint or flags.

• In MA, ME, NH and RI, notify Dig Safe® at least 72 hours in advance.* • In Vermont, notify Dig Safe® at least 48 hours in advance.* • Notify non-member facility owners.

• Maintain the marks placed by underground facility owners.

• Use caution and dig by hand when working within 18” of a marked facility.

• If a line is damaged, do not backfill. Notify the affected utility company immediately if the facility, its protective coating, or a tracer wire is damaged.

• Call 911 in the event of a gas leak, or if a damaged facility poses a risk to public safety.

• Know your state’s excavation requirements.

• Go to digsafe.com for educational material and current laws.

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* NOT INCLUDING WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS.

70

“BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS IN CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK”

OCTOBER, 2021

Estimating continued from page 70 weekly to keep the project on budget. The weekly production scorecard must show the total budgeted hours, hours spent to date, and the projected over or under budget every week.

One less headache on the job site.

Review your production scorecard every week with the crew foreman, superintendent, and project manager to discuss the current status and how to keep your project on track to hit the budget. To get your copy of field production scorecard examples, email GH@HardhatPresentations.com.

4. Completed Job Cost Review At the completion of every project, the estimator and project team must get together to review and discuss the actual final costs and hours spent versus the job budget and bid production rates estimated for each cost code. This will allow the estimator to make adjustments to the cost history library and improve the estimated bid production rates utilized on future bids. Making this process a priority will develop increasingly more accurate bids.

Want to make lots of money? Make your bid more than a ‘guestimate’ of what it might cost.

Implement the complete ‘Profit Builder Circle’ from estimate to budget to job cost to review and adjustment. Be ACCURATE! Make each estimate an exact prediction of what it will take to build every project. n George Hedley CPBC is a certified professional construction BIZCOACH and popular speaker. He helps contractors build better businesses, grow, increase profits, develop management teams, improve field production, and get their companies to work. He is the best-selling author of “Get Your Construction Business To Always Make A Profit!” available on Amazon.com. To get his free e-newsletter, start a personalized BIZCOACH program, attend a BIZ-BUILDER Boot Camp, or get a discount at www.

HardhatBIZSCHOOL.com online university for contractors, Visit www.HardhatPresentations.com or E-mail GH@HardhatPresentations.com.

OCTOBER, 2021

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E.H. Perkins Construction, Inc. & Subsidiaries P.O. Box 301, Wayland, MA 01778 (508) 358-6161 • (781) 890-6505

-PLANT LOCATIONSQUINN-PERKINS S & G CO. Burlington (781) 272-0200 PANDOLF-PERKINS CO. Sterling (978) 422-8812 • (800) 339-3389 KANE-PERKINS CO. Hudson (978) 562-3436 • (800) 287-3436 GRAVEL • SAND • STONE FILL AND LOAM BITUMINOUS CONCRETE (PAVING) READY-MIX CONCRETE PRECAST CONCRETE PRODUCTS

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Advertisers’ Index ATS Equipment, Inc. .............................................................18 Allegiance Trucks, Inc............................................................64 Aon Construction Services Group.........................................23 American Shoring, Inc........................................ Ins. Back Cvr. B2W........................................................................................37 Badger Daylighting................................................................16 Benevento Companies..........................................................61 Boro Sand & Stone Corp.......................................................56 Brennan Consulting...............................................................52 Dennis K. Burke, Inc..............................................................56 C&S Insurance Agency..........................................................24 Centinel Financial Griop, LLC................................................ 11 Concrete Systems, Inc...........................................................44 Core & Main.............................................................................4 Cumberland Quarry Corp......................................................29 Dagle Electrical Construction Corp.........................................8 Darmody, Merlino & Co., LLP................................................ 17 Dedham Recycled Gravel......................................................50 DeSanctis Insurance Agency, Inc. ........................................30 Dig Safe System, Inc.............................................................70 Jack Doheny Company..........................................................52 The Driscoll Agency...............................................................48 EJ...........................................................................................71 Eastern States Insurance Agency, Inc..................................54 Eastpoint Lasers, LLC.............................................................7 T. L. Edwards, Inc..................................................................19 Ferguson Waterworks............................................................35 Gorilla Hydraulic Breakers.....................................................68 L. Guerini Group, Inc..............................................................62 Hinckley Allen LLP.................................................................26 John Hoadley & Sons, Inc.....................................................66 Hydrograss Technologies Inc................................................15 Ideal Concrete Block..............................................................12 Industrial Safety & Rescue....................................................62 JESCO...................................................................................48 P. A. Landers, Inc...................................................................63 Lawrence-Lynch Corp............................................................46 Lorusso Corp.........................................................................64 Lorusso Heavy Equipment, LLC............................................ 14 Mass Broken Stone Company............................................... 17 Milton CAT...............................................................Back Cover Monroe Tractor....................................................................... 41 NSI Contracting .....................................................................68 Norfolk Power Equipment, Inc...............................................68 North American Crane & Rigging LLC..................................34 North East Shoring Equipment, LLC.....................................67 Northland JCB/Alta Equipment Company.............................28 Northwestern Mutual..............................................................62 Ocean State Oil......................................................................54 Pawtucket Hot Mix Asphalt......................................................7 E. H. Perkins Construction Co., Inc.......................................72 Perma-Patch, LLC..................................................................69 Pittbos LLC.............................................................................13 Podgurski Corp......................................................................50 E. J. Prescott, Inc................................................Ins. Front Cvr. Putnam Pipe Corporation......................................................25 Rain For Rent-New England....................................................2 Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers......................................................20 Scituate Concrete Products Corp..........................................10 Scrap-It, Inc............................................................................63 Shea Concrete Products, Inc. ...............................................22 SITECH New England............................................................36 Skyeview Aerial Photography................................................19 Starkweather & Shepley Ins. Brokerage, Inc........................40 Tenna.....................................................................................46 Tonry Insurance Group, Inc...................................................50 United Concrete Products.....................................................39 United Construction & Forestry, LLC.......................................1 United Rentals Fluid Solutions..............................................31 United Rentals Trench Safety................................................32 Watertown Ford Commercial.................................................51 Webster One Source.............................................................64 C. N. Wood Co., Inc. .............................................................38 Woodco Machinery, Inc...........................................................6

“BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS IN CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK”

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