If you didn’t attend our first lunch meeting/golfing event at Ancil Hoffman last month, you missed a great one! Everyone had a great time. The turnout was about the same as recent meetings, but we did have new faces and a different mix of attendees. The casual buffet lunch with tri tip was a hit too. I have to say that the long hiatus since I played golf last did not help my game any. I think I have firmly cemented my position as the worst golfer among Chapter Presidents of the last 6 years. In addition to a great presentation by Jerry Way, he provided me free advice – “Play more.” I will try to take Jerry’s advice and be ready for spring, when we hope to have another lunch/golfing meeting!
“…So-So Legislative Session for Business” was the headline of a recent article in the Sacramento Business Journal recapping the end of the legislative session. Of the 805 bill that were passed into law, many affect our industry’s business climate, both positively and negatively. And many of the bills signed into law are mixed, with both positive and negative aspects. One of note is AB 401, which authorizes state and local agencies to use design-build (DB) for transportation projects, but contains language specifying that Caltrans perform the construction inspection. I have spoken to those in our industry that support this bill because more DB projects are authorized (previous DB authority expires at the end of 2013). A recent email I received on behalf of Self Help Counties touts the passage of AB 401. On the other hand, a large contractor that I spoke with felt very pessimistic about the DB environment in CA as a result of AB 401 and planned to look elsewhere for opportunities. ACEC-CA and others opposed the bill because the construction inspection provision violates Prop 35 (which gives state and local public agencies the authority to use either public or private sector design services and that local agencies have that authority over local and regional projects).
ACEC-CA supported SB 743. Although primarily designed to streamline CEQA review of the proposed $450 million Kings arena, SB 743 provides some CEQA streamlining or other CEQA reform benefits to selected categories of projects. Projects benefiting from SB 743 include those in transit priority areas, urban infill projects, and environmental leadership development projects. Although a disappointment from the perspective of overhauling CEQA, ACEC-CA supported the bill despite the limited scope of CEQA reform.
I spoke with someone from a local transportation agency about the positive and negative aspects of AB 401. They felt that in California’s position, one has to be thankful for small gains. I suppose this is true, but to do my part to effect greater change, I have promised myself to be more politically aware, politically engaged, and politically active in the coming year. I hope you will too.
