ACEC/PAC is the engineering industry’s national political action committee whose sole purpose is to elect candidates to the U.S. House and Senate who promote policies and legislation favorable to the engineering industry.  In the last election cycle, ACEC/PAC contributed over $1 million to the campaigns of pro-engineering candidates, 86% of whom won their respective races.

Member involvement in political programs provides the edge in making sure engineering firm interests are protected and promoted. ACEC and its federal advocacy efforts save each of our firms hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, which is why it is important to learn more about how to participate in ACEC’s political/grassroots efforts.

The Bottom Line

• ACEC is the industry’s voice in Washington, using its legislative, educational and political resources for one purpose – to enhance your bottom line.
• ACEC/PAC supports lawmakers who support America’s engineering industry.
• ACEC’s Minuteman Fund supports critical legal and legislative efforts in the states.

For more information about ACEC/PAC you can go to: http://www.acec.org/advocacy/acec-pac/

Mike Inamine, Executive Director of the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency (SBFCA) gave a great presentation at our September 25th dinner meeting. Mike provided an overview of the SBFCA’s Feather River West Levee Project (FRWLP), a $312 million program to rehabilitate and improve 44 miles of levees in the Sutter Basin. When complete, the project will provide 200-year protection for over 90,000 people living in and around the Sutter Basin communities of Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak, and Yuba City, 100-year protection for the rural southern portion of the Sutter Basin.

The Sutter Basin has a long history of flooding. The levee system along the west bank of the Feather River dates back to before the 1900s where levees have failed primarily from underseepage and through seepage. To address this risk, slurry walls as deep as 110 feet are being constructed along much of the 44 miles of levees, making the project one of the largest slurry wall projects ever. SBFCA is accomplishing this project with a staff of only three and relies on a large team of contracted consultants and service professional. Mike described the makeup of the team, the schedule, and spending plan. Construction is expected to be completed by 2016.

In addition to the technical challenges, Mike described financial and permitting challenges the program faced and how they are being overcome. The project is unique in that the flood control project is local-agency lead, rather than being lead by State or Federal agencies. As such, new ways of obtaining agency approval were required. SBFCA obtained environmental clearance relatively quickly, and challenges to the project by environmental groups were managed with brokered agreements. SBFCA has leveraged local money to obtain the required funding for the project from State, Federal, and other sources.

The speaker for the ACEC October lunch meeting will be Jerry Way, Director of Public Works for the City of Sacramento.  Jerry began his career with Public Works in 1980 and over the last 33-years he has served as the City Traffic Engineer, the Streets Manager and in 2006 he was appointed Director. Jerry directs four divisions, supports 408 full-time employees and an annual combined operating and capital improvement budget of over $100 million for the City of Sacramento. Jerry is a Sac State Alum where he majored in Business. In 2005, Jerry completed “Leadership for the New Millennium” at CSUS, and in 2007 he completed “Senior Executive Leadership in State & Local Government” at Harvard University at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 2011, Jerry was named Top-10 Public Works Leaders in North America by the American Public Works Association and he was also named as an APWA Charter Leadership Fellow.

Jerry served on the American Public Works Association Board of Directors for five-years culminating as Past President in 2010. He served on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Tree Foundation, and is currently serving on the River District Board of Directors.

Jerry will provide an overview of “the Big 5” projects in the works for Sacramento and give updates, challenges, successes, etc. relative to each project.  The projects include the Downtown Arena, Street Car, 3 new Bridges, Delta Shores, and the Railyards.  Always entertaining, this presentation by Jerry Way is not to be missed!