~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IN THIS ISSUE
* ACEC Fall Conference Reminder
* Welcome New Members
* Most Wanted Benefits by College Graduates
* Employee Assistance Plan available through Life/Health Plan
* California Engineers Fight Back
* New Small Business Size Standard
* Superfund/Brownfields Reform Legislation
* Bright Forecase for Design/Build
* The Name's the Same
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ACEC Fall CONFERENCE REMINDER
This year's ACEC Fall Conference will be held September 20 - October 2 at the Grand Traverse Resort near Traverse City, Michigan.
"What We Do Is All Around You - Designing Solutions, Making a Difference" will be the central theme of educational programs which will span the three days of the Conference. Fifteen hours (15) of educational programming will be available for attendees.
Located on the northwest shore of lower Michigan, bordering Lake Michigan, the Traverse City area is one of the most beautiful parts of the state. The Leelanua and Old Mission peninsulas extend into Lake Michigan, and are home to not only great scenery but the nautical industry and cherry products for which northern Michigan is known.
The Grand Traverse Resort is located on 1,400 acres of spectacular landscape. It features a variety of restaurants and lounges, a shopping gallery, health club, indoor tennis, spa, and two swimming pools. The Resort also has 54 holes of championship golf including the infamous Jack Nicklaus course, "The Bear".
Accommodations at the resort include the main hotel, luxury tower rooms and convenient condominiums. Rates begin at just $105.00 per night (single/double), with a 3-bedroom condo at only $211.00 per night. Call toll-free, 1-800-748-0303 for hotel reservations.
Convention registration fee is $495.00, with spouse registration only $165.00.
Convention registration information was included in the most recent edition of the ACE Magazine (July/August issue) which all ACEC members received last week. Additional registration packets are available from CECO. Registration information is also available on the ACEC web site -- www.acec.org
This promises to be an outstanding Fall Conference in an unbeatable location. Fall colors, great seminars, golf, tennis, and more!!!!! What better way to spend a weekend in northern Michigan!!!!!
Make your plans to attend the ACEC Fall Conference now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
CECO is pleased to welcome three new firms as members of CECO and ACEC.
Garver Engineers, Inc., is a multi-discipline branch office of an Arkansas-based firm. Daniel Williams heads up the office which is located at 5415 S. 125th Ease Ave, Suite 201, Tulsa, 74146, (918) 250-5922.
Legacy Engineering, Inc., is a civil and transportation engineering firm headed by Scott Barrett, formerly with Dewberry Design Group. The firm is located at 2925 Asheton Court, Edmond, 73034, (405) 359-7093.
Ellen Stevens, PhD, P.E. is a hydrology and hydraulics engineer, and has recently opened a private practice. Ellen's office is located at 2223 N. Glenwood, Stillwater, 74075, (405) 372-7396. In addition to also being on staff at Oklahoma State University, she is the current President of the Oklahoma Society of Professional Engineers.
CECO welcomes these firms, and looks forward to having them as active CECO/ACEC members!
P.S. - Do you know a prospective member????? If so, call CECO and we'll work together to recruit them!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MOST WANTED BENEFITS BY COLLEGE GRADUATES
What benefits do recent college graduates most value? According to the "Graduating Student and Alumni" survey report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.jobweb.org), they are, on a scale of 5 to 1 with 5 being "most valuable",
Medical Insurance 4.71 Flextime 4.42 Retirement plan 4.30 Annual raises 4.09 Dental insurance 4.05 Life insurance 4.01 Tuition reimbursement 3.80 Stock options 3.56 Family-oriented benefits 3.53 2+ weeks vacation 3.46 Frequent performance review 3.34 Bonuses and commissions 3.32 Telecommuting 2.90 On-site fitness center 2.47 Casual dress 2.45 Psychological counseling 2.09 Company car 1.89
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PLAN AVAILABLE THROUGH LIFE/HEALTH PLAN
Now even the smallest consulting engineering firm can offer an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) to its staff that rivals those available though larger employers.
The ACEC Life/Health Plan has added an EAP option that provides insured employees and their families with help relating to alcohol and drug abuse, financial and legal difficulties, dependent care needs, relationship problems and other "life concerns."
The EAP was added to the menu of options available through the ACEC Life/Health Plan on the recommendations of ACEC's Human Resources Subcommittee.
Thanks to its large purchasing power, the ACEC Life/Health Plan can offer the EAP option to its insured firms at a cost of only $2.40 per month per employee.
If you want more information on the EAP option, or on the ACEC Life/Health Plan itself, call David Harvey at (800) 562-8566.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CALIFORNIA ENGINEERS FIGHT BACK
As you will remember, California Consulting Engineers won a major victory last with by defeating the so-called PECG Initiative, which would have required state-employed engineers design virtually all projects in the state.
Well, now the shoe's on the other foot!!!!!
After winning last year's anti-contracting out battle with the state engineers' employee union, the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC) has gone on the offensive.
CELSOC is now putting together a "war chest" to legitimize contracting out consulting services by beginning their own 'Initiative petition" campaign to amend the state constitution to allow contracting out.
If placed on the ballot and approved by the voters, the initiative would overturn a destructive 1997 California Supreme Court decision which arbitrarily restricts the authority of public agencies to procure design services. Without flexibility to use outside engineers, surveyors and architects, it can be difficult for agencies to promptly and efficiently deliver needed public works projects.
For many years, CELSOC has fought a variety of court decisions which interpreted the state constitution as forbidding contracting out. If passed, this initiative will clearly state that contracting out of design services is legal and in the best interest of the public.
CELSOC plans a massive media campaign, at a cost of over $5 million to pass the initiative.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARDS
As of June 14th, the new small business size standard of $4 million for A/E/LS is effective for all federal contracting. The size standard, which is used to determine small business eligibility for federal contracts, and in some cases, state contracts, is a measure of gross firm revenues over a three year period.
For more info and the full text of the new standard, go to www.acec.org.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SUPERFUND/BROWNFIELDS REFORM LEGISLATION
For the first time in 5 years, by a vote of 69-2, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved Superfund legislation on August 5. H.R. 1300, the Recycle America's Lands Act, includes many important provisions supported by ACEC and EBAC, the Environmental Business Action Coalition. Most notably, the bill includes the long sought liability relief for Response Action Contractors. Specifically, Section 307 of the bill would extend the negligence standard unless a state creates a different standard by law. At the same time, it would create a six-year Statute of Repose, except for claims for gross negligence or intentional misconduct or claims in states that have adopted a separate Statute of Repose. In addition, the liability section expands the scope of indemnification to include "threatened," as well as actual, releases and extends Section 119 coverage to all response actions.
Other key components of H.R. 1300, which are supported by ACEC and EBAC, include:
¨ Reauthorization for the Superfund tax
¨ Authority and acceleration of state voluntary cleanup/Brownfield programs and Brownfield grants
¨ Needed changes to Superfund's remedy selection provisions
¨ Codification of EPA Administrative Reforms.
However, ACEC and EBAC oppose Section 302 of the bill, which would codify the ASTM Standard for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (Standard E1527-94) as the method to follow to qualify as an innocent landowner. Using a cookbook-type approach to site assessments as directed by the ASTM Standard will impinge upon professional judgment and will not uncover all significant site contamination. ACEC and EBAC prefer that the determination of the activities required for qualifying as an innocent landowner be subject to prompt EPA rulemaking.
While your firm may not be directly impacted by this legislation or involved in this type of work, we strongly urge you to support our industry's efforts to pass comprehensive Superfund legislation this year by sending your member of Congress a letter. Your voice does matter!
Urgent action is still needed in the House Commerce Committee and the full House of Representatives. While the bill sailed through the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, it still faces an uphill battle. Before going to the House floor, it must be approved by the House Commerce as well as Ways and Means Committees, which share jurisdiction with the Transportation Committee over Superfund, Brownfields and reinstatement of the Superfund tax. To date, the full Commerce Committee has not scheduled action on Superfund. At the same time, it remains unclear if the Ways and Means Committee plans to reinstate the tax.
Two Oklahoma Congressmen serve on the House Commerce Committee: Congressman Steve Largent and Congressman Tom Coburn. Additionally, Congress Wes Watkins serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.
MAIL, FAX OR E-MAIL! Your immediate help is urgently needed! We must continue to build support for H.R. 1300! To do that, we ask that you contact Congressmen Largent, Coburn and Watkins, and ask them to support H.R. 1300. Let them know that your firm is part of the "solution" to environmental contamination problems, and that this bipartisan bill will ensure that human health and the environment will be protected through prompt cleanup of hazardous waste sites. Please provide us with a report on your meeting.
NEED MORE INFORMATION? For further information, please contact Jack Kalavritinos at ACEC at (202) 347-7474 or Carolyn Kiely at EBAC at (202) 682- 4354 or visit our website at www.acec.org/programs/environ.htm. to review further information on this issue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BRIGHT FORECAST FOR DESIGN/BUILD
Not only did design and design/build firms experience impressive growth in design/build revenues as a percentage of their gross annual revenues over the last three years, they're also predicting design/build revenues to continue to grow over the next three, five, and ten years according to a new survey.
The 1999 DESIGN/BUILD SURVEY (Zweig White & Associates, Inc.) found that design/consulting and design/build firms experienced a median growth in design/build revenues (as a percentage of gross annual revenues) of 25% and 33% respectively from 1996 to 1998.
The future of design/build also looks promising. According to the survey, design/consulting firms (regardless of whether or not they currently have any design/build experience) expect revenues from design/build projects to comprise a median of 10% of their gross revenues in three years, 15% in five years, and 25% in ten years. Design/build firms predict design/build revenues to comprise a median of 20% of their gross annual revenues in three years, 30% in five years, and 50% in ten years.
Optimistic growth expectations may stem in part from the vast
majority of firms' belief that the overall use of design/build
is expected to become more common in the next five years- including
work in the public sector.
According to the survey, 90% of firms believe the overall use
of design/build will increase in the next five years, while another
89% predict an increase in the use of design/build in the public
sector over the same period.
"Private sector design/build has been and will be around forever. It's the public sector design/build that continues to fuel the market," says Jerry Novacek, Zweig White & Associates' resident design/build authority. "Design/build for the public sector will continue to grow because after seven or eight years it's obvious, to both the design and construction industries, that it works. It costs less, saves time, and still provides the level of quality the owner requires."
Design/build firms predict more significant growth in design/build projects as a percentage of their gross annual revenues than do design/consulting firms. Also, the vast majority of firms predict an increase in the use of design/build, both overall and in the public sector, over the next five years.
The 1999 DESIGN/BUILD SURVEY is a valuable resource for any firm already using design/build, interested in getting involved in a design/build proposal or project, or just researching the possibility of getting involved. It covers such design/build issues as contract types, fee structures, selection processes, marketing risks, bonding, insurance, etc. The report also reveals firms' opinions about design/build's advantages, disadvantages, growth potential, and the markets in which it's most appropriate.
The 1999 DESIGN/BUILD SURVEY is $275, plus $4 shipping and handling from Zweig White & Associates, 600 Worcester Street, Natick, MA 01760, tel: (508) 651-1559, fax: (508) 653-6522, e-mail: mailto:info@zwa.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE NAME'S THE SAME
An "eponym" is a word derived from the name of a real person, and you probably use more of them than you think.
Oh, you're probably familiar with the fact that A. J. Bloomer was the inventor of some fancy undergarments, and the Dr. J. I. Guillotin developed the world's more effective "quick-weight-loss" system. But, do you know the name of the famous 17th century Parisian gambler who wanted his cohorts to have plenty of food but didn't want them to take time out from their games for a sit-down meal? Pierre Buffet, of course. And, what of the fellow who throughout his long life was know for his amazing bouts with the bottle. His name: Oswald Binge. Or, what about the British carpenter's faulty installation of a screen at Brighton Pavilion which fell and hit the Prince Regent squarely on the head. The carpenter's name: Jeremy Botch! Fortunately, the Prince Regent survived and thus had no immediate need of the boxes first produced by another British carpenter, Matthew Coffin.
Asphalt, as you probably know, was invented by wealthy Bavarian landlord Leopold Von Asphalt. And, although he didn't invent intolerance, English Puritan preacher Nathaniel Bigot was known for his.
Finally, we call your attention to the Dominican monk who about seven centuries ago invented a punctuation mark to make the Bible easier to understand. His name - Domenico de Comma.