On March 11, 2009 President Obama quietly signed into law the $410 billion Omnibus Appropriations Act for FY 2009, officially completing work on last year’s budget process.  The Senate approved the bill late Tuesday, after delaying the vote on final passage for several days due to concerns over whether there were sufficient votes in the Senate to pass the bill and forcing Congress to enact a short-term resolution to fund the government through mid-week. 

An AGC analysis of the omnibus appropriations bill shows that Congress would increase funding for federal construction programs by 5.5 percent above the FY 2008 level.  AGC found that Congress provided $115.6 billion for federal construction programs in FY 2008.  The omnibus would provide $121.9 billion for the same accounts.  To view a chart comparing the amounts in the omnibus with the levels Congress enacted in FY 2008 and those President Bush recommended in his FY 2009 budget request to Congress, click here.

For more information, contact Karen Lapsevic at (202) 547-4733 or lapsevick@agc.org.

There has been a great deal of introspection this year about what the M&U Division needs to do in order to grow, be more responsive and provide more value for AGC members.  Throughout the year we have surveyed our members and conducted outreach to assess goals and identify member needs.  We are pleased to report that AGC is pleased to announce that on March 10, 2009 the M&U Division approved a new structure for the Division at the AGC Annual Convention and we have elected our new Division Officers for 2009-2010.

The M&U Division will be adopting new Emphasis Area Networks which will consist of members focused on special construction emphasis areas including: Market Development, Legal and Regulatory Issues, Liaison with Owners and Engineers, and Damage Prevention.   The Utility Market Network, Utility Regulation Network, and Utility Liaison Network will allow AGC members to share information and identify issues that should be addressed by the M&U Division.   Membership in the Networks will generally be open to all interested AGC members. A primary vehicle for information sharing and issue identification will be through electronic forums. Issues requiring AGC action will be referred from these networks to the Steering Committee for appropriate action through Task Forces.

Leading the Division in this bold new approach will be newly elected Chairman Mr. Art Daniel, the Chief Operating Officer of AR Daniel Construction Services, Inc. located in Cedar Hill, Texas. Mr. Daniel has been in involved in the utility construction industry for over thirty years.   Mr. Daniel’s industry involvement includes President 2004 of AGC of Texas, AGC of Texas Water and Wastewater Committee, AGC of Texas-ACEC Joint Committee, AGC of Texas-TxDOT Joint Committee, AGC of Texas Trenchless Technology Committee (past Chair), Past Municipal & Utilities Division Chairman 1997-1998 & 2001-2002, and Past Dallas Area Chair of the AGC of Texas.   Mr. Daniel currently serves on several AGC of America Committees and recently as Vice Chair of the Municipal and Utilities Division of AGC of America and as a member of the Board of Directors of AGC of America.  He is also a member of North American Society for Trenchless Technology and the Gulf Coast Trenchless Society.

Newly elected M&U Vice Chairman Mr. Gene Shull is the Owner and President of A. E. Shull & Company an underground utilities and road construction company located in Tyler, Texas which was organized in 1973.  In addition to serving as President of the Associated General Contractors of Texas in 1990, Mr. Shull previously chaired the M&U Division at AGCA in 1991. Mr. Shull is, and has been, active in numerous state, local, and civic groups including the Tyler Rotary Club, Tyler Chamber of Commerce, Governor’s Underground Storage Tank Advisory Committee , the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse , the Texas General Services Commission – Appointed by Governor George W. Bush in 1997, and most recently as a Trustee for the Tyler Independent School Board.

We would also like to thank outgoing Chairman, Mr. L. Bradford Barringer of B.R.S. Inc located in Richfield, North Carolina.  A member of Carolinas AGC, Brad’s persistence and dedication to the M&U Division and the construction industry is unmatched. We appreciate his leadership of the Division throughout the last year.  Mr. Barringer is a tireless and dedicated advocate for shared responsibility in underground utility damage prevention and is one of AGC’s long time activists in the Common Ground Alliance. Brad is an active participant in the AGC Education and Research Foundation which recently awarded $177,000 in scholarships for students in 2009. Brad also currently serves as the Region 2 CGA Coordinator which consists of the North Carolina Regional CGA, Tennessee Damage Prevention Committee, Utility Service Protection Center, Delmarva, Virginia Utility Protection Service, Inc., Kentucky Regional CGA

For more information on these developments and  how you can get involved with the M&U Division contact Perry Fowler at (703) 837-5321 or fowlerp@agc.org

The AGC Municipal & Utilities Division hosted Steven Allbee from the EPA Office of Water at AGC’s 90th Annual Convention in San Diego. Albee is a 30-year veteran of the EPA, serving as the primary author of the EPA Clean and Drinking Water Gap Analysis and one of the leaders in establishing the State Revolving Fund Program.  He is widely regarded as one of the leading national experts on water infrastructure needs and advanced asset management approaches.  Allbee was featured in the AGC-funded documentary Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure.

Allbee addressed the significant challenges facing our aging water infrastructure and the critical role that contractors play in ensuring public health and water quality. Allbee noted that the level of attention and funding for water and wastewater was unprecedented and lauded AGC for its support in raising awareness in Congress and throughout the nation with Liquid Assets.

Albee commented that he had thought that a Trust Fund for Clean Water would never materialize, but was extremely optimistic given recent developments in water infrastructure.  These include the $7.4 billion contained in the stimulus for clean and drinking water, the recent passage of $19.4 billion over five years in authorization of appropriations for wastewater infrastructure projects, and the President’s 2010 Budget which called for $3.9 billion for the Safe Drinking and Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund Programs. Establishment of a Clean Water Trust Fund is one of AGC’s top legislative priorities in the 111th Congress and AGC anticipates the introduction of legislation in the coming months.

Click here for a copy of Allbee’s presentation

For more information or a copy of Allbee’s presentation, contact Perry Fowler at (703) 837-5321 or fowlerp@agc.org