Volume 35, Number 4, April 2000
ContractGlazing
Los Angeles Board Scraps
Belmont Learning Complex
Just one month after contractors were allegedly
charged with the overbilling of Los Angeles’ Belmont Learning Complex (see January
USGlass, page 15), the project is once again plagued by problems. In fact, the
Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education voted on January 25 to
discontinue construction on the complex. This decision will reportedly cost the district
$170 million, according to a report in the February 7 edition of Engineering News
Record (ENR). It is estimated that an additional $55 million would be required to
complete the project. Reasons for ending construction have been attributed to
environmental concerns and financial uncertainty.
Construction on the complex began in early 1997 and would have served more than 5,000 Los Angeles students who attend a dilapidated 77-year old facility. According to a district spokesperson, a decision will soon be made as to the future fate of the complex. Suggestions include converting the site into administrative offices or a warehouse.
Subcontractors’ Conference to Focus on Burdensome Regulations
Participants at the 4th Construction Industry Legislative Conference will “storm” Capitol Hill offices to help put the construction industry’s concerns before legislators.
The collaboration of nine trade associations, to be held June 4-6, 2000, in Washington, D.C., will focus on strategies to defend against unreasonable government regulations. Part of their agenda is to bring their concerns to members of Congress through personal visits.
Matt Wald, director of government and industry relations for the American
Subcontractors Association, one of the participants, says, “Many subcontractors have
similar experiences with policies that foster overblown estate taxes, pay-if-paid clauses,
high retainage and harsh enforcement of safety and health
regulations.”
Workshops to be offered at the conference include: Construction Issues in the 106th Congress, Enacting Retainage Reform in Your State, and Making Changes in State Licensing Laws.
OSHA to Publish New
Fall-Protection Rule
Despite public opposition from the federal steel erection negotiated rulemaking advisory committee (SENRAC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently updated the fall-protection rule, according to Charles N. Jeffress, OSHA chief. A draft of the revision was presented to SENRAC members, and was then sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Publication in the Federal Register should follow by June or July.
Correction
In a recent article, a comment attributed to Russ Ebeid was a bit mangled. The proper sentence should have been, “The Safelite/Vistar/Belron merger made one company so big that it is capable of carrying the whole industry down.”
USG
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