Bulletins

Engineering

Detroit Executive Order Update

Through the Executive Order Working Group, industry leaders continue to meet with representatives of the City of Detroit Mayor’s Office to pursue the creation of administrative guidelines for implementation of Executive Order 2007-1. Issued by Mayor Kilpatrick last September, the Executive Order (EO) states that all City of Detroit construction
Engineering

Governor’s “Buy Michigan First” Initiative

In support of the Governor Granholm’s “Buy Michigan First Initiative” the Department of Management and Budget, Facilities Administration, Design & Construction Division is co-sponsoring, along with the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Macomb Community College, an outreach event, on June 11th, tailored specifically for the design and construction community. “Buy Michigan
Legislative

MITA Has Good Week on Legislative Front

MITA lobbyists continue to work to garner support for an additional $1 billion annual investment in transportation funding by aggressively reaching out to legislators. This week’s calendar was jam-packed with legislator meetings in order to talk to them before summer recess. Last year, MITA individually met with over 80 legislators
Engineering

Tax Liability on Construction Materials

This bulletin will serve as MITA’s annual reminder to our contractor members of the issue of tax liability on construction materials that are being incorporated in projects of tax-exempt owners. Contractors performing work for public agencies, churches and schools are often faced with this precarious issue. Many of these owners
Legislative

MITA Continues Work on MBT Fix, False Claims Act; Courts Clarify Construction Lein Act

MITA Continues Work on MBT Fix While the state Senate is off on break for the next two weeks, MITA continues to push forward on the MBT Materials Deduction fix highlighted in recent bulletins. Before the Senate went on break last week, a motion was made to discharge the legislation
Legislative

Legislation Affecting Heavy Construction Industry In High Gear

MITA Testifies Before House Committee Last week, Mike Nystrom and Keith Ledbetter testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation to provide feedback on the proposed 2009 Transportation budget. Billed as a “continuation budget”, Nystrom and Ledbetter sent a clear message of what the state was “continuing” by not addressing
Legislative

MITA, Treasury at Odds over M.B.T. Deduction

The following article was written in Gongwer Michigan Report No. 41, dated February 29, 2008. The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, along with officials for general contractors, homebuilders and builders and contractors, are lobbying lawmakers over an effort to include certain materials in a deduction to the Michigan Business Tax
Legislative

MITA Tries to Force State to Abide by MBT Agreement

Bureaucrats in the MI Department of Treasury have unilaterally decided that the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) materials deduction approved by the Legislature last year does not apply to most construction materials. This, despite claims by key legislators that the deduction was part of the final MBT compromise agreement with MITA
Legislative

Legislative Update: Send a Letter to the Editor and See the New Transportation Task Force Members

Send a “Pothole” Letter to the Editor Have you hit any potholes yet this year? One of the single best ways that you can help push for state transportation funding to repair our roads is with a letter to the editor. Please click here to access sample letters to the editor regarding
Engineering

Truck Driver Prevailing Wage Applicability

The US Department of Labor and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth have informed MITA that the enforcement of prevailing wage compliance will remain a high priority in 2008. In an effort to alleviate some of the confusion surrounding when prevailing wages (Davis-Bacon or Michigan Prevailing Wage) apply
Engineering

MDOT Implements “New Claims Procedure”

On January 30th, after almost two years of collaboration and work by the Department and MITA, MDOT leadership signed into policy their new procedure for review of contractor claims. This new procedure, formally issued as Bureau of Highway Instructional Memorandum 2008-02, Review of Contractor Claims, replaces an outdated and organizationally
Legislative

Legislative Update: Gas Tax Flap, Washington Economic Stimulus and New National Infrastructure Coalition

House Speaker, Sen. Majority Leader Headline a Successful Mt. Pleasant Conference One of the many highlights of this year’s annual conference at Soaring Eagle Resort was a discussion between House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) moderated by the state’s senior capitol correspondent, Tim Skubick.