Bulletins

Engineering

Fraudulent USDOT Faxes/Email Resurface

As we have advised you in the past to beware, recently several MITA members have received what appears to be official letters (and emails) from the USDOT requesting specific bank account information. Although they are very official looking on USDOT Procurement Office letterhead, we have confirmed with the USDOT’s Office
Engineering

MDOT Stops Mailing Pay Estimates

Beginning April 1, 2009, MDOT will stop the standard practice of mailing pay estimates.  MDOT anticipates that this change will result in significant cost savings to Michigan taxpayers. To obtain a copy of the estimates, contractors can access and print them from the MDOT website. Click here to view the MDOT
Engineering

2009 Michigan Erosion Control Workshop

How to Organize BMPs Into Effective Erosion Control Plans for Linear Projects Michigan’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) is hosting a hands-on training workshop that will focus on how to organize BMPs into effective erosion control plans. Locations are: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 Weber’s Inn 3050 Jackson Avenue Ann Arbor,
Legislative

Proposed Unemployment Insurance Changes Would Get Rid of Solvency Tax

A measure that would relieve Michigan businesses from paying the unemployment insurance “solvency tax” was passed unanimously in the House Thursday. According to analyses, the legislation would save businesses $35 million for interest owed by the state to the federal government for the advances on the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. 
Engineering

MITA Project Advertisement Website

If you have not heard about the MITA Ads website, it is designed to provide MITA members a convenient way to view the advertisements of non-MDOT let public and private projects. It is the common practice of Michigan’s heavy/highway industry to utilize MDOT’s website to find project advertisement and letting information for
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
Engineering

FieldManager Contractor is now available!

FieldManager Contractor has all of the functionality of FieldManager Read-Only plus the ability to: Create discrepancy reports Create a daily progress discrepancy by item Establish the basis of a subcontract Easily calculate a subcontractor total dollar amount Import your Expedite Bid (*.ebs) file Track costs of personnel and equipment per
Legislative

Federal Stimulus On Its Way to Michigan

Congressional approval of the federal stimulus package means money will soon flow to Michigan and with it, new jobs. President Obama is expected to sign the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 tomorrow. Final details are still emerging, but it appears that Michigan will be in line for about
Engineering

MDOT Names New Chief Operations Officer

MDOT Director, Kirk Steudle, has announced that Greg Johnson, MDOT’s Metro Region Engineer, will replace Larry Tibbits as Chief Operations Officer. Greg joined MDOT in 1989 after working six years for the City of Battle Creek.  He worked in the Kalamazoo project office as a resident engineer for six years,
Membership

New Information Available Online

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has prepared a list of key questions to help identify what departmental permits, licenses, or approvals of a permit-like nature may be needed for a project. By contacting the appropriate offices, you will help reduce the possibility that your project or activity will be
Engineering

Fraudulent USDOT Faxes/Email Resurface

As we have advised you in the past to beware, recently several MITA members have received what appears to be official letters (and emails) from the USDOT requesting specific bank account information. Although they are very official looking on USDOT Procurement Office letterhead, we have confirmed with the USDOT’s Office
Legislative

MITA Seeking a Handful of Political ‘Pavement Pounders’

As you know, MITA worked very hard last year in lame duck to pass legislation providing an additional $1.5 billion per year in transportation funding.   The transportation funding system is in the midst of collapse, and due to the election cycle, 2009 is probably our only chance in the next