Bulletins

Legislative

Tuesday is Election Day – Remember to Vote!

Tuesday is a big day to help determine the direction of our state for the next four years. MITA has invested much time and resources to elect leaders who are committed to building and maintaining Michigan’s infrastructure. In addition to the governor, attorney general and secretary of state, all 148
Engineering

Pay Item Negotiations Successful!!!

MITA staff were recently successful in negotiations with MDOT leadership on a significant three-part pay item proposal. The three-part proposal presented by MITA and accepted by MDOT included the following elements: I. Increase the “Mobilization, Max” pay item from the current 5% (of the Engineers Estimate) to 10%. II. Remove
Legislative

Don’t be “Ghouled” by 5

In a seasonal twist to the anti K-16 commercials saying “don’t be fooled by 5”, opponents of the K-16 ballot proposal held a press conference on Halloween to warn voters the scary consequences of approving the Proposal 5 ballot question during next week’s general election. The Senate Fiscal Agency now
Legislative

Five Ballot Proposals to be Decided in November Election

The statewide ballot will contain five proposals that Michigan residents must decide on November 7. Several of them will affect the heavy construction industry in Michigan. Of greatest concern to our industry is Proposal 5–the K-16 initiative . A seemingly innocuous proposal to guarantee modest inflationary increases to education could have a
Engineering

Traffic Control Quality and Compliance

It has come to our attention that some owner agencies are not complying with the MDOT Special Provision for Traffic Control Quality and Compliance and have threatened to issue fines (negative contract price adjustment) if work is not completed in a 4 hour time period. There are two parts to
Legislative

Final Chance to Help MITA PAC This Election

With less than a month to go, MITA members must hurry if your contributions are going to have an influence on this year’s elections. The MITA PAC has identified a number of candidates and legislative leaders across the state who will support our industry while in office. We have an
Legislative

MDEQ Unveils Proposed Water and Wastewater Revolving Fund Projects for ‘07

Today the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) unveiled the water and wastewater revolving fund applicant lists for 2007. The reports contain all of the projects where the state determined that money was available at the time the work was scheduled to proceed. Two weeks ago, MITA announced exciting news
Legislative

Loan Applications for Water and Wastewater Revolving Fund Programs Skyrocket

$550 million in projects on tap for ‘07 A whopping $600 million in State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan applications have been submitted for 2007, according to preliminary numbers from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The loan amounts were almost three times the previous years’ totals. The dollar figures were
Legislative

Soaring Gas Prices Hurt Road Funds in ‘06

Road and bridge funds took a hit this year as drivers conserved at the pump, according to recent numbers just released from the State of Michigan House Fiscal Agency. The numbers show that gas tax revenue was significantly lower from January to July 2006, compared to the same period in
Engineering

MDOT Concrete Recycle Questionnaire

Industry and MDOT recently met as a result of an MDOT directive to establish guidelines for the reclamation of concrete from MDOT projects. This meeting came on the heals of the September bid letting in which the I-75 project from Birch Run Creek to Dixie Highway required that the existing
Engineering

Reminder – SSPC Certification Required

October 6, 2006 Letting Beginning with the October 6, 2006 letting, any contractor performing bridge painting work on MDOT projects with bridge paint warranties must provide to the Department proof of current SSPC certifications for “QP 1, Field Application to Complex Industrial and Marine Structures” and “QP 2, Field Removal of Hazardous
Legislative

Ballot Proposals Threaten Local Government

This year’s November ballot could see up to six ballot proposals, several of which, if approved, will impact local government construction-related activities. These include: 1. The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which would eliminate the ability of public institutions such as local government to use affirmative action programs in hiring and