Legislative Alerts: Miscellaneous

Regional Director Walter Palmer, along with GBCA counsel and staff met with the Governor’s Secretary of Legislative Affairs, Colleen Kopp to discuss why GCAP opposes the Commonwealth crafting a PLA for SCI Graterford without having the contractors’ group at the table. Palmer discussed with the Kopp the ways in which GCAP could assist the Commonwealth in negotiating the best terms for a PLA at the Montgomery County prison. For more information about the meeting, please call contact Terry McDonough at 717-731-6272 or keystonecontractors@verizon.net.

State tax revenues for April were way down, continuing a disappointing trend. State Budgeteers are now projecting a $3 to $3.2 billion shortfall for FY 2008-09. By most counts that number will grow to an even larger structural deficit for the coming fiscal years. Even with the federal stimulus and other infusions of one-time monies, some are suggesting that gone are the days when either more spending cuts or tax increases can get the Commonwealth out of this hole. Even with this bleak outlook, however, there currently doesn’t appear to be any appetite for any broad tax increases (personal income, business, sales, etc.).

Since the beginning of 2009, one career center and six school districts (A.W. Beattie Career Center and Antietam, Avon Grove, Columbia Borough, Grove City Area, Oil City Area and Parkland School Districts) have received approval from the Department of Education to utilize single prime contracting for their school construction projects. At least five more districts are awaiting similar approval.

School entities from across the Commonwealth continue to demonstrate that single prime contracting can be a more effective and economical approach to major construction initiatives. Mandate Waiver applications approved in 2009 estimate millions in proposed savings for those districts looking to use the single prime method to complete their school construction projects. For more detail information regarding the districts noted above, please contact Terry McDonough at 717-731-6272 or keystonecontractors@verizon.net.

GCAP primarily provides legislative monitoring and advocacy services to members of KCA, the Master Builders Association, the General Building Contractors Association and the Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Additionally, the Board of Governors of GCAP does arrange to meet at least annually with representatives of state agencies to hear their proposed construction plans for the upcoming fiscal year. GCAP met with the agencies at it’s March 27th Board of Governors meeting and we have prepared a summary of projected construction projects which were presented for review.