Metro Chamber Transportation Forum – Transportation Fixes
July 30, 2008
On Monday, July 28, 2008 the Metro Atlanta Chamber held a Transportation Forum and brought in experts from all over the country to talk about the possible fixes for Georgia’s transportation problems.
Here are some of the ideas they put out for discussion.
Transportation fixes
The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce brought in experts from all over the country to talk about possible fixes for Georgia’s transportation problems at a Monday forum. Here are some of the ideas they put out for discussion.
Bob Chase, executive director of the North Virginia Transportation Alliance: “Tolls alone are not the solution. Even though Virginia has toll roads in multiple locations across the state, we still suffer from a transportation funding shortfall. The governor and other state leaders are still working to find somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 million annually to fill the gap, and public tolerance for rising tolls may be reaching its limit.”
Jeff Hall, vice president of Cofiroute USA, a private toll highway company: “Congestion pricing – where drivers are charged to drive on a highway during peak hours –offers an option to commuters who are willing to pay to reduce their trip time. It offers commuters a choice. But it’s not a silver bullet, either. It doesn’t make congestion go away.”
Scott Reed, assistant general manager of public affairs for the Denver Regional Transportation District: “Metro Denver fought for the right to decide its fate as a region. A regional sales tax was the best way for us to raise money for the transportation investments we needed to be a more competitive metro area.”
Lane Beattie, CEO of the Salt Lake, Utah, Chamber of Commerce: “Utah’s county-by-county transportation sales tax was ultimately successful, but it was a very high-risk approach. Funding our multi-county transportation system hinges on individual actions and votes taken at the county level.”
Rick Herrington, deputy executive director of the North Texas Tollway Authority: “If done right, a concession agreement can be a win-win. It’s a way to bring in outside capital for transportation. The upfront payment we made to the state of Texas will be re-invested in the north Texas region.”
James Weinstein, senior vice president at transportation and infrastructure company DMJM Harris: “New Jersey used a public-private partnership approach to build a transit project — proving that public-private partnerships work for more than just roads. By using this approach, the project got built faster and cost less.”
Firearms in the Workplace – Free Webinar
July 29, 2008
Webinar:
Don’t Shoot the Messenger!
Firearms in the Workplace or Business –
How Does It Affect You?
During its most recent term, the Georgia General Assembly passed the Business Security and Employee Privacy Act (the “BSEPA” a/k/a the Georgia gun law or the “parking lot law”), which went into effect on July 1, 2008. A similar law went into effect that same day in Florida. How can employers and businesses deal with employees and patrons who want to bring firearms onto the premises? The speakers will highlight the critical points of the gun laws and how they may affect employers, businesses, and existing workplace policies. They will also address the differences in the Georgia and Florida laws.
During this webinar, participants will learn:
• What is BSEPA?
• The employment-related aspects and other provisions of the law
• How the law applies to businesses that serve alcohol
• Which policies should be reviewed or considered due to this law
• The difference between the Florida gun law and the Georgia gun law
Thursday, August 7, 2008
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
No Travel Required!
Participate from the comfort of your own office via a remote web login and audio bridge to be provided to all registrants.
To register and obtain log in instructions, please contact Lee Watts (lee@elarbeethompson.com) or call at 404-582-8401.
Efficiency Formulas Check Performance from Rock Products Magazine
July 28, 2008
This article is currently up on Rock Products’ website. In light of the 2009 Management Workshop’s theme centering around efficiency, I thought this article was timely.
Efficiency Formulas Check Performance
Fines Handed Out in Crandall Canyon Mine Disaster
July 25, 2008
Just got this press release emailed to me from MSHA. Stiff penalties all around in the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster.
MSHA News Release: [07/24/2008]
Contact: Amy Louviere Matthew Faraci
Phone: (202) 693-9423 (202) 693-9406
Release Number 08-10325-NAT
MSHA levies $1.85 million in fines for Crandall Canyon Mine disaster
Failures by mine operator, engineering consultant contributed to mine collapse
PRICE, Utah - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) today announced that it has fined the operator of the Crandall Canyon Mine in Emery County, Utah, $1,340,000 for violations that directly contributed to the deaths of six miners last year. Agapito Associates Inc., a mining engineering consultant, was fined $220,000 for faulty analysis of the mine’s design. MSHA cited the mine operator for 11 additional, noncontributory violations issued as the result of the investigation. The proposed penalty for these violations is $296,664, bringing the total proposed penalties against the mine operator to $1,636,664. Crandall Canyon Mine is operated by Genwal Resources Inc., whose parent company is Murray Energy Corp.
Metro Atlanta Chamber to Host Transportation Funding Forum
July 21, 2008
The event will be on Monday, July 28th from 8:30 to Noon in the Metro Chamber’s Board Room at their downtown offices.
Additional details for the event can be found following this link.
GDOT Alternative Financing Committee Meeting on Thursday
July 21, 2008
As indicated, the DOT Alternative Financing Committee will meet on Thursday morning, July 24th, at 9:30 am. The agenda fails to give the location, but I will update this post when I learn where it is. Just as an FYI, the Alternative Financing Committee was previously known as the Public-Private Initiatives (PPI) Committee.
The meeting will be an all day affair and will feature updates on different PPI proposals.
A copy of the agenda can be found by following the link below.
GDOT Alternative Funding Committee Agenda, July 24
2009 Management Workshop Call For Papers
July 16, 2008
The GCAA Management Workshop Committee has issued the Call For Papers for the 2009 Management Workshop. All updated information regarding the workshop and the Call For Papers can be found in the Events – Management Workshop – 2009 tab. Please refer there or call the GCAA office if you have any other questions.
New DOT Board Member From the 6th District
July 11, 2008
Brandon Beach has been elected the newest DOT Board member. Mr. Beach will be the representative from the 6th Congressional District and replaces Garland Pinholster who previously had resigned his seat.
Mr. Beach was the only candidate for the seat. He is currently the president and CEO of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. He has served as a sales executive for a petroleum products company and has also served on the board of GRTA for the past 4 years. He is a former Alpharetta City Councilman as well.
For more on the election of Brandon Beach, the AJC has the story here.
GDOT Letting Information Available on GCAA Website
July 7, 2008
I have added some links to make it easy to find information on GDOT lettings. It is filed under the Government Affairs button on the tool bar at the top of the page.
GDOT Board Changing Format For Monthly Meetings
July 7, 2008
I received the following information from the GDOT Board’s Executive Secretary regarding the monthly GDOT Board meetings:
DOT Board meetings are changing format beginning this month. We will no longer have a Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday before the Board meeting, nor will we have a breakfast meeting. Wednesdays will be devoted to committee meetings, and the Board meeting will begin at 9:00am on Thursday and could last 2 or more hours since all the Board’s business will be conducted at this one meeting. The Board decided to make this change to be more transparent and more efficient.
For those interested, the full Board previously met on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Most of the work though was done during the Committee of the Whole at the Wednesday meeting. For those who make an effort to attend, the Thursday meeting will probably be much more informative than it previously had been.
