Shoptalk with Sherrie - Last Call for Scholarships
Shoptalk with Sherrie – February 27, 2023
SWCA Construction Executive Summit is this Thursday, March 2nd, at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, WA. There is still time to register or just check out the schedule and read more about the presenters.
Here are some of the items we are working on this week:
- Save the date for March 30th for our next member open house at our SWCA office.
- The Summit schedule is now online. Check out all our amazing speakers here.
- Registration is open for our annual Construction Executive Summit on March 2nd, 2023. 12 breakouts, 3 keynote speakers, supplier expo & more! Presenters this year include economic updates, cybersecurity, and mental health in the workplace. Just announced, keynote speaker & economist Dr. Michael Wilkerson of ECONorthwest will be presenting!
- The SWCA Foundation Scholarship application deadline has been extended to February 28, 2023! Click here to find out more and to complete an application.
- Save the Date: April 26th for a NEW and highly requested legislative event at the AC Marriott.
In Olympia
Check out 2023 Legislative Session – Week 7 Review / Week 8 Preview here.
Key bills of focus:
- HB 1308: High School Graduation Pathway Options – Update: The bill is now on the House floor calendar, and could be voted on by the full House anytime before March 8th.
- HB 1589 / SB 5562: PSE NG Decarbonization – Update: “We've heard a clear message from the prime sponsor of the bill that the intent is to use this session to see if we can get there on a bill that would eliminate new gas use for residential and commercial (without impacting industrial / manufacturing use) while getting the other pieces right. She is not in a rush to get things wrong and impact costs more than necessary. It seems to be generally understood this is going to be expensive even if done right. The proponent, PSE, seemed surprised by the sponsor’s position on some of the policies she was uncomfortable with, like guaranteed market share for the utility. Given the intent was not to limit the use of gas to industrial or manufacturing users, the Governor's office and PSE have offered new language to try and clarify anyone with a NAICS code beginning with 31, 32, or 33 would not be impacted by the prohibition of use. Does this cover your industry and supply chain sufficiently? We are reviewing the language.”
A few bills we support:
SSB 5057 – Energy Standards/Commercial - Creating a work group to evaluate the costs of the state energy performance standard for covered
commercial buildings. Comments: Delays the implementation of Clean Building standards, and requires a report on financial impacts of state-owned buildings, and recommends alternative compliance or efficiency measures.
- HB 1658 – Work Experience/ H.S Credits - Authorizing public high school students to earn elective credit for paid work experience. Comments: Authorizes high school students aged 16 and over to earn up to two elective credits through paid work experience if specified requirements, including advanced approval and alignment with the student's High School and Beyond Plan, are met. Provides that proposals for earning elective high school credit through paid work experience may only be approved at high schools that provide students with the opportunity to learn and master the state financial education learning standards. Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to adopt and periodically revise rules to implement the elective credit through paid work experience provisions.
Other bills to watch out for include:
- HB 1050 – Apprenticeship Utilization: Update: “SWCA has been asked to engage with other partners around HB 1050, which would require 15 percent of labor hours on a public works contract to be performed by apprentices. For a general contract, the threshold of apprenticeship requirements is on jobs of more than $1 million or more, or for subcontractors for jobs of $350,000 or more. There is an alternative solution being offered that would change the requirement for apprenticeship utilization from a set dollar amount to instead be based on the total number of job hours - to ensure apprenticeship requirements don't apply when the total number of job hours doesn't support having journeyman and apprentices on the job site.”
- SSB 5093 – Climate Response Strategy: Improving climate resilience through updates to the state's integrated climate response strategy. Comments: Adds participation requirements to ECY's ICC strategy and modifies the dates of reports and recommendations to the Gov. and Legislature.
- Interested in providing feedback or have another bill that you’d like us to track? Email Sherrie.
Community News
- A Planning Commission Work Session has been scheduled for Thursday, March 3, 2023 and a Hearing for Thursday, March 16, 2023 on the following items:
CPZ2022-00017 Comp Plan Text Amendment
CPZ2022-00013 NE 176th Street
CPZ2022-00014 Capital Facilities Financial Plan (2023-2028)
More info here.
- Action requestion for a proposal to amend the Comprehensive Plan text to clarify that extraction of mineral resources requires a conditional use permit consistent with CCC40.250.022(C)(2)(a). This is a non-project action to amend the comprehensive plan text to clarify that extraction of mineral resources requires a conditional use permit consistent with existing code language in CCC40.250.022(C)(2)(a). Please Note: A Planning Commission hearing has been scheduled for this item for Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. More information can be viewed on the Planning Commission webpage here.
- Leadership Clark County is hosting their first annual Rock & Roll Bowl-A-Thon on April 29th, 2023. Check out there sponsorship opportunities here. And find more information on their Facebook page.
- The Housing Options Study and Action Plan implementation, the fourth meeting of the Technical Housing Code Forum series on middle housing and smaller single family strategies is scheduled for Tuesday., Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. via Zoom. More info here.
Member News
- Welcome Employment Security Department/ SharedWork to our membership!
- WSDOT wants to here from you! WSDOT will be hosting a virtual open house from Feb 21 thru March 17 to provide information about current issues along this stretch of highway and to gather your feedback through a questionnaire. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/egPb8bnf
Are you interested in getting more involved with SWCA? Ask us about our committees! Email info@swca.org for more information.
Have a great week!
Sherrie
