AGCW Northern District Report: Final Cherry Point amendments hearing | Culture of CARE Awareness Week

Nearing the end: Final Cherry Point Amendments public hearing, July 27
After six long years, it appears that we are very close to seeing the Whatcom County Council pass a final version of the Cherry Point Amendments -- a version where no one got everything they wanted but the final product was the result of a lot of hard work and compromise. It is important to thank the Cherry Point stakeholders group (environmental, labor, industry groups, and Whatcom PDS) and the Whatcom County Council for the many hours and conference calls required to hammer-out the final version.
On July 13, the Whatcom County Council formally introduced the final version of the Amendments which means there will be a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m. Now we must all come together to ensure that this version of the Cherry Point Amendments is passed by the County Council with no additional changes. That will require that all that are able must comment for the Public Hearing on July 27.
We urge you to encourage the Whatcom County Council to accept the proposed amendments as proposed. There are three options to share your thoughts with the Whatcom County Council:
1. testify verbally during the July 27 virtual public hearing;
2. send a comment directly to County Executive and County Council (see emails below) or,
3. use the Whatcom Coalition Comment Portal TODAY to send a comment.
Please let me know if you need help drafting verbal testimony or a direct email to the Council. If you use the Whatcom Coalition Comment Portal, there is already a suggested comment that you can edit for you to consider.
To participate in the in the virtual Whatcom County Council Cherry Point Amendments public hearing (Tuesday, July 27 at 6:00 p.m.), visit the Whatcom County Council virtual meeting page and scroll to the bottom.
Please tell the Whatcom County Council to pass the final version of the Cherry Point Amendments as introduced without changes.
Email addresses to send your comments:
Whatcom County Executive: ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us
Whatcom County Council: rbrowne@co.whatcom.wa.us | tdonovan@co.whatcom.wa.us | tbyrd@co.whatcom.wa.us | KKershne@co.whatcom.wa.us | BElenbaa@co.whatcom.wa.us
bbuchanan@co.whatcom.wa.us | cfrazey@co.whatcom.wa.us

Northern District Golf Tournament, Aug. 27

Plan your foursome
and grab the clubs.
The 2021 AGC/AIA Scholarship Golf Tournament is back! Plan to join the Northwest Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the AGC Northern District as we host the 2021 Scholarship Golf Tournament at Avalon Golf Links in Burlington on Friday, August 27. Registration is $125 and includes lunch, a bucket of range balls, 18 holes of golf, a delicious dinner and awards program, some great raffle prizes and plenty of fun – don’t miss out!
Register today to join the fun.

L&I's emergency heat-stress rules
now in effect.
AGCW's Safety Services department released a chapter-wide Safety Bulletin last week, outlining the Department of Labor & Industries' new emergency rules for employers on heat-stress.
The new regulations, which went into effect July 13th, are in addition to existing rules that are in place annually from May through the end of September. When the temperature is at or above 100 degrees, employers must respond to the extreme heat by providing shade or another sufficient means for employees to cool down; and ensuring workers have a paid cool-down rest period of at least ten minutes every two hours. Other rules also apply when temperatures exceed 89 degrees. Click here to see the entire Safety Bulletin.

Quick survey to help AGC measure
scope of labor shortages

The construction industry has experienced some very significant and sudden changes during the past few months that have led to dramatic changes in demand for work and the need for new workers. We need to understand exactly how those changes are impacting the industry’s current workforce needs to better be able to advocate for measures to help the industry’s labor needs in both the short- and long-term. That's why we're asking you to take a few minutes to complete the following workforce survey that we and our partners at Autodesk have prepared. The more people understand the scope and consequences, of current labor market conditions, the more likely they are to enact measures to help meet industry needs. The more members who take the survey, the better we will be able to describe labor-market conditions where you operate.

The survey is open until August 13. Take the survey today.

Construction-material prices, services
soar 26% over 12 months
(Construction Business Owner) Unprecedented price increases for a wide range of goods and services used in construction pushed up contractors’ costs by a devastating 26.3% from June 2020 to June 2021, according to an analysis of government data by AGC of America. Association officials cautioned that rising materials prices are making it difficult for many construction firms to benefit from the re-opening of the economy, undermining the sector’s ability to add new, high-paying jobs.
"Contractors have been pummeled in the past year by cost increases, supply shortages, and transport bottlenecks," said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. "Meanwhile, falling demand for many types of projects meant contractors could not raise bid prices enough to recoup these expenses." Read more…

PM's advice to young women
in construction: "Just do it"
(Construction Dive) R&H Construction's Sarah Jimenez talks about her career trajectory and leading the construction of a $19M addiction treatment center in Portland, Oregon.
This article is one in a series of conversations with women leaders in the construction industry. Click here for the most recent conversation.
As a project manager at Portland-based R&H Construction, 29-year-old Sarah Jimenez has worked on multiple project teams and now is running a new $19M ground-up addiction treatment center in southeast Portland. Construction Dive talks with Jimenez about her current role and why she chose construction as a career. Read more…

Final days for 2021 construction salary survey
The Moss Adams 2021 Construction Industry Salary Survey is now open and will run through July 30. This survey isn’t possible without valuable insights from engaged AGC-member companies like yours. The survey helps create a comprehensive industry report on compensation trends that provide contractors with comparative information—especially vital for an industry in which such data is difficult to obtain or present in a meaningful way. The report will be a useful tool for contractors in the United States to measure their employee compensation against industry peers and prepare their strategies for the years ahead. Click here to take the survey today.

The AGC Education Foundation continues to offer virtual continuing-education classes in a live, interactive, remote environment. They're working closely with instructors to maintain high-quality training programs and are finding great success in the virtual environment.
Visit the AGC Education Foundation website for more information on upcoming classes and programs.

Remote CESCL: Stormwater BMPs for Construction
July 27 (8:00 am - 5:00 pm) | Remote class
Register here

Remote Construction Quality Management
August 2 (7:30 am - 4:30 pm) | Remote class
Register here

CTS A: Reading Blueprints
August 23 – September 15 (5:00 pm – 8:00 pm) | Seattle
Register here

Foreman Training Program
August 26 – September 16 (5:00 pm – 8:00 pm) | Remote Class
Register here

Fall 2021 Construction Leadership Series
Developed by industry experts for tomorrow’s leaders
Partnering with industry leaders, the AGC Education Foundation is launching Construction Leadership. This comprehensive leadership skills training series is created for select individuals with 10-plus years of industry experience who have been identified by their companies as one of tomorrow’s leaders. Click for more information.