AGCW Northern District Report: Snohomish County R3 Grant Program | Whatcom County Public Hearings | Phase II Restart

Snohomish County Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency (R3) Grant Program
The Snohomish County Council approved a new grant program last Friday (5/23) for small businesses, Snohomish County Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency (R3) Grant Program allowing the application process to open. Below is an overview of the details and the link to the grant page below.
The application process for the R3 Grant Program is now open. Applicants can visit Snohomish County Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency (R3) Grant Program for details and application materials. It is anticipated that it will take most businesses less than 30 minutes to apply. It is also anticipated awards will made within five weeks of application. Grants in amounts up to $25,000 will be awarded to qualifying businesses. Read More

Whatcom County Council Needs to Hear from You on Cherry Point
The Whatcom County Council will be voting Tuesday June 2nd at the County Council Meeting to vote on extending for the 9th time an Emergency Cherry Point Moratorium. The moratorium is focused “On the acceptance and processing of applications and permits for new or expanded facilities in the Cherry Point Urban Growth Area, the primary purpose of which would be the shipment of unrefined fossil fuels not be processed at Cherry Point.” The Council will be hosting a virtual public comment to begin at 6 pm.
Cherry Point companies based in the industrial zone pay $200 million in taxes each year while supporting nearly 750 permanent construction jobs which also up to 3,000 additional construction jobs for facility turn arounds. During these challenging times, it is more important than ever for Whatcom County to maintain and strengthen the viability of Cherry Point Industrial Areas as the economic base of the county.
The moratorium is unnecessary and should NOT be renewed. We are asking that the Whatcom County Council not renew the Cherry Point Moratorium that expires on June 3rd. This ninth iteration prolongs an unnecessary rolling moratorium and sends the wrong message to current and prospective Whatcom County employers. Employers that are responsible for the jobs and tax revenue needed to enable our economy to recover from the post pandemic recession.
Whatcom County needs to support its employers. Our County should be supporting employers that create family wage jobs and significant tax revenue. Instead, the County continues to take action that communicates hostility and distrust towards business – in particular, the very businesses that have been and continue to be crucial to our region’s economy. As we try to rebuild our economy after the COVID 19 crisis, the County’s continued political crusade seems out of touch with the regional concerns about the economy, joblessness and decreasing tax revenue.
Please encourage the County Council to not proceed with the 9th extension of emergency moratorium of applications for new or expanded facilities at Cherry Point. We need to voice our support of the Cherry Point industries at the upcoming County Council meeting and ask the council to not extend the moratorium for a 9th time.
The Whatcom County Council will be voting Tuesday June 2nd at the County Council Meeting to vote on extending for the 9th time an Emergency Cherry Point Moratorium. The moratorium is focused “On the acceptance and processing of applications and permits for new or expanded facilities in the Cherry Point Urban Growth Area, the primary purpose of which would be the shipment of unrefined fossil fuels not be processed at Cherry Point.” The Council will be hosting a virtual public comment to begin at 6 pm.
Meeting Details: Tuesday, June 2nd; 6:00pm; Whatcom County Virtual Public Hearings
Registration link: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER | Public Hearing Notice | Zoom Instructions

AGC of America’s Highway Work Zone Safety Survey with your members
Each year AGC of America surveys highway and transportation members about the state of highway work zone safety. Our intent is to measure the extent, and impact, of highway work zone crashes, their impacts on the safety of construction workers and motorists and their impacts on highway construction. Now that many states have begun to lift restrictions, and growing anecdotal reports of motorists taking advantage of less-crowded highway to operate at unsafe speeds, AGC of America and our survey partner HCSS are asking all highway and transportation members to complete the following online survey by Monday, June 22. AGC will then analyze the responses and release the results prior to the July 4th weekend to the media. This will allow us to share key safety messages with the motoring public prior to what is likely to be a busy period for holiday travel on our highways.

Three Things You Need to Do Now to Recover Construction Stoppage Costs
Recovering Construction-Stoppage Costs –
(FTI Consulting) Owners and contractors facing work stoppages at the direction of state and local stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders are struggling with the question of how much the work stoppage is going to cost. These delays not only affect the scheduled milestones of a project but can significantly impact the project’s financial health.
Contractors could seek relief under various contract provisions or theories of recovery, and there are practical steps you can take now with identifying, isolating and quantifying the financial aspects of delay. Read more…

The Dotted Line: How will clients approach contracts post-pandemic?
(Construction Dive) This feature is a part of "The Dotted Line" series, which takes an in-depth look at the complex legal landscape of the construction industry. To view the entire series, click here.
While contractors and their legal advisers try to work out how the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated mandatory project shutdowns will affect future jobsite operations and profitability, it’s worth looking ahead to what kind of contract terms construction companies could face in the future.
It is every party’s responsibility to protect their own positions, so how might owners change their preferred contract delivery methods or, at the very least, the terms to help them decrease risk and maximize flexibility?...Read More