I'm certain all of you are interested in what the status is regarding the search for a new EVP for the Association. Currently there are five candidates for the position. Four of which are from various parts of the country and one local candidate which is a past member of the Association as well as also a past President of our Association.  All seem to be very qualified to lead our Association in these trying times of declining membership and poor economic times.

Retaining new members for the Association has been a struggle.  Yes, we have succeeded in gaining new members to join, but with the loss of members we have experienced due to these difficult times we have yet to balance out in the "win/loss" column.

As we enter the fourth quarter of 2010, the future doesn't appear to be too much brighter going into the next year. I believe we will all have to keep our belts tightened and weather out yet another gloomy outlook for the next year.

The Association will continue to perform at its peak to offer the benefits the members are accustomed to. We believe the new EVP, whoever that will be, will have fresh ideas so we can continue to benefit from all that the Association has to offer.

During this transition period, please keep in mind that the various Committees of the Association are striving to offer the quality programs you all expect.

Lake Country Contractors Association’s Annual Golf Outing was a HUGE success this year!  64 golfers teed up for the morning round at 7:00 a.m. and 144 golfers took to the field for the afternoon round at 1:30 p.m. for a total of 208 golfers.  The weather was PERFECT and the day was ONE TO REMEMBER FOR ALL! 

Low Net prizes were awarded to:

1^st Place – McClure Engineering

Kevin Pelli

Eric Pelli

John Kraucunas

Harlan Doland

2^nd Place – William A. Randolph, Inc.

Jason Heeres

Tim Waddick

Tony Turek

Eric Dams

3^rd Place – Travelers Bond

Mike Damewood

Jim Fagan

Bryan Swank - Swank Insurance

Ron Peterson - Ernie Peterson Plumbing

4^th Place – Traffic Control & Protection

Paul Chicoine

Tim Colemann

Dean Poliet

Scott Ruth

Taking Closest to the Pin on Hole #2 was Dave DeYoung.  Dave received two Tickets w/parking pass for Sox vs Baltimore from U. S. Cellular.  Closest to the Pin On Hole #8 was Mike Chicoine, who received four Cubs tickets from Waukegan Roofing Co., Inc. and on Hole #17 Frank Costable won a “Logitech” IPOD Loading Dock from H.H. Holmes Testing.

Bob Krane and Reagan Keyzer held the winning Door Prize Tickets and became the LUCKY WINNERS of the two Sony 42” TV’s.  The TV Raffle on Hole #17 was won by Aaron Poster with Bret Hancock taking a cool $100.  Last but not least our President, Rick Grabowski, walked away with the 50/50 Raffle.  CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

LCCA would also like to thank and acknowledge all our Sponsors and all the Members that donated Raffle Prizes.  This, like all other functions held by LCCA, would not have been a success had it not been for their participation and generous donations.  Thanks to Chairman, Scott Nelson, all the volunteers and the staff for their tireless efforts, planning and execution.  It is truly complete “Satisfaction” when all your hard work pays off!

The Board of Governors approved four new members at its August 8, 2010 meeting. 

Mowery & Schoenfeld, LLC

475 Half Day Rd., Suite 250

Lincolnshire, IL 60069

    Phone: (847) 247-8959

    Fax: (847) 883-8704

ASSOCIATE

Thomas R. Keenan, Partner

Anthony Cullotta, Senior Manager

Mowery & Schoenfeld is a full service CPA firm experienced in providing financial reporting, tax, and consulting services to construction contractors.

Sponsored by Karen Vignocchi, Keno & Sons

RKD Construction Supplies

11633 W. Grand Ave.

Northlake, IL 60164

    Phone: (708) 531-1595

    Fax: (708) 531-0360

SUPPLIER

Robert Senase, Sales Manager
Frank Ballesteros, Sales

Conor Hogan, Sales

Paul Mauksch, Sales

RKD was established in 1976, serving the 5 county area, selling to concrete contractors, heavy, highway and high rise commercial contractors. Please call if we can service your company.

Sponsored by Joe Henderson, Concord Construction Services

Edward Stauber Wholesale Hardware, Inc.

2105 Northwestern Ave.

Waukegan, IL 60087

    Phone: (847) 623-7740

    Fax: (847) 623-7768

SUPPLIER

Connie Stauber Dannible, President

Rick Dannible, Vice President

Dave Gutantes, Vice President

We are a material supplier of hollow metal doors, frames, wood doors & finish hardware for commercial buildings. Established in 1958.

Sponsored by Gerry Dumalski, Boller Construction

Sullivan & Associates

852 W. Bartlett Rd.

Bartlett, IL 60103

    Phone: (630) 289-4410

    Fax: (630) 289-7726

ASSOCIATE

William Sullivan, President/CEO

Larry Sullivan, COO

Steve Garrison, Producer

Paul Miller, Producer

An Independent Agency that will help manage property and casualty risks, employee benefits, professional liability, surety and other areas of unique exposures.

Next year the Winter Workshop Committee is planning on teaming up with CON EXPO CON/AGG in Las Vegas.  We have blocked 25 rooms at the beautiful Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in the heart of Las Vegas.  The Palazzo is the sister hotel of The Venetian and a new addition to the Vegas skyline.

The trip will include 3-nights accommodations, a hosted reception and registration for ConExpo Con/Agg which is the largest equipment show in the world. Almost 145,000 people will attend the show to visit with over 2,000 exhibitors occupying 2.3 million sq.’ of exhibit space. If it is a piece of equipment used in construction – large or small – it will probably be found somewhere on the floor. This is where cutting edge equipment is showcased. And a great opportunity to see what innovations might make you more productive.

We are still in the process of putting together a budget but we would like to know what you think. No commitment is necessary at this time. If you would be interested, please let us know. Thanks and save the date!

All the unions have settled and made distributions for their increases. Here are the unions ranked by their total annual wage/benefit packages:

	Increase	Total Package
Ironworkers, Local 1	2.75	$ 71.45
Operating Engineers, #150 Build	2.15	$ 70.33
Operating Engineers, #150 HHU	2.15	$ 68.53
Sheet Metal Workers, Local 73	3.00	$ 67.85
Pipefitters, Local 597	3.30	$ 67.58
Ironworkers, Local 63	2.75	$ 66.56
Sprinkler Fitters #281	3.30	$ 66.93
Plumber’s, Local 93	3.20	$ 66.62
Electricians, Local 150	1.81	$ 65.84
Heat & Frost Insulators, Local 17	.10	$ 63.15
Carpenters, Commercial	2.00	$ 63.08
Cement Masons, Local 11-362	1.50	$ 62.06
Glaziers, Local 27	2.75	$ 62.72
Painters District Council #14	3.30	$ 60.32
Bricklayers, Distr. Council	0.00	$ 59.81
Tile Layers, #67	0.00	$ 58.06
Laborers District Council	1.75	$ 55.12
Roofer’s #11	1.55	$ 52.67
Automobile Mechanics #701	1.85	$ 48.59
Teamsters, Local 301 (Group 1)	2.00	$ 47.13

Recently a new law and “interpretations” by IEPA have created some problems in dumping clean fill at traditional quarries. According to PA 96-1416, owners and operators of uncontaminated soil fill operations are required to have a “certification from the owner or operator of the site of origin that the site has never been used for commercial or industrial purposes and is presumed to be uncontaminated soil; or certification from a licensed professional engineer that the soil is uncontaminated.”

A recent EPA meeting to explain the law left many still confused and searching for ways to dump soil. LCCA will be pursing the matter and ICIC is looking into legislative options if needed. More later.

Governor Quinn has signed a new bill that limits what you can use to evaluate an applicant for work. Effective January 1, 2011, employers in Illinois will be prohibited from

• Discriminating against an individual with respect to employment, compensation, or a term, condition, or privilege of employment because of the individual’s credit history or credit report.
• Inquiring about an employee or applicant’s credit history.
• Obtaining an applicant’s or employee’s credit report from a consumer reporting company.

The law does not prevent an inquiry or employment action if:

The “Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act” was recently amended. The original law prohibited the employment of out-of-state workers on Public Works projects when the unemployment rate exceeded 5% for at least 30 days. This is a great hardship in counties near the border and even most local unions have members who live outside the state and would therefore be prohibited from working during certain periods.

The law was challenged and found to be unconstitutional but the state merely refilled the bill will some changes and it is now law again. There are some changes:

The way the economy is today, you need to make sure you get paid for what you do. Unfortunately, this may involve filing Mechanic’s Liens to make sure you get your money. But unless you understand the process, know what and when to document and when to seek help, you could hurt your chances of recovery.

Tom Morris, Hinshaw & Culberton will present a short seminar on Thursday, September 23^rd from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. at Hawthorn Woods Country Club. He will bring you up-to-date on the latest changes in lien law and provide everything you need to know to properly file and manage the lien process. And Wisconsin will also be covered!

At LCCA’s last Safety Committee meeting, a bulletin summarizing several changes to OSHA’s administrative penalty calculation system was distributed by OSHA representatives. The changes were effective August 22, 2010. The following are the most important points:

Safety Training continues to be a primary goal of LCCA. So far in 2010, LCCA has trained 202 in OSHA 10-Hour Hazard Recognition, OSHA 30-Hour, 1^st Aid/CPR, and Excavation Competent Person.

Call LCCA for all your training needs. We can help you improve the safety on your jobs and improve your bottom line at the same time!

If you have ten or more (or will pay for 10 students) we will bring the training to your office, or a site of your choice, or hold your class at the LCCA Office. First Aid, CPR, OSHA 10-Hour, Excavation Competent Person, Confined Space, Scaffold User or Competent Person, and more are available for you. Since the LCCA Safety & Education Fund subsidizes the cost, the price is hard to beat. Training dates are subject to our instructors' schedules, so if you want a particular date, call Lisa at the LCCA Office.