Construction Industry Steering Team Summary of Minutes
8 a.m., Thursday, April 10, 2008, Mark One Electric, 909 Troost
Attending: Mike Balllard, Rosana Biondo, Gene Darby, Jjim Delaney, Gerald Eagan, Rick Greeno, Frank Jackson, Dave Kendrick, Dave Lovetere, Payne Mendenhall, Herb Millard, Lonnie Scott, Kevin Sexton, Ron Shaffer, Jon Thompson, Bob Jacobi.
•Introductions and thanks to Rosie Biondo and Mark One for hosting.
•KC' Borden is recovering from his second round of surgery for throat cancer. Updates to his condition and needs can b found at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kcborden.
•The project of the KCMO Housing Authority to train young people for construction careers (presented at a recent committee meeting) is searching for a construction site for participants to tour. Please contact Bob Jacobi or Colleen White with suggestions.
•The Building Trades space at the SkillsUSA conference is being planned, with emphasis on interactive exhibits and taking advantage of the side facing Broadway. A transition team is working to hand off the conference to the Louisville Building Trades in 2015; in the meantime many crafts are becoming more involved in the skills competitions.
•Kansas City, Mo., voters on Tuesday passed the transit tax strongly supported by the LMC and the construction industry.
•Legislation to make possible the proposed Bombardier plant in Kansas City needs support. Contractors and unions are urged to contact Missouri legislators in support of HB 2393 and SBs 1234/1270 without amendment. The incentive created would be paid back and the project would create a significant construction project and 2,500 permanent jobs.
•Immigration legislation is going to the Governor’s desk in Kansas and is moving, though final prospects are unclear, in Missouri. The Kansas bill no longer has strong employer penalties or union penalties.
•The Kansas City Construction Partners are close to final documents being approved and signed.
•The LMC Awards Dinner is April 17 more than 200 will attend. Thanks to Mike Ballard, KCPL, for securing KCPL CEO Bill Downey as keynote speaker.
•The iBuild event May 5-6 has 74 booths and is seeking volunteers for May 6 as well as more booths. About 2000 students are expected to participate, in addition to the Crayons to CAD contest that will be judged on May 5. The iBuild/NICE golf tournament is June 2 at Oakwood Country Club and already has 141 golfers.
The Engineering and Construction Academy in the KCMO School District is moving forward; key activities now are forming committees to launch the school.
•The statewide construction labor-management meeting will be held at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, July 3, at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in conjunction with the Mid-America Labor/Management Conference. Participants are encouraged to get room reservations in soon.
•The LMC Golf Tournament will be July 21 at Oakwood Country Club.
•Contract negotiations are underway with the MCA and the Plumbers and Pipefitters. Most crafts are now experiencing relatively high unemployment. That should ease as the KCPL Iatan, Performing Arts and Truman Sports Complex projects ramp up in the next few months.
•The next meeting will be 8 a.m. Thursday, May 8, at Mark One Electric Co., Inc.
•M/S/C to adjourn at 9:15 a.m.