Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto recently signed an executive order to fight construction fraud, promote worker safety, and protect city tax revenue.
The city recently experienced incidents involving unreported cash payments by subcontractors on construction projects. The Construction Fraud Executive Order cracks down on construction companies that commit tax, insurance, and workers’ compensation fraud.
It also aims to stop companies from paying workers in cash to avoid taxes. These practices allow corrupt firms to outbid honest ones and contribute to lost wages, decreased tax revenue, and unsafe and hazardous work sites, according to a news release from the mayor’s office.
The city’s department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections, and its Finance Department, will form a committee with several local building trade groups to examine city code and to create more accountable and transparent construction development processes. The executive order requires that contractors or developers receiving city subsidies must report all workers on the project site.
Related Stories
| Sep 2, 2014
Micro-apartment concept can’t get traction in Boston suburb
Micro-apartments are gaining acceptance in nearby Boston and in places such as San Francisco and New York, but Weymouth, Mass., officials and neighbors were not receptive to a proposal for tiny dwellings this summer.
| Sep 2, 2014
Montreal borough leader urges city to issue green roof guidelines
The mayor of Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough wants Quebec's housing authority to speed up its plan to publish construction guidelines for green roofs.
| Sep 2, 2014
Proposed federal rules would create more stringent healthcare facility safety rules
A key change is a requirement that buildings over 75 feet tall have sprinkler systems throughout the structure. Existing buildings would have 12 years to install them.
| Sep 2, 2014
Construction unions, housing activists press New York mayor on affordable apartment projects
A group of New York City construction unions have joined forces with affordable housing activists to pressure Mayor Bill de Blasio to require organized labor on construction of 80,000 lower-cost apartment units.
| Aug 27, 2014
Houma, La., will tap FEMA grants to raise hurricane resilience standards on public buildings
The Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center and other public buildings in Houma, La., would be renovated to withstand Category 3 hurricane winds according to a plan being considered by the Parish Council.
| Aug 27, 2014
Napa Valley assesses impact of structural retrofits on buildings after earthquake
About 30 inspection teams of two inspectors each have conducted at least quick exterior inspections of downtown Napa, Calif., buildings since a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the region.
| Aug 27, 2014
Liberty Building Forensics cautions hotel building teams on moisture, mold issues
Liberty Building Forensics Group, a building forensics firm warned building teams working on hotel projects to be on guard against moisture intrusion and mold.
| Aug 27, 2014
Requirement for site safety inspectors hampering construction in New York City
New York City’s regulation that requires contractors to hire independent safety inspectors for job sites is holding up projects worth millions of dollars, contractors say.
| Aug 27, 2014
Turkish government orders demolition of residential towers in Istanbul
Citing negative effects to a world heritage site, the Turkish central government has ruled that the recently completed OnaltiDokuz Residence towers must be demolished.
| Aug 21, 2014
Industry groups agree to streamline green building tool coordination and development
Major building industry groups the International Code Council (ICC), ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) have agreed to collaborate on the development of Standard 189.1, the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), and the LEED green building program.