Public works contracting reform in New York State got a push forward recently when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill that creates a temporary advisory council to study the issue and recommend improvements to how the state engages with contractors.
The Construction Industry Public Contracting Advisory Council bill creates the 23-member temporary Construction Industry Advisory Council on Public Contracting Reform. Members of this board will include state legislators, regulators, construction contractors and subcontractors, labor, and other stakeholders.
The council will “analyze the many vexing contractual issues that negatively impact contractors and subcontractors working on public works projects,” according to a news release. It will then “identify solutions needed to reform New York State’s public contracting process, making it more equitable for the contractors and subcontractors working on public works projects.”
The council will study several issues including damages incurred by contractors, subcontractors, and other parties from delay in payments by project owners due to “no delay damages” clauses and unfair contractual notice provisions; substantial completion as defined in amended state finance law; retainage in public works contracts; and public works contracting issues affecting minority- and women-owned contractors and subcontractors.
Related Stories
| May 17, 2012
Webinar: ‘What Energy Codes and Standards Are Adopted Where and by Whom’
A June 12 webinar by the Construction Specifications Institute will outline what energy codes and standards have been adopted in each of the states for commercial buildings, and what is anticipated to be adopted in the future.
| May 17, 2012
California Governor orders new green standards on state buildings
California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order recently that calls for all new or renovated state buildings of more than 10,000 sf to achieve LEED Silver or higher and incorporate clean, onsite power generation.
| May 17, 2012
New Zealand stadium roof collapse blamed on snow, construction defects
Heavy snowfall, construction defects, and design problems contributed to the collapse of the Stadium Southland roof in New Zealand in September 2010, a report has found.
| May 17, 2012
OSHA launches fall prevention campaign
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched an educational campaign to prevent deadly falls in the construction industry.
| May 15, 2012
Suffolk selected for Rosenwald Elementary modernization project
The 314-student station elementary school will undergo extensive modernization.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 10, 2012
Resilience should be considered a sustainability factor
Since a sustainable building is one you don't have to rebuild, some building sustainability experts believe adding points for "resilience" to storms and earthquakes to the LEED sustainability rating tool makes sense.
| May 10, 2012
University of Michigan research project pushes envelope on green design
A research project underway at the University of Michigan will test the potential of intelligent building envelopes that are capable of monitoring weather, daylight, and occupant use to manage heating, cooling, and lighting.
| May 10, 2012
Fire suppression agents go greener
Environmental sensitivity is helping to drive adoption of new fire suppression agents.