Mountain States Industry News: May 2024
Construction industry representatives testify in front of the Colorado Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee on April 30.
Photo courtesy Hispanic Contractors of Colorado
“HB24-1008 bruises every apple in the barrel to deal with a couple of bad apples at the
bottom ... The con-sequences will manifest themselves in higher construction costs to customers and the squeezing out of small businesses—many of them minority owned. "
—Jack Tate, CEO & President, Associated Builders and Contractors
Construction Wage Claim Legislation Passes in Colorado
Bill 24-1008—titled Wage Claims Construction Industry Contractors—is awaiting action by Gov. Jared Polis after passing the Democrat-controlled Colorado legislature on May 7. The bill makes the prime contractor on a project responsible for unpaid wages by any other company on the project, with interest and penalties for nonpayment.
Representatives from the construction industry, including the Associated General Contractors, Associated Builders and Contractors, the American Institute of Architects, Colorado Contractors Association, the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado and the Airport Minority Advisory Council opposed the bill.
These and other groups are mounting a grassroots push to encourage Gov. Polis to veto the bill. In a statement, AGC’s Michael Gifford emphasized that the association “does not condone or support any wage theft. Employees should always be paid properly. But much of the wage theft occurs when a construction company goes out of business mid-project, and that is usually an unavoidable situation, not intentional nonpayment of wages.”
If the bill is signed, specialty contractors will likely be required to comply with a more complicated payroll verification system and provide wage or other bonds that could increase project costs an estimated 3%, Gifford says.
“For small businesses with limited resources, it could result in loss of project opportunities,” adds Ale Spray, CEO and president at HCC.
Pitkin County BuildingsTo Get Green Makeover
Pitkin County, Colo., is spending $5 million on a green makeover to its Aspen library and the Schultz Health & Human Services building in Snowmass, which currently rely on gas boilers for heating.
Bowman is providing mechanical, electrical and plumbing, energy modeling and life cycle costing, commissioning and structural engineering services to replace the current heating infrastructure. The heating components will be replaced or augmented with electric resistance boilers and air source heat pumps. Construction is expected to start in late 2024 and conclude in 2025.
CSU Vet School Breaks Ground in Fort Collins
JE Dunn is building Colorado State University’s Veterinary Health and Education Complex, a 189,564-sq-ft addition to the existing JL Voss Veterinary School in Fort Collins, Colo. Designed by Clark & Enersen, the school will help meet the growing demand for skilled veterinary professionals in and around Colorado.
