On May 13, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) signed legislation expanding the state�s requirement for the use of the federal E-Verify system when hiring workers, closes a loophole for project worker identification and imposes severe penalties for violations. Photo courtesy Office of Gov. Nathan Deal The new law builds upon previous state regulations that required public owners and public works contractors to use E-Verify, and expands the mandate to all businesses with more than 10 employees. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2012, for employers with 500 or more full-time employees, and on July 1, 2012, for firms
For the second year in a row, Florida legislators have raided the state�s transportation trust fund in order to help close a multi-billion-dollar budget gap, and again the state�s governor is apparently considering vetoing the measure. This year’s legislature, which finalized work on May 6, included a “sweep” of $150 million from the trust fund’s cash reserves into the general budget. That was nearly identical to the $160 million that state politicians raided from the road fund last year, only to have former Gov. Charlie Crist (R) veto the action after lobbying from the transportation construction industry. Robert G. Burleson,
Charles Perry Construction and PPI Construction Management, two Gainesville, Fla.-based construction companies long affiliated with each other, announced they have merged operations. CARLSON The new company will be known as Charles Perry Partners Inc., with ownership consisting of principals Breck Weingart, John Carlson, Domenic Scorpio and Brian Leslie. Weingart was previously a partner in both companies, Carlson and Scorpio were principals of PPI, and Leslie was a principal with Charles Perry Construction. WEINGART Carlson will serve as chief executive officer of CPPI, while Weingart will be chairman. Both companies were founded by Charles R. Perry. Charles Perry Construction focused on
Despite a formal protest from the second-place bidder for a 3,000-ton-per-day waste-to-energy facility, the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County awarded a $668-million design-build contract to a team of Babcock & Wilcox and BE&K to design, construct and operate the facility. + Enlarge Image: courtesy SWA B&W’s design-build estimate of $668 million was roughly $62 million higher than that of Wheelabrator, the division of Waste Management Corp. that placed second. However, SWA factored in the value of electrical generation and recoverable materials that each team guaranteed that their respective designs would deliver to the authority for a net present
Florida politicians at the state and national level are trying to prohibit, defund or at least slow down implementation of a new water-quality standard for phosphorous and nitrogen. The new rule, recently issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, addresses the problem of algae blooms and establishes numeric criteria for nutrient pollution, mostly related to nitrogen and phosphorous, in the state’s lakes and flowing waters. Florida’s current standards are narrative-based, or verbal descriptions of clean- water conditions. EPA developed the rule as part of a 2008 lawsuit settlement with the Florida Wildlife Federation and finalized it in November 2010, according
Florida politicians at the state and national level are trying to prohibit, defund or at least slow down implementation of a new water-quality standard for phosphorous and nitrogen. The new rule, recently issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, addresses the problem of algae blooms and establishes numeric criteria for nutrient pollution, mostly related to nitrogen and phosphorous, in the state’s lakes and flowing waters. Florida’s current standards are narrative-based, or verbal descriptions of clean- water conditions. EPA developed the rule as part of a 2008 lawsuit settlement with the Florida Wildlife Federation and finalized it in November 2010, according
Two firms studying potential ridership for the now-cancelled Tampa-to-Orlando high-speed rail line concluded separately that the system would have been profitable by its first year, according to preliminary data released in early March by the Florida Dept. of Transportation. According to the findings, the $2.7-billion system would have generated $62.9 million in revenue in 2015, its first year of operation, along with an estimated $10.24 million in profit. By its 10th year of operation, the latest estimates indicated $91.75 million in revenue and $28.6 million in profit. Though the study is not yet complete, FDOT presented the preliminary data to
As states around the country prepare to apply for shares of the $2.4 billion in federal high-speed rail aid that Florida's governor rejected, two recently released ridership and financial estimates show that the now-cancelled Tampa-Orlando line would have been profitable in its first year. According to preliminary data released in early March by the Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT), the $2.7-billion system would have generated $62.9 million in revenue in 2015, its first year of operation, and posted an estimated $10.2-million profit. By its 10th year of operation, the latest estimates indicate revenue would rise to $91.8 million in revenue
The Florida Supreme Court on March 4 unanimously rejected a lawsuit by Florida senators aimed at forcing Gov. Rick Scott (R) to accept federal funding for a proposed $2.7-billion high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa, effectively ending a last-ditch effort to save the project. The lawsuit, filed by Sen. Thad Altman (R) of Melbourne and Sen. Arthenia Joyner (D) of Tampa, had asserted that Scott lacked the authority to override the actions of a previous legislature, which had approved the project. Related Links: Supreme Court High-Speed Rail Ruling Justices were not convinced of the senators’ argument. In a brief,
A fter a series of political volleys on Feb. 25 between Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) and U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who proffered a week’s extension of the U.S. DOT’s deadline for accepting federal funding for a $2.7-billion high-speed-rail line, the governor showed no signs of changing his opinion and approving a deal. On Feb. 25, the original deadline for Florida, media reports said the governor was rejecting a second proposal that provided for a Tampa-Orlando line. That latest proposal created an interlocal entity to oversee the project and shield the state from liability. Scott initially rejected