One Last Push Across the Finish Line

Dear friends, First, I want to thank you for your help a few weeks ago, prior to the Senate passing their version of H.B. 153, the state's operating budget. Someone said to me yesterday that the construction reform measures are the single most powerful tool that is being provided to increase the efficiency of governmental processes in this budget. I received a report this morning that the Senate members of the Conference Committee are angling to get certain provisions of their version of the construction reform provisions into the final budget. The administration and the House of Representatives are clear in their position to send the House version to the Governor for signature next week. This version DOES NOT include a requirement for public bid openings conducted by the public authority, which implements more bureaucracy. It DOES include a provision to allow early engagement of subcontractors to provide their knowledge and experience to the project team before construction documents are complete, which provides increased integration of the design team, saving money and time, while improving the quality of the completed facility. I am reaching out to ask for your help to call your Senator, and perhaps a few others, to ask them to support the House version of construction reform. We are very close to the finish line and need one last push to cross it with a bill that provides the best opportunity for public owners to realize the savings available through flexible project delivery methods including construction manager at risk, design-build, and single-prime design-bid-build. The Senate roster and a search tool to allow you to locate your elected officials is available at http://www.ohiosenate.gov/. Thank you for your personal advocacy on this very important initiative. Please feel free to forward this message to your colleagues and contacts in the Ohio design and construction community. Warmest personal regards, Lane J. Beougher, AIA, FCSI