Paca conveyor
PACA Conveyor – Week of April 17, 2020
Daily Wisdom
“2020 is a unique Leap Year. It has 29 days in February, 300 days in March and 5 years in April."

- Anonymous
PACA News
Kallie
PACA News
As reported by Kallie Kline, PACA's Director of Member Services.
PACA News
Basu Anirban High Res Headshot
Union Quarries    
COVID-19 Economic Update with Anirban Basu
COVID-19 has rocked what had appeared to be a nearly invincible economy; one associated with substantial job growth, multi-decade lows in unemployment, sturdy compensation increases, robust retail sales, low inflation, and strong financial market performance. Underneath that strong performance, however, was a set of fragilities that have been exposed by the pandemic.

Join us for an EXCLUSIVE PACA MEMBERS ONLY webinar with our MOST REQUESTED speaker at PACA meetings, Mr. Anirban Basu of Sage Policy Group, scheduled for May 15, 2020, at 11:00 AM. This webinar will touch on our current economic circumstances, how difficult things are likely to become over the foreseeable future, and the contours of the brisk recovery to come thereafter.

Anirban is Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., an economic and policy consulting firm in Baltimore. Anirban serves as the chief economist to Associated Builders and Contractors and as chief economic adviser to the Construction Financial Management Association. In 2007 and then again in 2016, Mr. Basu was selected by the Daily Record newspaper as one of Maryland’s 50 most influential people. The Baltimore Business Journal named him one of the region’s 20 most powerful business leaders in 2010.

We wish to thank our exclusive sponsor for this webinar - Union Quarries, Inc. Due to the generosity of our sponsor, this webinar is complimentary to PACA members only.
PACA News
E learning
Upcoming Webinar Schedule - Complimentary Events for PACA Members ONLY
April 20, 2020

Temporary Suspension, Force Majeure and Other Responses to Environmental Problems Caused by COVID-19 - Speakers - Kevin Garber & Sean McGovern, Babst Calland

REGISTER

April 21, 2020

PACA Members Weekly Forum - Featured Speaker - PA Rep. Seth Grove - Topic - HB 1874 - Sponsored by Seth Grove - Purpose: Review Regulations, Revitalize Economy in Wake of COVID-19 Crisis

REGISTER

May 4, 2020

Tackling the Challenges of Communicating During COVID-19 - Speakers: Representatives from LaTorre Communication

REGISTER
Ken
Promotion News
As reported by Ken Crank, PACA's Director of Concrete Promotion.
Promotion News
Concrete Promotion Webcast Available
We are in the process of developing a series of concrete promotion webcasts/webinars for our membership. It is our intention to keep them as brief and informative as possible. The first webcast features a review of the Concrete Promotion Strategic Plan.

Subsequent events will highlight elements of our concrete promotion/education website (www.specifyconcrete.org), concrete promotion tools and resources, NRMCA resources, etc.

We are excited to move forward and hope you will take the time to participate. The Concrete Promotion Strategic Plan webcast is available by clicking the button below.

Please contact Ken Crank with any questions, comments, or ideas you may have for this and future efforts.
Josie
Safety & Health News
As reported by Josie Gaskey, PACA's Director of Environmental, Safety & Health.
Safety & Health News
OSHA COVID-19 Enforcement Guidance on Compliance Reporting
On April 10, 2020, OSHA issued enforcement guidance relating to how employers record COVID-19 cases. Previously OSHA took the position that COVID-19 can be a recordable illness if a worker is infected as a result of performing their work-related duties. In the new guidance, OSHA is exercising its enforcement discretion and will not enforce the 29 CFR § 1904 recordkeeping requirements for employers, unless that employer is in the healthcare industry, emergency response organizations (medical, firefighting or law enforcement) or correctional facilities.

Until further notice, OSHA will not enforce to require other employers to make the same work-relatedness determinations, except where:

  • There’s clear evidence that a COVID-19 case may be work-related. Meaning, if there are cases that develop among workers where there is no other plausible explanation; and

  • The evidence was reasonably available to the employer. Meaning, information given to the employer by employees, as well as information that an employer learns regarding its employees’ health and safety in the ordinary course of managing its business and employees.

Should you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact Josie Gaskey.
Safety & Health News
Taking Care of YOURSELF During COVID-19 Pandemic
We have been working hard to deliver information of value to our members via our webinars and those provided by other PACA members. While taking care of your business, your position at your business and your employees, it is also equally important to take care of your mental health as well. We would like to share the following video with you to provide just a little bit of assistance in this area.

The video features Dr. Shauna Springer, who is the Chief Psychologist for Stella Center, where she helps advance innovative treatments for psychological trauma.

Please take care of yourselves and your families during these difficult times and we look forward to seeing - from a socially acceptable distance - in the near future.
Legislative News
As reported by Hank Butler, PACA's PACA Lobbyist.
Legislative News
Legislative Update by PACA Lobbyist, Hank Butler
Representative Stan Saylor (R-York) submitted an amendment to enable ALL businesses to return to work in Pennsylvania (compliant with CDC Guidelines) into a Senate Bill 613 (SB 613). This amendment will require “the Governor to develop and implement a plan to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 for businesses.”

SB 613 passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by party lines with a vote of 107-95 on Tuesday, April 14. The Senate concurred on the House version on by party lines again 29-21 yesterday.

This legislation as of April 16 is on the Governor’s Office for his consideration. Governor Wolf stated to reporters on the same day that he will veto the legislation.

Another effort Senate Bill 327 (SB 327) is a “return to work” initiative where each respective county will have the authority to resume businesses compliant with CDC guidelines – A County-Wide Mitigation Plan. SB 327 also creates a state-wide COVID-19 Cost and Recovery Task Force. This legislation was amended in the Senate and was signed by the House of Representatives. It was delivered to the Governor’s desk on April 16 and the Governor stated to reporters on the same day that he will veto the bill.

Local Government Permit Processing Reform Moves to the Governor's Desk

Thanks to the Pennsylvania Senate, an amendment has been added to Senate Bill 841 (SB 841) which will require local governments to move their permitting process forward during this pandemic. Permit hearings and voting must be done via conference calls, Zoom calls, etc.

This will help to move the permits already filed forward so construction can begin once the “stay-home” provisions have been lifted. SB 841 passed the Pennsylvania Senate, concurred in the House of Representatives and now moves to the Governor’s desk for his signature and enactment.

PACA, as a member of a coalition of construction materials and contractor organizations, continues to advocate for the reopening of PennDOT and Turnpike projects with the Executive Branch. A copy of the April 15, 2020 letter is available here.
Statewide News
Statewide News
Governor Wolf Releases New Safety Order Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Governor Wolf and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Rachel Levine recently announced a revised safety order document amid the COVID-19 pandemic including requiring all customers and employees at businesses to wear masks at all times.

The big question still remains, where to purchase the necessary masks, sanitizing cleaners, etc.

Please take a moment to answer our quick poll below:

Are you having difficulty purchasing:

a. Personal Protection Equipment

b. Sanitizer/Disinfectant Products

c. Both

ANSWER POLL
Statewide News
Accelerated Sales Tax Prepayments Waived for Three Months
Businesses will not need to make accelerated Sales Tax prepayments over the next three months. Instead, businesses will only need to remit the sales tax they collected in the prior month.
National News
National News
White House Announces "Opening Up America Again" Plan
On April 16, 2020, President Trump released his Opening Up America Again Plan. Note that these new federal guidelines that will allow governors to take a phased, deliberate approach to reopening their individual states. According to the President’s news conference, States were instructed that they could move through the guidelines at their own pace and that the guidelines are not formal orders from the federal government.

We will keep you posted as to Pennsylvania’s approach.

Should you wish to discuss, contact Josie Gaskey.
PennDOT News
PennDOT News
PennDOT to Begin Invoicing an Average Cost per Mile for Initial and Final Inspections on Weight Restricted Roadways
Beginning in June 2020 and moving forward, PennDOT customers will begin seeing a statewide cost per mile rate on invoices for Initial and Final Inspections, associated with weight restricted roadway permits, conducted in May. This new statewide rate was developed by looking at the average of actual costs incurred by PennDOT over the previous year.

The new rate for Initial and Final Inspections is being updated from actual costs incurred to average cost per mile to provide benefits such as:

  • Consistent invoicing
  • Fewer invoices
  • Cost predictability
  • Less confusion
More information about cost per mile invoicing can be found in the below e-brochure.

Questions or concerns are welcome and can be directed to Halley Cole, Chief, Pavement Management Unit. PA Department of Transportation, Bureau of Maintenance and Operations at [email protected].
Members In the News
Members In the News
Buzzi Unicem Announces Mike Hammer Retirement
Buzzi Unicem recently announced the retirement of Mr. Michael Hammer, after 35 years with the company.

Tom Ament, Regional Sales Manager - Northeast, for Buzzi Unicem says this regarding Mr. Hammer, "Using his chemistry education, Mike earned a reputation as the go-to person when complex technical matters emerged.

Mike left an everlasting impact on over 1,000 people who attended our annual concrete technology seminars throughout his career. He is the reason that I joined the cement industry and currently employed at Buzzi Unicem USA. Mike was a mentor to many, including me. We will sorely miss him!"

The PACA team wishes Mike the very best in his retirement and thanks him for his service to the Association over the years.
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