Archives for April 2024

Nearly 300 WTBA members attend memorable annual Brewers Outing

April 18, 2024 by Lane Kimble

MILWAUKEE — Did a sea of neon orange and yellow reflective vests glimmering down the left field line distract Brewers batters enough to hold them hitless through 6 ⅔ innings?

Maybe.

Did it make for a great memory and photo op?

Absolutely.

Plus – the Crew still won, 1-0.

Wednesday, nearly 300 WTBA members gathered at American Family Field for the annual Brewers Outing.

The Association encouraged attendees to bring their safety vests along, given April 17 also marked national Go Orange Day. Dozens of members did, leading to a widely seen and shared photo on social media, showing support for work zone safety.

Click HERE to view full Brewers Outing Photo Gallery

Guests enjoyed food, beverages, and great company in the Northwestern Mutual Legends Club suite. The outing sold out in less than 24 hours.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson also joined WTBA members during the game for conversations and a few laughs.

State awards grant to build up streets and infrastructure around Marinette Marine

April 17, 2024 by Lane Kimble

MADISON, Wis. — Road builders will help shipbuilders drive (or… perhaps “sail”) Wisconsin’s economy forward thanks to a new grant announced this week.

Gov. Tony Evers and WisDOT Sec. Craig Thompson said the state was awarding the City of Marinette more than $631,000 to build up roads and infrastructure around Fincantieri Marinette Marine.

The road construction project will help the longtime northeast Wisconsin shipyard handle more employees, traffic, and industry as it builds the U.S. Navy’s newest class of ships. Fincantieri won the government contract in 2020.

“Marinette Marine is a vital part of our state’s economy and has been for more than 80 years,” Thompson said in a news release. “Supporting its growth, its employees, and the overall Marinette community will have a positive impact that extends far beyond Northeast Wisconsin.”

The grant money comes from the state’s Transportation Economic Assistance program. Every year Wisconsin can use TEA to dole out a total of $3.4 million to projects that directly support business growth.

REPORT: Statewide local road quality fell 7% since 2010; thoughtful investments needed

April 12, 2024 by Lane Kimble

The quality of Wisconsin’s more than 101,000 miles of local roads fell nearly 7% since 2010 and will likely get worse without measured and ongoing investments.

The non-partisan Wisconsin Policy Forum detailed that notion in its latest extensive report, released late last week.

“For businesses, roads are the arteries that carry the lifeblood of commerce and help ensure it is flowing smoothly,” the report states in its introduction. “In Wisconsin, local roads are especially important because they provide a vital link for farm and timber producers in far corners of the state to global markets. If these roads fall into disrepair, they represent a drag on the economy.”

Local roads are rated on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best. Statewide, roads average a 6.23 on that scale. Madison, for example, averages a 6.87 while Milwaukee’s streets average a 5.08.

According to the WPF, only 3% of municipalities statewide had an average of 8 or above. Price County has the worst local roads in the state based on this scale, coming in at 4.85.

The new Agriculture Roads Improvement Program (ARIP) and the ongoing LRIP funding can make a positive impact, the report suggests, but further work and spending is needed.

“For now, the state’s roads remain in generally good condition and timely investment could help ensure that remains true for years to come,” the report concludes. “A failure to do so, however, could mean a bumpier and more costly ride in the future.”

DBE rule changes coming; ARTBA helps prevent supplier cap

April 12, 2024 by Lane Kimble

Some changes are coming to how the federal government handles the DBE program, but at least one proposed change won’t happen – a cap on supplier credits – thanks in part to ARTBA’s efforts.

Prime contractors may continue counting 100 percent of the cost of materials or supplies from a DBE manufacturer toward its contract goal, ARTBA General Counsel Rich Juliano says. They may also continue counting 60 percent of materials or supplies purchased from a regular dealer.

The rule creates a new category of “DBE Distributor” for which contractors may count 40 percent of their costs.

When the rule change process began back in 2022, U.S. DOT wanted to cap credits on DBE suppliers at 50 percent.

“ARTBA argued (in submitted comments) that U.S. DOT had not provided data to justify this major change in policy. Also, it would limit state and local agencies’ flexibility in meeting DBE goals, not automatically lead to development of DBE firms in underrepresented disciplines,” Juliano wrote in a rule change recap.

Other changes include new requirements for DBE firms in their application process, updating DBE directories, increased responsibilities on state DOTs to ensure program compliance, and updates to DBE owners’ business size and personal net worth.

The revised rule goes into effect Thursday, May 9. WTBA and ARTBA encourage members to read up on the changes via the link above and stay tuned for further updates and explanations.

You can contact Rich Juliano or Prianka Sharma with questions.