e-Bulletin

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for the ARM of MN meeting schedule


JUNE 7, 2005 -
THE LEGENDS
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For Directions
to the 10TH Annual Concrete Open


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 for Concrete Home Specialist Application

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for Concrete Home Specialist Application Inserts

ARM to Hold Regional Meeting in Duluth

Choose Concrete Sponsors Saint Paul Inline Marathon

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 for More Info


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Annual Concrete Open – ALMOST SOLD OUT!!!
After receiving overwhelming response to the 10th Annual Concrete Open, we are pleased to report that the event is almost sold out!  We have three spaces available for golfers – one twosome and one single.  Not only have we almost filled all of the foursomes, we have sold all of the sponsorships!

Special thanks goes out to our sponsors!  Our Hole-In-One Sponsors this year are Enduracon/FORTA; Lafarge North America and Lehigh Cement Company.  Regular sponsors include:  Advanced Technical Services/Con-E-Co/Command-Alkon; American Petrographic Services/American Engineering Testing; Brett Admixtures; Brock White Company; Cemstone/Reward; Degussa Admixtures; General Resource Technology; Headwaters Resources; Holcim (US) Inc.; Intex Corporation; I-State Truck Center; McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing; Super-Krete Products/Simplex Construction Supplies; Univar USA and W.R. Grace & Company.

See you at The Legends on June 7th!  Tee time is at 1:00 pm.

FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE LEGENDS CLUB, CLICK HERE

TO VIEW PICTURES FROM THE 2004 CONCRETE OPEN, CLICK HERE
Public Waters Bill Passed by Legislature
HF 894, a DNR bill dealing with public waters, has been passed by the legislature and sent to Governor Pawlenty for his signature.  ARM worked with our lobbyists from Ewald Consulting, several ARM members and the DNR to follow this bill through the legislative process.  ARM lobbied to ensure the language in the bill accurately defined a depleted mine site to ensure that ponds on mining properties were not prematurely designated as public waters of the state.

FOR THE COMPLETE BILL LANGUAGE, CLICK HERE.
MnDOT Announces End of Spring Load Restrictions
MnDOT announced the end of the spring load restrictions in northern frost zones, effective May 20.

ARM continues to work with MnDOT and the Minnesota legislature to reduce the impact of spring load restriction on our industry.  ARM will work with a committee of local government engineers over the summer to prepare an implementation report addressing the expansion of the 10-ton road system statewide.  Please let us know if you have any questions about spring load restrictions.
ARM Holds Meeting at MnROAD
ARM held a joint meeting of its Technical, Parking Lot/Local Streets and Aggregate Committees at MnRoad May 24th.  The meeting included a presentation by MnROAD staff and a tour of the facility. 

ARM has become a member of the Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance (TERRA) to support research at MnROAD and MnDOT.  This public/private partnership will allow ARM members better access to pavement research and allow ARM to participate in future research including the reconstruction of the MnROAD facility.
ARM to Offer ACI Concrete Finisher
Certification Class
ARM, in response to a request from its members, will offer an ACI Concrete Finisher Certification class on an as-needed basis.  In order to be able to offer this class anywhere in the state of Minnesota and not require a minimum number of attendees, we will ask for a member to sponsor the cost of the instructor, travel and registration that ARM will incur for conducting the class.  The sponsor will also be responsible for providing a meeting room and any coffee or refreshments as desired. A student fee will be paid to ARM to cover the cost of books and the ACI testing costs.  The instructor will provide the audiovisual equipment necessary to conduct the class.  We recommend the minimum number of students as four and have set a maximum of not more than 36 students. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION >
ARM Board of Directors & Regional Meeting –
July 12th
ARM will hold a Board of Directors meeting in conjunction with a Regional Membership Meeting on July 12th at The Inn on Lake Superior in Duluth.  The day meetings will be followed by a dinner cruise aboard the Vista Star.  Guests are welcome on the dinner cruise.

Hotel reservations can be made directly with The Inn on Lake Superior by calling the hotel directly at 218-726-1111.  A block of rooms is being held for ARM at a rate of $89 (plus tax) per night until June 11, 2005.  Price and availability cannot be guaranteed for reservations made after June 11!

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION
ARM Holds Regional Membership Meetings
in Austin & New Ulm
ARM Executive Director, Fred Corrigan and ARM Promotions Director – Local Streets & Parking Lots, Larry Koenig recently hosted two regional membership meetings in Austin (May 19) and New Ulm (May 26).  The purpose of the meetings was to update members on ARM promotions, legislation, regulatory efforts (MPCA approval of CLSM, Minnesota Wild and Scenic River hard rock mining), research and events.  Assistant District 6 Engineer (Rochester) Greg Paulson updated ARM members in Austin on the construction program for the trunk highway and state aid programs in District 6.  District 7 Engineer Jim Swanson and Assistant District 7 Engineer Doug Haeder updated ARM members in New Ulm on the construction programs in both District 7 and 8 for 2005 and 2006.

On July 12, the ARM Board of Directors meeting will be followed by a regional meeting.  Both events will be held at The Inn on Lake Superior in Duluth.  A regional meeting is being planned for the St. Cloud area in August.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE AUSTIN REGIONAL MEETING AGENDA

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NEW ULM REGIONAL MEETING AGENDA

Legislative Update
Environmental advocates have lobbied to add to Minnesota statutes an additional requirement for “section 401 certification" which means a water quality 104.12 certification required under section 401 of the federal Clean 104.13 Water Act, United States Code, title 33, section 1341.
CLICK HERE FOR PROPOSED LANGUAGE (word doc)

ARM has joined other builder organizations and signed a white paper to conferees on the Environment working group stating that this requirement for wetland approval is redundant and therefore unnecessary. ARM lobbyists are following this language and will work to remove it from any bill passed by the working group. 
CLICK HERE FOR WHITE PAPER (word doc)

ARM legislation to revise the property tax treatment of unmined aggregate property has been included in the Senate Tax Bill.  ARM is working to get the Taxes working group to agree to the Senate language as part of an eventual Taxes bill.  Representative Ron Abrams has expressed concern that the language goes to far in providing relief to the aggregate industry to the House author of the ARM language, Representative Denny McNamara (R-Hastings). A meeting with Representative Abrams is being planned.

The Governor has called legislators into a Special Session to finish the work that was left undone in the regular session. Only the Governor has the authority to call a Special Session, but once the session has been called to order, only the legislature has the authority to decide the agenda for the Special Session and how long the Special Session will last.  The legislature needs to agree on a budget prior to the start of the next fiscal year on July 1or parts of the state government may shut down for lack of financial spending authority.  It is unclear whether the legislature and Governor can come to an agreement on the budget sooner than later.

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