ACEC of Delaware EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Landmark Engineering Office

Meeting called to order: 12 p.m.

 

Attendees:

 

Ted WilliamsÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ National DirectorÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Landmark Engineering

Mike KariaÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Executive DirectorÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ MK Consulting

Tim AndersonÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Vice-President / Kent CountyÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Karin and Associates

Scott RathfonÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Treasurer / TransportationÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Century Engineering

Steve JohnsÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ New Castle CountyÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ VanDemark & Lynch

Tom DeLorimierÊÊÊÊÊ EnvironmentalÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ URS Corporation

Brian CarbaughÊÊÊÊÊÊ ProgramsÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ WWES Associates

Matthew GoudyÊÊÊÊÊ Education / Public RelationsÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Pennoni Associates

Mario GangemiÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ New Castle CountyÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Duffield Associates

Ted JanuszkaÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Secretary / MembershipÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Pennoni Associates

Bruce JonesÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Guest MemberÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Greenstone Engineering

 

Not Present:

Ross HarrisÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ PresidentÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ ECI

 

Minutes

The meeting minutes and associated attachments and reports from the May 25, 2005 meeting as previously distributed were again distributed at the meeting and were approved.Ê In addition the meeting notes and reports from the June 22nd meeting were accepted by the Board.

The meeting minutes and committee reports are posted on the members only page of the ACEC Delaware web site www.cecde.org, which can be accessed through the members only page with the password: *Engineers1956 (case sensitive).

Treasurerâs Report ö Scott Rathfon

A treasurerâs report consisting of a budget report, an account balances report, and an accounts receivable report was provided by Mike Karia.ÊÊÊ The June Treasurerâs Report, including cash receivable and cash basis report was also review and approved.Ê Written and verbal correspondence continues to take place with firms that have outstanding dues.Ê The board also discussed Tetra Techâs A/R figure.Ê It was again discussed that ACEC national dues will not be paid by ACEC Delaware until dues payments from member firms are received.

Legislative Committee ö Ted Williams

No activities to report.Ê

Membership - Ted Januszka

No written report.Ê Bruce Jones of Greenstone Engineering attended the board meeting as a guest.ÊÊÊÊ Mario Gangemi indicated that he would ask Jeff Bross to follow-up with his contact at Ramesh Batta Associates about their membership interest. Tim Anderson will follow-up with Terry Foester of WRA about membership interest and invite Terry to the September meeting.ÊÊÊ Ted Williams and Mario Gangemi will follow-up with their contacts at Apex about their membership interest and may invite a representative from Apex to attend Septemberâs meeting.Ê

As previously discussed, national firm representatives, who are active in ACEC national, should be contacted to try to encourage better participation of their Delaware office branches in ACEC Delaware.

Program Committee ö Brian Carbaugh

The September program will be a presentation (split program ö 20 minutes each) on long term disability insurance by Sean Jones and a presentation on new building code issues by Alan Steinle.Ê This program is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28th at the Christiana Hilton.

A joint program between ACEC Delaware and the Delaware Institute of Planning and Design (DIPD) is still being planned for November with Denise Husband, president of DIPD.Ê Potential topics for the program are the increased roles of land planners in land development projects and new urbanism.

Another potential future program is a joint meeting with the American Public Works Association (APWA), a program in which APWA has expressed interest.

Another potential future program involves developments associated with Killer Road Legislation.ÊÊ Ted Williams will see if an ACEC National representative will present this topic.

Mike Karia reported that the ACEC Delaware sponsored Legislative Reception has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 22, 2006 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Dover Sheraton.Ê Only ACEC Delaware member firms will be invited to attend this function.Ê

Transportation Committee - Scott Rathfon

No written report.ÊÊ Scott reported that DelDOT is looking for additional revenue sources to fund State transportation projects.Ê Scott is serving on the Governorâs Task Force, which is tasked to provide recommendations for funding sources by the end of November.ÊÊ The next Transportation Committee partnering meeting with DelDOT is slated for November.

A meeting was held with DelDOTâs TIS review consultant to discuss traffic impact study issues that have arisen since the new TIS review procedures have been implemented. A written report of the meeting minutes was distributed.ÊÊ

Environmental Committee ö Tom deLorimier

No written report.ÊÊ DNREC was pleased with ACEC Delawareâs response in sending names of volunteers for the Surface Water Advisory Council.Ê Tom will follow-up on the status of this matter with DNREC.

 

New Castle County Committee ö Steve Johns

A written report of the August 8, 2005 partnering meeting was distributed.ÊÊ The next meeting is scheduled for September 12, 2005 at 2:00 p.m.

Kent County Committee - Tim Anderson

A written report was distributed that discussed the recent partnering meeting with the Town of Smyrna on July 13, 2005.Ê

 

Sussex County Committee ö Ross Harris

No written report. A new committee chairperson is being sought.ÊÊ Mario Gangemi indicated that he would be willing to serve on this committee.

Education/Public Relations Committee

No report.Ê Matthew Goudy of Pennoni Associates was introduced as the new Education / Public Relations Committee Chair.Ê Matt will meet with Mike Karia to coordinate Math Count Sponsorships and to discuss other new initiatives.

Executive Directorâs Report ö Mike Karia

A written report was distributed. The report addressed: 1) July Billing ö A list of services ACEC Delaware provides will be added as attachment to the bills 2) AIAÊ Convention Booth ö Mike will man this booth at this convention on October 20, 2005.Ê He asked for volunteers from 1 pm to 5 pm. 3) LCD projector will be purchased in mid-September.ÊÊ 4) Newsletter is planned for September 15th.Ê 5)Ê Engineering Excellence Award Program Guidelines and judging criteria.Ê 6) Additional Information is available regarding updated health plans, ACEC ö 2005 Fall Conference and the ACEC Delaware website usage (hits).

The Board discussed an amendment to ACEC Delaware policies so that sole proprietors are not charged for meetings they do not attend. ÊÊAfter lengthy discussion, a motion was approved by the Board that would charge sole proprietor member firms $20 for meetings they do not attend.

 

National Directors Report ö Ted Williams

Ted Williams will be attending the ACEC National Fall Conference in Orlando this September.Ê He will provide a written report on the conference at the November meeting.ÊÊ Possible National Committee votes include a) Expansion of criteria for the Minuteman Fund and b) Promotion of the use ACEC Member Firms for State Projects.

It was discussed that donations will be solicited at the September meeting for the Del Tech Scholarship Fund. The targeted fund raising goal is $3,000.

It was discussed that Board Members should solicit contributions (personal) for the ACEC PAC Committee from staff of their firms.Ê The ACEC Delaware PAC contribution goal for 2005 is $3,150.

 

Presidentâs Report ö Ross Harris

On behalf of Ross Harris, Tim Anderson presented other items of the president.Ê These include:

1.     Establish goals and initiatives for each Committee.ÊÊ Each committee chair should email these goals and / or initiatives to Ross Harris and Tim Anderson.

2.     Committee vice-chairs or co-chairs. Co-chairs or vice-chairs would share in the responsibilities of the committees, increase the involvement of member firms in the organization, provide training for taking over a committee as a chairperson, and would provide more consistent committee representation at the executive committee meetings. It was the executive committeeâs consensus that generally only one chairperson from each committee should attend the executive committee meetings to represent the committee.

3.     Appoint an ACEC Delaware organization liaison for other professional societies like ASCE, PSPE, DES, DIPD, ASHE, etc.Ê (It was discussed by the Board that section 7.2(d) of the ACEC Delaware bylaws establishes this to be the responsibility of the Education/Public Relations chairperson and therefore Matt Goudy, Education / Public Relations Chair, should act as this liaison.)

4.     Determine possible Kent County and Sussex County Meeting locations for future General Membership Meetings and executive committee meetings. This item was mentioned but was not discussed since time ran out. This will be discussed under other items at the next meeting.

5.     Delaware PAC. Retaining a lobbyist to engage in lobbying efforts on demand in response to state bills. This item was mentioned but was not discussed since time ran out. This will be discussed under other items at the next meeting.

 

The next Executive Committee meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. on September 28, 2005 at the Christiana Hilton.