News and current information for our surety bond clients.
Immigration has been thrust back into the spotlight. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump lent his vocal support to the RAISE Act written by U.S. Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia. Last week the president reiterated his commitment to building a border wall, even if it meant shutting down our government. Read the full article >>>
The disaster that is Tropical Storm Harvey is still ongoing. It will be some time before the waters recede and the effect on Houston can be fully assessed. But it is already clear the damage to property will be immense. Tens of thousands of structures were impacted by floodwaters. Eventually, Houston will require massive cleanup, demolition, and reconstruction of individual …
Construction surety is about to get significantly more sure. Two trade groups, the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) and the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) are working with two standards-setting organizations and several underwriters to develop a whole new online protocol. Read more here >>>
The Great Recession delivered a knock out punch to many African-American-owned construction companies but Steven Garth Sr.’s Chicago Heights company was not among them. Garth, 72, is founder and CEO of Garth Construction Services Corp. and chairman and a co-founder of Black Contractors United, which assists and advocates for African-Americans in the construction industry. Tell me more >>>
Maryland’s beleaguered Purple Line light-rail project broke ground today, Bethesda Magazine reported. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao were present. Read the article >>>
The Manhattan City Commission will discuss a draft resolution Tuesday that would require subdivision developers to make upfront security payments for benefit district work. The work session starts at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The commission will discuss this draft as the city seeks ways to reduce risks associated with benefit districts being used for residential subdivision development. Tell me …
Contractors will now need a permit and to post bonds before cutting into or digging under Conyngham streets. On Tuesday, Conyngham Borough Council adopted a street excavation ordinance that requires people to obtain a permit and pay a $150 fee before doing any street work, solicitor Donald Karpowich said. Read the full article >>>
Ask commercial developers in a major market to name their biggest challenges, and the rising cost of construction will be at or near the top of the list. But while the complaints have grown louder in recent years, the underlying problem has been decades in the making, and the current administration’s policies only figure to make it worse. Read the …
The U.S. government appropriated $120 billion for federal construction spending in 2017, covering a range of projects from the construction of a new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters to building agricultural research facilities, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget proposal, even with its cuts to key federal spending programs and new funds for …
An Albuquerque-area contractor has been ordered to spend 27 months in federal prison and pay more than $410,000 in restitution in a tax evasion and fraud case. Federal prosecutors say 38-year-old Joseph Dubois was sentenced this week. His prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. Tell me more >>>
