Wednesday, Nov. 16 – Brenda visited the office of Ben L. May Excavating, Inc., East Freedom, near Altoona, PA.  While visiting Brenda learned about the type of work performed by the company and talked about issues of concern to their firm. 

That evening Brenda attended the Northeast District meeting with nearly 40 PUCA members in attendance to hear President Jim Dacey speak on the PA One Call Re-write.

Tuesday, Nov. 15 – Brenda visited a D. C. Ventre  & Sons Inc. jobsite near Johnston, PA.  Buzz Gutshall took the time from of his busy schedule to show Brenda different aspects of the jobsite, review plan changes and meet with other associates who work in conjunction with the contractor to bring a project to completion. 
Shortly after leaving the jobsite, Brenda attended a Central District Meeting where a Mock Trial on the PA One Call Law was shown.  The trial outcomes led to an open discussion on “real life” experiences working under the law.

Monday, Nov. 14 -  DuBois, Pennsylvania was the setting for the North Central District meeting.  This district was setup last year to serve the contractors that live too far from other district meeting areas to attend an evening educational meeting.  A DVD of a Mock Trial on the PA One Call Law was the educational topic.  An in-depth discussion of the current and future PA One Call Law followed the presentation.

Nov. 10 – Harrisburg, PA – A conference call between NUCA, PENNVEST and PUCA took place to discuss the potential coalition for Clean Water.  Brenda initiated the meeting among the parties in hopes that PENNVEST would bring other state funding authorities and Governors to the table to address the proposed rescission of Federal Clean Water funds for diversion to hurricane hit areas.

Nov. 9 -  Harrisburg, PA – The bi-monthly PENNVEST board meeting was attended by Brenda Reigle to learn of new water and sewer projects that PUCA members could expect to go to bid for construction.  PENNVEST Chairman Manko expressed great concern over the potential loss of PENNVEST funds from the Federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF).  This concern leads to the potential national coalition for Clean Water discussion that would bring government entities to the table with other interest groups.  Government involvement in the fight for Clean Water is a welcome and much needed concept for the national coalition cause.

Nov. 8 – PUCA Board of Directors Meeting

October 27 -  Brenda was present at a meeting of the Northwest District. Those in attendance viewed a video of a PA One Call Mock Trial presented by Bill Auxer of Kaplin, Stewart, Meloff, Reiter & Stein, PC. 

October 26 – Valley Forge, PA – Brenda attended the PA One Call System’s (POCS) Board of Directors meeting to keep abreast of the progress on the re-write of the One Call Law and to follow-up on board action to a Labor & Industry (L&I) enforcement letter.
PUCA members attended the July 26, 2005 POCS Executive Board meeting to discuss a L&I determination letter issued on June 14, 2005.  In this letter L&I attempted to 1) set by internal determination an unrealistic definition of prudent techniques; 2) disallow the use of power equipment anywhere, anytime within the tolerance zone; and 3) overstepped the bounds of their enforcement authority according to the PA One Call law.  These attempts by L&I needed to be addressed for the industry as a whole, thus a PUCA effort to get the POCS Board to seek a retraction of L&I’s interpretation of prudent techniques.  The POCS Board voted in favor of sending a letter to L&I requesting clarification of the use of powered equipment as prudent techniques within the tolerance zone.   As of October 26, 2005 no response to the POCS letter was known to PUCA, so Brenda inquired at the October 26 POCS Board meeting as to the status of a response.  The POCS Board acknowledged the question and offered an explanation that the POCS letter to L&I had not been sent out. 
 On October 27, 2005 POCS sent PUCA a copy of a letter addressed to L&I and dated July 29, 2005 concerning the clarification of the use of powered equipment as prudent techniques within the tolerance zone.   The fact that POCS sent a letter means that L&I has not responded in writing for over three months.  PUCA is sending a letter to L&I requesting a timeframe for response to the POCS letter of July 29.

October 22 -  The PUCA held its annual membership meeting, awards ceremony and special event at the SportsWorks - Carneige Science Center, Pittsburgh.  The family event of nearly 60 PUCA members was a lot of fun for young and old alike.  Each year PUCA holds a special event in conjunction with our annual membership meeting.  The 2006 event will be held in Eastern Pennsylvania.

October 11 – NUCA and PUCA staff along with a PUCA contractor member held a meeting with the Washington D.C. office of EPA to discuss Pennsylvania’s new DBE Solicitation policy that is impeding construction projects funded through PENNVEST and increasing administrative costs for contractors. …click here to read the whole story 

October 5-7 – Brenda attends the NUCA Fall Board Meeting where she is nominated for the NUCA Executive Director Council Secretary position for 2006.  Brenda also met with NUCA Safety Director George Kennedy about developing a Damage Prevention Education Program by January 2007.

September 29 - PA One Call Western Safety Days – PUCA manned a booth to promote the utility industry.

September 28 – Brenda attended the PA One Call Compliance Task Force Meeting.  Brenda addressed several issues related to Engineer non-compliance with Act 199 non-waiver language and a determination letter overreaching L&I’s enforcement authority.

September 22 – PA One Call Eastern Safety Days – PUCA manned a booth to promote the utility industry.

September 14 – Pennsylvania House of Representative State Government Committee Public Hearing on the Procurement Code legislation (House Bill 652).  PUCA Government Relations Committee members testify before the committee on the need for changes to the state procurement code.

September 14 – PENNVEST Board Meeting – Ed DeLisle, PUCA Government Relations Chair, attended the board meeting for PUCA.

September 7 – PA House of Representative – Public Hearing on Gas Price Increases

August 30 – PUCA staff attended a meeting in Harrisburg with DEP on the DBE Solicitation

August 22-24 – NUCA Executive Director Council Leadership Conference – Brenda attended the three-day NUCA event where Executive Directors from across the country learn about association management, utility industry issues, association recruitment and other matters related to association development.

August 18 – Associated Pennsylvania Contractors (APC) held their quarterly safety committee meeting in Harrisburg.  Brenda sits on the APC safety committee and exchanges information on safety and PennDOT matters.

August 15 – PUCA staff met with PUCA contractor members in DuBois, PA on the DBE Solicitation issue

August 10 – Pennsylvania House of Representatives State Committee held a Public Hearing on the Procurement Code legislation (House Bill 652) introduced by PUCA for the past four years.  Rep. Scott Hutchinson secured a public hearing for PUCA on this issue when the committee withdrew our amendment to House Bill 62 from consideration in June.  PUCA Government Relations Committee members presented excellent testimony on behalf of the construction industry expressing the ability to save ratepayers and taxpayers money on utility construction projects with some changes to the current law.  Testimonies by PUCA members lead the State Government Committee Chairman, Rep. Paul Clymer, to agree to hold a workshop within the next month to hear in more detail the issues at hand.

August 9 – PUCA Board of Directors Meeting