Board President’s Update – April

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful time of the year in Colorado. As things start to turn green and the weather a bit warmer, thoughts refocus to field work and production goals for the upcoming construction season (although does it ever really stop?). Your association has been hard at work throughout this winter on some exciting stuff. Below you will find some highlights of our efforts and areas of focus that benefit our industry:

Governmental Affairs

· The Legislative Session is wrapping up and the CSSGA/CRMCA Legislative Subcommittee has been continuing weekly calls at 8am on Tuesdays to review bills pertinent to the industry. With the help of our lobbying group, Rees Consulting, we have been active in both opposing and supporting bills which we determine impact our industry.

· The monthly Legislative Luncheons have been well attended by 30-40 people each month. The last Luncheon was held on April 23 with DJ Summers from the Colorado Common Sense Institute and was our highest attended luncheon yet with 50 people present. Thank you to members who got involved, your voice is important.

Regulatory & Environmental

· CSSGA has been involved in providing Public Comments to San Miguel County regarding their proposed updates to their Mining Regulations to help educate them about our industry and prevent unintended consequences of unnecessary regulations.

· Members of the Regulatory & Environmental Committee presented to the MLRB on April 16 to educate them on the importance of accessible permitting in CO and the overall goals of CSSGA and the aggregate mining industry. We look forward to continuing to cultivate a strong working relationship with DRMS. A copy of this presentation is available to all members to view and share with anyone you think would benefit from learning more about the importance of permitting aggregate mines in Colorado.

Mine Safety Institute

· One of the more exciting announcements is the update to the Mine Safety Institute. We are converting the 8-hour Annual Refresher and 4-hour New Miner Training to a completely online training. This training has been successful for our customers and members for many years. A refresh to the content was long overdue and the process has been a great collaboration with DRMS.

· A task force of CSSGA Safety Committee Members and DRMS trainers is reviewing the content and functionality of this program and we thank our members for their engagement, we couldn’t do it without our members as subject matter experts.

· More information will be sent to members outlining the improvements to the accessibility and format of the trainings and how your membership will provide discounts and even more user-friendly options to access the safety trainings.

Don’t forget to Save the Date for the Summer Conference July 23-25 in Vail!
Registration will be open by May 9th.

As you can see CSSGA staff has been very busy and diligent in providing resources, protection and advocacy to our great industry. I hope for your continued support & engagement and look forward to seeing you at our next event!

Matthew Noteboom, P.E.
CSSGA Board President
Vice President, Mountain Division – L.G. Everist