March 2017 Executive Director’s Blog

Hello CSSGA members.  March is upon us and before you know it, spring will be here!  Even though this has been a mild winter, warm weather is always nice.  Here are a few highlights of actions underway:

As you know, we are in the middle of another important Legislative session in Colorado.   We are proposing a bill that helps sand and gravel operations with taxes on manufacturing equipment.  This, and many other bills are tracked and discussed weekly as we continue to meet Monday mornings in the Capitol basement.  All CSSGA members are welcome.

Additionally, we continue to drive forward in support of a Referred Measure from Colorado Legislature.  We are specifically requesting a measure on the November 2017 ballot that lets voters decide if they want improved roads and transportation methods.   We are working closely with both Republicans and Democrats to move this measure forward.  As part of this, in last month’s blog I mentioned CSSGA, and our industry partners of CCA, CAPA, CRMCA, and ACPA started a wider coalition called FixItCO.  This has now expanded further by forming a 501-C-4, which is accepting corporate and personal contributions in an effort to educate voters on the issues.  We are already underway with a robust campaign with information going out via social media and other methods.  Learn more by following @TeamFixItCO on Twitter or contact CSSGA for information on how to contribute.

Also, our bi-annual MSHA Regulatory Roundtable was held Thursday, February 9^th and was a huge success.  The purpose of this roundtable is to understand MSHA’s initiatives, priorities and areas of emphasis while creating open dialogue with industry.  Both Dustan Crelly, Assistant District Manager for Rocky Mountain District, and Shane Julien, Denver Field Office Supervisor were in attendance.  These are critical meetings as all the field inspectors coming to your sites report directly into Mr. Julien, so a clear understanding with, and from him is important.

Leadership of the MSHA Rocky Mountain District are pleased to participate in these sessions and Mr. Crelly personally told the group “this meeting was the best one yet, and I look forward to continuing them in the future”.  If you have not been able to attend, I strongly encourage participation at the next one this fall.  Safety is the most important challenge we deal with in our industry, and having a strong working relationship with the regulatory agency in charge is key.

Lastly, I encourage you to attend the CSSGA Networking Event on March 14^th at the Governor’s Mansion in Downtown Denver.  This is free to CSSGA members and is a great setting to conduct professional business between members and interact with those in our industry.  Learn more about registration and sponsorship!

Please contact Annelise or myself if there is anything we can do for your business.  Thanks again for your support!!

Todd R. Ohlheiser

Executive Director