March 2020 Executive Director’s Blog

Hello CSSGA Membership. We are now well into the new year of 2020. Things are off to a great start on many fronts. Here are a few of them.

Workplace Regulations

• In an effort to bring viable and useful training to membership, we held a very successful webinar on February 27 titled: Recent Updates to Colorado Employment Law. Ben Ross of Fisher Phillips is presented valuable information on the subject. Plan to attend the bi-monthly Safety Committee meeting on March 13 from 11:30a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the CSSGA offices to discuss workplace health, safety, and regulations.

Governmental Affairs

• The 2020 Legislative Session is at the term midpoint. The CRMCA/CSSGA Governmental Affairs Committee has been active since the Legislative Session kicked off on January 8. The subcommittee meets every Monday morning in the basement of the Capitol to review upcoming legislation. While wins at the Capitol can be hard to come by, I am pleased to announce HB 20-1089: Lawful Off Duty Activities (marijuana use outside of workplace) has been killed in committee. Also, we remain focused on SB20-038 Statewide Biodiesel Blend Requirement Diesel Fuel Sales (attempts to establish a statewide standard for the sale of biodiesel-blended diesel fuel in the state). We are united in a state wide coalition regarding SB20-038 and working towards a positive outcome.
• We also continue our CSSGA/CRMCA Legislative Breakfast program on the 3rd Wednesday of the month in downtown Denver. These occur before board meetings, which allows for great discussion and interaction between our speakers and industry leaders. In February, Senator Don Coram addressed attendees and discussed issues at the Capitol and in rural Colorado. CSSGA has invited a representative from the Colorado Water Congress to join our event in March – details to come. Also, the Governmental Affairs Committee will be actively pursuing fundraising for the ROCKPAC, so look for information regarding this important process in the coming months.

Upcoming Events

• I am pleased to announce 2 exciting events taking place on March 17. The first is Leadership Training on Emotional Intelligence, which allows members of any age to improve skills and increase their leadership abilities. This is then followed by our St. Patrick’s Day Networking Event at the Colorado Governor’s Mansion. Those that have been there know this is a great setting to network and interact with producer and associate members. Plan to register and attend.
• Lastly, room reservations are available for the 2020 Summer Conference. The CSSGA Board of Directors voted to align this event with CRMCA, so the joint event will be held in Vail on July 30-31. Additional details along with registration will be available in the coming months.

Thanks for your active participation in CSSGA!

Todd R. Ohlheiser

Executive Director

Colorado Stone, Sand & Gravel Association