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SALEM GOVERNMENT
Construction costs rise another $4 million at Salem police headquarters
The city of Salem will soon hire the project’s subcontractors, like plumbers, carpenters and electricians. Rising wages have the city looking for more money and urban renewal dollars are expected to be tapped again.
By Troy Brynelson — Salem Reporter March 27, 2019 at 5:47pm

Heavy machinery rests at the construction site for the upcoming, 104,000-square-foot headquarters of the Salem Police Department. City and police officials say they need to find another $4 million for construction. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter)

Costs for Salem Police Department’s new headquarters continue to rise, sending officials to look for millions more from city funds, and urban renewal once again is expected to be tapped.

Next month, the city plans to hire the rest of its subcontractors, like plumbers, carpenters and electricians, but rising wages have the city looking for another $4 million.

The additional costs emerged during a recent meeting between city administrators, three city councilors and DAY CPM, the city’s consultant on the multimillion-dollar public project.

“Part of the challenge here is our timing — the red-hot construction market, which I don’t think we fully appreciated when we asked the voters to approve the bond amount,” said City Manager Steve Powers at the meeting.

The city will find out just how much more money will be needed when bids for those jobs open Thursday. Contracts will be awarded by mid-April.

Ricardo Becerril, project manager for DAY CPM, told Salem Reporter that the relatively short supply of construction workers these days has more bargaining power to call for higher wages.

“It’s a subcontractors’ market right now,” he said. “You can talk to subcontractors right now and they’ll say they have dozens of projects coming in and they get to pick which ones they go after.”

Becerril said DAY CPM works with estimators to ensure costs align with the market and tries to ensure as many subcontractors are applying for jobs to keep bids competitive.

Broadly, construction work pays $48,000 a year in Salem, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, though specific trades can vary. The annual wage, though is up $2,000 a year from 2012.

Workers can earn more up the road in the Portland area, where construction pays $56,000 a year, according to the bureau, up $5,000 a year from 2012.

Costs of materials like steel and wood have also risen in recent years.

Because costs continue to rise, the city’s earlier estimates are again falling short.

Voters in May 2017 approved a city bond to pay for a three-story police building at a cost of $61.8 million, at the corner of Commercial and Division streets.

That bond covered an estimated $43.2 million for construction and $18.6 million in soft costs — like permits, buying the land, and even furniture.

The construction budget did rise last year when the city made money from selling the bonds at higher prices, according to Deputy Police Chief Steve Bellshaw. Those premiums and the money saved from interest payments gave the project an extra $4 million. The public works department gave $600,000 from its own budget.

Last July, the city received $2 million from the Riverfront-Downtown Urban Renewal Area, bringing the construction budget to nearly $50 million.

The recent meeting, however, shows construction costs to be about $54 million – and the total project to $73 million, an 18 percent increase from the original bond.

That number could change when prime contractor, JE Dunn, provides the city its final estimate for the construction on April 19.

“It’s possible JE Dunn has been a little bit conservative and they come back with better estimates,” said Becerril. “It’s also possible that it’s the opposite, that they were too aggressive and the numbers might come back more.”

The city has already shaved more than $4 million in planned work for the police department by switching to cheaper materials in some interior design work, reducing parking and even scaling back the number of windows it treats with a security film.

“We have worked really hard and we keep cutting things down and eliminating different things in the building,” Bellshaw said. “Even when we reduce it, the costs go up and it’s like you’re trying to stand in front of the current but it’s running you over.”

The building also lost about 10,000 square feet and now measures in at 104,000 square feet.

The city is sure where it can find an extra $4 million to cover the latest escalation in costs.

About $1.2 million in contingency funds would be tapped and another $350,000 would come from the police department’s budget.

Then $2.5 million will be asked to come from the Riverfront-Downtown Urban Renewal Area, if approved by the city’s urban renewal agency. Urban Development Director Kristin Retherford said the urban renewal project has cash to spare.

“We don’t have anything right now that’s in our to-do list that we would not be able to do if we put this money into the police station,” she said.

The $2.5 million would come from money set aside for grants for improving downtown. Retherford said the city budgeted $5.6 million for improvement grants, but no more than $3 million is likely to be needed.

Have a tip? Contact reporter Troy Brynelson at 503-575-9930, troy@salemreporter.com or @TroyWB.

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3rd West Africa Construction awards gathers momentum
Source: Ghana|Myjoyonline.com
Date: 02-04-2019 Time: 06:04:38:am

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Preparations towards the 3rd West Africa Construction Awards 2019 (WACA) is in full gear, as the awards ceremony is set to hold on May 3rd 2018 at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel.
“In the last three years the Industry has evolved, with a lot of high rise projects springing up in our sky line across West Africa and Ghana in particular.” Mr. Akin Naphtal CEO of Instinct Wave noted.

According to him, the award scheme which was last held in 2016 took a two year break in order to give the industry more space for immense growth and new discoveries.
“And indeed we have seen tremendous growth, now in its third year, the Award will recognize the enormous achievements of the construction industry and its contribution to the sub-Saharan economy.” Mr. Naphtal added.

Industry players will be competing for awards in a total of 28 categories for organisations with speical recognition awards going to individuals and organisations who have been instrumental in the growth of the industry.
The West Africa Construction Awards (WACA) will also bring together top industry executives and decision makers in Ghana, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo to celebrate the stand-out projects and achievements of the year under review.
The Awards is powered by InstinctWave, Africa’s premium B2B event & media specialist.
Head quartered in the UK, Instinct Wave is Africa’s premium B2B event & specialist, the organizer of the highly successful Ghana Information Technology &Telecom Awards (GITTA) in its 9th year, Ghana Procurement & Supply Chain Awards, Ghana Finance Innovation Awards in its 5th Year, Africa Public Sector Conference & Awards in its 2nd year, MarketingWorld Awards in its 9th Year, and other industry related events across Africa

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iBUILD provides a platform where all your construction worries are in the past. With their mobile app, you have a platform that connects customers, contractors, workers, suppliers, lenders and also other professionals such as engineers, architects etc. This brings transparency, accountability and efficiency in the housing eco system that for a long time has been a real challenge. iBUILD launched its app in Kenya as the first market in Africa in January 2019 and is set to launch in other countries.

Following their launch in Kenya iBUILD™ introduced the first three modules already functioning fully on the app. The modules are for the customers, contractors and the workers. In the coming weeks and months they are set to gradually introduce more modules such as the supplier module, where one can get all the materials and supplies they require for a project. The lenders module where they will connect all their app users with financial institutions that can support in the financing aspects of certain projects. The professionals’ module that will provide access for customers and contractors to browse, hire and pay Architects, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Safety Officers and more.

Ultimately, iBUILD™ was started as a solution for this industry and all the loop holes and headaches that were there when bringing a project from start to finish. The team realized the pain points that a lot of the customers experienced in getting reliable contractors for projects. They also realized the pain of workers and labourers who have to leave home every day in search of work to do, sometimes returning with nothing. With this app the workers are able to search for work from their phone. They register their own profile that will showcase their construction skills, work history and ratings as well as their geographical location. They are able to search and apply for jobs and even get paid-directly through the app.

In the Picture is Kenya Market Direct Aggrey Wangwe and a Contractor who got a job using the iBUILD app.

Apart from solving these simple job creation problems, iBUILD™ also has a wallet imbedded in the app that allows one to access and make payment via mobile money transfers to all the service providers. This ensures reliability, security of funds avoiding cash at hand within projects and most importantly helps the contractors to save on the cost of each transaction.

One of the greatest aspects of the platform would have to be the milestones that are trackable and attached also to payments. You are able to set milestones for your projects so that you can validate project progress and then make payments via the iBUILD wallet attached to the milestones achieved. In addition to this, while trying to look for service providers, you are able to check on their profiles and see other projects that they have worked on and also see reviews from previous customers. You are also able to rate your service provides and this is such a great addition as it provides transparency on top of the fact that the various professionals on the platform have to be registered by their various professional boards.

The opportunities in the industry with this platform are endless. Africa is ready for iBUILD and with 70% or more of the housing being self-built, this high tech solution is set to empower the world to build!

Samira Bawumia Commends Kpandai MP For The Construction Of New Maternal Block
Staff Writer
Second Lady Hajia Samira Bawumia (middle)
Second Lady Hajia Samira Bawumia (middle)
The Second Lady, Mrs. Samira Bawumia has commended the Member of Parliament for Kpandai, Honourable Mathew Nyindam for the construction of a new maternity block for the Kpandai Hospital to improve maternal and neonatal health in the area.

The block which was built by Mathew Nyindam, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpandai Constituency and First Deputy Majority Whip of Parliament, is not only to help improve maternal and neonatal health in the area, it is also expected, transform the lives of expectant mothers and improve their reproductive health.

The new block was funded with part of the MP’s NHIS and Common Fund to cover eligible payments for the construction of the first class maternity ward in Kpandai, which has facilities including a theatre, labor and delivery wards, as well as doctor and nurses changing rooms.

The new maternity block has the capacity to take care of over 2,000 pregnant women who visit the hospital annually for deliveries.

Speaking at a ceremony in Kpandai over the weekend to commission the facility, Samira Bawumia stressed that she is hopeful that the area would record a zero infant mortality with the establishment of the maternity block.

Commending Mr. Nyindam for the facility, the 2nd Lady opined that the MP has demonstrated that he wants to serve the people and transform the constituency as a whole.

According to her, the Samira Empowerment & Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) has provided up to 100,000 well-resourced birth kits to expectant mothers all across the country and assured the women of Kpandai that they would get their share very soon.

She appealed to the people of Kpandai to take good care of the facility so that it would be beneficiary to other women in the area.

Mrs. Bawumia urged women in the area to visit health facilities for their antenatal cares to enable them to save their unborn babies

—Daily Guide

State of construction industry is threatening government – Senior Economist

2d ago | Source: GNA

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Mr Habibu Adam, a Senior Economist on Thursday identified the greatest threat to the government as the state of the construction industry inherited from the previous administration which was nearly collapsed.

“Monies owed contractors are causing a lot of pains to them, their banks as well as their suppliers. A lot of projects have grounded to a halt because of unpaid monies owed to the contractors, this has contributed to the liquidity crises in the country.

“It will be in the interest of government to raise Bonds to clear the arrears before June, 2019.

“Beyond June into the raining season, a lot of the projects would have been delayed and will not be commissioned on scheduled before 2020 elections.

A quick action is required from government in settling the debts of the contractors,” Mr Adam told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.

Mr Adam who is a Senior Economist at the Office of the Senior Minister said the World Bank estimated that on average, Ghana would require about $1.5 billion dollars investments in infrastructural projects for the next ten years to close the infrastructural gap.

“This is beyond what government could provide as a result of huge interest rates, servicing which has exceeded capital expenditure over the last five years. Despite these constraints, government is committing an extra USD $1 billion to the development of the new railway network.

“USD $500 million will be applied to the development of the Western line, USD $500 million will be applied to the first phase of the Kumasi to Paga section of the national network. Tema-Ouagadougou railway line is also progressing steadily,” Mr Adam revealed.

He explained that Ghana and Japan had initiated discussions towards the establishment of a metro rail transport system in Accra.

“In 2018, rail services from Takoradi to Tarkwa was restored for the first time in 11 years. The Accra-Tema railway service has also started running on the refurbished line. Accra-Nsawam to be followed soon,” he said.

He said Government would launch GHC1 billion Housing Fund that would target low-income earners.

The Senior Economist said, $185 million was secured for the construction of 12 landing sites and two fishing harbours in some selected fishing communities in the country.

Mr Adam said the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation has been set up for the development of our integrated aluminium industry; “the same model is being pursued for the development of the iron ore deposits and manganese deposits”.

He said about 1,200,000 registered and verified addresses through the National Digital Addressing System and is still progressing. The process is continuing and is expected to hit a target of 4,000,000 addresses by the end of the year.

He said the Economic Management Team (EMT) also organised stakeholder’s sensitisation forum for Ghana’s reforms for ease of Doing Business.

He said many state institutions including; Registrar General’s Department, the Judiciary Service, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) among others demonstrated how far they had digitised their services.

On why Ghanaians were not feeling the good economic statistics in their pockets, Mr Adam explained that upon assumption of office, the government realised that there was no fiscal space within which to implement its ambitious policies.

In addition, government income streams such as those from the road fund were also mortgaged to one of the foreign banks.

This, he said meant all the road tolls and DVLA charges and other deduction comprising the road fund could not be available to government.

Mr Adam said at the same time, government was committed to over GHC17 billion liability at the Ministry of Roads and Highways when the budget for 2016 was GHC 625 million; GHC5.5 billion to the Cocoa roads sector when the budget was GHC1.5 billion in 2016.

The figure was pegged at $2.4 billion energy sector debts, GHC1.2 billion NHIS debt in claims and supplies, GETFUND was in debt of about GHC838 million Cedis and District Assembly Common Fund Secretariat was also in arrears of close to GHC900 million Cedis as end of 2016, GHC3.2 billion of pension contributions for public servants were unpaid for 72 months.

Mr Adam explained that many MDAs were in similar situations; stressing how could anyone expect the government to spend on infrastructure and create jobs, when most of our banks were collapsing because of unpaid loans by both MDAs and government contractors and suppliers?

He said the best option for government was not to cancel some of the contracts, re-negotiate some of the contracts and limit new contracts to critical needs and try to settle most of the debts.

Mr Adam said this took nearly two years to settle substantial part of the debt at the expense of Ghanaians comfort; “It is now time for Ghanaians to feel the economy in their pockets”.

UK construction activity slows for second month running – PMI
By Reuters• last updated: 02/04/2019 – 11:55
UK construction activity slows for second month running – PMI
FILE PHOTO: Construction cranes are seen above a refurbished Mill building in the city centre of Manchester, Britain, February 23, 2019. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo -Copyright Phil Noble(Reuters)
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By David Milliken

LONDON (Reuters) – British construction activity slowed slightly for the second month in a row in March, as businesses continued to postpone major building projects due to Brexit uncertainty, an industry survey showed on Tuesday.

The IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) edged up to 49.7 from 49.5 but remained below the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction, representing the first back-to-back fall in output since August 2016, just after Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Housebuilding continued to record moderate growth, but civil engineering fell and commercial projects — such as new shops, factories or warehouses — dropped off at the fastest rate since September 2017.

“Brexit-related uncertainty continued to generate indecisiveness, ultimately hitting order book volumes,” said Joe Hayes, an economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey.

(GRAPHIC-UK construction PMI suffers from Brexit nerves, https://tmsnrt.rs/2CRFPys)

Official data last week showed construction output grew just 0.3 percent in 2018, the weakest in six years.

Although new orders grew slightly faster in March, they were below their long-run average and construction firms reported tougher-than-usual competition, IHS Markit said.

Max Jones, a commercial banker at Lloyds Bank, said firms in the construction industry were focussing more on cashflow and avoiding low-margin work due to concern about future headwinds.

“We’re starting to see smaller firms addressing their balance sheets by paying closer attention to late payers, which is applying pressure onto larger contractors who are watching cashflow carefully too,” he said.

Builders also reported increasing delays in getting supplies, due to low stocks and stretched capacity from vendors, while raw materials costs rose at the fastest rate in four months, due to a weak currency and some shortages.

The survey had previously shown delays to building supplies in February, when the construction industry blamed a lack of transport capacity due to increased pre-Brexit stockpiling by manufacturers who relied on imports from the EU.

March’s survey of manufacturers, released on Monday, showed a further increase in stockpiling to a fresh survey-record level for a major advanced economy.

Britain had been due to leave the EU on March 29 but Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to ask for a delay after parliament refused to back the exit plan she had negotiated with Brussels.

Brexit is now due to take place at 2200 GMT on April 12 unless May comes up with another option.

(Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Doreen Mwinmaale Akyuuro is the lawyer for unity Real Estate Agency. She attended St.Martin’s Senior High School now at the university of Professional Studies Accra (U.P.S.A).

Some important information you need to know about the Lawyer are:

1.email address: akyuurod@yahoo.com

2. Personal blog address: Akrheeniecouture@wordpress.com

3 index number: 10090232.

Some Functions of the Lawyer.

1. She always sees that all properties disputes are settled.
2. She represents the company in times of difficulties eg Cases in court.
3. She advises the management team of the company
4. The lawyer also fights for the interest of clients.

Vanessa Mawuena Akor, civil Engineer of unity Real Estates Agency. Attended st.Martin’s senior high but currently at the university of Professional Studies Accra pursuing Diploma In Public Relations Management.

Email Vanessaakor@gmail.com

Diploma in Public Relations Management

Personal blog address: Vharnnie.Fashion.blog

Index number: 10090664

Functions of the Civil Engineer

1.improves and projects the environment in the company exists

2. She plans, designs and oversees constructional and maintenance of building structures , infrastructure such as roads, dams and where there seems to be a problem in construction.

3. She all draw plans for settlements.

Adambunu Dorcas Ayele, the consulting engineer of unity real estate agency. She completed Mawuli Secondary school and currently at the university of Professional Studies Accra, offering diploma in Public Relations Management level 200.

some functions of the consulting engineer of the company are as follows:

1. Project Management

2. Planning Technical Solutions

3.Build Relationships with clients

4. Organize Project Logistics

5. Preparation of Documentation

Some Important Information about the Consulting Engineer are,

1. Personal blog Fatgurlsdiary.wordpress.com

2.Email Address: adanalssfia@gmail.com

3. Index number: 10087528

Sandra Kabuki Otopah an investor of unity estates agency. Attended Ghana Senior High School but currently at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) pursueing Diploma in Public Relations Management.

The Functions of the Investor are as follows

1. An investor plays a major role in the success and growth of a company
2. An investor provides financial information to investors (retail and institutional) in a timely and accurate way
3. An investor observed the rules of securities commission and stock exchanges.

Below are some of the personal information about the investor.

1. Personal blog address sankab.wordpress.com
2. index number 10085792
3. course Diploma in Public Relations Management