GCA COVID-19 RESOURCE CENTER

Government Guidance

Federal

OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19

CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019

EPA List of Disinfectants Authorized to Prevent and Reduce the Spread of Coronavirus

US Department of Labor COVID-19 and the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act : Questions and Answers

The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America

Families First Coronavirus Response Act Questions and Answer

Federal CARES Act: Enhanced Unemployment Insurance

Federal CARES Act IRS Employee Retention Credit FAQ

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Memo on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response

CDC Guidance for the use of cloth face masks

CDC Interim Guidance Implementing safety practices for critical infrastructure workers who may have had exposure to a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19

EEOC Updated Guidance:

EEOC Delays Data Collection

PPP Loan Forgiveness Application

PPP Frequently Asked Questions

New York State

New York State Department of Health

Governor Cuomo Executive Order 202.6: Directs employers to reduce in-person workforce by 50 percent.

Governor Cuomo Executive Order 202.4: Directs non-essential personnel to work from home.

Governor Cuomo Executive Order 202.1: Allows that state to increase hospital capacity.

New York State Department of Labor Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification

ESD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER A BUSINESS IS SUBJECT TO A WORKFORCE REDUCTION UNDER RECENT EXECUTIVE ORDER ENACTED TO ADDRESS COVID-19 OUTBREAK

Unemployment Insurance Benefits Frequently Asked Questions

New York State Paid Sick Leave

Relief for Workers Affected by Coronavirus Act

Protocols for Essential Personnel to Return to Work Following COVID-19 Exposure or Infection

Governor Cuomo Executive Order 202.13:  Amends Definition of Essential Businesses in 202.6

Unemployment Insurance Benefits FAQshttps://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026

Executive Order 202.14: Extends workplace restrictions and social interaction restrictions to April 29, 2020

Empire State Development updated guidance on essential businesses

New York Forward Industry Guidance

New York Workers Comp: COVID-19 Claims Excluded from Experience Rating

City of New York

NYC Department of Buildings COVID-19 Response – Application Processing

NYC Department of Buildings COVID-19 Response – Administrative Enforcement and Licensing Unit Updates

NYC Department of Buildings COVID-19 Service Notice: Enforcement

NYC Department of Buildings COVID-19 Service Notice: Full Demolition and Site Safety Plans

NYC Small Business Services Assistance and Guidance for Businesses Impacted Due to Novel Coronavirus

New York City Office of Emergency Management

Mayor de Blasio Emergency Executive Order 100 suspending ULRP process

NYC Department of Buildings COVID-19 Response: Cranes and Derricks, eFiling Authentication, Limited Alteration Applications, Local Law Enforcement and Permit Renewals

NYC Department of Buildings: Suspension of all work on non-essential construction and demolition sites.

NYC Department of Buildings Guidance to Owners and Contractors on Enforcement Essential vs Nonessential Construction

NYC Department of Buildings Bulletin 2020-004: Guidance to Owners and Contractors on how to secure construction and demolition sites suspended due to COVID-19

NYC Department of Buildings FAQs on Essential and Non Essential Construction

DEP Invoicing Platform (DIP) Process Guidance

NYC Department of Buildings Physical Distance Guidelines for Construction Projects

April 15th NYC Department of Buildings COVID 19 Guidance on Essential Construction in NYC

April 15th NYC Department of Building Updated COVID 19 Guidance Essential vs Non-Essential Construction

April 15th FAQs: Essential and Non-Essential Construction In New York City During the COVID-19 New York State Emergency

Executive Order 202.31: Extends NY on Pause to May 28; allows certain regions of NY to Reopen

NYC Department of Buildings COVID-19 Service Notice: Crane Filings Launch

Mayoral Executive Order 112: Extends NYC Emergency Declaration to June 7

NYC Department of Buildings COVID-19 Response: Online License/Registration Renewal Application

NYC Executive Order 123

NYC Department of Buildings Enforcement Guidance

NYC Department of Buildings Phase One Restart Flyer

NYC Department of Buildings Guidance on Reopening Sites 

NYC Department of Buildings Reopening FAQs

Agency / Authority Information 

Port Authority Notice Re Bid Openings

New York City MTA Memo to Contractors and Consultants

COVID-19 Guidance for New York State Department of Transportation Construction Projects

New York City MTA Guidance on NYS Executive Order 202

New York State  Department of Transportation Guidance on NYS Executive Order 202

New York State Thruway Authority COVID 19 Guidance

NYC MTA Protocol for COVID-19 Exposure: What to do if a consultant/contractor is sick

Flowchart for Port Authority/PATH COVID-19 Response Protocols

School Construction Authority Notice Placing a Pause on All Non-Essential Projects

NYS Department of Transportation Guidance for Work Days

MTA Guidance: What to do if a consultant/contractor is sick?

MTACD COVID-19 General Safety Info

MTACD COVID-19 Contractor Protocols

MTACD COVID-19 Project Safety Checklist

MTACD COVID-19 Contractor Protocols Updated  4-6-21

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A new Rasmussen Report national poll shows that 88 percent of both Democrat and Republican likely voters support legislation that would improve the nation’s infrastructure. The poll was conducted for the American Road and Transportation Builders and the American Public Transit Association.  The GCA plays an active leadership role in both organizations.

The poll also provided insights on why support for a broad infrastructure initiative is so strong.  Ninety-six percent of those surveyed agreed “improving infrastructure like our roads, bridges, public transit, water systems and the power grid” is either “very important” (62 and 64 percent) or “somewhat important” (34 and 32 percent) to both “future U.S. economic growth” and “the quality of life of our children and grandchildren.”

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New York sent an estimated $24.1 billion more in tax payments to Washington than it got back in federal spending in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2017, getting back 90 cents for every dollar, according to a report released October 17 by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. In 2017, New York was one of just 11 states that sent more to Washington than it received. Only New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut fared worse while New Mexico fared the best.

DiNapoli’s report, a follow-up to analyses released in 2015 and 2017, shows federal spending in New York during FFY 2017 totaled $225.7 billion while the state sent Washington nearly $250 billion. Federal spending in New York included $140.5 billion in direct payments for individuals through programs such as Social Security and Medicare; $66.5 billion in grants; $11 billion in procurements; and $7.4 billion in wages and salaries.

While New York received 10 cents less per dollar of taxes, most states received more than they paid. The average return for all states was $1.19 per tax dollar sent to Washington. New York’s per capita contribution to the federal treasury, $12,588, was the fourth highest among the states. Connecticut had the highest per capita payments to the federal government at $14,671, followed by Massachusetts with $13,675 and New Jersey with $12,970. Mississippi generated the lowest per capita total tax payments at $5,884. New York’s total payments of nearly $250 billion ranked third among the states behind California and Texas.

Overall, New York state received 6 percent of total federal spending examined. The state generated 8 percent of $3.1 trillion in total federal tax revenue examined, which was higher than its shares of the U.S. population (6.1 percent) and of the nation’s personal income (7.4 percent). On a per capita basis, federal tax revenues from New York state were more than 30 percent higher than the national average.

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On October 17 TRIP released a new report showing that driving on deteriorated roads costs motorists as much as $1,049 annually. In the New York City metro area, 49% of roads are in poor condition.

The new TRIP report should be a wakeup call to New York’s congressional delegation. On their watch, the New York City metro area dropped to 8^th worst nationally – down from 19^th worst in 2016 – with 46% of our roads now in poor condition.

We urge all our members and the public to call on Congress to ensure a sustainable source of funding for the Federal Highway Trust Fund by increasing the gas tax. The gas tax has not changed since 1993 and is no longer generating enough revenue to support our roads.

To read the full trip report go to www.tripnet.org.

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At an industry breakfast on Wednesday, August 8^th, MTA Chairman Lhota announced that he would focus on making a series of “practical changes” to the way the MTA procures and builds its capital projects.

“There is no reason why our projects here in New York have to be more expensive than projects elsewhere,” he said, citing “inefficiency, bureaucracy, inaccuracy, and lack of accountability on the part of the Authority in building a number of its major projects, something that not only bogged down projects, but added time and cost to the bottom line.

The changes he proposed were all based on constructive recommendations that the GCA has presented to the MTA not only over the past year, but as part of a number of working groups over the past few years.

Lhota committed to looking at how to better scope projects up front, and how to better allocate risk, which he said had been shifted too heavily on the backs of contractors and therefore drove up their project costs.  He also pledged to offer fairer contract terms, reduce customization, and reduce the number of approvals for change orders by 80%, from 17 today, to 4. Lhota also acknowledged that liquidity is critically important for the contracting community and said the MTA will start allowing partial payment for invoices as part of a larger effort to make sure that contractors who do the work get paid in a timely fashion.

Following the announcement, GCA Immediate Past President Michael Viggiano served on a panel that discussed the new approaches.  “Unfortunately, leadership is a little transient.  It is based on the political cycle, and a lot of the workforce in the MTA has been there for a very long time,” he said.  “As contractors, we are…worried that they are going to look at this as another leadership initiative, a flavor of the week, and nothing is really going to change.”

The concern was reinforced in a release by GCA Executive Director, Denise Richardson, who said: “MTA Chairman Lhota’s announcement today about making ‘practical changes’ to the way the MTA builds projects are all positive developments that the General Contractors Association of NY (GCA) has been talking to the MTA about since 2007.  Balancing risk, fairer contract terms, reducing customization and change orders must be embraced at every level of the organization, not just at the leadership level. We trust that Chairman Lhota will make sure that everyone up – and down – the chain gets the message, loud and clear – the MTA is changing the way it does business.”

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Rep. Bill Shuster, Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I), who is retiring from Congress this fall, released a draft infrastructure proposal this past week.  Initially intended to be a bi-partisan concrete legislative counter to the President’s $1.5 infrastructure initiative introduced earlier this year, Shuster’s plan is more symbolic in nature given that he is its only sponsor and since he is not planning any hearings on it for the remainder of his term.  Shuster himself characterized it as a “discussion draft that does not represent a complete and final infrastructure bill.”

Despite the fact that it will not go anywhere legislatively this session, the draft is nonetheless being considered by many in Washington as a partial blueprint for how Congress might approach the infrastructure issue next session.  In that regard, the GCA is pleased that a number of the issues we have pressed the administration and Congress to include in an infrastructure package are actually included in Shuster’s proposal.  The biggest of those issues has been the looming 2020 insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund (HF) which provides the federal share of virtually all the highway and transit projects our members build in the region.  Shuster suggests new funding streams that would prevent such a debacle.

Specifically, the proposal would:

• Increase the gas tax over a three-year period from the current 18.3 cents/gal. to 33.3 cents/gal. and indexes it for inflation going forward. Combined with eliminating other exemptions and imposing new taxes on battery powered vehicles and bicycle tires, this would generate $284 billion in new gross revenues for the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) over the next ten years.   With an anticipated HTF shortfall of $161 billion through 2028, the plan would actually net an additional $123 billion in HTF resources over the next decade for highway and transit projects.
• Create a 15-member blue-ribbon commission to recommend future long-term HF solvency proposals; recommendations would get an automatic up or down vote in Congress.
• Provide a one-year “clean” extension of the FAST Act so that there would be time for the panel to do its work and make constructive recommendations.
• Make permanent the BUILD (formerly TIGER) discretionary program.
• Codify the “One Federal Decision” project delivery reforms and permitting, as well as a two-year time limit to complete federal permits for infrastructure projects. Along with other initiatives in the plan, it which would provide the type of consistency across federal modes in terms of reviewing EISs and Categorical Exclusions, issues that has been on the top of the GCA federal agenda for the last few years.
• Direct USDOT to establish a two-year pilot program for national vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee program.
• Provide $500 million per year for “projects of national significance,” controlled by Congress and reopens ever so slightly the ability for Congress to provide earmarks for worthy projects.
• Reauthorize the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) that provides credit assistance for water infrastructure projects.
• Align federal spending on water transportation projects with annual Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund revenues—which currently exceed spending levels.

The GCA will continue to press our issues when the new Congress convenes next year and overall will hope that many of the ideas contained in this proposal will be included.

The outline of the plan can be found at: https://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/section_by_section_.pdf

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City and State’s Queens Power 50 list counted down the 50 most influential people in the borough.  The GCA congratulates Michael Viggiano, Executive Vice President at Skanska USA Civil Northeast, and past president of the GCA, who clocked in at number 26 on the Queens Power 50 List.

Michael Viggiano started out at Skanska in 1993 as a field engineer, and now oversees its operations from Boston to Washington, D.C. Skanska’s projects have transformed Queens, from rebuilding the Rockaway Boardwalk after Superstorm Sandy to building ferry landings on the peninsula, and overseeing the first span of the Kosciuszko Bridge, which opened last year. With its headquarters in the Bulova Building in East Elmhurst, a Skanska-led consortium is also doing the $4 billion rebuild of Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport.

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On July 20^th, Governor Cuomo announced the completion of Superstorm Sandy restoration work at Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown Tunnels. Thanks to the professionalism and expertise of GCA members the projects were completed more than nine months ahead of schedule!

The two restoration projects completely overhauled the interiors and exteriors of both tunnels – which were severely damaged by salt water from the storm surge – to improve resiliency, maximize public safety and ease traffic flow. Long-term mitigation measures include installation of massive 50,000-pound steel flood fates at all tunnel portals against a FEMA 500-year flood event – four feet higher than the Sandy historic storm surge – as well as refurbished entryways.

The projects also included several critical public safety enhancements, such as the installation of situational awareness and security cameras at each tunnel entrance and fixed cameras for traffic monitoring and incident management.

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