MALSCE News - October 2011

MALSCE News and Upcoming Events

(from the Massachusetts Association of Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers)

October 2011

To register online for MALSCE seminars and programs at the MALSCE member rate, you must login using your MALSCE assigned username and password.  If you do not know your MALSCE member login information, contact Diana Gadsby at 617/227-5551 or   dgadsby@engineers.org

ACTION ALERT: LEGISLATION TO REPEAL THE 3% WITHHOLDING TAX ON FEDERAL CONTRACTS COMING TO A VOTE; Contact your House Member
From NSPS:  During the week of October 24, the US House of Representatives will probablly consider and vote on legislation to REPEAL the 3% Withholding Tax on Federal contracts, set to go into effect in 2013. 

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GET THE BILL THROUGH THE HOUSE.
Please contact your Representative and ask them to cosponsor and vote for the passage of H R. 674. You can find your Representative’s contact here: www.congress.org. 
See Talking points to use for your message to your Representative are below. More information, contact Laurence Socci, NSPS's lobbyist:  laurence@theclagroup.com. 

Withholding Tax Relief
Background: The Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-222) was  passed by Congress and signed by the President in May 2006. The legislation contains a provision, Section 511, mandating that federal, state and local governments withhold 3% from payments for goods and services. This new tax withholding requirement affects all government contracts as well as any payment to any person for a service or product provided to a government entity. The withholding is based on revenues from government payments with no relationships to a company’s taxable income. Additionally, the withholding will impinge on company cash flow needed for day-to day operation. Talking Points:

• Section 511 requires tax withholdings at a rate of 3% on all government payments for products and services made by the federal government, state governments, and local governments whose total expenditures exceed $100 million.
• It affects payments for goods and services under government contracts as well as payments to any person for a service or product provided to a government entity.
  
• It imposes significant administrative costs, as well as information reporting requirements, on governments and companies.
  
• It applies to all payments starting in 2013.
  
• It puts a heavy burden on start-up companies and companies with tight margins and/or irregular cash flow, thus leading to fewer competitive bids.
  
• It increases the cost of doing business with all levels of government. Many contractors may have to take on higher levels of debt or equity in order to ensure regular cash flows necessary for operations.
  
• Action Requested: ACSM and NSPS request Congress to support H.R. 674 (introduced by Rep. Herger).

New MassDOT Municipal Project Guide Available:  http://www.malsce.org/index.cfm?cdid=10809&pid=10386

Land Court Reduces Office Hours

Beginning on Monday, September 19, 2011, the Land Court in Boston is closed from 8:30 to 10 AM, Monday - Friday.  More information:  https://bitly.com/rnZRxY

Link to notice:  Notice 

Government Affairs Alert:  Proposed Massachusetts Ballot Question Would Constrain Water and Sewer Operations and Maintenance

Action Requested:  Don’t Sign Petitions That Would Limit Water and Sewer Rates

Oppose: Petition Number 11-10:  A Petition for a Law Limiting the Amount by which Water and Sewer Rates May be Raised.  More on this issue:  http://bit.ly/ActionAlert-9-16-2011

Petition No. 11-10 proposes a law to limit the amount by which water or sewer rates may be raised to an amount not greater than 2.5% annually and allowing for an override or approval of the rate increase by a ballot election in effected municipalities. 

ACTION REQUESTED:  This potential ballot question is of concern to MALSCE and municipal colleagues.  We will be following actions taken on this question closely, but wanted to make you aware of it now.  Please Don’t Sign a Petition to put 11-10 on the Ballot. Do discuss this issue with your colleagues and urge them NOT to sign a petition that would put this question on the ballot.

More on this issue:  http://bit.ly/ActionAlert-9-16-2011

Status of 2011-2012 Petitions filed with Attorney General’s office:  https://bitly.com/nzY1TU 

Support SB 1985, Dam safety, repair and removal bill, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 

Do you live in one of the communities listed here:  http://bit.ly/qvIRlp?
SB 1985 was passed by the Massachusetts Senate in August.  Formerly SB 367, SB 1985 was one of our priorities on Design Professionals Day at the State House earlier this year. SB 1985 is now in the House Ways and Means Committee.  If you live in one of the towns listed on http://bit.ly/qvIRlp,  please contact your State Representative and ask for his/her support of this bill, by contacting the House Ways & Means Committee Chair, Rep. Brian Dempsey, and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo about the importance of this bill.   https://bitly.com/q6YNWH
 

MassPort to Offer One Time CST (Certified Survey Technician) Testing, Sign up for a seat for the CST Exam, More:   http://www.malsce.org/index.cfm?cdid=10779&pid=10386

NSPS News and Views is now a weekly E-news bulletin.  Subscribe online, even if you are not a current NSPS member.  Link to sign up:   http://multibriefs.com/optin.php?nsps

Update on the latest news from Coalition to Save Our GPS

This is still a very active issue. See MALSCE Updates from the Coalition:   http://www.malsce.org/index.cfm?cdid=10722&pid=10386 

About the Coalition to Save Our GPS Coalition:  http://www.saveourgps.org/

ACSM Radio Hour each Monday at 11 AM features national speakers with Host Curt Sumner for a discussion of key issues affecting surveyors nationwide.  Listen live, 11 AM Eastern:  www.americaswebradio.com    Click the listen icon on the home page
Past Shows:   http://www.radiosandysprings.com/showpages/ACSM.php

Key Dates  (see  http://www.malsce.org  for details)

10/13/2011, 5:30 PM, MALSCE Cape Cod Chapter Meeting,  http://www.malsce.org/index.cfm?pk=custom&ac=viewEventDetails&eventId=MAL_CAPE_10-2011

10/15/2011, 12:00 PM, ACSM-NES Presents: Emerging Technologies in Surveying & Mapping Intermediate Workshop

 http://www.malsce.org/index.cfm?pk=custom&ac=viewEventDetails&eventId=MA_ACSMSEMINAR_1011

10/22/2011, 9 AM, MALSCE Board of Directors Meeting, Schofield Brothers, Framingham, MA, http://www.malsce.org/index.cfm?pk=custom&ac=viewEventDetails&eventId=MA_BOARD-10.22.11

11/4/2011, CALS 2011 Convention,  http://ctsurveyors.org/ 

11/18/2011, RISPLS 2011 Convention, Details TBA, http://www.rispls.org

11/22/2011, 3 PM, MALSCE Board Teleconference, http://www.malsce.org/index.cfm?pk=custom&ac=viewEventDetails&eventId=MA_BOARD-11.22.11

12/1-2/2011, NHPLS 2011 Convention at Courtyard Marriott Grappone Conference Center, Concord, NH    

12/17/2011, 9 AM, MALSCE Board of Directors Meeting, The Engineering Center, Boston, MA

1/24/2012, 3 PM, MALSCE Board Teleconference

2/25/2012, 9 AM, MALSCE Board of Directors Meeting, Schofield Brothers, Framingham, MA

3/22/2012, 3 PM, MALSCE Board Teleconference

4/21/2012, 9 AM, MALSCE Board of Directors Meeting, The Engineering Center, Boston, MA

5/8/2012, Design Professionals Day at the State House

5/22/2012, 3 PM, MALSCE Board Teleconference

6/23/2012, 9 AM, MALSCE Board of Directors Meeting, Schofield Brothers, Framingham, MA

See  www.malsce.org  for more on these events and news you can use.