GOVERNOR CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION NEWS
Governor Chris Christie announced nominations of several additional members of his Cabinet:
-President of the State Board of Public Utilities --- Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon.
-Labor and Workforce Development --- Sussex County Freeholder Hal Wirths.
-Community Affairs --- Lori Grifa of Montclair, an attorney and former Chief of Staff to former Attorney General David Samson.
-Commissioner of Health --- Dr. Poonam Alaigh, Executive Medical Director of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
-Executive Director of the School Development Authority Board, Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Larkins.
-Secretary of Agriculture --- reappointed Douglas H. Fisher.
-Commissioner of Children and Family Services --- Dr. Janet Rosenzweig.
-Chair and Chief Administrator of Motor Vehicle Commission --- Raymond Martinez, previously the Deputy U.S. Chief of Protocol and Diplomatic Affairs for the U.S. Department of State and the White House.

IMPRESSIVE PROGRAM FOR HEALTH CARE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE
The Alliance for Action’s special conference on Wednesday, February 10, entitled “Health Care Capital Construction for Your Health and for the Economy’s Health” will feature an impressive array of speakers and panel participants. The Conference will be held at the Trenton Marriott Conference Center, beginning at 8 a.m. with registration and continue through approximately noon.

Speakers will include:
-Bob Franks, President of The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey
-Bob Peake, Director of Facilities, & Construction for Atlantic Health System
-Jan Bishop, Vice President Facilities Management & Planning for Saint Clare's Health System
-Mark Sparta, Vice President, Operations at Hackensack University Medical Center
-Gus Escher, Vice Chairman of the NJ Health Care Facilities Financing Authority
-Saint Michael’s Medical Center speaker to be announced
Panelists on the subject of “What’s Driving Health Care Construction” will be:
Robert Gerard, Chief Marketing Officer, Birdsall Services Group as Moderator; Vince Knoll, Vice President, Health Care Markets-Project and Development Services, Jones Lang LaSalle; Clare Broderick, Chief Operating Officer, Birdsall Services Group – MJA; Mack Stulb, President, L.F.  Driscoll Co., LLC; Scott Kobler, Partner, McCarter & English; and Stephen Hegeman, Managing Principal, Francis Cauffman.
To register, Go Here

SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES $17.4 MILLION TO REPAIR DAMS
The State Senate Environmental & Energy Committee approved legislation to provide $17.4 million for previous bond issues to repair and restore dams throughout the state. The dams are considered to pose high or significant hazards.

The bill would appropriate $16 million from the Dam, Lake, Stream, Flood Control, Water Resources and Wastewater Treatment Project Bond Act passed in 2003 to fund 18 dam projects from Sussex to Burlington Counties.

OBAMA’S BUDGET CONTAINS FEDERAL COMMITMENT TO RAIL TUNNEL PROJECT
President Obama’s proposed FY 2011 budget included $200 million toward construction of the new trans-Hudson rail tunnel currently under way. The budget also gives priority for a Full Funding Grant, which signals a long term commitment from the federal government.

U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez commended the President’s budget action. Lautenberg said Obama’s continued commitment to the tunnel project “will help put people to work on one of the largest and most important infrastructure projects in the country.” Menendez declared that “this project, which is important for the local economy, is on track and we’re eager to get it rolling.”

The tunnel project will create 6,000 construction jobs a year and, when complete, will take 22,000 cars off road daily and create 44,000 permanent jobs.

BILL TO AID REVEL CASINO PROJECT PASSED BY STATE SENATE COMMITTEE
A bill that would provide financial help to the struggling Revel Entertainment casino project in Atlantic City was approved by the State Senate Economic Growth Committee chaired by Senator Ray Lesniak (D-20th District).

The bill would open the way for the $2.5 billion Revel project to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives through the State Economic Development Authority. It would amend a law passed last summer that extended tax incentives to private developments.

Revel already has invested more than $1 billion in the casino’s construction and has received most of its funding from Morgan Stanley. The state grant would give the company back 75 percent of the sales and room taxes generated over 20 years --- and estimated $269 million.

TURNPIKE WIDENING TO EASE ‘THE MERGE’ TRAFFIC BOTTLENECK
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority awarded contracts totaling $42 million to ease the southbound traffic bottleneck knows as “The Merge.” That is where traffic is funneled from five to three lanes south of Interchange 8A.

Under the project, a sixth lane would be added in each direction in Middlesex County from Interchange 9 in East Brunswick to Interchange 8A in Monroe Township. Then, three lanes in each direction would be added from Interchange 8A to Interchange 6 in Mansfield Township, Burlington County.

PERMIT EXTENSION LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW
Legislation extending the life of building permits for commercial and residential projects was signed into law. It was one of the key recommendations made by the Alliance for Action in its state issues report.

The measure extends to December 31, 2012, the deadline incorporated in the Permit Extension Act of 2008, which set a deadline of July 1, 2010.

The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-36th District, and Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald, D-Camden. They said the extension would keep alive projects stalled by the current economic slowdown.

SECOND RAIL TUNNELING CONTRACT AWARDED BY NJ TRANSIT
A second tunneling contract was awarded by NJ Transit for the $8.7 billion trans-Hudson rail tunnel project. The $271.7 million contract is for final design and construction of a tunnel cutting between North Bergen and Hoboken.

The contract is a joint venture of Schiavone Construction, Inc., F. Shea Construction, Inc. and Skanska USA Civil Northeast, Inc., called PTP Construction of Secaucus.

This portion of the tunnel will span nearly one mile from the Tonnelle Avenue underpass in North Bergen to the Hoboken shaft. Completion is scheduled in 2014.

ALLIANCE SUPPORTS REPLACEMENT BRIDGE FOR SCUDDER FALLS
Strong support by the Alliance for Action for a replacement bridge across the Delaware River for the existing I-95 Scudder Falls Bridge was delivered by Alliance President Philip K. Beachem. He spoke at a hearing of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission on the $310 million replacement project approved by the Commission.

Beachem said the project would provide the people of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the region with the benefits of public safety, traffic congestion relief and economic development and jobs.

DELAWARE RIVER PORT AUTHORITY HAS $142 MILLION CAPITAL PLAN FOR 2010
The Delaware River Port Authority approved $142 million capital expenditures for 2010 as part of its overall capital plan budget.

The projects will include rehabilitating all train cars on the PATCO Rail line and redecking the Walt Whitman Bridge. Bid advertisements for those projects are expected to be issued in the next couple of months. Thirteen firms have filed statements of qualifications with the Authority for the Walt Whitman project.

John Matheussen, chief executive of the Authority said the Whitman Bridge work will extend the bridge’s life by at least 50 years.

CHRISTIE EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETS RED TAPE
Governor Chris Christie signed an Executive Order establishing a Red Tape Review Group in the Department of State under the direction of Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno. He also issued an Executive Order which freezes most proposed new rules for a period of 90 days.

The Governor’s action on the New Jersey regulatory climate as a hindrance to economic recovery coincides with strong recommendations on regulatory reform in the Alliance for Action’s issues study.

The Red Tape Executive Order calls on the Group to “undertake a review of certain rules, regulations and processes that are a burden on New Jersey’s economy as well as all operative Executive Orders from previous administrations.”

$321 MILLION CONTRACT WILL UPGRADE PATH SYSTEM
A contract of $321 million was awarded to a consortium of companies to design, manufacture and install a modern, automated new technology system for the PATH rail system and remove the old system. The team is led by German engineering conglomerate Siemens.

The improvements will include on-board computers that communicate with trackside equipment to reduce intervals between trains, allow more trains to use the same tracks and enhance PATH’s overall ability to meet peak-time demand. PATH is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-Senator Donald Norcross, D-5th, was named Vice-Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and the Law and Public Safety Committee.
-Assemblyman John Wisniewski, D-19th District, was elected State Democratic Chairman by the State Democratic Committee.
-Lisa Pevin, former Deputy State Director for US Senator Frank Lautenberg is headed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as Chief of Staff to the new Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck.

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