News

NEW YORK—New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced earlier this month that New York City has been allocated for $987 million in federal infrastructure funding through the city’s Federal Infrastructure Funding Task Force, including $367 million in competitive funding. Additionally, the city has submitted $1.5 billion worth of competitive federal infrastructure grant applications and plans to submit $1 billion more—totaling more than $2.5 billion—in grant applications by the end of the year.

A roundup of what’s new and who’s in the news both locally and in the state.

ALBANY—The New York State Department of Labor released the results of its 2023 Workforce Development Survey, and workers continue to say that flexibility in their job is the number-one priority, while attracting new employees and retaining current workers remain the top challenges for businesses.

Low bid news from around the state.

WHITE PLAINS—Despite the historic funding levels made available through the $4.2-billion environmental bond act that voters approved last November, the construction and environmental groups that overwhelmingly supported the referendum are eagerly awaiting the funding spigots to open so that the many-needed water, sewer and other green-related infrastructure projects in the region can move forward.

NEW YORK—A recently released report by the New York Building Congress paints a very positive outlook for the state’s construction sector as the industry becomes markedly more diverse and is expected to surpass workforce levels last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

HIGHLANDS, NY—U.S. Route 9W in the Town of Highlands in Orange County has reopened following the devastating floods that struck the Hudson Valley on July 9-10.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor announced on Aug. 8 it will be “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulation,” which sets the prevailing wages contractors must pay workers on federal projects.

NEW WINDSOR, NY—Hugh G. “Jerry” Keahon, Jr., a fixture in the Hudson Valley concrete supply sector for more than five decades and a board member of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc., and related affiliated components during his long career, passed away on July 31 in New Windsor, NY. He was 83.

Construction contracts, like other contracts, are meant to define the relationship between the parties. In that regard, the parties are generally free to negotiate the terms of that contract. It is only where the contractual language at issue is contrary to statute, against public policy, or is unreasonable, will a court decline to enforce the contract as negotiated between the parties.