CMA’s community service committee organized a beach cleanup on May 15. A total of 16 volunteers cleaned Pompano Beach and the team collected 7 bags of garbage!
May 14, 2021
Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP
President, Chen Moore and Associates
Last week: Lost amongst the pipeline hacks and gas lines, a significant crack was found on the I-40 bridge between Memphis and West Memphis. The good news is that the crack was found before there was a catastrophic failure. The bad news is that now the 71-year-old I-55 bridge is the only crossing in a 160 mile stretch of the Mississippi River and barge traffic under the bridge is essentially shut, which will greatly impact the movement of goods. Yet another reason why infrastructure benefits more than just the construction industry.
Looking ahead: More work in the resiliency space will begin this week. The governor’s signing of SB 1954 and SB 2514 will – among other things – invest hundreds of millions of state dollars in flooding infrastructure projects. In addition to the funds, which are definitely needed, though, the plans that accompany the funds are really the exciting part. Instead of these being one-time infusions, this will create a financially sustainable plan for future generations of Floridians.
Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez, City Council, staff along with Kaufman Lynn Construction and Waypoint Contracting, Inc and Chen Moore and Associates, broke ground on the Doral White Course Park project on Tuesday, May 4. The park is scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2022. Doral White Course Park will include shaded playground, a waterfront event plaza, outdoor fitness stations, a multi-purpose green space area, fenced-off dog area, restrooms, and shelters. CMA is providing civil engineering and landscape architecture for this project. Associate Engineer Nicholas Karpathy, E.I., ENV SP represented CMA at the event.
May 7, 2021
Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP
President, Chen Moore and Associates
Last week: This past week, the Federal Treasury said it expects to borrow $463 billion in the current April-June quarter, which will be part of its plans to borrow $2.28 trillion for the full budget year, which ends September 30. The $463 billion represents a significant jump from the government’s initial estimate three months ago that it would need to borrow just $95 billion in the current quarter. The government ran up a record $3.1 trillion budget deficit last year, reflecting the COVID relief spending and a drop in revenues caused by the recession. We need to stop reckless spending.
Looking ahead: Last year, the Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) created a task force on local government efficiency. The task force has effectively finalized its recommendations to streamline government processes. The Local Government Efficiency Task Force, established by the Legislature last year, is set to hand its final report to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls by June 1. The report includes recommendations on elections, public meetings, reporting, pension plans, unfunded mandates and business taxes. The question comes down to whether or not these recommendations will make next year’s legislative agenda.
CMA Intern Rex Robinson recently received the Florida Atlantic University Civil Engineering Department Senior Showcase award as part of a school project. A panel of judges voted on a variety of projects that the senior class had presented as their capstone design project. The Lake Hicpochee Hydrologic Enhancement Project Expansion of South Florida Water Management District was voted as the best project for this year’s showcase. The ceremony was held virtually on April 28. Congratulations!
CMA President Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP was featured on Anthony Fasano, P.E., F.ASCE’s podcast. Mr. Fasano is a Bestselling Author, TEDx Speaker, Trainer & Executive Coach for Civil Engineers, ASCE Blogger and Podcaster for Engineers. Peter discussed his experience over the years being a leader at CMA as well as his vision as nominee for the ASCE President-Elect 2021. You can listen to Peter’s podcast at Episode 170: Leading a Fast-Growing Civil Engineering Company in Today’s World and on YouTube https://bit.ly/TCEPEp170Y
CMA Senior Engineer David Cowan, Jr., P.E., ENV SP, LEED AP made the cover of the Tau Beta Pi volunteers magazine. It’s National Volunteer Month and Tau Beta Pi joins the nation in paying tribute to the essential work of volunteers. See the complete 14-page digital publication listing all of the volunteers who carry out Tau Beta Pi’s support of engineering excellence here: https://lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=704281
April 30, 2021
Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP
President, Chen Moore and Associates
Last week: $100 Billion! I hear that with the voice of Dr. Evil from an Austin Powers movie, but this isn’t a comedy, this is a tragedy. Trust me, I know that we have needs in this state – health, economic and infrastructure – but I’m very concerned that the state budget crossing this boundary violates a mental barrier that future legislators won’t hesitate to cross. Florida still has an immature economy, depending on transactions in the form of sales tax and doc stamps. Until we have a more robust manufacturing economy to add additional stability, we need to stay lean and mean as a state.
Looking ahead: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is 169 years old, representing over 150,000 members in 177 countries, making it the largest civil engineering organization in the world. Why is that important in the coming weeks? Because the election of the next President-elect (and other positions) will happen during the open voting period of May 1 through June 1. Of personal significance, I am one of the two candidates vying for President-elect. This would make me the third Floridian (and first native) elected, bringing Florida into the national (and international) spotlight once again. I’ll know the results June 3.
CMA Vice President Jose L. Acosta, Vice President Jason McClair and Senior Engineer Gregory Mendez attended the Birdies for Birch Golf Tournament on April 26 at the Fort Lauderdale Country Club. CMA served as a Corporate Foursome sponsor. Proceeds benefitted Friends of Birch State Park. For more information, please visit https://birchstatepark.org/
April 17, 2021
Peter Moore, P.E., F.ASCE, ENV SP, LEED AP
President, Chen Moore and Associates
Last week: To obtain my civil engineering degrees, I was only required to take two classes about traffic and transportation practices. It may not seem like a lot, but it’s two more than everyone on the Florida House Commerce Committee has taken, and yet, they seemed to think that passing House Bill 1113 last week was a good idea. This bill requires the removal of yellow flashing lights at crosswalks, in favor of changing them to red lights. Federal standards do not allow red lights, so the flashing lights will be removed. Why throw out years of practice for political posturing?
Looking ahead: I’m preparing to get my second COVID-19 Pfizer shot, like many of my colleagues and clients. I’ve noticed, though, that CDC guidelines have barely moved even when including those who are vaccinated. How is a business supposed to “get back to normal” when the CDC guidelines don’t factor in those who voluntarily vaccinated? We strongly believe in personal choice and freedoms, but as things get back to “normal,” quarantining after a flight or international travel is going to become onerous, particularly if those employees are vaccinated. The “new normal” needs to have at least a little normal in it.
