St. Cloud Networking Event

Thank you to all the members who joined us at yesterday's networking event in St. Cloud! It was a great time of catching up with friends and meeting new industry peers.

Thank you to our event sponsors:

2025 Minnesota Legislative Update for the Commercial Construction Industry – Less Than One Month Remains

As the Minnesota Legislature advances through the 2025 session, the focus has shifted to omnibus finance and policy bills, with key transportation and infrastructure provisions now taking shape. Bonding bill discussions typically intensify in the final weeks of negotiations.

As promised from last week’s update, a more complete rundown of the transportation proposals are below.

Senate Transportation Finance Bill Highlights (SF2082)

Overall Fiscal Outlook:

• Reduces General Fund spending by $227 million in FY25-27.
• Further reductions of $132.38 million projected in FY28-29.
• Achieved primarily through delaying and canceling passenger rail appropriations.

Key Funding Increases:

• MnDOT State Road Construction Budget:
• +$516 million (FY26-27)
• +$239.4 million (FY28-29)
• Blatnik Bridge:
• Authorizes $650 million in federal funding for replacement.
• Corridors of Commerce:
• +$60 million per biennium
• Includes a provision to redirect MnDOT efficiency savings to this program long-term.
• Trunk Highway Bonds:
• Authorization for $100 million for State Road Construction.

Transit and Other Allocations:

• Metro Transit: Slight funding reduction of $32.4 million.
• Greater Minnesota Transit: Receives a $7.4 million increase in FY28-29.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Fees:

• Annual EV registration fee increased from $75 to $200.
• New $100 annual fee imposed on plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Sales Tax Dedication for Transportation:

• Phased-in dedication of the auto repair parts sales tax is slowed for FY28-29.
• Full dedication now set to be implemented by FY33.

House Omnibus Transportation Budget Bill Highlights (HF2438)

General Fund Structure:

• Maintains base budget General Fund levels but redistributes funds differently.
• Also includes delays and cancellations for passenger rail, mirroring Senate action.

Major Allocations:

• MnDOT State Road Construction Budget:
• +$450 million (FY26-27)
• +$350 million (FY28-29)
• Blatnik Bridge:
• Same federal commitment of $650 million.
• Expanded investment in:
• Corridors of Commerce
• Transportation Economic Development
• New Resilient Pavement Program
• Operational support for MnDOT and DVS.

EV Fee Adjustment:

• Matches Senate with EV fee increase to $200/year.
• Split of revenue:
• 80% to the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund
• 20% to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mitigation Fund (new)

Local Programs and Earmarks:

• $10 million for the Local Road Wetland Replacement Program
• $3.8 million each for Local Road Improvement and Local Bridge programs
• One-time earmarks:
• $48.2 million in General Fund dollars
• $57 million in Trunk Highway Funds

Policy Provisions

• Both the House and the Senate bills include policy changes. The House bill contains a clarification that the 50-cent retail delivery fee does not apply to road construction materials, including aggregate material. 

Next Steps

The Legislature is currently on break for Passover and Easter and will reconvene on Monday, April 21 at noon. Once back, Tax and Finance Committees are expected to finalize budget bills, followed by intense floor sessions. A conference committee will be appointed to reconcile differences between the House and Senate bills. Stay connected with AGC to track these bills. The Legislature must adjourn by May 19. 

Future AGC Legislative Committee Meetings

Meetings will be held May 1 and May 15 via Zoom.

Contact Laura Ziegler if you would like to be added to the calendar invite.

CHASE Level 3 Projects

Participants in the Construction Health and Safety Excellence (CHASE) Partnership with MNOSHA continue to exceed industry safety standards on their job sites!

Congratulations to the CHASE contractors on the two latest CHASE Level 3 projects:

Project: Craftsman on France A 5-story post tensioned office building with 2 levels of underground parking. Exterior Precast with decorative curtainwall.

CHASE Contractors: Adolfson & Peterson Construction, Bolander, and Vic's Crane & Heavy Haul

Project: Prospect Utility Plant

A 72,000-square foot expansion of the plant.

CHASE Contractors: Knutson Construction and Bolander.

Safety Committee: May 1

AGC members are invited to join us for the next Safety Committee Meeting on May (8:00-10:00 am).

Register if you will be joining in person - an online participation link will be sent out via calendar invite to all Safety Committee members. Contact Stacy Arnold with any questions.

Safety Week: Fall Protection Demonstration with 3M

AGC is hosting 3M for a free outdoor Fall Protection truck demonstration on May 8, during Safety Week.

An excellent introduction to fall protection awareness, the 3M Fall Protection Truck Demo provides hands-on training and demonstrations of fall protection equipment and safety practices. Highlights include the ABCD’s of fall protection, fall clearance, and proper work practices, including proper harness fit. Attendees will get a powerful demonstration of how fall protection equipment actually works to protect you in a fall event, simulating falls with various connectors. 3M's fall protection experts will answer questions and share best practices.

This is a great opportunity especially for teams/sites/companies that aren't in a position to host separate stand downs. Perfect for supervisors who oversee work at heights, users who work at heights, safety leaders, and everyone in between.

Photos from the 2025 Leadership Blueprint Graduation Reception

Thank you to all who attended the reception last week! Click to view all photos from the event.

AGC Edge: Online Training & Development

AGC Edge is AGC of America's online training platform. AGC of Minnesota members get significant discounts on training programs in Lean Constrution, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Project Management Developer Program (PMDP) and more!

Submit Your Annual Construction Prevailing Wage Survey Online by June 6

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) is surveying wage rates paid to certain workers who worked on commercial, residential and highway and heavy construction projects in the state to determine prevailing-wage rates.

Those surveyed must submit to DLI reports of hourly wage rates paid to workers on projects performed during the past 12 months. All reports must be sent to DLI by close of business Friday, June 6, 2025.

How you can participate

The survey can be completed by mail or online. The prevailing wage online survey portal is open year-round where you may enter projects for the 2025 survey period. To access the online portal, a personal identification number (PIN) and key is required. To request a request for a PIN and key, email the prevailing-wage wage survey team at pwsurvey.dli@state.mn.us. To complete the survey by mail, you may download a printable version of the 2025 survey. 

Several unions will help or report wages on behalf of contractors. If you are signatory, reach out to your business agent.

Helpful tips for completing the survey

1. Only report work performed between April 8, 2024 and June 5, 2025.
2. Workers can be reported more than once, but only once for each project.
3. Workers reported on the survey must have worked at least eight hours on the project.
4. All commercial and residential projects must have a complete street address.
5. A separate form is required for each project reported.
6. Review classification titles for correct reporting. For equipment operators, use the classification code under the highway and heavy list, 302 through 397; for commercial or residential, use list 501 through 550; and for paving and grading equipment for all types of construction use the highway and heavy list, 302 through 397.
7. Highway and heavy projects may only be reported if the cost of the project is $25,000 or more.
8. Commercial or residential project data may only be reported if the total cost of each project is $2,500 or more. Commercial construction includes apartment complexes and structures of three units or more. Residential construction applies to single-family and two-family homes.
9. It is important to report the accurate wage. For union wages, AGC's Wage Allocation Sheet provides the correct dollar number to report. Email Mike with questions re: AGC's sheets, and email Renee for login credentials.

Any questions should be directed here.

Help AGC Improve Highway Work Zone Safety by Completing the 2025 Highway Work Zone Safety Survey by Friday, May 9.

AGC and Survey Partner HCSS Will Use Survey Results to Urge Motorists to Be Careful During the Summer Travel Season

AGC of America and survey partner, HCSS, are asking all highway and transportation members help us improve work zone safety by completing this brief survey. We want to collect information on the number, severity, impacts and potential solutions to highway work zone crashes. We will use the results of this survey for a media and public education campaign we will launch the week before Memorial Day to encourage motorists to be more careful in work zones. We will also use this data to work with our chapters to advocate for stronger highway work zone safety laws and more aggressive enforcement of those laws.

Please take a few minutes to complete this important

highway work zone safety survey by May 9.

Product Review of the Vermeer RTX250

Walk-Behind Trencher

Looking to quickly prep trenches for power lines, irrigation systems or fiber optics? Check out Vermeer’s RTX250 trencher. RDO's Regional Sales Manager, Mark Rieckhoff, demonstrates everything from engine and hydraulics to the chain types, plus safety and efficiency features like the operator presence handle, VZ steer system and removable backfill blade. Watch this video to learn more.

As RDO's Regional Sales Manager for its Vermeer division, Mark Rieckhoff understands how the right equipment will work best on varying job sites. Rieckhoff keeps contractors up and running by working with his team to provide effective service and support.

The State of MnDOT's Alternative Delivery Program

You are invited to join DBIA-UMR and MnDOT for a breakfast meeting, hosted by SRF Consulting Group, Inc. on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, to learn about the State of Practice with MnDOT's Alternative Delivery Program.

​

Program Overview:

MnDOT has a long and successful history of delivering projects using alternative delivery methods. They have delivered dozens of design-build projects dating back to the 1990’s, have successfully developed their CMGC program over the last ten years, and have been in a leadership role in alternative selection and delivery methods nationwide for two decades. The transportation industry through-out the country has largely shifted to incorporate alternative selection and delivery methods in the available tools in the toolbox.

This discussion will include:

1. Overview of the MnDOT Alternative Delivery Program
2. Current state and direction of the MnDOT Design-Build Program
3. Current state and direction of the MnDOT CMGC Program   

Learn more and register

Scholarship Application is Open!

The application form for 2025 AGC of Minnesota Foundation scholarships is open. Please share with any person pursuing a degree in the construction industry!

Attend AGC of America's Diversity & Inclusion Roundtable: Contractors Only

April 29 | Arlington, VA | $299

As the construction industry continues to navigate an evolving landscape of external pressure challenging DEI efforts, meaningful conversations around diversity and inclusion have never been greater. That’s why AGC is inviting contractor members to participate in our Diversity & Inclusion Roundtable — a unique, attendee-driven event that puts your priorities at the center of the conversation.

At the AGC D&I Roundtable, we break away from scripted presentations and instead, create space for real dialogue—where you and your peers decide the agenda based on the topics you want to learn about, challenges you’re navigating, and best practices you want to explore. This flexible format allows participants to tackle timely issues head-on and collaborate on actionable solutions that directly apply to your company’s reality.

Who Should Attend?

This contractor-only event is designed for D&I practitioners and individuals directly responsible for leading and implementing D&I programs within their companies. The roundtable format fosters peer-to-peer learning, creating a safe space for candid discussions that address both strategic goals and day-to-day challenges.

Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Course from AGC

AGC of America has launched an online, self-paced mental health and suicide prevention course designed to help construction supervisors provide resources and support for workers.

The roughly three-hour course covers key topics such as the risk factors for mental health issues and suicide in construction, how to cultivate a psychologically safe work culture, identifying and approaching employees in need, leadership and employee engagement, and human resources considerations.

The course is free for AGC members and $49 per person for non-members.

Fall Protection Demo

Golf Tournament

Saints Game

Sporting Clays Fundraiser

Don't Miss These Events!

Register now or save the date for these upcoming AGC events:

• Fall Protection Demonstration with 3M: May 8
• Golf Tournament: August 1 (Keller Golf Course)
• Saints Game: August 6 (CHS Field)
• Sporting Clays Fundraiser: September 10 (MN Horse & Hunt)
• Holiday Reception: December 3 (Machine Shop)
• 2026 Minnesota Construction Summit: February 18-19, 2026 (St. Paul)

Thank You to our 2025 Annual Partners!