Windfarms proliferate in response to the growing need for renewable energy. At the same time, their birth and death can create collateral issues. For example, disposing of damaged turbine blades is a challenge. The blades are more than 100 feet long and could need to be cut to even fit on a semi-trailer for disposal.
Do You Need a Teleworking Policy?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most employers were reluctant to allow employees to work from home on a continuous basis. Many companies prohibited all teleworking or allowed employees only to work remotely when recovering from an illness or when required as a reasonable accommodation. When COVID-19 hit, many employees began working remotely and it appears that
Land Development: Not for the Faint of Heart
Anyone experienced with developing land realizes that the regulatory process one must complete for a given development is daunting, at once complicated and cumbersome and surely expensive. I often tell landowners who want to become “developers” in order to capture more value in the price of their land, that it is not for the faint
The Changing Landscape of Union Organizing and Worker Activism
Union organizing is down as compared to previous years, but that does not mean employers should believe that support for labor unions has decreased. NLRB records indicate that the number of representation petitions filed in 2020 is dramatically down from each of the previous four years. This reduction in representation petitions can be attributed to
Is Mediating a Precondition to Arbitrating?
Many construction contracts now contain arbitration clauses. Arbitration can be an effective dispute resolution process, but how the clauses operate in practice can raise challenges. This is especially true when intertwined with mediation requirements and mechanic liens under state law. The scenario below illustrates how the seeming conflicts could be resolved.
Assume a contractor under
Twin Cities Multi-Family and Industrial Sectors Remain Strong
Last week I moderated an online forum in which three recognized experts in various segments of the real estate industry shared their respective crystal balls as we close out 2020 and look ahead to 2021. The panelists included Tim Elam, Managing Director, Scannell Properties, James Freytag, SVP, CBRE, and Gretchen Camp, Principal, ESG. Each panelist
Diversity Training Now a Construction Conundrum
The construction world is changing rapidly like everything else. Tech is making its way ever deeper into the construction industry. The shortage of labor has become chronic since the Great Recession. Covid-19 has only made that problem worse. At the same time, the pool of potential new hires is inexorably growing more diverse.
Diversity is
Multifamily Housing Shifts Focus to the Suburbs
Like most things in 2020, the multifamily housing market is in a state of flux. Recently, I had the opportunity to moderate the Bisnow webinar, Twin Cities Deep Dive: Multifamily Update. The panelists included Brent Webb, Development Manager, Mortenson, Christian Osmundson, Director of Development, Alatus, and Josh Brandsted, President of Greco Properties. These leaders
Pandemic Disrupts the Multifamily Housing Market
The global pandemic has affected every aspect of life in America and across the world, the multifamily housing market is no exception. The impact of the pandemic is affecting every aspect of multifamily development from product design and selection, to getting deals done, to building management and operation.
Over the last decade, there has been
The Top Five Misperceptions About Use of Electronic Logging Devices For Businesses
This post is co-written by Bryan Huntington and Justin Gillette.
Transporting supplies and equipment is an essential part of the construction industry. Electronic logging devices (ELDs) have made it possible for a business to monitor nearly all aspects of a truck’s daily activities. These technological guardians monitor a truck’s speed, location, sudden braking and