NYS SUPERINTENDENTS OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS ENDORSE ZARB’S CALL FOR ABOLITION OF WICKS LAW

In an open “Alert” to “All Members of the NYS Association For Superintendents of School Buildings and Grounds,” Albany legislators were called upon to pass “reforms to the 100 year old Wicks Law which adds as much as 15% to the cost of school construction projects.” Members were asked to contact their State Senators and Assembly members and provide feedback to Peter Mannella of Carr Public Affairs, the lobbyist for the Albany-based NYSSSBG

But first, the Superintendent’s organization asked its members to “thank” the legislators for “restoring funding to Building Aid and Minor Maintenance Aid,” and then to address Wicks Law reforms, which the “Alert” says “are already contained in the bills A 3176 by Assemblyman Sanders, and S. 1607 by Senator Spano:” These reforms provide schools with an OPTION to use a single prime contractor rather than multiple primes for school construction projects. If schools take the option, the bidders must address the issue of prompt payment to subcontractors as well as list the subcontractors and prices in their bids. These provisions will address issues that have been problems in school construction over the years

ESSAA members should note that the educational community in New York State – including ESSAA – uses similar personnel and procedures for informing the legislators in Albany: lobbyists, phone calls, “alerts” to their memberships, and calls to target particular areas of organizational concern – such as fighting the elimination of tenure for school administrators

(Editor’s Note: The Governor’s Zarb Report called for the elimination of the Wicks Law)