Latest news with #Radich
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Granite COO Jim Radich to retire
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. Granite Construction Chief Operating Officer Jim Radich will retire on July 4 after 45 years at the Watsonville, California-based contractor, the firm announced May 16. Granite said it won't fill Radich's role once he leaves. Instead, it has created an Operations Executive Team where senior vice presidents of its construction and materials divisions will report directly to President and CEO Kyle Larkin. Senior Vice Presidents Brian Dowd, Michael Tatusko and Bradley Williams will run the construction side, while Bradly Estes will oversee the materials business. The new structure will provide more leadership opportunities for the executive team members while enabling them to elevate issues directly to Larkin instead of the COO position, Erin Kuhlman, Grainte's chief marketing and communications officer, told Construction Dive. The move is the latest change at the company which has transformed itself since the pandemic from a geographically oriented builder and supplier of road materials to a vertically integrated construction manager/general contractor focused on smaller, more profitable work packages on larger infrastructure projects. It has also redoubled its focus on its materials business, retooling several of its aggregate and asphalt plants with automation, while using targeted, bolt-on acquisitions to increase market share nationally. The news of Radich stepping down comes one year after the firm's former CFO, Lisa Curtis, announced her own retirement in 2024. She left in September, when current CFO Staci Woolsey stepped into the position. In a news release, Larkin praised Radich's long service to the company. 'Having joined Granite in 1980, Jim's numerous and meaningful contributions to Granite span decades,' Larkin said. Radich served in a number of roles, including project manager on key heavy-civil projects, chief estimator in the vertically integrated business, vice president and regional manager within northern California and senior vice president and California manager. As executive vice president and chief operating officer, Radich oversaw the day-to-day operations of the company and ensured appropriate reporting procedures, people and systems were in place to meet the operating requirements and financial goals of the company, especially during its more recent restructuring. 'Jim's leadership has been instrumental as we transformed the company over the last four years, and we are all grateful for his service to Granite,' Larkin said. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NZ Herald
12-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Far North council to hold independent review on Sweetwater project
In speaking to the motion Radich said he had concerns about the costs of the scheme and the processes used throughout. He said despite numerous requests he had yet to receive the full costs of the scheme so far. Radich said and independent look into the project was needed and despite following the project closely over the past 13 years, he still did not know what had happened to make costs blow out and deadlines to be missed. Figures given to him from council staff since 2021 ranged from $13.5 million to $18.9m, with three different figures - varying by almost $4m - provided just this year. 'Ratepayers have a right to know how much it cost,' Radich said. 'I know a judicial review is expensive, but given the mess, what other option do I have? It's so important to bring out the truth.' ''I'm just seeking clarity,'' he said. A judicial review would cost tens of thousands of dollars - possibly as much as $100,000 - and would take much longer than the independent review. Radich said over the years he had been given different figures on how much the project had costs, with some figures less than what he had been given in previous years, and he believed the costs had now exceeded $20 million. Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford wanted assurances any review would be 'absolutely independent' as she was unconvinced it would have sufficient integrity if it was carried out internally. 'We're not looking to lay blame, but we need to understand what happened, so we don't make the same mistakes going forward.' Councillor Ann Court said she was concerned about the expense of a review, and the cumulative cost of the council's ad hoc decisions. 'If this is just a 'gotcha' exercise, I don't think it would be a useful spend of ratepayer money.' However, if the review led to useful lessons, it could have merit, Court said. Chief executive Guy Holroyd said a review could cost 'tens and tens of thousands of dollars'. He wanted to gather the information internally, then have it audited by external experts. The independent review would be done immediately and involve council staff gathering the relevant information and passing it on to the independent reviewers, which would include an accountant. The review would then be reported back to the council in July. The council started the Sweetwaters project in 2011, with the scheme gathering pace after the 2020 drought that hit Northland. It was designed to provide clean drinking water for Kaitāia and surrounds and do away with the need to take water from the vulnerable Awanui River. The situation got so bad that water tanks had to be placed in Kaitāia as the Awanui River ran extremely low during the drought. But the project has been dogged with problems, and it has now soaked up more than $17 million of ratepayer money, with the council insiders saying the final cost is likely to top $20m, but the council denies it will reach that level. It missed two deadlines over the past two years, but water was finally delivered into the public water supply in February. Last month Northland Age revealed that the council and contractor face potentially big fines if they are found guilty of illegally discharging more than 90 million litres of groundwater into the Sweetwater Wetland. The council and Ventia are being prosecuted by the country's top environmental watchdog - the Government's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under the Resource Management Act (RMA). Each defendant faces a charge each of illegally discharging abstracted groundwater within 100m of the Sweetwater Bore Wetland and two charges each of undertaking earthworks or vegetation clearance within a 10m setback from the same natural wetland. They have entered not guilty pleas to the representative charges - meaning they happened on more than one occasion - and the matter will be back before the court on June 13. The maximum penalties for the offences are a fine of no more than $600,000.
NZ Herald
05-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Sweetwater Project: Far North councillor Mate Radich wants judicial review
But the project has been dogged with problems, and it has now soaked up more than $17 million of ratepayer money, with council insiders saying the final cost is likely to top $20m, but the council denies it will reach that level. It missed two deadlines over the past two years, but water was finally delivered into the public water supply in February. Radich has been critical of the rising costs of the project for several years and says he still does not know the full cost of the project. Radich said he will speak to the rationale of the motion at Thursday's meeting and hopes to get the support of his fellow councillors for a judicial review. 'This has been dogged by problems from the very start. It's just going to add even more costs to this. And I still have not been able to get the full costs of this from the council, despite asking several times,' Radich said. Last month the Northland Age revealed that the council and contractor face potentially big fines if they are found guilty of illegally discharging more than 90 million litres of groundwater into the Sweetwater Wetland. The council and Ventia are being prosecuted by the country's top environmental watchdog – the Government's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under the Resource Management Act (RMA). Each defendant faces a charge each of illegally discharging abstracted groundwater within 100m of the Sweetwater Bore Wetland and two charges each of undertaking earthworks or vegetation clearance within a 10m setback from the same natural wetland. They have entered not guilty pleas to the representative charges – meaning they happened on more than one occasion – and the matter will be back before the court on June 13. The maximum penalties for the offences are a fine of no more than $600,000. Far North District Council's Sweetwater Aquifer project has been dogged with problems since it started. Now a councillor wants a judicial review of the project. Radich was not surprised at the court case, saying it would add yet more costs to the project that he believed were already well out of control. He now needs the majority of councillors to support his notice of motion to start the judicial review process. What is a judicial review? A judicial review is where a judge is asked to review an action or a decision that has been made under a legal power. The judge looks at whether the way the decision was made was in accordance with the law. The judge won't usually decide whether the decision was the 'right' decision. Judicial reviews are important in New Zealand law to make sure the Government and government agencies act within the law, fairly and reasonably. Judicial reviews are always heard in the High Court. About 180 judicial reviews are heard each year. Only a person affected by a decision can apply for a judicial review. The respondent (the other side) is the person or government agency that made the decision which is being challenged. For a judicial review to be successful for the applicant, the court will need to be persuaded on the evidence that the decision-maker did not lawfully follow the proper decision-making process.
NZ Herald
05-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Far North councillor wants judicial review of Sweetwater project
But the project has been dogged with problems, and it has now soaked up more than $17 million of ratepayer money, with council insiders saying the final cost is likely to top $20m, but the council denies it will reach that level. It missed two deadlines over the past two years, but water was finally delivered into the public water supply in February. Radich has been critical of the rising costs of the project for several years and says he still does not know the full cost of the project. Radich said he will speak to the rationale of the motion at Thursday's meeting and hopes to get the support of his fellow councillors for a judicial review. 'This has been dogged by problems from the very start. It's just going to add even more costs to this. And I still have not been able to get the full costs of this from the council, despite asking several times,' Radich said. Last month the Northland Age revealed that the council and contractor face potentially big fines if they are found guilty of illegally discharging more than 90 million litres of groundwater into the Sweetwater Wetland. The council and Ventia are being prosecuted by the country's top environmental watchdog – the Government's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) under the Resource Management Act (RMA). Each defendant faces a charge each of illegally discharging abstracted groundwater within 100m of the Sweetwater Bore Wetland and two charges each of undertaking earthworks or vegetation clearance within a 10m setback from the same natural wetland. They have entered not guilty pleas to the representative charges – meaning they happened on more than one occasion – and the matter will be back before the court on June 13. The maximum penalties for the offences are a fine of no more than $600,000. Radich was not surprised at the court case, saying it would add yet more costs to the project that he believed were already well out of control. He now needs the majority of councillors to support his notice of motion to start the judicial review process. What is a judicial review? A judicial review is where a judge is asked to review an action or a decision that has been made under a legal power. The judge looks at whether the way the decision was made was in accordance with the law. The judge won't usually decide whether the decision was the 'right' decision. Judicial reviews are important in New Zealand law to make sure the Government and government agencies act within the law, fairly and reasonably. Judicial reviews are always heard in the High Court. About 180 judicial reviews are heard each year. Only a person affected by a decision can apply for a judicial review. The respondent (the other side) is the person or government agency that made the decision which is being challenged. For a judicial review to be successful for the applicant, the court will need to be persuaded on the evidence that the decision-maker did not lawfully follow the proper decision-making process.
Scoop
02-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Mayor To Minister: Dunedin Is Watching Closely
Dunedin (Friday, 2 May 2025) – Dunedin is watching closely to make sure the Government delivers on its hospital promises, Mayor of Dunedin Jules Radich says. Mr Radich says, 'This hospital remains a critically important project for our region and the country, and we're all watching closely to make sure the Government delivers on its commitments. 'While I accept the Government's assurance, based on the latest modelling, that 20 ICU beds will be sufficient for our needs on opening day, there is capacity to increase this number to 40 if needed and our close scrutiny of this project will continue. 'It's important to remember that final fitout decisions will be made in five years' time, not this week nor next, and we shouldn't be shouting wolf at every shadow. 'Council's advocacy to date has been effective and it is important that it remains so.' Instead, Mr Radich is today proposing to reinstate a local advisory group that would bring key stakeholders together – representing relevant institutions and the wider region – and meet on a regular basis, to work through issues as they arise. Details of the group will be firmed up in discussion with Councillors next week. 'This body will play a vital role in monitoring delivery and providing public updates, and will be committed to working constructively with Government as this project rolls out.' Mr Radich has also spoken to Minister of Health Simeon Brown today, who assured him the project remains on track. 'The most important success achieved to date by the Southern region's hospital campaign has been the Government's commitment to build the full 11-storey structure. 'Our focus is now to ensure this Government delivers the hospital we need now and in the future.'
