As COVID restrictions on in-person events are eased and groups are able to gather again, ALCC has ramped up its slate of fall education and events. A look at the calendar reveals the expected topic areas like Sustainable Landscape Maintenance and Irrigation Boot Camp as well as timely topics such as Pricing & Estimating in Inflationary Times. But ALCC is also piloting a new program: Landscape Technician Boot Camp.

After a summer of record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events, OSHA has been tasked with developing a standard for safety in extreme heat. Along with the new standard, OSHA will also develop a program to emphasize heat safety in inspections and has issued guidance on inspections related to heat safety compliance.

The City of Denver’s Community Planning and Development continues to accept applications to serve on a technical advisory committee to update the 2019 Denver Green Code. Landscape industry experts are encouraged to apply for the committee by the October 1 date.

This was the thirteenth year Colorado State University has conducted Cool Season Trials at the Annual Flower Trial Garden. The overall goal of this project is to determine which cool-season plant varieties are best suited for marketing and growing in the Rocky Mountain Region. Starting in November 2020, data recording was taken monthly till May 2021, unless there was heavy snow cover. Irrigation was monitored throughout the trial period and any additional water added, besides snow and rain, was recorded. The trial included 60 varieties representing seven taxa including pansies, violas, flowering kale and cabbage, Aurinia, Primula and Arabis.

Snow Magazine recently released its annual Top 100 snow management companies list. Five Colorado companies earned spots on the list this year, as well as ALCC member BrightView, headquartered in Pennsylvania but active in Colorado. 

In mid-2020 the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy reported there were 31.7 million small businesses in the U.S. These businesses make up 99.9% of all firms and 99.7% of these firms have paid employees, which comprises about 47% of private-sector employees. Since 2000, small businesses created nearly twice as many jobs—10.5 million—compared to 5.6 million jobs created by large companies. Impressive numbers!

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) National Small Business Week Virtual Summit event will take place September 13-15, 2021. The free, three-day conference will feature a virtual atrium and a series of educational panels on best practices for small businesses adapt and rebuild amid challenging times.

Does your company need to provide paid sick leave for employees in relation to COVID-19—either due to a positive test result, caring for a family member with COVID-19, or receiving a COVID-9 vaccine? The short answer is yes, though the provisions behind these obligations have changed in 2021.

After an unusual session that included long recesses due to the ongoing pandemic, Colorado's 2021 legislative session concluded in June. GreenCO lobbyists Hicks & Associates have issued their summary of the session and legislation related to the green industry.

The organizers of ProGreen EXPO are still accepting industry input for 2022 programming. The event will return to its traditional in-person format next year with a full slate of education and events.

ALCC has created an online form for submitting topic and speaker suggestions for educational sessions. Landscape professionals are encouraged to offer their ideas. Submit education session topic ideas here.

ProGreen has also issued a call for proposals from those with expertise or knowledge to share. Prospective presenters can use ProGreen's online portal to submit a session proposal for consideration. For its contribution to educational programming, ALCC is interested in a variety of topics related to technical skills for the landscape industry, business and leadership, landscape design, and sustainability in landscaping. 

UPDATE 9/21/21: The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, September 24.