Summer 2011

 

 New recruit!

Steve Souza – Project Director  
Steve Souza has 25 years of experience in residential and commercial construction. With field and office experience, Steve understands both the client and contractor sides of the business and works to ensure that projects go smoothly to meet the needs of everyone involved.  Steve’s favorite part of about his job with DCI is building relationships with new and established clients.

 
Steve’s wide-ranging construction experience ranges from restaurant and retail projects, to community projects such as Danville Fire station 36.  Steve has also been involved with several high-end residential projects in several Bay Area communities.
 
Highlights:

• Schools: Castro Valley High, Canyon Middle School and Castro Valley Elementary, security upgrades and tenant improvements
• Churches: Our Lady of Good Counsel (San Leandro), new construction;                            Assumption Church (San Leandro), ADA Upgrades; Newman Hall (Berkeley), tenant improvements
• Banks:  Bay Commercial Bank (Castro Valley) and Wells Fargo Banks, tenant improvements
• Spas & Fitness Facilities: Pinnacle Fitness (Blackhawk), Gold’s Gym (multiple locations), Lady of America Spa (Castro Valley), Threads Spa (Pleasanton)
• Retail: Blackhawk Plaza (Danville), tenant improvements 
• Residential: Custom remodel, including swimming pool and tennis court (Kentfield - Owner Lenny Ebber); restoration and remodeling projects (Ross, Larkspur) with architect Peter Goodman; 3000 square foot custom remodel/addition, including wine cellar (Blackhawk)

 
In his spare time, Steve enjoys restoring antiques, boating, golfing, fishing and traveling with family and friends. 

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News from City of Livermore

The City of Livermore recently approved a REDUCTION in fees.  (Their efforts to attract more business, of course).  The following temporary fee adjustments shall remain in place for two (2) years:
  

1. Simplify and clarify the required impact fee calculations to provide more certainty to projects early in the development process. 
2. For the next two years: 

• Reduce the Conditional Use Permit fee by 66%

• Reduce the Traffic Impact Fee by 30 to 50%, for High Wage/Innovative Technology businesses building and/or relocating to Livermore.

• Reduce the Traffic Impact Fee by 30 to 50% for Livermore businesses displaced by new development, and building a new or moving into an existing Livermore building.  

• Reduce the In-Lieu Housing fee by 33% for detached single-family dwellings.

 
These projects must be under construction within two years from Council action. 

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Staying Safe in the Heat

Be sure to keep yourself fully hydrated regardless of your activity level. Do not wait till you start to get thirsty. During excessive work hours be sure to drink two to four glasses of cool, non-alcoholic fluids each hour. Sports drinks are a good way to replenish your fluids as well as salt and minerals.

When going out make sure your well protected with a hat and sunglasses along with the appropriate amount of sunscreen SPF 15 at the minimum. If you are working outdoors its best to schedule work during the morning and evening hours to avoid the worst of the heat.

If you are not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually. If exertion in the heat makes your heart pound and leaves you gasping for breath, STOP all activity and get into a cool area.

 

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 Keep Your "Head" Cool

Cool roofs are highly reflective, highly emissive roofing materials that stay 50 to 60 degrees F cooler than a normal roof under a hot summer sun. 

Cool roofs can cut building owners' energy costs. Because cool roofs gain less heat than normal roofs, they reduce the need for air conditioning making buildings more comfortable to the people inside.

Cool roofs have other benefits, too. For building owners they can cut maintenance costs and increase the life expectancy of the roof. And for society in general, cool roofs can even help to reduce the urban heat island effect that makes our cities hotter and produces unhealthy air.

Because cool roofs save both money and energy, in October 2005 they became part of the prescriptive requirements of California's energy code, the Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. Most cool roof materials for low-sloped roofs are white or another light color. Because steep-sloped roofs are often visible from the ground, however, roofing material manufacturers have developed popular roof colors other than white that will still reflect or emit the sun's energy away from the building.

For more info go to http://www.energy.ca.gov/title24/coolroofs/

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Dialysis:  

The dialysis bundle has caused nephrologists to increase the use of iron, increase the use of subcutaneous ESA administration, and lower erythropoeitin-stimulating agent (ESA) dosing by tightening hemoglobin target levels, according to new survey results from BioTrends.

Continue reading Bundle Tightens ESA Use Among Nephrologists 

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 Have a Green Summer!

Cut it off. Lights, computers, TV’s and other monitors all generate heat. So when you’re done using them, turn them off. And when you leave a room, turn off the lights as well. Minor behavioral modifications can save you money.    

 

Block it out. Keeping the curtains drawn on the windows and having shade trees planted around the house, blocks the sun during the day, allowing your climate control system to work most efficiently when you are home.

Bring out the blankets. Blankets of insulation! Rolling out blankets of insulation in your attic or between your basement ceiling and your first floor hardwoods, you can keep the cooled air where you want it: inside your home.

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Trustworthiness 

  In my discourse (Ajinet), we are working a lot on the philosophical meaning of trustworthiness.  This is extremely valuable to me as it’s how we’ve built the company literally from nothing to where we are today.  Please allow me to share with you. 
 
Trustworthiness is sincerity, competence and reliability:

1. Sincerity.  We remember to keep our promises/commitments.  There are no “private conversations”, or lack of sincerity in our company commitments. 
2. Competence.  We are the t.i. experts.  Whether it be medical, office, industrial or residential remodeling, we have the people, practices and tools in place to make every project a successful project.
3. Reliability-we now have over nine years’ accomplishments of consistently doing this work.  It’s how and why we were able to double our revenues last year, in the most difficult economic environment in 80 years.  And we’re growing again this year.  Late last year, for example, we completed a 62,000 sq. ft. full-building t.i. project 5 weeks early.  We don’t “mess around”.    

 
Thank you for allowing me to share my learning!  As I tell ALL of our clients, “…….we are in the trust business…………….construction is almost a sideline!”. 

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Closing

We were in North Carolina in June of this year............and let me tell you that there is NOTHING like East coast heat, which includes humidity!  On the day we left, it was 95 degrees and RAINING.  Ugh. As you can see and may have heard, we continue to grow.  Please keep your eyes and ears open for GOOD, trustworthy people who are looking for a new home......we always need good, competent and reliable help.

Regards,

David