December 2011

Southeastern Arizona Contractors Association

Vol. 8, No. 4

ConstructionNews & Views

A message fromSACA’S President

Larry Saunders

President continued on page 5

After two years as President thetime has come to an end, and thatis a good thing. What an interest-ing twoyears it hasbeen! Wegained afew newm e m b e r sand we arethankful forthat. Wewere sorryto lose afew, but forthe most part we stayed about thesame membership-wise.

I have been in the Sierra Vistaarea since 1971. I came here towork on the widening of Fry Bou-levard as a laborer, taking care ofthe traffic control setup. At thattime Fry was the only way to getto Fort Huachuca from the eastend. Fry had about 20,000 vehiclemovements in a normal 24-hourtimeframe. That would be all thetraffic going and coming up anddown the street. Not really a lot aswe look at today’s three accessesto Fort Huachuca; BST from thesouth, the bypass to the East Gateand Fry Boulevard. Seems liketown ended at El Camino Real, andthe high school (where LawleyFord is today) was way out oftown.

Contract Workers Vs. Employees,Paying Contractors,

Forms and AgreementsBy Jean Murray, About.com Guide

1. Independent Contractor status isthe exception, not the rule. That is, theIRS assumes that a worker is an employeeunless you can prove otherwise. The bur-den of proof is on you, not the IRS, toprove independent contractor status.

2. The IRS looks at 3 major fac-tors in determining worker status.

• Financial control: Are the businessaspects of the worker’s job controlledby the payer? (these include things likehow worker is paid, whether expensesare reimbursed, who provides tools/sup-plies, etc.)

• Behavioral control: Does the com-pany control or have the right to controlwhat the worker does and how theworker does his or her job?

• Nature of the relationship: Are

there written contracts or employee typebenefits (i.e. pension plan, insurance, va-cation pay, etc.)? Will the relationshipcontinue and is the work performed akey aspect of the business?

Usually no one factor is determiningof status; the IRS looks at the entirety ofthe factors.

3. New hire paperwork for indepen-dent contractors is simple. The only newhire paperwork needed for an indepen-dent contractor:

• Form W-9, to provide a taxpayeridentification number. If you have a validtaxpayer ID number for a contractor, youdo not have to withhold federal incometaxes from payments to the contractor.If you do not have a valid taxpayer IDnumber, you must withhold federal in-come taxes. This is called backup with-holding.

• A copy of the independentcontractor’s resume or professional

10 facts you should know about independent contractorsqualifications

• A copy of the contract.Keep the items above in a file for the

contract worker, in case of audit.4.Paying an independent contrac-

tor is also fairly simple. You can pay bythe hour or by the job, however you andthe contractor agree. In most situations,no income tax is withheld, no FICA taxes(Social Security and Medicare) need tobe withheld, and no other employmenttaxes must be paid based on indepen-dent contractor pay. But note this ex-ception: You must withhold federal in-come taxes from independent contrac-tor payments if the contractor has notprovided you with a valid tax identifica-tion number. This is called “backupwithholding;” read more about withhold-ing for contractors in this article withFAQ about Backup Withholding.

5. Contractor pay is reported an-

MMMMMerry Christmaserry Christmaserry Christmaserry Christmaserry Christmasandandandandand

HHHHHappy Nappy Nappy Nappy Nappy New Yew Yew Yew Yew Year!ear!ear!ear!ear!

Contractors continued on page 8

SACA December 2011 Calendar of Events

ATTENTION SACA MEMBERS!

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Construction News & Views

Construction News and Viewsis published monthly for the

Southeastern ArizonaContractors Association

The SACA newsletter is looking formembers’ business stories to publish.

Do you have a story about your business that you’d like otherSACA members and the general public to hear? Please contact

Christine Bingel at 459-1706, or email christine.bingel@swgas.com.Contractor Contacts

Registrar of Contractors(Phoenix)1-877-692-9762www.rc.state.az.us

Registrar of Contractors400 W. Congress, #212Tucson, AZ 85701(520) 628-6345

Southeastern Arizona ContractorsAssociation197-B, E. Fry BlvdSierra Vista, AZ 85635520-458-0488Email:admin@sacasceo.qwestbusiness.netNewsletter contact:christine.bingel@swgas.comWebsite: www.saca-az.org

For information on advertising in this newsletter, contactFive Star Publishing

1835 Paseo San Luis, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 • (520) 458-3340Email: fivestar@c2i2.com

General Membership Meeting

ANNUAL MEETINGTHUNDER MOUNTAIN ACTIVITY CENTER

Ft. Huachuca, AZSaturday, December 10, 20115 p.m. No Host Bar • 6 p.m. Dinner

It’s a gala evening for everyone. Great food, dancing,outstanding raffle prizes and a grand prize drawing,

all promise to make it a night to remember!Prior to dinner we will conduct a short business venue, which includes

collection of ballots for the election of Board of Directors.

2011 SACABoard of Directors & Committee Chairs

Laurinda Wallace, Executive DirectorLarry Saunders, President

Co-Chair SWPPP/MS4Co-Chair Scholarship/Charities

Mike Rutherford, Vice PresidentRegistrar of Contractors

Advisory Council MemberBuilding Committee Chair

Water Issues ChairGreg Keller, Secretary/Treasurer

Home Show Co-ChairKevin Jorgenson, Director

Safety Committee ChairScholarship/Charities Chair

Bob Kirk, DirectorChristine Bingel, Director

Annual Meeting ChairNewsletter Chair

Membership ChairRobbie Cain, DirectorGolf Tournament Chair

Wayne Gregan, DirectorWebsite Chair

Home Show Co-ChairLynn Mattingly

Cochise County Stakeholders RepresentativeMichael Cerepanya

City of Sierra Vista Stakeholders RepresentativeSWPPP/MS4 Co-Chair

Advertise in ConstructionNews and Views

Call 458-3340 todayto find out how affordable it is!

Your advertising in the newsletter is now available to view onthe SACA website: www.saca-az.com.

Government MeetingsCochise Cty Board of Supervisors Every Tues., 10 a.m. County Buildings, Bisbee, AZSierra Vista City Council 2nd & 4th Thurs., 5 p.m. City Hall, 2nd FloorBenson City Council 2nd & 4th Mon., 7 p.m. City HallBisbee City Council 1st & 3rd Tues., 7 p.m. City HallWillcox City Council 1st & 3rd Mon., 7 p.m. City Hall

Construction N

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Page 3

Casey Jones

One 14 pound turkey, roasted withstuffing; one 12 pound turkey, deepfried after being injected with JackDaniels Original No. 7 BarbecueSauce; green bean casserole, candiedyams topped with toasted marshmal-lows, real made from scratch on thestove top cranberry sauce, mashedpotatoes, 2 gallons (more or less) ofgiblet gravy, assorted rolls, 7 pounds(more or less) of butter, pumpkin pie,pecan pie, iced tea, milk, lemonade,wine (three varieties) water to washit all down. Oh, yes. Can’t forget thewhipped cream for the pies!

From a material standpoint, the 11people sitting around the table in theJones house on Thanksgiving Daywere amply blessed. And that bless-ing wasn’t just a one off once a yearevent. Our blessings are many anddaily.

I trust and pray that yours andthose you hold dear are also so blessed.

Now that we’ve gotten past BlackFriday and Cyber Monday, perhapssometime between now and Decem-ber 25th we can find time to contem-plate the uniquely American blessingwe all enjoy.

First and foremost, we are free.We are free to worship as we

please; to speak the truth as we un-derstand it; we are free to own andenjoy our possessions; to seek and en-joy the fruits of our labor, where and

in whatever manner we choose.All this and much more is guaran-

teed in our Constitution, the guidingdocument of the nation that arose fromthe discontent so profoundly set forthin our Declaration of Independence.

We all know the words, maybe notverbatim, but we know them: “We holdthese truths to be self-evident, thatall Men are created equal, that theyare endowed by their Creator withcertain unalienable Rights, thatamong these are Life, Liberty andthe Pursuit of Happiness—-“

While we know them, in our dailyhurly-burly we sometimes lose sight oftheir import. Particularly, I am oftenprone to put less credence than I shouldon the phrase – “endowed by theirCreator-“

In the final analysis, all of theseblessing we and those who came be-

fore us sacrificed for and labored tosecure are the fruits of that endow-ment by our Creator. Some benevo-lent governor or government agencydid not grant them. Our God endowedthem.

In these coming days leading toChristmas, let’s from time to time, thinkabout our endowment. Let us first andforemost, appreciate the most impor-tant gift from our God – Jesus came tous and absolved us of sin.

I, and all of mine, wish you, and allof yours, a Merry Christmas. NotHappy Holidays.

A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

That’s the way I see it.Casey Jones

ForgottenThank You:It has come to our

attention that we haveforgotten to thank one of

our sponsors for ourAnnual

Golf Tournament…

So Thank YouLawley Automotivefor your sponsorship

Guy C. Cary, MDNeuro Pain

INTERVENTIONAL PAIN

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Part of abright futurefor all of us.

Ask about rebates up to $8000* for installing a solar power system!*Maximum of 50% of purchase price

Photo courtesy of Expert Solar Systems

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KANMAR

439-44831-800-980-3884

www.kanmar.com

360 S. 7th • Sierra Vista

“Talk with the friendly guys in town

for a FREE ESTIMATE”

Licensed Contractor ROC K5-166101

(Res./Comm.) AZ LIC ROC K3-167165

MEMBER

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CONTRACTORS

ASSOCIATION

REYNOLDSREYNOLDSREYNOLDSREYNOLDSREYNOLDSfor better building prfor better building prfor better building prfor better building prfor better building products inoducts inoducts inoducts inoducts in

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• Fascia & Soffit Enclosures

• Vinyl & Aluminum Siding

• Seamless Aluminum 5” & 6”

Rain Gutters

Serving

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We work for you!(520)458-8826

Your local source for

temporary labor and skilled

trades.

The Arizona Department ofTransportation is working towardmaking safety improvements on StateRoute 92 between Canyon de Floresand Glenn Road in Sierra Vista byconstructing raised medians in thatcommercial area.

Traffic safety studies have deter-mined that adding medians in the area,which currently is a five-lane high-way with a middle turn lane, will re-duce left-turn collisions.

Prior to that project, ADOT willmake improvements to local streetsto ensure ease of circulation and tomaintain access to area businessesand neighborhoods.

The Federal Highway Administra-

tion has authorized ADOT to spend fed-eral funds off the state right-of-way onthe following projects:

• The extension of Canyon de Floreseastward to connect with Golden Acreswhere a roundabout will be constructedto allow northbound motorists on SR92 who wish to travel south to use theroundabout rather than making a U-turn.The roundabout also will accommodatelarge trucks.

• The construction of a half-circle turnaround on Glenn Road to allow south-bound motorists on SR 92 to make simpleleft turns off of SR 92 and back onto thehighway rather than making a U-turn.This turn around also will accommodatelarge trucks.

• New signs on SR 92 to guidemotorists unfamiliar with the new fea-tures.

Design work for these off-highwayimprovements will require surveys andland acquisition, environmental clear-ances and possibly the relocation ofexisting utilities. ADOT expects to beable to advertise for construction ofthese projects in fall of 2012 and thework will take approximately sixmonths to complete.

Design on the raised medianproject is essentially complete, butconstruction will follow the off-high-way improvements to ensure safe andconvenient access to local businesses.The raised medians will provide leftturn access at Golden Acres Drive andMonsanto Drive. ADOT hopes to ad-vertise for the construction contract

sometime in Fiscal Year 2013.The project to improve the intersec-

tion of State Route 92 and Foothills Driveis in the scoping phase to determine whatwork will be included in the project. Oncethat is complete, the project will be de-signed and ADOT anticipates advertis-ing for construction bids in late FY 2013or possibly in FY 2014.

This is also a safety improvementproject and could include:

• Allowing left turns off SR 92 ontoFoothills Drive only during a left-turn ar-row.

• Extending the left-turn lane on south-bound SR 92 by reconfiguring the raisedmedian near East Bluebird Drive.

• Constructing a right-turn only laneon eastbound Foothills Drive at SR 92.

• Installing a green right-turn arrowon eastbound Foothills Drive at SR 92.

Medians and intersections – News from ADOT

VISTA 411If you missed the insert in the November 28 edition of the Sierra Vista

Herald, it’s not too late to get your own copy of the City of Sierra Vista’s newbi-monthly newsletter, VISTA 411. Stop by any City office, or better yet, signup to get an electronic version of the publication at the City’s website,www.SierraVistaAZ.gov.

\VISTA 411 replaces the quarterly Leisure Times and monthly Fun n’ Stuff,both of which were singularly devoted to Leisure programs and services. At acost savings, this new publication now includes information on all city pro-grams, along with feature articles, a pull-out calendar with city and major com-munity events, and even fun history and trivia about our community.

Stay informed about City programs, learn something new about our com-munity, and keep tabs on events and classes. Download your copy of VISTA411 today.

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Sierra Vista“Ace is the Place with the Helpful Hardware Folks”

D.I.Y. Lumber & Building Materials • Hand &Power Tools • Locksets & Security Hardware

Keys Made & Locks Re-Keyed • ElectricalSupplies • Plumbing Fixtures & Supplies

Evaporative Coolers & Supplies • Re-Screening & Glass Cut To Size • LightingFixtures & Ceiling Fans • Ace Brand PaintWith Computer Matched Colors • Lawn &

Garden Supplies & Equipment Sprinkler &Drip Irrigation Supplies

Serving Sierra Vista &

Cochise County Since 1981

Locally Owned & Operated

458-36503756 E. Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista

www.sierravistaace.com

Monday-Saturday 8am-6pmSunday 9am-5pm

A Proud Member of The Greater Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce

Commercial AccountsAvailable

The City of Sierra Vista and its con-sultant, TischlerBise, continue to makeprogress towards an updated devel-opment fee study and fee schedule.Development impact fees are thosefees charged one time for all new con-struction within the city limits for thedevelopment’s fair share contributiontoward infrastructure needed to sup-port new growth.

You may recall from previousnewsletters that the City is goingthrough the study process to updateits fees in order to comply with a ma-jor change in state law regarding howdevelopment impact fees can be as-sessed. State law dictates a very spe-cific process the City must follow, andthe first step is issuing a “notice ofintent” to assess fees.

Watch for the notice to be issuedmid December. The notice will be

accompanied by a draft report, whichwill be posted on the City’s website atthe same time.

The report documents the currentlevel of service for all of the types offacilities the City intends to include inits fee structure, growth projections,and a list of future capital projects towhich such fees will be applied. Inputis greatly welcomed on this draft re-port, and the first public meeting toreview this information with all inter-ested stakeholders will be held in themiddle of January.

The City will also be reaching outto its standing City-SACA committeeprior to and during the public meetingprocess to have more detailed discus-sions. As soon as the initial publicmeeting is scheduled, the City will no-tify SACA and all interested parties,as well as post the meetings on its

website and all usual locations.The new law has components that

must be in place by January 1, 2012.Therefore, the City Council will beconsidering the adoption of interimfees at its December 8 meeting. Theinterim fees remove components thatcan no longer be included in the as-sessment, such as certain support ve-hicles, the maximum size of certainfacilities, and other disallowed infra-structure.

The fees also incorporate the 2009schedule adopted by the City Coun-cil that until now, were precluded bystate law from going into effect. Theinterim fees result in a reduction of$955 per new single family home,while commercial rates went up.This is because the bulk of reductionswere in those development fee cat-egories only paid by residential.

These fees are only temporary, andwill be adjusted again once the fullprocess is completed and input ob-tained by stakeholders and the public.So please plan on being engaged in theprocess in the new year.

Development impact fees

Welcome!The below listed companies have

joined SACA recently.Be sure to say...

Cochise Termite& Pest Control Co.

Clark Information Systems

City of Sierra VistaResidential Permits Issued

Nov 2011 24 Year to Date ’11 160Nov 2010 3 Year to Date ’10 155Nov 2009 13 Year to Date ’09 173

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PRESTPRESTPRESTPRESTPRESTON INSULAON INSULAON INSULAON INSULAON INSULATIONTIONTIONTIONTIONClosets, Fire Stopping

Serving Southern Arizona Arizona since 1957

CHRIS LOWEBranch Manager

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Call a Pro !

Advertise in Call A Pro for only $25 per month! Call 458-3340 today

Business Customers

Chad DyjakBusiness Account ExecutiveSouthern Arizona

chad.dyjak@verizonwireless.com

Verizon Wireless2127 E. Speedway BlvdSuite 200Tucson, AZ 85719Mobile 520-260-2600Fax 866-749-2781

2012 PresentationsTo welcome in 2012, our Water

Wise staff has put together a great yearof new, interesting and informativepresentations for you. Visit our websitetoo for more resources, tips and freestuff! We wish you a good (and wet!)holiday season and thank you for yourwise use of our most precious re-source- water.

Jan. 7, 9 to 11 a.m., “Save En-ergy, Save Money, Save Water?”Energy conservation is more thanturning out the light and turning downthe thermostat. Door prizes. MartinYoklic, UA Associate Research Scien-tist.

Feb. 4, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., “Well,What Do We Know?” The basics ofhydrology and geology, well construc-tion, maintenance, regulations, waterquality, drinking water standards, andhome water treatment options will bediscussed. Dr. Janick Artiola, UA Wa-ter Quality Specialist and Gary Hix,President, Arizona Well Water Asso-ciation.

March 3, 9 to 11:30 a.m., “Prun-ing Landscape Plants” Keep yourplants healthy by correct pruning. In-side discussion of plant response towounding and outside demonstrationof thinning, pruning, and trimmingtechniques. Presenter: DeForestLewis, Certified ISA Arborist and

that your neighbors harvest rain? Comeview harvesting systems, RainScapes andget inspired on this guided tour. ContactWater Wise for time and locations.

August 4, 9 to 10:30 a.m., “Garden-ing with Wildlife” Learn how to makeyour yard wildlife-friendly while keepingothers out (like snakes, javelinas, mice andrats!). Presenter: Tom Wood, Southeast-ern Arizona Birding Observatory and Wa-ter Conservation Educator, Water Wise/Energy Smart.

Sunday, September 9, 1 to 4 p.m., 15thAnnual Water Wise/Master GardenerFall Xeriscape Tour. Beautiful and col-orful low water landscapes in the SierraVista area will be open to the public forthis self-guided tour. Contact Water Wisefor details.

October 6, 9 to 10:30 a.m., “Irrigat-ing with Alternative Water Sources”

Lean how to use rainwater and graywater for landscape irrigation and how toturn your landscape into a RainScape - alandscape that uses rainwater andgraywater for all water needs. Presenter:Cado Daily, Water Wise.

November 3, 9 to 11:30 a.m., “SepticCare” Proper care for a septic systemwill help prolong the life of the systemand protect well water quality. Presenter:Dr. Kitt Farrell-Poe, UA Water QualitySpecialist.

For more information, contact us at

458-8278 ext. 2141 orwaterwise.arizona.edu. Water Wise is aUniversity of Arizona Cooperative Exten-sion program whose Partners are CochiseCounty, the City of Sierra Vista, the Up-per San Pedro Partnership, Ft. Huachucaand Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-operative.

The University of Arizona is an equalopportunity, affirmative action institution.The University does not discriminate onthe basis of race, color, religion, sex, na-tional origin, age, disability, veteran sta-tus, or sexual orientation in its programsand activities. Any products, services, ororganizations that are mentioned, shown,or indirectly implied do not imply endorse-ment by the University of Arizona

Cado DailyProgram Coordinator, SeniorWater Wise ProgramUniversity of Arizona Cochise CountyCooperative Extension1140 N. Colombo AveSierra Vista, AZ 85635(520 ) 458-8278 x 2139FAX (520) 458-5823waterwise.arizona.edu

Bisbee Office66 Brewery Ave., Old Bisbee520-366-8148

Cochise County Master Gardener.WAM! April is Water Awareness Month!

April 7, 9 to11:30 a.m., “Drip Irrigation forHomeowners” Irrigation systems are greatif you know how to use them! This work-shop will cover water/soil relationships, iden-tify the components of a drip system andhave a hands-on session. Dr. Stephen Poe,UA Extension Specialist.

April 14, 9 to 11:00 a.m., “Timing itRight– Drip Irrigation 201” We’ll take themystery out of popular battery operated andelectric irrigation timers, discuss how tochoose a timer, and walk you through simplescheduling. Presenters: Cado Daily andCyndi Wilkins, Water Wise.

May 5, 9 to 10:30 a.m., “Build Your OwnRainwater System” Get ready for the mon-soon rain and learn how to build a simplerain water harvesting system. Presenters:TBA

June 2, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., “SensationalSucculents and other Cactus” Our hot, dryand windy spring is a tough time for mostplants but succulents love it! Come learnabout the wide variety of succulents you canplant. Presenter: Mark Sitter, B & B Cactus,Tucson.

July 7, Rainwater Tour. Did you know

Unless noted, presentations are in thePublic Meeting Room at UA South, 1140N. Colombo Ave, Sierra Vista. No need toregister and they are all free!

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ber 2011SAFETY Death by Christmas decoration

OFFICE SPACEAVAILABLE

SACA has a single officeavailable to sub-let, tolearn more, please call

the SACA officeat 458-0488

Reprinted from The PhiladelphiaInquirer - November 29, 2010

A 59-year-old Washington Town-ship died Sunday after he fell from theroof of his house while putting upChristmas lights, authorities said to-day.

The man, whose name was not re-leased, was found unconscious in thedriveway of his home in the Sewellpart of the Gloucester County town-ship when police officers arrivedshortly after 5 p.m., WashingtonTownship Capt. Richard Leonardsaid.

The man, who suffered headtrauma, was pronounced dead Sun-day at Kennedy University Hospitalin the township, Leonard said Theman, who was putting up the holidaylights by himself, had used a ladder to

climb to the roof of his two-story ShireDrive residence and fell at some point,Leonard said. “It appears to be a freakaccident,” Leonard said.

Leonard said he doesn’t recall thelast time a township resident died in afall while putting up holiday decora-tions, but said it is a rare occurrence.

It may be a “rare” occurance inWashington Township but in the U.S.,more than 12,000 people are treatedin the nation’s emergency rooms eachyear due to falls, cuts, electrical shocksand burns from faulty holiday decora-tions or accidents that occur while put-ting decorations up. In the UK, morethan 80,000 people need medical treat-ment over the 12 days of Christmasfor injuries received in the home.

“The holiday season is a hectictime for all of us, filled with activities

and errands, and many people pay lessattention to safety and end up in theemergency department,” said DrBrian Keaton, president of the Ameri-can College of Emergency Physicians.“The nation’s emergency physiciansurge people to take a little extra timeand care as they go about enjoyingthe holidays.”

Safety is not just a work thing . . .it’s a living thing!! During the holidayseason with all the stress, tight sched-ules, crowds, extra work etc, take ex-tra caution and STOP . . . take 5 min-utes for safety and think about theactivites you’ll be doing. Think aboutthe possible risks of what you’re do-ing . . . whether it’s your regular jobor hanging up Christmas decorations. . . we must be vigilant to ensure we’rearound for the holiday celebration.

Then the growth started slowly, anew county building at Foothills wasone of the first commercial buildingsand then it moved east to the golfcourse area. The small town wasgrowing into the city it is today. Thegrowth all done by contractors, somelocal but most out of town contrac-tors came in set up shop and went towork. Employees came from Tuc-son and most of the materials alsocame in from out of town. The citywas growing and contractors weremaking it happen.

SACA should be proud that someof the early contractors that are stillinvolved with our great city and ourgreat contractors association. Stan’sFence, KE&G, Stan Greer, RDI,Castle Cooke (purchased TennecoWest land holdings) which started thehomes near the county building offFoothills, they also started with theconstruction of the golf course—these are the ones I remember. LucasRental which is where RSC rentalsare today was the local rental supplyhouse. A few of these were the found-ing members of the Southeastern Ari-

zona Contractors Association, back inthe 70s.

It also took some good planning bythe City to make sure all the new roadsmet each other as development hap-pens. Ever drive in Tucson or Phoenixand wonder why a road stops and startsagain a few blocks away? With thegood planning and foresight by the City,Sierra Vista looks like it has done agreat job in making sure the roads gosomewhere and make good sense.Even the traffic seems to flow wellaround town during rush hour.

It was the foresight of the SACAmembership in the early years to put inplace a lasting contractor associationto help with the growth and planningof our great city. It was also importantfor consistent and persistent involve-ment over the years by the contrac-tors to keep SACA going forward.

Nothing gets done without the mem-bership and good involvement by themembership. Please keep involved withSACA; attend the fundraisers andmonthly lunch meetings. This is howwe keep our voice in the area. The fu-ture of our City and County needs

President continued from page 1SACA’s voice for a better and lastingcommunity which we all have come toenjoy.

Thanks for allowing me to be partof this great organization. It’s been amemorable and significant and lifetimeexperience.

Welcome to our new board mem-bers. It’s a great time to move forwardwith new ideas and commitments.

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8 Contractors continued from page 1nually on Form 1099-MISC.Form 1099-MISC for reporting contrac-tor pay reporting is similar to Form W-2 for employee pay reporting. Form1099-MISC must be given to the con-tractor by the end of January, and sub-mitted to the Social Security Adminis-tration by the end of February.

6. Independent contractors mustpay self-employment taxes. Indepen-dent contractors are not employees andthe companies they work for do notwithhold Social Security/Medicare taxes(FICA taxes) from their pay. So the in-dependent contractor must pay self-em-ployment tax based on total incomefrom self-employment each year.

7. Independent contractors can beany business legal type. Typically anindependent contractor is a sole propri-etor, but the contractor can be set up inbusiness as any type, including an LLC,partnership, or corporation. Dependingon the type of work done by the con-tractor, it makes sense to form a busi-ness type which will limit liability. Readmore about selecting a business type.

8. If you have been paying someoneas an independent contractor and youcan show good reason for doing so, be-cause of industry practice or other rea-sons recognized by the IRS, you maybe able to continue to pay a worker asan independent contractor if you canmeet these relief requirements, un-der Section 530 of the Internal RevenueCode.

9. Agreements help clarify expec-tations for independent contractors.Even in the most casual situations, it’sa good idea to create a contract for acontractor doing work for you. The IRSdoes not look at the contract as “proof”that the worker is a contractor, but ithelps both you and the contractor un-derstand expectations and the nature ofthe relationship.

10. You can ask the IRS to giveyou a determination letter to clarifyindependent contractor status. Use IRSForm SS-8 to request a determination.You provide the information requestedon the form and the IRS sends you aletter giving their opinion on the statusof this worker (employee or indepen-dent contractor).

SAVE THEDATE!

MARK YOURCALENDARS!

The event of the year iscoming soon to your town!

SACA Home andGarden Show

March 23 and 24,2012

Sign up early.Watch for details on show

times, registrationinformation and

sponsorship opportunities

Easy low-cost and no-cost ways tosave energy:

• Install a programmable thermostatto keep your house comfortably warmin the winter and comfortably cool inthe summer.

• Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs with the ENERGY STAR® la-bel.

• Air dry dishes instead of using yourdishwasher’s drying cycle.

• Turn off your computer and moni-tor when not in use.

• Plug home electronics, such asTVs and DVD players, into powerstrips; turn the power strips off whenthe equipment is not in use (TVs andDVDs in standby mode still use sev-eral watts of power).

• Lower the thermostat on your hotwater heater to 120°F.

• Take short showers instead ofbaths.

Tips to save energy today• Wash only full loads of dishes and

clothes.• Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving

(speeding, rapid acceleration and brak-ing) wastes gasoline.

• Look for the ENERGY STAR labelon home appliances and products. EN-ERGY STAR products meet strict effi-ciency guidelines set by the U.S. De-partment of Energy and the Environmen-tal Protection Agency.

• Visit http://www.energysavers.gov/ for more energy-saving ideas.

Did you know that the typical U.S.family spends about $1,900 a year onhome utility bills? Unfortunately, a largeportion of that energy is wasted. Andeach year, electricity generated by fos-sil fuels for a single home puts morecarbon dioxide into the air than two av-erage cars. And as for the road, trans-portation accounts for 67% of all U.S.oil consumption. The good news is that

there is a lot you can do to save energyand money at home and in your car. Startmaking small changes today (seesidebar).

The key to achieving these savingsin your home is a whole-house energyefficiency plan. To take a whole-houseapproach, view your home as an energysystem with interdependent parts. Forexample, your heating system is not justa furnace—it’s a heat-delivery systemthat starts at the furnace and deliversheat throughout your home using a net-work of ducts. Even a top-of-the-line,energy-efficient furnace will waste a lotof fuel if the ducts, walls, attic, win-dows, and doors are not properly sealedand insulated. Taking a whole-houseapproach to saving energy ensures thatdollars you invest to save energy arespent wisely.