Chalk Line MAY/JUNE 2014
MAGAZINE
The Latest in Home Mortgage Lending INSIDE THIS ISSUE OMB AWARDS 2014 SCHOLARSHIPS MEMBERS TALK ABOUT OMB BENEFITS UPCOMING EVENTS
NATIONAL REACH. LOCAL EXPERTISE.
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CONTENT FEATURE PAGE 8-9 THE LATEST IN HOME MORTGAGE LENDING What is going on with home mortgage lending? Have you heard differing ideas? Read what local lending experts have to say about construction, and home mortgage lending.
Page 4 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN-HOW CAN OMB HELP YOU SUCCEED? Page 6 THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME-AUCTION
5
REX Awards
Page 7 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR COLUMN-THE PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT Page 10 MEMBERS TALK ABOUT OMB BENEFITS Page 11 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
6
Page 12 2014 OMB SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED Page 15 CURRENT GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ISSUES
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Tour of Homes
MAY/JUNE 2014
Looking Ahead July 9-Quickbooks Class at the Olympia Master
September 18-Coffee Connection networking
Builders Office.
event at TBA.
July 17-Coffee Connection networking event
September 20- OMB Auction at the Red Lion
at the Olympia Master Builders Office.
Hotel in Olympia.
July 18-Remodelers Council Garage Sale/ROII
September 24 & 25-Green Building for Building Professionals at the Olympia Master
Check Distribution & 6th Annual OMB Blood Drive at the Olympia Master Builders Office.
August 16 & 17-Tour of Homes, first of two weekends, scattered site event. August 21-Coffee Connection networking event at TBA.
August 23 & 24-Tour of Homes, second of two weekends, scattered site event.
Builders Office.
Chapter News: The OMB Chapters will not be meeting in July and August. Meetings will resume again in September. For more details on these upcoming OMB events, go to www.omb.org. Chalk Line • 3
How Can OMB Help You Succeed? our communities is enormous! I am proud to be part of a group whose sole purpose is to promote the industry I work in, and to provide quality housing that our neighbors can afford. With all that said, we can’t accomplish our mission if our member businesses aren’t successful. A significant part of what OMB does is provide opportunities to help our members grow and improve their businesses.
John McKinlay PRESIDENT We’ve almost hit the halfway mark of 2014, which means as your 2014 President I am halfway through my term of office. As President of Olympia Master Builders (OMB) I am constantly reminding myself of the purpose of the Association, which is to provide affordable housing to all segments of society. This is a great purpose, one in which I believe wholeheartedly. Our industry has a big impact on the economy. In the State of Washington we are the third largest employer. The financial effect of building houses in
We assist growth and improvement through many avenues: government affairs, networking, education, money saving opportunities, and business promotion. Even this magazine is designed to help better educate you by providing timely articles, such as the article on mortgage and construction financing on pages 8-9. At this halfway mark, I am asking myself some questions: What else can we do to serve our members? What changes can we make to better provide for our members?
our General Membership meetings. We want to find out if OMB could be providing these types of meetings in a more productive way. As a leader of this Association, it is important to me to be constantly checking the pulse of the membership to find out how we can better serve you. Let me or the staff at OMB know if you have an innovative idea about how OMB could help members succeed in business. I encourage you to reach out if you have participated in a great training or educational opportunity that you feel other members could benefit from. Let us know how we could add additional value to your membership. We want to hear from you! I am looking forward to working with all of you in the second half of 2014 to provide affordable housing and to find ways to help us all achieve greater success.
We recently surveyed members about
Are you an Olympia Master Builders member who doesn’t qualify for the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) Health Insurance Program? so, If B ce i OM Cho h eet t l a ! He can m eeds rn u yo
For a free quote or plan comparison contact: Olympia Master Builders 360.754.0912
OMB is not a licensed insurance agency and cannot provide benefit details or advice on which health plan will meet our members needs the best. All insurance plans offered through the OMB Health Choice program are provided through a licensed agent.
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Bob Kagy
e Bobk@printnw.net p 360.456.4545
Chalk Line Official Publication of the Olympia Master Builders 1211 State Avenue NE, Olympia WA 98506 Phone: (360) 754-0912 www.omb.org
2014 Remodeling Excellence Award Winners
The Olympia Master Builders is a professional trade association representing nearly 600 member companies located in Thurston, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Mason and Pacific Counties. Our members come from all sectors of the building trades including bankers, plumbers, electricians, attorneys, and home builders and they are committed to “building strong communities, one home at a time.” Executive Committee
President John McKinlay First Vice President Scott Nolan Treasurer Ron Deering Associate Vice President Tina Allen Second Associate Vice President Kim Asay Secretary Rusty Ruiz Immediate Past President Janine Ezzell Builder at Large Mike Auderer
Builder Directors Scott Bergford, Bob Clark, Andy Gruhn, John Kaufman, John Johnson, Adam Kugel
Associate Directors Jeff Klingberg, Holly Constantine, Heath Howerton, Jon Jones
Legal Counsel Jay Goldstein
National Directors Bob Kagy, Karen McClennen, John McKinlay
State Directors Tina Allen, Mike Auderer, Ray Bonney, Tim Dickey, Erik Jensen, Bob Kagy, Don Koidahl, Harv Lillegard, Bob Love, Karen McClennen, John McKinlay, Aaron Nester, Scott Nolan, Carmen Rowe, Jim Simmons
Lewis County Chapter
President Erik Jensen First Vice President John Johnson Assoc. Vice President Becky Rieger Secretary Rick Borovec Builder Directors: Don Koidahl, Dave Danton, Dustin Westfall Associate Directors: Carmen Rowe, Jason Kunz
Mason County Chapter
President Aaron Nester Associate Vice President Mike Gill Secretary Bob Love
Grays Harbor Chapter
President Harv Lillegard Associate Vice President Rusty Ruiz Secretary Rhonda Sturgeon
Association Staff
Interim Executive Officer Angela White Accountant Sally Darrow Communications DIrector Angela White Government Affairs Director Adam Frank Events Director Brianna Bedell Membership Marketing Coordinator Amanda Cassman
From left to right: Denise and Greg Amendala of Horizon Homebuilders, LLC, Jeff Kuster and his daughter Hayley of Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC, John Erwin and his daughter Lexi of John Erwin Remodeling, Inc. and Emcee Paul Muldoon of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC.
The 2014 Remodeling Excellence Awards (REX) ceremony sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings was presented at the May 6 general membership meeting held at Indian Summer Golf and Country Club. The event Emcee was Paul Muldoon of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. The awards are designed to recognize outstanding projects completed by OMB members during the previous year. This year there were 13 entries representing eight different categories, so competition was stiff for a few of the categories. All entries must adhere to strict entry rules and impartial judges from outside the OMB area view each project and cast their votes for the winners. There were two remodelers and one designer as judges this year; George Eide of Renewal Remodels and Additions, Gordon Neu of Neu Construction, Inc. and Molly McCabe of A Kitchen That Works. The REX award ceremony included before and after photos of each project. The winners are: Horizon Home Builders, LLC....Entire House $150,001 to $300,000 Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC.........Bath $25,001 to $40,000 John Erwin Remodeling, Inc..............Entire House Under $150,000 Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC............Kitchen Under $30,000 Horizon Homebuilders, LLC.........Aging-in-Place/Universal Design John Erwin Remodeling, Inc..Overall Design Excellence/Basement Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC........Kitchen $30,001-$60,000 John Erwin Remodeling, Inc..........................Exterior Over $25,000
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There’s No Place Like Home unless you’re at the 2014 Auction!
Have you thought about donating an item for the 2014 OMB Auction? The 2014 Auction Committee, led by Debbi Boyd of Altman Insurance Agency, is diligently collecting items now! Donating to the Auction is a great way to support the mission of Olympia Master Builders, and get your company name and/or product in front of other OMB Members and Auction attendees. Auction Donation Item Ideas: • Giftcards • Gift baskets • BBQ • Spa Day • Tickets to sporting events • Cruise • Furniture • Bed & Breakfast package • Activies (day at the races, hot air balloon ride, river rafting) • Think outside the box-who do you know? Visit omb.org or contact Brianna Bedell, Events Director for a produrement form.
Main Event Sponsor:
Centerpiece Sponsor:
Wine Sponsor:
Photo Booth Sponsor:
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The Proper Role of Government ment, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.
Adam Frank GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR
The Olympia
Comprehensive Plan Update (Comp Plan) has me thinking a lot about the proper role of local governments. We tend to think about the role of government more in the context of the federal government and neglect the important philosophical question on the local level. I’ll spare you a discussion of the text and structure of the Constitution and a treatise on the meaning of the Tenth Amendment, suffice it to say that I think the limits placed on the federal government are generally good limits to place on the power of any other government. Much of the Comp Plan blows by those limits. Before I get into specific examples, some thoughts on the principles of good government from people smarter than I am might help clarify what I’m getting at. The following quote from Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address sums up what I view as the solid, guiding principles of good government at any level: …[W]ith all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow-citizens —a wise and frugal Govern-
As a complement to Jefferson’s words, I offer a principle from John Locke (the English philosopher, not the bald guy on Lost), who said that “[t]he people cannot delegate to government the power to do anything which would be unlawful for them to do themselves.” And despite the cartoonish image peddled by popular media of conservatives as villainous pillagers and plunderers with no regard for the rights of others, most champions of greater individual liberty would also agree with John Stuart Mill’s assertion that “[t]he liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.” The examples I pull from the Comp Plan seem to assume that ill-advised delegation of power to the City and it does anything but leave people “free to regulate their own pursuits of industry.” It also weakens individual responsibility by preemptively attempting to diffuse any conflicts over land use by holding up the Comp Plan as a plan in which “we” have all had input, and upon which “we” all agreed. First, the Planning Commission wants to require minimum densities in certain areas of Olympia—places like the mall and downtown. I have no problem, mind you, with high-density neighborhoods, because I think there are people who like to live in high-density
neighborhoods close to other nice locations they like to frequent. In fact, I think there is a market for that kind of housing in certain places— perhaps even in Olympia. No, my problem is not with high-density residential developments, but with the notion that we must require it of people who own property within a designated area and who would like to develop that property to create some wealth. They should be free to decide how to do that—or “free to regulate their own pursuits of industry”—as long as the use of their property does not interfere with someone else’s rights (like, actual rights, not made-up rights that are all the rage these days). The argument from elected officials and others is that if we don’t require it, it won’t happen—even as we’re simultaneously told that young people and seniors alike are begging for downtown/high-density living space close enough to everything they need so they don’t have to drive those dirty cars. If the latter is the case, allow the market to deliver. Allow it, don’t require it. Builders will build what the market wants because they can make a profit by providing something of value to a customer who willingly pays for it. They don’t build just because a local government has determined that a particular piece of land must be developed in a certain way. In fact, that is kind of a turn-off to businesses in general. Next, the Olympia City Council’s Land Use and Environment Committee recently decided that when it comes to alleys in new
developments, the Comp Plan should require them along arterial and connector streets “where feasible,” or “where practical.” Again with the requiring! Part of their deliberative discussion included a gentleman who said that in his 15 years of working with new developments, only about one has included alleys as part of the plan. Alleys are hard to market to people who don’t want them, he said. Another gentleman said that alleys create more impervious surfaces, which is a problem when we’re talking about storm water management (go talk to the Department of Ecology about that one). Oh good, I thought, the committee might listen to both sides of the issue that say alleys might not be a good idea for every new development in Olympia. My hopes, of course, were dashed because, as I see it, the principles of individual liberty and limited government were no match for the temptation to control. (This is why we can’t have nice things!) This seems to be the theme of the Comp Plan. The City claims authority to require certain uses of private property, and submits the use of private property to a drawn-out public process, in order to satisfy a vision of what “we” want our city to look like. But if other people get to decide how I use my property, down to the number of units I have to build, or where I have to put the garage on a house, am I really free? Does freedom really matter to people anymore? Is that a thing? Is this thing on? See Roles on Page 14
Chalk Line • 7
The Latest in Home Mortgage
Lending by Adam Frank
A
recent news report said that mortgage lending has dropped to a 17-year low due to an increase in interest rates
that began in the middle of 2013. An article on the same day, however, said that mortgage applications were up 4.3 percent in the second week of April as rates had tumbled a little in preceding days. Such seems to be the nature of this up and down recovery. Complicating matters, the number of cash deals has increased significantly in recent months, accounting for 43 percent of nationwide residential sales in February, up from 20 percent a year ago. The huge number of cash deals drives up home prices, which is good for current homeowners who are looking to sell or finally get right-side-up on their mortgages, but bad for potential buyers priced out of the market in an economy that is still not creating a healthy number of quality jobs.
“We do construction loans. We have money—as long as they meet our criteria.”
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Jon Jones, Washington Business Bank
We see what is happening nationally. As interest rates climb, mortgage lending drops; homebuyers jump on drops in interest rates in spurts where they can;
investors are beginning to move on properties that present some income potential; and builders and buyers alike are subject to more stringent requirements in order to secure financing. Locally, it isn’t that much different. “Home mortgage lending itself has changed so dramatically,” says Jon Jones, President and CEO of Washington Business Bank. Chris Johns, mortgage loan officer at Umpqua Bank, agrees. “We know that what was going on was reckless,” he says of pre-recession lending practices that added an eighth of a point to the interest rate if the lender and borrower agreed to save time and paperwork by not requiring a number of explanation letters. “It is not uncommon for us to gather four to eight letters of explanation [now].” Those letters of explanation, Johns says, require borrowers to identify and explain their sources of income, and describe in detail the stability and frequency of their income streams. The added paperwork and document requests must still be all completed in the same contract-toclosing timeframe, which means that loan officers are now sharing their profits with the three or four added staff members it takes to request and process the paperwork. In qualifying,
much more emphasis has been placed on borrowers proving their ability to pay, but perhaps not necessarily on increasing their financial assets before they can borrow. Borrowers must generally have a minimum credit score of 620 to qualify, but, surprisingly, there are still a lot of ways to avoid having to produce a big down payment. “I personally see a large percentage of customers using government loans like the FHA, USDA, and VA loans, primarily because they offer financing with little to no money down,” says local mortgage professional Matthew Carey. And others might take advantage of these programs if they knew they existed. “There is a lack of education on some of the zero-down programs,” says Johns. Johns is passionate and excited about the number of good programs there are for home buyers who lack the income or savings to deliver a down payment, and he intends to make that education a future part of his business. Looking forward, although mortgage lending has slowed in recent years, Johns says that things are looking up, especially as the dramatically improving King County market signals a bright future for Thurston County. He also says that the market growth currently seen in Thurston County is driven mostly by firsttime homebuyers, who are usually associated with Joint Base LewisMcChord and/or come from a twoincome household. He cautioned, however, that the market does not look good for people on the lower end of the income scale, especially if interest rates continue to climb. Even so, he remains generally optimistic for the near future. “The general sentiment in our mortgage product mix is that it’s
getting easier to down payment, “The general sentiment in our get a mortgage,” a good location, mortgage product mix is that says Johns. and provided it’s getting easier to get a That could be that the projects mortgage.” good news to are priced a decimated correctly. Chris Johns, Umpqua Bank construction industry that has “It’s really just certainly faced—and continues to back to the fundamentals,” Jones face— its share of financing woes. says. He also says that the established builders who existed before the According to Jon Jones, development recession and have made it through loans have been and are still difficult are the ones most likely to be able to get. The bank will typically only to qualify. “The builder’s got to have finance 65 percent of the plat, which proven experience to complete a takes a lot of developers with less project.” capital out of the business. Obviously, construction and “Development loans are probably development lending is closely tied the riskiest types of loans that banks to the demand for mortgage lending. can do,” says Jones. But that does A kind of “if they come, you can build not mean that there is no money it” condition. The challenge now is available to lend to builders and to attract and maintain the kinds developers. of jobs that can support a healthy and sustainable appetite for home “We do construction loans. We have buying. money—as long as they meet our criteria.” Those criteria, Jones says, are the basic “Four Cs of Credit,”— character, capacity, collateral, and capital—along with a significant Chalk Line • 9
The Benefits of Membership told by the members Mike Auderer (Olympia Construction): “Being a member of Olympia Master Builders allows me to keep my finger on the pulse of the construction industry.”
Committee and the mentor program, what makes you invest your time in these programs?
Amanda: What member
Angel: “This is my way of telling other businesses that OMB is a valuable organization. I am also finding connections and strengthening bonds between potential new members who could possibly be customers.”
benefit does your business receive the most out of? Amanda Cassman MEMBERSHIP MARKETING COORDINATOR
Amanda: Why do you find it
important for your business to invest in membership with Olympia Master Builders (OMB)? Rusty Ruiz (Hung Right Doors): “Creating relationships with other people in the industry makes the industry better for customers and my business.” Heather Burgess (Phillips Burgess, PLLC): “Because it helps us stay connected to contractors and builders that OMB serves.” Angel Anderson (AFLAC): “Because it gives me a venue to be a part of the community and it gives me the opportunity to provide value to the OMB community.”
Rusty Ruiz (Hung Right Doors): “Networking, because I am able to gather general business ideas from other members, and OMB gives me a network to provide reliable referrals to my customers when needed.” Heather Burgess (Phillips Burgess, PLLC): “I would say networking and Government Affairs because they relate directly to my business.” Angel Anderson (AFLAC): “I would say networking, because as members get to know me, I gain more credibility, and I am building stronger relationships with members and clients.” Mike Auderer (Olympia Construction): “Tour of Homes, The BIG Home Show & Garden Show, and the REX Awards allows us to showcase our work and meet future clients.”
Amanda: Angel you are
active in the Membership
OMB is Mobile! Download the mobile app,
OMB Mobile
and find your OMB network of builders, electricians, title companies, plumbers, roofers, bankers...
on the go!
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Amanda: Rusty, historically
you have participated in all three Home and Garden shows every year, how is this a benefit to your business?
Rusty: “It is a benefit because it gives me a venue to put the Hung Right Doors name and product in front of thousands of consumers that are engaged in remodeling or building a new home.”
Amanda: Mike, as a
participant in the ROII program would you recommend it to other members? Mike: “Yes. ROII is a great program.”
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s... u n i o J in giving back 6th Annual
OMB Blood Drive
Free BBQ & New this year!
Garage SALE! Friday, July 18
at 1211 State Avenue NE, Olympia WA
Can’t donate blood? Also accepting food for the Thurston County Food Bank.
Allied Concrete Applicators 393-38 Ceres Hill Rd. Chehalis, WA 98532 360-789-5000 Kwconcrete@gmail.com Sponsor: Paul Muldoon Axia Home Loans Michelle Wickett 5210 Corporate Center CTSE#13 Lacey, WA 98503 360-459-1212 michelle.wickett@ axiahomeloans.com Sponsor: Angel Anderson
LET US SHOW YOU THE WAY.
Bring your Garage Sale donations to the OMB office on July 18 from 7:00-8:00 am.
Welcome New Members January through February 2014
Schedule of Events Garage Sale
10:00 am to 3:00 pm Blood Drive and BBQ 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Precisionary, Inc. Lisa Skinner PO Box # 6 East Olympia, WA 98513 360-515-5926 lisa@precisionary.net Sponsor: Angel Anderson Richmond American Homes Brian Kunec 310 29th st. NE, ste 200 Puyallup, WA 98372 253-693-4741 Brian.Kunec@mdch.com Sponsor: Angel Anderson
CED, Inc. Jud Napier 1138 s. Gold St. Chehalis, WA 98531 360-736-6293 jud@cedcentalia.com Sponsor: Erick Jensen
RJF Janitorial Rebbeca Foster 1432 E. Sussex Ave. Tenino, WA 98589 360-264-5479 Rfoster5479@comcast.net Sponsor: Angel Anderson
Contractors Insurance NW , Inc. Abraham Boling PO Box 13033 Olympia, WA, 98508 866-214-8634 abe@contractors insurancenw.com Sponsor: John McKinlay
Tile First Installations Darren Helbling 1102 college St. SE Suite C Lacey, WA 98503 360-878-2816 Darren.titlefirst@gmail.com Sponsor: Rusty Ruiz
Duncan and Associates Insurance Heidi Duncan P O Box 1458 Olympia, WA, 98507 heidi@duncanins.com Sponsor: Scott Bergford Granite Gallery, LLC Tim Wolph 711 Tumwater Blvd. SW #125 Tumwater, WA 98501 360-357-4139 tim@granitegallery.net Sponsor: John McKinlay Lowes, Inc. Jeffery Pratt 4230 Martin Way E Olympia, WA 98516 360-486-0856 jeff.w.pratt@stroe.lowes.com Sponsor: Doug Karman
Toby’s Electric LLC. Patrick Toby 3213 Zeulcuer Valley RD. Centralia, WA 98531 360-236-1092 Tobyp33@yahoo.com Sponsor: Scott Nolan Van Dorm Realty, INC. Diane Pust 1530 Black Lake Blvd. Suite F Olympia, WA 98502 360-943-3800 Diane.pust@comcast.net Sponsor: Mark Kitabayashi Western Steel & Supply, Inc. Jill Rosenkrantz PO Box #105 Aberdeen, WA 98502 360-532-6760 jill@wsteelinc.com Sponsor: Jay Goldstein
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OMB Awards Four Scholarships
Sally Darrow ACCOUNTANT/EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR
The Olympia Master Builders (OMB) and its Chapters in Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pacific and Mason Counties recently announced the 2014 scholarship awards given to high school graduates who wish to further their education in a building-
related field. “We are proud to be able to educate ourselves as well as give scholarships to deserving individuals who also want to improve their lives through advanced education. This helps to meet OMB’s commitment of Building Strong Communities One Home at a Time,” said Tim Dickey, Chair of the Association’s Scholarship program. The Olympia Master Builders funds these scholarships through donations made by members. Listed are the scholarship winners for 2014, their school affiliation, and their course interest for their continuing education:
$1,500 Vocational Scholarship Alex North Rainier High School Welding
$1,500 Collegiate Scholarship Joanna Johnson River Ridge High School Mechanical Engineering
Not Pictured The Ken Donohue Scholarship of $2,500, Ryan Collin Elma High School Civil Engineering
Not Pictured $1,500 Collegiate Scholarship, Kathleen Cristobal Aberdeen High School Civil Engineering
Thank You Renewing Members January through February 2014 25 + Years
Mark Shaffer D K Boos Glass, INC. Olympia Federal Savings Bayview Building Materials of Olympia Pro-Build at Shelton Sunset Air, INC. Olympia Lighting Center
Chicago Title Insurance Co. B.T. Wilson Const., INC. John’s Plumbing & Pumps, INC. F & L Pacific, INC. Everson Asphalt Paving, INC. Chimney Techniques, INC. Moerke & Sons Pump & Drill, INC. LTJ Builders, INC. Black Hills Heating & Air
Capital Heating & Cooling Tupper’s Floor Covering & Interiors, INC. Bonney’s B.J. & R. Const., INC. Lillegard Construction Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Skyline Pump & Machine Co., INC. Black Diamond Roofing, INC. 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty
20-25 Years
10-14 Years
5- 9 Years
Boistfort Valley Water Rob Rice Homes J.W. Morrissette & Associates Construct, INC. Lakeside Industries Boulton Insulation Company
15-19 Years
Tru Truss, INC. L.G. Isaacson Company Precision Pipe Fabricators Northwest Heating & Cooling, INC.
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Plumb Line Plumbing Al’s Welding & Steel Fabrication, INC. Mud Bay Manufacturing, LLC SoundBuilt NW, LLC Johnson Custom Homes, LLC Zeigler’s Welding, INC. Buck Electric, INC. OSG Dozing, LLC Home Resource Company, INC. HiLine Homes Summit Fence Co.
Canyon Creek Cabinet Company Action Pest Control, INC. R L Smith Logging, INC. Albert Lee Appliance Americool Heating and A/C C.T. Building, INC. Active Enterprise, INC. BC Gas Repair Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Schermer Construction, INC. Diamond Finish Construction, INC.
Fireside Home Solutions Turner Instlation, INC. Superfloors Steamboat Island Construction Karen Jerome McClennen Washington Tractor, INC.
2-4 Years
Radcliff Construction, INC. Rosenback Plumbing, INC. Drywall, INC. Berglund, Schmidt & Assoc., INC.
1 Year
IMC,INC. Bron’s Automotive Sunview Solariums Propane ETC Calportland
Calling All Builders & Remodelers Don’t miss the 2014 Tour of HomesTM
The 2014 Tour of HomesTM committee led by Karen McClennen of The Olympian are working diligently to secure homes for the Tour this year. Scott Bergford of Scott Homes, Inc., and Mike Auderer of Olympia Construction, Inc. have both committed projects to the 2014 Tour! The Tour is a perfect opportunity for builders and remodelers to display their newly constructed homes and remodel projects, as well as the newest cost saving energy, and green building trends. If you are interestedin participating on the Tour of Homes or you are doing work for a builder or remodelers that would benefit from participation, the agreement is available on the OMB website, or feel free to contact Brianna Bedell at brianna@omb.org for a form.
2014 Calling all Builders and Remodelers! SAVE THE
August 16-1
DATE!
7 & 23-24
New Home and Remo deled Hom Entry fees e : $950 for th e 1st entry $500 for ea ch additiona l entry
Deadline to
Reg Friday, July ister: 11th
Contact Brian na at OMB for mor 360-754-09 12 or brianna e information at @omb.org.
“We made th ree home sa les during the first week end of the To ur! These were potenti al clients wh o had shown an interest in our company . But the tipping point came when they were able to walk through and experience one of our co mpleted hom es as part of OMB’s To ur of Homes ™.” - Steve Poul os, Hansen Cons truction Grou p
Main Event Sponsors:
2013 Best Cu
rb Appeal
People’s Cho ice— Hansen Cons truction Gro up “We made 5 appointmen ts for remodels! It’ s always great to be ab le to show future clients the type of quality and fin ish we place on our projects.” - Mike Aude rer, Olympia Cons truction
“The Tour of Homes™ giv es us great expo sure. We ca n directly attrib ute home sales to this event every year.” - Andy Gruh n, Northwest Fa m
ily Homes, In
c.
Silver Sponsor:
Bronze Sponsor:
Chalk Line • 13
...Roles from Page 4 I’m sure I’ll be called a number of names for expressing these ideas: “extreme,” “antigovernment,” “opposed to happiness,” “very handsome, smart guy.” I can take it. But here’s the takeaway: I think we should all take a step back and examine just what we think our local governments should be doing. We all have our ideas for what government should and shouldn’t be doing, but a lot of those ideas were already vetted and agreed upon about 227 years ago. We decided that a government that maximizes and protects liberty for the individual does the most good for the greatest number of people. I think the main reason why there is so much discord within government—and between government and the governed—these days is that the government continues to extend itself beyond the boundaries of what we all agreed government should do. Once you start pushing those boundaries, you polarize constituencies
and create conflict and contention on a much larger scale than if you had just allowed the market to isolate the conflict and limit it to the particular interests affected by an individual’s proposed or completed transaction with another. But if we scale back government control and its reach into everyday life, we might find that people have much more incentive to work out their differences in a much more agreeable and mutually beneficial way. You know, like two people trading value for value in the marketplace, who conduct their business and then peacefully part ways. One more point, and then I’ll bring this to an end. People often say of those who think like I do, “You have no ideas or solutions. You just complain without telling us specifically what you would do.” To those, I say you’ve completely missed my point. It is precisely because we are all free individuals that these so-called solutions fail. We all approach problems
a little differently. We all live our individual lives a little differently. But deep down, I believe we’re mostly decent people with good intentions, who want to do right by our families and our neighbors. Let us not reinforce notions of the untrustworthiness of our neighbors by operating on the premise that we must collectively control so many of each other’s actions so no one gets hurt. Let us instead trust in freedom and individual liberty. Yes, this means that there will be fewer regulations, fewer rules, and fewer opportunities to provide public comment at a City Council meeting that, for example, pits the loud voices of those opposed to a proposed land use action against a private property owner’s constitutionally protected right to life, liberty, and property. I think we instead would do well to look at polarizing issues in a different way. If the two sides of our society’s cultural and political divide MA_4.25X5.5Ads_2011:Layout split down predictable lines
So there it is, my roundabout way of pleading for less government control over private property interests. I’m fully aware of the unpopularity of my views on this side of the state. However, they are nonetheless views I sincerely hold, based on a love of freedom, and ultimately a sincere love of people and a belief and trust in their abilities to make good decisions for themselves and their families. 1
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on a given issue, it might be worth examining whether government should be involved in it in the first place. I’m not saying government should step away from every polarizing issue, but I am saying that a high level of polarization might be a good indication that the issue is best left to free individuals to decide for themselves and then bear the natural consequences of their actions. Natural consequences are very effective teachers, and we should allow them to operate more.
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The Latest Government Affairs Highlights Olympia Master Builders (OMB) is currently working on and/or monitoring many issues related to the building industry. These are just a few recent highlights.
City of Olympia
Thurston County
Comprehensive Plan Update – Olympia City Council
Gopher Listing – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
has set a July 22 public hearing date for the Comprehensive Plan Update. The Council held several work sessions and committee meetings to discuss changes in the plan. The Council discussed a number of changes, including minimum density requirements, re-zone criteria, alleys, and view protections. Many of the recommendations from the Planning Commission involve a high degree of City and public involvement in decisions that are best left to a free market. For example, the Planning Commission recommends that alleys should be required along arterial and connector streets in all new development, with little to no consideration of reasons buyers might shy away from buying a house adjacent to an alley. Also, a new public process for identifying view protections has the potential to severely limit the ability to profitably develop downtown and even the West Side in the way that the City desires. OMB will continue to inform members of developments in the adoption process, and will urge OMB members to speak up on the issues when it comes time for public comment.
Rezone Criteria – The Olympia Planning Commission
recently considered new rezone criteria that included a vague and subjective requirement that any rezone must “promote a public interest.” OMB wrote a formal letter to the Planning Commission and issued a Call to Action for members to submit written comments. The Commission acknowledged the letters at its June 16 meeting, and the public interest requirement was rejected. OMB will keep an eye on the issue to be sure that a public interest requirement stays out of the rezone criteria.
Pacific County Shoreline Master Program Update – Pacific County
is beginning its Shoreline Master Program (SMP) update process. The County plans to have a draft Shoreline Inventory, Analysis, and Characterization available for review by late June. The County is also seeking the input and participation of stakeholders, which is a good opportunity for OMB members to get involved. The entire process is a lengthy one, with local adoption and submission to the State Department of Ecology planned for June 2016.
officially listed the Mazama pocket gopher as threatened on April 9. The listing became effective on May 9. The rule covers three subspecies within Thurston County and their critical habitat. To avoid liability for a taking, USFWS instructs people to avoid introducing competing plant or animal species; modifying soil or forage habitat on sites on which the gopher resides; or trapping, poisoning, harassing, or removing gophers. Certain limited exemptions apply, but essentially to maintain established activities.
Interim Permitting – The County wanted to have an
interim permitting process in place for the time between the Mazama pocket gopher listing and completion of the Habitat Conservation Plan, but was unable to put a plan in place in time. In the meantime, property owners who suspect they may have gophers or gopher habitat on their property must consult and get clearance from USFWS and/or the County in order to proceed with building and other projects that require permits on their property. Be aware, however, that the project delays warned about prior to the listing are happening as predicted. The County aims to have more concrete guidelines and processes in place later this year.
Habitat Conservation Plan – In order for Thurston
County to continue to issue permits without opening itself up to liability for the taking of gophers, it must develop a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Approval of the HCP by the federal government results in the issuance of an Incidental Take Permit (ITP), issued by USFWS. County officials have hired a consultant team to draft the HCP. OMB was invited to participate on the hiring panel. OMB staff was able to ask questions of the applicants, and has been involved in the decision every step of the way. The County’s original target for completion of the HCP was February 2015, but a delay in hiring the consultants has likely moved that date out, and legal challenges and any other unforeseen circumstances could push that date out further.
To get more involved in the OMB Government Affairs Program, contact Adam Frank at adam@omb.org or (360) 754-0912.
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