Chalk Line Magazine March/April 2014

Chalk Line MARCH/APRIL 2014

MAGAZINE

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

opportunities to stay educated

INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE GODS BENEATH THE PRAIRIE TWO HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS 2014 HOUSING SUMMIT 2014 BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW

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CONTENT FEATURE PAGE 8-9 INVEST IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH Whether you are new to the industry or a veteran ready to advance your career, a NAHB designation says a lot about you.

Cover Photo: 2013 Housing Summit Panelists; Phil Harlan, Heather Burgess and Jon Jones.

Page 4 TWO HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS Page 6 ARE YOU GETTING EDUCATED? Page 10 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS HIGHLIGHTS

5

REX Awards

7

Housing Summit

Page 11 THE GODS BENEATH THE PRAIRIE Page 12 TWO MORE HOMES SHOWS IN 2014 Page 14 NEW/RENEWING MEMBERS

Page 15

HOW ROII® SELECT IS WORKING FOR YOU

13

Chalk Line MARCH/APRIL 2014

The TASTE of the

OMB BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW SATURDAY APRIL 12, 2014

Get your limited edition tickets to The Taste today and visit the in style!

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Chapter News

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Registration 11:00-11:15 am Event 11:30-12:30 pm Judging 12:30-12:45 pm Winners Announced 1:00 pm

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Registration 1:30-2:00 pm Event 2:00-3:00 pm Judging 3:00-3:15 pm Winners Announced 3:30 pm

Contact OMB at 360.754.0912 or brianna@omb.org for an entry form.

ST. MARTIN’S UNIVERSITY-MARCUS PAVILION

Chalk Line • 3

TWO GREAT HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS FOR MEMBERS the needs of OMB member companies who have more than two employees and who fall within the accepted business classifications as determined by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner here in Washington State.

John McKinlay PRESIDENT

One of the goals of the Olympia Master

Builders is to continue to meet our members’ evolving needs. One of those evolving needs has been health insurance.

For the past twenty years, OMB has offered to our members, who qualify, the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) Health Insurance Program. This group health insurance program has met

However, with the passage of The Affordable Care Act, OMB’s Board of Directors realized last year they needed to step up and find a way to meet the needs of all OMB members and their employees who are now required to purchase health insurance.

Specifically OMB’s Board of Directors desired to meet the need of OMB member companies who did not qualify for the BIAW Health Insurance Program – those companies who had less two employees, those companies who did not meet the accepted business classifications, and individual plans for employees of

Are you an Olympia Master Builders member who doesn’t qualify for the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) Health Insurance Program? o, If s B e M O Choic lth et Heacan meeds! e rn you

OMB

Health offers Choice :

• Plan s for s elf individ employee d uals • Gro betwe up plans fo r en 1-1 ,000 ebusinesses • Hea mploy lth Sav ees ings A ccount • Hea s (HSA lth Reim ) Arrang b ement ursement s (HRA ) • and te o m u o n r q e o e s i e par a fr For an com t: rs pl ntac Builde and co ster a 12 ia M 54.09 7 .

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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.

4 • Chalk Line

OMB member companies who did not offer health insurance coverage to their employees.

I’m pleased to say OMB’s board was successful in finding a solution for all OMB members. As a result, OMB now offers two health insurance options.

BIAW Health Insurance Program

This respected group health insurance program, has been in existence for over 20 years and offers qualifying OMB members programs through Regence BlueShield, Group Health Cooperative, Asuris Northwest Health and Regence Life & Health.

The BIAW Health Insurance Program offers a broad range of flexible medical, dental, vision and life insurance plans.

See Health Insurance on Page 13

Welcome to the Building Industry Association of Washington! Your membership to the BIAW allows you access to one of the largest health insurance programs with Regence BlueShield in Washington.

The BIAW Health Insurance Trust can offer your company a great deal of savings on health insurance.

SAVING Companies insured with the BIAW Trust put money back on your bottom line!

BENEFITS The BIAW offers affordable benefits through Regence BlueShield

SERVICE Members have access to the professionals at EPK & Associates and Capital Benefit Services exclusive vendors for the Trust.

Getting a quote is FAST and

EASY! Fill out the attached Getting a quote is quote request form and fax it back to 425.643.6728 or email FAST and easy! Call it to sales@epkbenefits.com.

1-800-545-7011 6 Feel free to give usext. a call at 1.800.545.7011 ext. 6 if you or email questions to have any questions. sales@epkbenefits.com.

Chalk Line Official Publication of the Olympia Master Builders 1211 State Avenue NE, Olympia WA 98506 Phone: (360) 754-0912 www.omb.org

What Are These REX Awards All About?

From left: Emcee Paul Muldoon of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Greg Switzer of John Erwin Remodeling, Inc., Tim Dickey of Dickey’s Remodel and Repair, Bob Clark of Home Resource Company, Don Koidahl of MDK Construction, Inc., and Scott Nolan of MDK Construction, Inc.

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

Executive Officer Laura Worf Accountant Sally Darrow Communications DIrector Angela White Governm ent Affairs Director Adam Frank Events Director Brianna Bedell Membership Marketing Coordinator Amanda Cassman

The Annual Remodeling Excellence (REX) Awards have been a part of Olympia Master Builders (OMB) for 13 years.

The awards are designed to recognize outstanding projects completed by OMB members during the previous year. Any

OMB member is welcome to enter the competition.

Over the years the entry form project categories have changed to allow more variety of projects. The more variety of categories, the more projects can be entered. If you completed a kitchen project and a basement project you can enter both projects. This year there are 27 different project sub-categories. The main categories are Exterior; Kitchen, Bath, Addition, Entire House, Commercial and Overall Design Excellence. Most of the categories have sub-categories with project cost limits for each category.

What’s there to gain by entering the REX competition? FREE publicity of your business and peer recognition of a job well done! Winners of the REX competition will be featured in a Sunday edition of The Olympian (circulation of approximately 30,000), the Remodel Now magazine (total press run of 35,000) which is an insert in The Olympian and

handed out at all OMB Home Shows and events, Chalk Line, Chalk Talk, and on the cover of the OMB Buyer’s Guide (10,000 copies printed).

Mike Auderer of Olympia Construction knows the value of entering the REX award competition. “At Olympia Construction, we strive to provide the highest levels of quality and value to our customers. Winning the OMB REX awards helps us to realize that we are succeeding at our goals. It also gives us a way to benchmark ourselves against the competition, whether it’s through print, word of mouth, or through something as simple as our potential clients seeing the awards on display in our conference room. It gives us one more way to prove that we have what it takes to fully satisfy our customers.”

The cost to enter a project in the REX award competition is $75 for the first entry and $50 for each additional entry. Entry deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 4, 2014. The entry form can be found on the OMB website under member benefits / marketing and advertising opportunities. If you have questions call the OMB office at 360-7540912.

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Chalk Line • 5

Are You Getting Educated?

Laura Worf EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

We’re taking a look at the

topic of education in this issue of Chalk Line.

How do you as a business owner or employee get educated about issues that affect your ability to run your business or do your job? Do you find yourselves overwhelmed with the information that you receive?

Many of us receive hundreds of emails and texts each day. In addition we go online to check the news, weather, sports, and any variety of topics that

interest us. As we travel to and from work we listen to the radio. And to finish off the day we watch some TV. Wow! No wonder we are stressed and overloaded.

well as other online courses.

Go to nahb.org for a complete listing. We regularly highlight these course in OMB’s weekly electronic newsletter, Chalk Talk.

Here at OMB our goal is to direct information to you, our members, in a manageable format.

Classroom Training – OMB offers many classes in a classroom setting throughout the year on a wide rage of topics. See below for the list of classes being offered this Spring. Also, you can go to www.omb.org anytime for the most updated and complete list of classes.

Our feature article on page 8 explains the benefit of investing in your professional growth. The article also talks about the designation programs offered through the National Association of Home Builders. These programs focus on providing practical training with lots of ideas and strategies you can use every day to improve your business.

Online Training – The National Association of Home Builders offers Wednesday Webinars as

Housing Summit – OMB will be offering, in partnership with the Thurston County Realtors, the 2014 Housing Summit on March 26. The Housing Summit should provide a wealth of current information on the economy, housing trends, and product information. See the article on

page 7 for more information about the 2014 Housing Summit.

Chalk Talk – Each week OMB’s electronic newsletter Chalk Talk is emailed to all OMB members.

Included is information from a variety of sources regarding various aspects of the home building industry that I believe you would find valuable.

As a member, you will get more out of your membership by taking advantage of the educational opportunities available. You could even make it a goal for 2014 to take advantage of one OMB opportunity that you haven’t in past years.

OMB promised to continue to direct information to you that we believe is a valuable educational resource for members operating in the building industry.

2014 EDUCATION COURSES March 19 & 20: Certified Erosion & Sediment Control Lead. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost is $250 members/$305 non-members for 3-year certified erosion & sediment control lead certification. (This class has relocated to BIAW) March 21: Recertified Erosion & Sediment Control Lead. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost is $175 members/$230 non-members.

March 25: Builder Assessment Review (BAR) & Professional Remodeler Experience Profile (PREP). 9:00 to Noon. Cost is $95 each. Result determine the course of study for obtaining your CGB or CGR. April 3: Scheduling. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost is $225 members, $280 non members.

March 26: Construction Contracts & Law. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $235 members/$290 non-members.

May 14: CAPS 1: Marketing & Communications Skills. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost is $225 members, $280 non members.

May 15 CAPS 2: Design/Build Solutions for Aging-in-Place. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost is $225 members, $280 non members.

May 16: Business Management for Building Professionals. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost is $225 members, $280 non members.

Call the BIAW to register for these classes at 360-352-7800.

6 • Chalk Line

Housing Summit Promises to Educate

The goal of this year’s Hous-

ing Summit, presented by Olympia Master Builders and the Thurston County Realtors, is to educate. Not only will OMB members learn from the

experiences of the various panelists, but the discussions should provide an education to elected officials on what challenges developers, real estate professionals, and builders face in terms of market forces and regulatory burdens.

Over the last several weeks, members of OMB’s Board of

Thank you Sponsors!

Main Event Sponsors:

Directors have been meeting with individual elected officials from a number of local jurisdictions to establish and nurture good working relationships. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, and there have been more than a few occasions in which officials have been surprised to learn of some of OMB’s work, and of some of the practical effects of rules and regulations on the industry. The Housing Summit will likely reinforce some of the points made in these discussions.

Continuing on and educational theme will be the event’s keynote speaker, Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center (WPC). His book, Eco-

Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism is Harming the Environment, challenges conventional wisdom on environmental policies and trends with reasoned analysis of facts and figures. Myers heads the WPC’s Center for the Environment, and is a champion of free market solutions to environmental issues.

The Housing Summit will take place on Wednesday, March 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Indian Summer Golf & Country Club. The cost is $25.00 for OMB and Thurston County Realtors® members, and $40.00 for the general public.

QUALITY YOU CAN SEE. A NAME YOU CAN TRUST. Speaker Sponsor:

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Chalk Line • 7

“Obtaining my Certified Graduate Associate (CGA) and Certified Aging-inPlace Specialist (CAPS) has really given me a goal to work toward. I feel like the CAPS in particular provided me insight into a new service level for prospective customers,” said Linda Mosier-Vaudt, ProBuild. “My specialty salesman also has his CAPS designation which he is using in his salesmanship of selling cabinets and more. By obtaining my CGA, I have improved my homebuilding knowledge in addition to supporting our industry. And, as a side note, I met many diverse and interesting people while attending these classes, some of which were from other parts of the country.”

For a list of OMB members who have earned their designations see page 9.

Aging in Place class attendees experience decreased vision, hearing, feeling, and mobility as part of their training.

Do you want to gain more knowledge on current building practices, new code regulations or safety? OMB has a class that may fit your need. This year OMB is offering 20 classes ranging from Business Management for Building Professionals to First Aid/CPR. Some of these classes will help you earn the designation of your choice. Others are helpful in bettering your business and yourself.

Education is at the very core of the

“Earning designations helps myself and my employees to keep abreast of current industry trends, products, and code compliance so we can provide the very best services possible.”

Whether you are new to the industry or a veteran ready to advance your career, a NAHB designation (for a list of designations see page 9) says a lot about you. Professional designations offer excellent opportunities to improve your skills, advance your career and be recognized for your commitment to professional growth. Designations can lead to more earned income, credibility and prestige for members and their companies. Tim Dickey, CAPS, CGR, CGP of Dickey’s Remodel & Repair says,

If you don’t have time to come to a class There are certain steps to take to earn consider watching a webinar from your a designation. For example if you are interested in the Certified Graduate Builder computer at your desk. NAHB has expert discussion on industry issues, trends (CGB) designation you must first take the and best practices in their five Webinar Builder Assessment Review (BAR). This Wednesdays series: Economics and comprehensive course assessment will measure your expertise in five key areas of Research, Policy and Finance, Design and Technology, Sales the building industry: “Earning designations helps myself and and Marketing Building Technology, my employees to keep abreast of current and Business Business Finance, industry trends, products, and code Improvement.

Project Management, compliance so we can provide the very Who would these Sales and Marketing best services possible. ” Webinars benefit? and Safety. The results Builders, remodelers, of the BAR list the

Tim Dickey, CAPS, CGR, sales and marketing number of courses

CGP-Dickey’s Remodel professionals, required (0-2) from

& Repair real estate the five key areas agents, brokers, of the designation multifamily professionals, architects, curriculum. Most designations cover designers, Webinar Wednesday seminars industry basics such as marketing and offer something for everyone in the business techniques, however, specialized construction industry!

Webinars are a great coursework includes aging-in-place way to get quick, insightful information remodeling, green building and more. For from a variety of perspectives no matter a list of requirements for each designation where you are. No matter where you find go to www.nahb.org education/ yourself on Wednesdays, participation is designation overviews and resources.

March is NAHB Designation Month National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) mission. Building industry professionals recognize NAHB as the premier source of housing knowledge and regularly turn to the Association for their continuing education needs. Through NAHB, the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) and Olympia Master Builders (OMB), members and non-members receive the information and preparation that allow them to gain the competitive edge needed in the building industry.

8 • Chalk Line

Invest in Your Professional Growth

by Sally Darrow

easy. Even if you can’t participate in the live event, you can participate through the on-demand version. Visit the NAHB website for more information on Webinar Wednesdays – www.nahb.org.

Invest in your professional growth and the success of your business by earning a designation, attending an event, or simply taking a course or two.

Please call the OMB office at 360-754-0912 if you would like information on any of the designations listed on this page.

NAHB DESIGNATIONS Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) The CAPS designation program teaches the technical, business management, and customer service skills essential to competing in the aging-in-place market.

Certified Graduate Associate (CGA) Learn about the home building business from the best source possible: builders and remodelers with years of field experience.

Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) CGB is an exclusive professional designation designed to emphasize business and project management skills.

Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) is an exclusive professional designation designed to emphasize business management skills as the key to a professional remodeling operation.

Certified Green Professional (CGP) The Certified Green Professional Designation teaches builders, remodelers and other industry professionals techniques for incorporating green building principles into homes—without driving up the cost of construction.

OMB MEM BERS WIT H CURREN NAHB DE T SIGNATIO NS

Certified New Home Marketing Professional (CMP) CMP is the mid-level designation for IRM students who have completed the marketing intensive IRM courses I through IV.

Jared Baehmer Certified New Home Sales Professional (CSP) , CA Gary Bailey, CG PS, CGP-Lexar Homes The CSP designation was designed for specialists in new home sales to enhance their P-Gerald Baile professional image, increase their marketability in the home building industry, and sell y Construction Scott Bergford, CAPS, CGP-Scot more homes! t Phil Braden, CA Homes, Inc. PS-P Fred Carlson, CA roBuild Graduate Master Builder (GMB) PS, CGR-NW D esign & Devel Graduate Master Builder (GMB) courses are more advanced with in-depth instruction David Danton, opment CAPS, CGP-Lexa geared for experienced building professionals. r Homes Tim Dickey, CA PS, CGR, CGPDickey’s Remod Daimon Doyle Graduate Master Remodeler (GMR) el & Repair , CGP-Viridian Northwest Stuart Drebick The Graduate Master Remodeler (GMR) program includes advanced and updated courses , CAPS, CGP-A droit Construc geared toward experienced remodeling professionals.

John Erwin, CA tion PS, CGR, CGP-Jo hn Erwin Rem Lane French, CG odeling P-Lane French Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP) Cons Chuck Hopkins , CSP-Lexar Hom truction The Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP) is a specialized designation for developers, es John Johnson, property managers, asset managers, and others working in the affordable housing industry.

CAPS, CGB, CG P-Johnson Cust Jeff Kuster, CG om Homes R, CGP-Kuster Homes & Rem Loretta Law, CS Master Certified Green Professional odeling P-D. Bob Lemier, CG R. Horton The Master CGP builds on the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation and expands P-Lemier Phill ips into the mechanics of green building. Exclusively for experienced builders and remodelers, Linda MosierVaudt, CAPS, CG Construction this designation comprises a more in-depth study of green building science and methods.

A, CGP-ProBui David Phillips, ld CAPS Kimberly Show , CGR, CGP-Lemier Phillips Co nstruction alte Master Certified New Home Sales Professional (Master CSP) Steve Smith, CA r, CSP-Gemini Corp.

PS, CGP-Kenyon This designation acknowledges the continued educational achievements of graduates of the Chris Terry, CA Remodeling CSP program.

PS, CGA, CGPC.T. Building, Chris Winters, Inc. CAPS-Winters Construction Master in Residential Marketing (MIRM) The MIRM designation is the top-level achievement for professionals in new home marketing.

Chalk Line • 9

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 Comprehensive Plan – City Council is working on the update to the Olympia Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission finished its draft in December 2013, and City staff have recommended changes to the draft. In February, City Council examined 14 issues on which staff’s recommendations differed from those of the Planning Commission. The Council slated most of those issues for more discussion in work sessions, or for a referral to the Council’s Land Use and Environment Committee. The dates of those work sessions and committee meetings have yet to be determined.

OMB has concerns with several items in the Planning Commission’s draft of the Comprehensive Plan, including design review requirements, view corridor determinations and restrictions, minimum density requirements, and ensuring proper funding for parks. While staff recommendations are a good start to alleviating some of those concerns, it is not quite clear what direction the Council will ultimately take. OMB is following the process closely, and is working with partners to protect member interests. OMB has also suggested to the Council that they hold facilitated stakeholder meetings to talk through Comprehensive Plan issues with interested parties.

Impact Fee Studies – Olympia has hired consultants to study the “state of the art” of impact fees to take a look at what jurisdictions around the country are doing with impact fees in two areas. The City wants to examine parks fees as paid by developers of senior living communities, and traffic fees in mixed-use development.

City staff says that it is too soon to know if the studies will result in an increase in fees, but the results are due by the end of April.

Lewis County

Impact Fees – A proposed fully contained community in Lewis County has raised the specter of county-wide impact fees. One interpretation of current state law is that impact fees must be imposed in order to allow for the development of a fully contained community. Representatives Ed Orcutt and Richard DeBolt co-sponsored a bill in the state legislature that would make impact fees in the case of fully contained communities both optional and limited only to the area of the fully contained community. No action was taken on the bill during the 2014 regular session though, which means that the County is still working on alternatives to impact fees.

10 • Chalk Line

Mason County Shoreline Master Program Update – The Citizen Advisory Committee completed its draft of the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) in January, and the Planning Advisory Commission (PAC) will now take it up. The PAC will hold a series of workshops, to which the public is invited, between now and May of this year. Once the revisions to the SMP are made in accordance with the work of the PAC, citizens will have additional opportunities to comment on the SMP in at least one public hearing. The SMP will then be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners with final recommendations from the PAC. The PAC public hearings and Board of County Commissioners review and submittal of the SMP to the Department of Ecology are not expected to occur until sometime in 2015. To view the SMP schedule, please visit the Mason County website.

Thurston County

Habitat Conservation/Interim Permitting – The County continues its work on developing a strategy that would allow permitting to continue after the likely federal listing of the Mazama pocket gopher goes into effect at the end of April. However, Thurston County’s planning director told OMB that there is a chance that the federal government could not approve the County’s gopher surveying method, which would severely impair the County’s ability to issue building permits before the interim permitting strategy is approved. The planning director advised builders to get projects going now if they can, because even if the interim permitting strategy is approved, the process for the federal government to properly permit the strategy would take an additional four to six months. The development of the permanent Habitat Conservation Plan is likely to take at least another two years, but could take even longer.

Buildable Lands Report – The Thurston Regional Planning Council drafted an abbreviated Buildable Lands Report this year due to a lack of state funding. The report concludes, however, that even if no changes are made to current land use policy, Thurston County and its Urban Growth Areas will still have a surplus of buildable land in 2035. One caveat, however: the report did not take into account the listing of the Mazama pocket gopher or the goals and policies of the Sustainable Thurston plan. Both of those factors have the potential to limit available lands.

To get more involved in the OMB Government Affairs Program, contact Adam Frank at adam@omb.org or (360) 754-0912.

The Gods Beneath the Prairie Otherwise known as the Mazama Pocket Gopher

Adam Frank GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR

We’re still talking about gophers. I sus-

pect we’ll all be talking about gophers for a long time, which is why in 1,000 years when archaeologists dig us up from the mummifying ash of an erupted Mount Rainier, they’ll probably think we were strangely worshipful of the rodents. They’ll see evidence of fences erected around gopher mounds and probably assume that they were built to align with some star grouping in the heavens—as they do on every episode of Ancient Aliens on H2— and that the fences allowed us to preserve and worship outside the sacred breeding ground of said buck-toothed little tunnel gods.

Thankfully (I hope), we’re not quite there yet. But where we’re headed could cost you. Thurston County is still working on its interim permitting strategy for the time between the effective date of the Mazama pocket gopher listing and final approval of the permanent Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The listing is expected by March 31, with an effective date of April 30. Last I updated you, the County was working on responding to OMB’s list of concerns regarding the County’s current draft of its Prairie Habitat Assessment Methodology (PHAM), which would guide permitting until completion of the HCP. While there is movement by the County, and a goodfaith effort to begin addressing OMB’s concerns, the reality of working across multiple agencies of state, local, and federal government dictates the sluggish pace of change and improvement. And time is money.

Time is money, indeed, and certainly in the context of building and permitting. One update we did get from the County is that even if the interim permitting guidelines are approved, the approval itself takes four to six months. One might wonder what we do in the meantime. And wonder aloud is precisely what one member did in last month’s Government Affairs Committee meeting with the County’s planning director. Hurry up, was the planning director’s response. If you have projects in the pipeline, get going on them. Get your foundations cut and call for an inspection, and do it before April 30, because once that listing goes into effect, if you have a gopher on your property, you’re severely limited on what you can do with it. And worse, if you kill a gopher after April 30, you’re liable for a taking, the penalty for which is expensive. We’re talking penalties in the tens of thousands of dollars per taking, and even prison time.

You might be thinking, “But what if the tunneling deity—I mean, the gopher— isn’t listed? What then?” First, that’s not likely. The listing is going to happen. But the planning director told us that even if the still-pending federal lawsuit against the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was successful, or if the USFWS decided against the listing (again, not likely), the County would still be moving forward with the plan to preserve prairie habitat. As the planning director puts it, and as I reported in my very first column as a member of OMB staff last year, if it’s not the gopher we’re going to be protecting with an HCP, it will just be another species of plant or animal, so let’s just protect the whole thing right now to save the County a lot of time and money.

the prairie a prairie. The County certainly doesn’t have all the funding necessary to maintain prairies. Which begs the question: if prairie around here doesn’t naturally stay prairie without intensive human intervention, what is the inherent value in preserving it?

At any rate, it’s the builder who wants to build on his land who would be stuck with the cost of maintenance. That’s because if a builder wants to “take” prairie habitat (formally known as “build on his own property as he sees fit”), he has to mitigate by purchasing a “credit” elsewhere.

That “credit” is a piece of land that he or someone else has purchased or set aside to remain prairie. But here’s the catch: the person who owns the credit land must fund an endowment so that the land can be properly maintained as suitable prairie habitat in perpetuity. No one even knows right now how much that would cost. But you’re all wealthy developers awash with fluid capital, right? You’ll find a way to pay for it.

None of these increased costs to the housing industry comes without greater costs to the health of our local economy.

We know that a healthy housing market creates jobs, adds revenue to the public coffers, and provides stability to family and community life. But a regulation of this magnitude is a game changer in an industry so dependent on affordable, buildable land. Perhaps those future archaeologists will assume that housing affordability and economic growth were just sacrifices we made to our gopher gods.

Call me crazy, but I find that approach— though proactive and forward-looking—a little problematic. The County readily acknowledges that prairies require a lot of work to maintain. It is very labor intensive to keep out invasive species and keep

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Two More Home Shows in 2014

Brianna Bedell EVENTS DIRECTOR

The OMB Big Home &

Garden Show will be held at St. Martin’s University on April 12th and 13th. After the success of last year’s show being held in the spring for the first time, we have decided to continue the new tradition.

“The Big OMB Home & Garden Show has been growing the last few years. Last year we had over 3,000 paying guests!

We are anticipating a sellout of space on the main floor of the pavilion and Worthington Center. The second annual Student Design-build Contest will likely have 20 to 30 entries. Reserve your booths early and plan for a great show,” commented Ross Irwin of Cabinets by Trivonna, 2014 Home Show Chair.

Saturday’s show hours have changed a bit this year and will run from 10:00am to 7:00pm.

Sunday’s hours remain the same, running from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Cost is $5.00 per person and kids 12 and under are free. This year, all active or retired military get half-off regular admission with a valid military ID for the entire weekend. Sunday is “Senior Day,” where all seniors will receive half-off regular admission. There are $2.00 off coupons available at vendor locations, as well as on the OMB website. Parking at this event is free.

Returning to the show this year is the Student Design/Build contest. Local students have been given the opportunity to submit a set of plans and a scale model to be judged on predetermined criteria by a panel of industry experts. Scholarship prizes are available, as well as the opportunity to interview for an internship with an OMB member. Student designs and models will be on display at the show on the upper level mezzanine.

A speaker schedule is currently being developed. In addition to featuring individual speakers, this year we plan to have two panels during the show – an Exterior Home

Maintenance panel as well as an Interior Home Maintenance panel. Please stay tuned to the OMB website for more information.

We are excited to implement a few new components into the show this year. On Saturday morning and afternoon, we will hold our first annual Children’s Lego® Home Building Competition. Our goal is to spotlight building in a positive way, inspire future home builders, and add more fun to this great community event.

The contest will include two age groups: 5 to 8 year olds and 9 to 12 year olds. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as well as “Best of Show” for each age group. We will provide all the Legos® and the children will have 45 minutes to come up with their creative master pieces. Judging will be performed by professional members of the Olympia Master Builders Association.

Preregistration is required and can be done at OMB’s office or website. The contest is limited to the first 20 children in each age group – so don’t wait to register!

Another new aspect of the

Home Show this year is a VIP Wine Night from 5pm-7pm on Saturday evening. Tickets are $15.00, which includes eight wine tastings, as well as admission to the Home Show for the entire weekend.

Included with your ticket is a wine tasting glass. We will be showcasing eight varietals from local wineries. This will add a fun and interactive attribute to the show that we are really looking forward to! Tickets can be purchased at www.omb.org. There are a limited number of tickets available – so reserve yours today!

Thank you Sponsors!

The final show in the OMB 2014 Home Show season is the Grays Harbor Home & Garden show, being held on May 17th and 18th at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds in Elma.

Show hours are from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday. This is a free show for attendees and is held in partnership with the WSU Master Gardeners of Grays Harbor County. It has been a nice long-time draw for the community, featuring vendors for all components of home ownership.

On Sunday afternoon, Marianne Binetti will be speaking on the topic “Inspiration for your Garden from Ireland to Enumclaw”. The remaining speaker schedule is still being developed for the show, so continue to check into the OMB website for more information.

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Chapter Happenings

Left: Becky Rieger and Nate Rieger of Environmental Design enteract with customers during the Lewis County Home & Remodel Show.

Rght: Tim Dickey of Accessible Living Concepts talks with Lewis County Home & Remodel Show patrons.

Lewis County Chapter

The Lewis County Home & Remodel Show was held on February 22 and 23 at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.

At the March 19th Lewis County Chapter meeting, a FEMA expert from U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Buetler’s office will be providing an update about the FEMA mapping process. At the April 16 meeting, Jan Rohila from the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) will be speaking about the BIAW Education Program. Both meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be held at Ramblin Jack’s Rib Eye in Napavine.

Grays Harbor Chapter

The Grays Harbor Chapter met on March 6th at Gepettos in Montesano. The guest speaker was James Messer of Greater Grays Harbor. He presented the group with some very interesting facts regarding the economic indicator.

Next month’s chapter meeting will be held on April 3rd at Gepettos. The guest speaker will be Tim Gibbs of Greater Grays Harbor.

Mason County Chapter

The Mason County Chapter met last month in Shelton and heard from Jan Rohila from BIAW. Rohila spoke about the BIAW education program. The next meeting will be held on March 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Rooster’s in Shelton.

South Pacific Chapter

The South Pacific Chapter met on February 27th and elected their 2014 officers.

They are: President, Steve Waltemate from S.A.W. Construction Co., Inc.; Vice President, Woody Pierson, Woody’s Septic Specialties, Inc.; Secretary, Lori Wirkkala Construction; Immediate Past President, Raymon Bonney, Bonney’s B.J. & R. Construction, Inc. The chapter will be meeting on Thursday, March 13th at 6:00 p.m. at the Lightship Restaurant in Long Beach. Guest Speaker will be newly elected Pacific County Commissioner Frank Wolf.

Health Insurance from Page 4 To receive a quote, call 1-800-545-7011, extension 6 or visit www.epkbenefits. com.

OMB Health Choice

OMB members who do not qualify for the BIAW Health Insurance Program are encouraged to check out the OMB Health Choice option. OMB members will receive customized plan comparisons and quotes from top-rated insurance companies like Regence Blue Shield, Premere Blue Cross, Asuris NW, United Healthcare, Group Health, Cigna, Aetna, HealthNet, Kaiser, Assurant Health

and more.

Members will be able to choose from popular individual health plans, group plans, Health Savings Account plans, and other creative options like Health Reimbursement Arrangements and selffunded plans that offer potential refunds based on usage.

One of the selling points of the OMB Health Choice plan is you can move to a better policy at any time of the year and your deductibles are credited from your old plan to your new plan. OMB members

do not have to wait until the next renewal cycle to start saving money.

To find out how you can receive a free quote, contact the OMB office at 360-754-0912 or Amanda Cassman at amanda@omb.org.

I’m excited that we have these two great programs to offer OMB members.

I encourage you to check out the appropriate program for your company to find out how you can start saving $’s on your health insurance coverage right now.

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Welcome New Members January through February 2014 BSSC Turner Construction, Inc. Bill Turner 11619 Littlerock Rd SW Olympia WA, 98512 (360) 352-0189 turnerco@comcast.net Sponsor: Paul Muldoon Altman Insurance Agency Debbi Boyd 1025 Black Lake Blvd SW #1B Olympia WA, 98501 (360) 705-0466 debbi@altmanagency.com Sponsor: Karen McClennen Labor Ready Darlene Weltz 418 N. Tower Centralia WA, 98531 (360) 807-8922 dweltz@laborready.com Sponsor: Rusty Ruiz

Sponsor: Tina Allen

Servpro of Olympia Tom Fitzgerald PO Box 694 Olympia WA, 98507 (360) 754-9689 sp1988@comcast.net Sponsor: Karen McClennen

Capitol Controls Jon Roswall 9116 Fox Ridge LW SE Olympia WA, 98513 (360) 539-6969 jroswall@comcast.net Sponsor: Karen McClennen

Northwest Natural Lighting Torre Dahl 7906 230th st sw Edmonds WA, 98026 (425) 744-1211 info@nwnaturallighting.com Sponsor: Karen McClennen

Lakewood Cabinet Center Jerry LI 4001 100th st sw Lakewood WA, 98499 (253) 722-1071 jerry@lakwoodcabinet.com Sponsor: John McKinlay

Journal Graphics John Murray 2840 NW 35th ave Portland WA, 97210 (503) 221-3331 john.murray@journalgraphics. com Sponsor: Kim Asay

High Definition Homes Kellen Mangan 1203 Ridge Top Lane NW Olympia WA, 98502 (360) 464-5358 kellen@hdhomeswa.com Sponsor: Rob Rice

K.T. Charbomean Trucking inc Troy Charbomean P.O Box 728 Teninio WA, 98589 (360) 273-9500 Charbie69@yahoo.com Sponsor: Carmen Rowe

Lifespan Construction Chris McDonald 8823 Marie Street SE Olympia WA, 98501 (360) 584-3833

Chris@Lifespanconstruction.com

Print NW Jeff Stallings 9914 32nd ave Tacoma WA, 98499 Jeffs@printnw.net Sponsor: Bob Kagy

Pacific Northwest ICF Chad O’Mealy 218 Jackson Hwy Chehalis WA, 98532 (360) 743-4207 chad@pacificnorthwesticf.com Sponsor: Harv Lillegard

Thank You Renewing Members January through February 2014 25+ Johnson & Maddox Construction Co., Inc. Heritage Bank Mutual Materials Northwest Cascade/Honey Buckets 20-25 Years Deering & Nelson, Inc. Auseth Construction, Inc. HD Fowler Company Nicholson & Associates Ins, LLC Timberland Bank The Roof Doctor, Inc. 15-19 Years Pascher Construction Kamco Construction SAW Construction Co., Inc. Artisans Group, Inc. Robbins’ Air, Inc. TAGS Awards & Specialties

14 • Chalk Line

Miller and Sons, Inc. The Olympian 10-14 Years Alderbrook Quarry, Inc. Mason County PUD #3 Retail Services of America, LLC Steve Crass Construction Lacey Roofing, LLC Dickey’s Remodel & Repair South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity-ReStore Local Mfg., Inc. Mohoric Refrigeration, Inc. Black Lake Landscape Supplies DBA Concrete Recyclers Fox Head Construction, LLC 5-9 Years Quadrant Homes Miles Sand and Gravel Company All Star Ford

Northwest Family Homes, Inc. Kinetico Home Water Systems/ Water Doctor of Washington, Inc. KPFF Consulting Engineers Northwest Infrared, LLC Frost & Company, PS Salter Remodel, LLC Olympia Construction, Inc. Sterling Bank Flying Colors Painting Co. Advanced Heating & Air, Inc. Swanson Law Firm, PLLC Bath Fitter 2-4 Years Keystone Masonry, Inc. Washington Health Insurance Agency Garcia Construction, LLC Kuster Homes and Remodeling, LLC LeMay Enterprises, Inc.

Lexar Homes Shea Homes, Inc. Ramblin Jacks Rib Eye Worf Electric, Inc. Phillips Burgess, PLLC Schock & Company The Bank of the Pacific 1 Year Takeuchi Earth Moving Equipment Tanglewilde Lumber, Inc. Carrig & Dancer Insulation & Windows Weststar Pacific Mortgage Thurston County Solid Waste Smart Energy Today Lloyds Automotive Lovsted Worthington

How ROII® Select is Working For You

Amanda Cassman MEMBERSHIP MARKETING COORDINATOR

I want you to look back and ask yourself, “Why did I join OMB?” Was it networking? Or how about the discounts on

events like Home Shows? Or even Health Insurance? As OMB’S Membership Marketing Coordinator it is my job to make sure you understand all the benefits Olympia Master Builders has to offer you. One of those benefits is the Return On Industrial Insurance (ROII®) Select Program.

ROII® Select does not just offer you one benefit, but multiple benefits! First, I will start with one benefit everyone loves to hear about, which is the ROII® refund. The refund is simple.

It is the money you get back from L&I when your worker’s compensation premiums are greater than your losses. Not only does this program offer a refund but it also helps protect your company and employees.

BIAW is making ROII Select® an even stronger program by adding the Retraining Assistance Program (RAP) benefit. The Retraining Assistance program helps employers by providing a BIAW representative who researches whether or not the employee who filed the claim actually had a legitimate claim.

This process will happen within 60-90 days of the claim being filed. If approved for participation in the RAP program, the program will reimburse the employer the wages, payroll, and retraining expenses that the employer pays to the injured employee while the employee participates in a modified duty retraining program. This program is great because your employee gets to continue to work and the employer gets to keep their L&I experience factor lower!

Another great benefit offered through this program is Audit and Loss Control Assistance. This program gives on-site safety and loss control consultations at no extra charge. These consultations can give a list of effective tools and classes to help your company and employees be as safe as possible.

To find out your eligibility, scan this form and email to enroll@biaw.com.

Yes! I want real change.

Send me more information on how I can lower my workers’ comp costs by joining R.O.I.I.® Select.

Firm Name Contact

,

-

L&I Account ID# (required) Address City Phone

State

Zip

Fax

email Signing this release gives BIAW permission to contact anyone at the above listed company via mail, email, phone, and fax for any BIAW-related matters.

To the Department of Labor & Industries:

You are hereby authorized to provide our company’s premium, claims history, losses, statistics, experience modification factor and related industrial insurance data, including all sub accounts tied to the policy whether inactive or active, to the Building Industry Association of Washington along with access to the Department’s online Claim & Account Center.

X

Signature required

For more Information, contact: Lara Hastings R.O.I.I.® Select Marketing Manager 800-228-4229, ext. 171 larah@biaw.com

I have only listed some of the key benefits that ROII® Select provides. To see if you qualify for this program go to www.

BIAW.com. Don’t waste time. Apply today so you can get your refund and begin to enjoy additional benefits offered to you as member of OMB.

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

OLYMPIA, WA PERMIT #159

1211 STATE AVE. NE OLYMPIA, WA 98506 $1.25 per copy 360-754-0912 800-456-6473 www.omb.org