T h e Vo i c e o f
POLK COUNTY BUILDERS ASSOCIATION 2232 Heritage Drive Lakeland, FL 33801
PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT#348 LAKELAND FLORIDA
Polk County’s Construction Industry Polk County Builders Association
BluePrints
2012 Economic Development Update Fourth Quarter 2012
November 13, 2012 • 5:30pm at Grasslands.
This Issue Speaker: Claudia Tritton of the Lakeland Economic Development Council. • Presidents Message
She is the Business Development Director and is responsible for managing leads, business recruitment and promoting Lakeland. In addition, she works with local Real Estate professionals on marketing their products.
• First Friday • Installation Banquet • 2012 Fall Parade of Homes TM
The Parade of Homes winners will receive their plaques at this event and we will also be voting on a new slate of Officers. Please RSVP to Pat by November 7th at 863-665-0844 or email pate@pcba.com
$40 per person Plan to attend this great networking event!
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Menu
Carved Roast Pork Chicken Marsala Green Beans Almon dine Honey Glazed Carro ts Roast Red Bliss Pota toes Risotto Salad Bar Coffee and Tea Dessert Table - 5 to choose from Cash Bar
Premier Sponsor:
Calendar of Events OCTOBER 2012 October 4
PWB Bingo Night
5:30 am/PCBA Office
October 4
Government Affairs Committee
12:00/PCBA Office
October 12
Parade VIP Party
5:30pm/Highlands in the Woods
October 13&14
Parade of Homes First Weekend
October 18
Board of Directors Meeting
October 20&21
Parade of Homes Second Weekend
4:00/PCBA Office
NOVEMBER 2012 November 2
First Friday
5:00 pm/Downtown Lakeland
November 1-3
FHBA Fall Conference
St. Petersburg
November 8
PWB Cocktails & Conversation
5:30 p.m./Cleveland Heights
November 13
Nov. GMM – Economic Development Presentation
November 15
Guest Speaker - Claudia Tritton
5:30 pm/Grasslands
Board of Directors Meeting
4:00/PCBA Office
DECEMBER 2012 December 4
Dec. GMM - Installation Banquet
5:30 pm/Lakeland Yacht Club
December 6
Government Affairs Committee
12:00/PCBA Office
December 20
Board of Directors Meeting
4:00/PCBA Office
DID YOU KNOW? As a member of PCBA you can receive a copy of the county’s monthly building permit report by simply requesting it. Please contact Pat at PCBA at 665-0844 or email pate@pcba.com. Give her the email address that you want the report to go to and she will forward a copy to you. You will receive the report each month via email. The permit report is a list of all building permits issued for the county for the month. The permits are listed by subdivision name, address, builder, square footage, and declared value. The report includes residential and commercial permits.
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PCBA Events Rain, Rain GO AWAY! Those magical words did not make the rain go away on Friday September 16th at Cypresswood Golf Course in Winter Haven.
President's Message
And the Winner of the
POLK COUNTY BUILDERS ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President
Sean Harper Harper Homes
President Elect
Brian Walsh Highland Homes
1st Vice President
Barbie Taylor
2nd Vice President
Keith Combee
Secretary/Treasurer
William Webb Webb Home Builders
of
Immediate Past President
Roger Atherton Counter Effects by Roger
Special thanks to the Golf Committee Lucas Martin of FloraLawn, Dean Brown of Whirlpool & Todd Shuff of Carpenter Contractors for the hours they put in on our phone bank and getting raffle prizes.
Southern Homes!
Duane McQuillen Duane McQuillen Construction
Carlton Hodges LeMans Properties
Thanks to all of the wet but cheerful volunteers who helped with he tournament. We could not do this without you!!! Our volunteers make the difference!!!
Congratulations!
Lucas Martin FloraLawn
Brian Waller Waller Construction
Mark Hulbert Hulbert Homes
Greg Sanoba The Sanoba Law Firm
Rob Nunez Florida Home Designs
Nan Webster Integrity First Title
Richie Johnson Southern Homes
Todd Shuff Carpenter Contractors of America
The rain started to come down by the bucketfuls after only 5 holes of play! The manager of Cypresswood called the tournament off as rainwater collected on the greens and formed small ponds!! He said it was too wet to play and offered everyone a raincheck. Wet players & volunteers made a run for the clubhouse where an after golf reception was enjoyed by all! Raffle prized and cash were raffled off, food was eaten and everyone had a great time despite the storms!
Membership Drive is... Ritchie Johnson
A special thanks to all of our players for their support of this event.
Christmas Banquet PCBA Installation Dinner
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NAHB DIRECTORS Tim Davis Mike Hickman Donnie Tyler / Life Director
$50
This years Installation Dinner will be at the
Carlton Hodges, Life Director Dave Carter Robert Harper
FHBA DIRECTORS Tim Davis Carlton Hodges, Life Director Roger Atherton A.J. Maqueira
Lakeland Yacht and Country Club on
Tuesday, December 4th at 5:30pm
Dave Carter Bill Branham Brian Bierwagen
FHBA LIFE DIRECTORS
In addition to a fantastic meal there will be a cash bar and valet parking. PCBA will recognize 2012 Builders and Associate of the Year.
Dave Carter Robert Harper Donnie Tyler Mike Hickman
Gary Clements Don Paris Marc Boney
PCBA STAFF Stephanie Hutton Pat Edleman
Executive Director Membership & Special Events
Please plan to attend this end of year gala event! Phone: 863.665.0844 • Fax: 863.667.9956 2232 Heritage Drive Lakeland, Florida 33801
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I hope all is well with the PCBA members. First of all I want to thank all of you for your support of the PCBA. Our members are the lifeblood of the association and your participation helps our industry tremenSean Harper Harper Homes dously. The builder’s association local, state and national are fighting for our industry daily as we are constantly bombarded with proposals for new laws and regulations and I want to assure you that your membership dues are helping to save our industry. There are a couple of events coming over the next few months that I would like you to participate in. First is our general membership meeting at Grasslands Country Club on November 13th. This will be an informative meeting on the local economy presented by the Lakeland Economic Development Council. Second is the Annual Installation Dinner on December 4th. This will be held at the Lakeland Yacht and County Club and is a great night get dressed up and spend an evening with that special person. All of our general membership meetings are great events that keep you informed on what is going on with others in the industry. I am looking forward to seeing you there. I have seen an upbeat in my business in over the last year and have talked with others that have experienced the same. I believe we are on the upswing and it is a good feeling to see my peers feeling positive about the economy lately. I wish you all much success in the coming year and I appreciate you allowing me to lead this great organization over the last year. I encourage you to get involved in the PCBA by joining a committee or joining the board of directors. This will give you a great insight on what the builder’s association does for you. Have a great rest of the year. Sean Harper Feel free to contact Sean at: President@PCBA.com with any questions or concerns regarding the PCBA.
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ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT PAT SPALDING OF FLORIDA PUBLIC UTILITIES An employee of Florida Public Utilities (FPU), Pat enjoyed a corporate transition as Central Florida Gas began operating under the Florida Public Utilities brand. Florida Public Utilities has been providing energy to homes and businesses throughout Florida since its incorporation in 1924. In 2009, Chesapeake Utilities, a diversified energy company providing quality service to its customers and communities for more than 100 years, acquired Florida Public Utilities, providing FPU with long-term growth opportunities and increased revenue stream. FPU has sponsored many events for the Polk County Builders Association and takes pride in meeting the future needs of the community. Pat Spalding, an FPU employee for 11 years, has been a member of PCBA since 1981, during which time she has acclimated to the building industry environment and is committed to introducing builders to the natural advantages of constructing energy efficient homes. Having worked for a residential developer for twenty years prior to her term with FPU, she is a seasoned professional. Named Associate of the Year in 2004 and 2010, Pat values the relationships she has developed with the developers and builders in the area and is grateful to the industry for the role it has allowed her to play in positively influencing building trends with cleaner, greener lifestyle alternatives. Hailing originally from Virginia, Pat enjoys dancing, walking, bike riding and Zumba. She loves a variety of music genres and is devoted to her two dogs, Sheltie and Poodle, thirteen and nine-years old, respectively. “Spectator� is her sport of choice, viewing athletics with her canines!
Endorsements Kelli Stargel, Florida Senate District 15 Denise Grimsley, Florida Senate District 21 Seth Mckeel, Florida House District 40 John Wood, Florida House District 41 Neil Combee, Florida House District 39 George Lindsey, Polk County Commission District 1 John Hall, Polk County Commission District 5
Please make sure to vote on November 6th because many of these races will be determined at that time.
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August 28th Gift Basket Bonanza Was A Blast!!! 25 Baskets were raffled off, Robert Harper of Harper Homes sang and everyone in attendance enjoyed great BBQ! If you missed this event, you missed a fun time! 9
Government Affairs 2012 FALL PARADE OF HOMESTM OFFERED 13 NEW HOMES AND ONE REMODELER The Fall Parade of Homes had 13 new home entries, one remodeler and one landscape entry. This years parade featured an “Avenue of Dreams”. Three showcase homes were featured at Highlands in the Woods in South Lakeland. The “Avenue of Dreams” featured homes in the $279,000 to $345,000 price range. Three distinctively different homes, featuring the very latest in new home design, decorating, and energy efficiency. Highlands in the Woods is a gated, wooded, development featuring a clubhouse, pool, and tennis courts. The subdivision is located in South Lakeland off of Lakeland Highlands Road. The following Builders had homes entered in the Fall parade of homes: Drummond Company - The Concord at Mission Lakes, Lakeland. Williams Construction - The 840 at 840 Parkdale, Bartow Danny Sadler Inc - The Bentley A-1 at Bentley Oaks, Auburndale. R.Nunez Homes - The Diamond at Stoney Creek, Lakeland. Ernie White Construction - The Liberty at Sleepy Hill, Lakeland. Ernie White Construction - The Hancock II at Lake James, Lakeland. Hickman Homes - The Day Manor at Highlands in the Woods, Lakeland. Harper Homes - The Woodside Chateau at Highlands in the Woods, Lakeland. Duane McQuillen Construction - The Craftsman at Highlands in the Woods, Lakeland. R. Nunez Homes - The Seville at Christina Chase, Lakeland. Kensington Homes - The St. Augustine at Eaglebrooke, Lakeland. Tapia Construction - The Diana at Highlands in the Woods, Lakeland. Hulbert Homes - The Maximillion at Twelve Oaks Estates, Winter Haven. The Remodel entry was for Waller Construction and the entry was in South Lakeland at 6003 Sourwood Way. The Landscape Entry was for The Diamond at Stoney Creek.
Let me point out two things about the process. One, invariably, we end up working on issues that do not make the priority list, or come up after the list is established, so rest assured we will address all issues that impact our industry. Two, as you look at the list below, note that we gave just brief explanations of the issues on the belief that if the issue is impacting the industry, you’ll have received more than enough feedback to gauge its importance. In other words, there is no attempt here to “sell” you on the significance of one issue over another.
FHBA Legislative Issues (Proposed) Workers Compensation: • Prescription Drug Repackaging loophole has allowed a 2.5 percent increase in WC rates • Priority of FHBA last year • 2011 bill failed Sadowski Funding: • Funds have been swept by the Legislature past years • State Budget appears to have stabilized, improving chances of funding
Winners Plaques will be awarded at the November 13 dinner at Grasslands. See page 10 for more info about the dinner.
The PCBA Foundation has had a great year. We raised money and awareness with a number of events. Last Spring we had a Wine Tasting Dinner at Runway 9/27 Bistro at the Bartow Airport. Great crowd and a delicious five course / five wine tasting. We look forward to another event like this next Spring. At both PCBA Golf Tournaments we had the Foundation tent with a Putt for Dough game. The first one went well; the second was a little damp and was called for rain.
Our Blueprint & Model Competition was held at Polk State College. Some amazing students and even more amazing blueprints and models were on view to the public. Following one of the main tasks of the Foundation, we awarded thousands of dollars in scholarship prizes to the winners at the reception. This year the Foundation teamed up with the Tri County Builders and Contractors Association to build a run in pasture shelter for the TiAnViCa Riding Academy east of Bartow. They are a non-profit organization that provides riding therapy for kids with challenges such as MS, Muscular Distrophy, Down's Syndrome, Traumatic Head Injuries, and now they've added wounded warriors back from wartime injuries. Sean Harper of Harper Homes and his team represented the PCBA well. Kelley Buick GMC provided the lunches and water for all the workers while they built the building from dirt to done.
Unlicensed Activity: • Comprehensive changes based on FHBA Task Force • Increase fines • Increase enforcement action • Assure that fines go for additional enforcement • Industry support Septic Tank Study Funding: • Final Budget allocation $800,000 • Study completed with this allocation Septic Tank – Permitting Issues: • Local Health Departments have not lessened their review requirements or costs in light of last year’s changes in bedroom definition Building Code Issues: • Repeal Florida Energy Code as sole method of compliance Permanent Funding for Grants: • Implemented permanent budget changes as passed last year Wage Theft: • Prohibition of local wage theft ordinances • Failed the past two years Mandatory Sick Leave Ordinances: • Prohibition of mandatory sick leave ordinances Unemployment Compensation: • Oppose increases in the risk factor for certain businesses • Each one percent +/- $125 • Potential 3 percent increase Funding for Construction Trades: • Advocate for allocation of training monies for construction trades Condo issues: • Proposal to replace the date triggering certain obligations; to clarify when a condominium unit is created; and to permit extending the period for adding phases to a condominium • Florida Bar moving forward with bill we can support
Foundation Vice President Kylie Guess came up with some great T-shirts that are for sale. This is another way of getting our name out and showing support for the Foundation and the scholarships we provide to Polk County students. We're happy for the support of everyone in our programs and we're looking forward to another great year!
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This process begins with staff providing a list of possible priorities, which can be found below. Local HBAs, through its Executive Officers, then recommend any issues that should be added to the list. The list then goes to the FHBA Governmental Affairs Committee, which meets on Friday, November 3, 2012 from 10 am to noon at the Renaissance Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg during the Annual Fall Conference, to determine the priorities.
Please send your recommendations to me by October 22, 2012.
The VIP Kick Off party for the Parade was at Highlands in the Woods on October 12th at 5:30 pm. The Party was Sponsored by MidFlorida Credit Union and Ferguson Enterprises. Thank you to all of our judges, drivers and the tally team for your help with this years parade.
JC Martin President PCBA Foundation
The time has arrived for FHBA to discuss and decide on its Legislative Priorities for the 2013 session of the Florida Legislature, which begins on March 5, 2013.
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Amendment 3 Implementation: • The Legislation implementing the restriction of property value increases when improving a home for energy efficiency or mitigation has failed to pass the legislature 3 years in a row
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Events
Events
Cocktails and Conversation Professional Women in Building Networking Thursday November 8th 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm History has been made and we are so proud to be the first Professional Women in Building Council in the State of Florida. Our focus charity is KidPack to help the 2400 homeless children in Polk County not go hungry! We will be collecting donations for money or fruit cups to support this effort. If you didn’t make it to the October 4th PWB Cocktails and Conversation Bingo Night sponsored by Berkshire Management Group then you missed a fun time. We raised $251 for Kidpack which means the PWB is able to feed one kid for an entire year!! That’s pretty good for our first fundraiser! ☺ Plan on attending our next networking social and bring your friends.
Save the date for Nov. 8th 6-9 pm the location will be announced soon. Contact Donna Slagel for details or to RSVP at donna.slagel@gbmail.com. Also join the PWB on Facebook to get all the latest updates.
Hope to see you at the next social.
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