WABO 2015 Fall Quarterly Meeting - Pasco, Washington
Willie Hill receives the 2015 Association of the Year Award from President Jon Siu in Pasco President's Reportby Jonathan Siu, PE, SE, ACO The time has definitely come to BE INVOLVED with the codes we all administer. Those of us who registered with ICC will be able to vote on proposed code changes soon, using ICC’s online tool, cdpACCESS. This vote will determine what the 2018 IBC (non-structural provisions), IEBC, IMC, IRC (mechanical and plumbing sections), IPC, and IFGC will look like. The voting process itself is a relatively simple process—we’ll essentially be voting yea or nay on a final proposal. The WABO Technical Code Development Committee was heavily involved at the Public Comment Hearings (see the TCD report, as well as reports from TCD scholarship recipients), and will be sending out a voting guide soon to help give you some information. WABO was also well-represented at the ICC Annual Business Meeting, with members attending Membership Council meetings, and voting for ICC officers and directors—and being recognized as ICC Code Official of the Year (John Darnall!) The upshot of the elections was that the Western US is now represented by five directors (out of 14) and one officer (out of 3)—a good ratio. Topics of discussion at the Membership Councils included new training offerings to be provided in support of the 2015 codes, as well as tools and best practices to raise the building officials’ profile, and succession planning. During the meeting in Pasco, we took some time to discuss a letter that has been posted on the State Building Code Council website, essentially stating that based on an opinion from the State Attorney General, local jurisdictions could not adopt the IPC as a wholesale replacement for the UPC, even as a code alternate. The discussion was lively, with many WABO members expressing concern that this was an infringement on the local building official’s authority. However, it was also pointed out that the SBCC has no enforcement authority. While we didn’t reach a formal conclusion, it was good for the members to be able to air their concerns. It is my belief that the ultimate test will come in court. That is, each code official will need to decide whether they want to proceed with the IPC as an alternate, with guidance from their jurisdiction’s attorney, and the ultimate test will come in court if someone challenges their decision in that venue. At this meeting, the Code Forum led by Lee Kranz took place in a “cracker barrel” format, where facilitators at tables led short discussions on “5-over-2” construction, occupied roofs, paperless permitting, alternate means and methods, deck failures (and how to avoid them), and use of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC). Members picked a topic of interest and after discussing the topic for 20 minutes, then rotated to another topic. There were three 20-minute sessions, so each member got to discuss three issues. Feedback on the format was positive, so it is likely we’ll repeat the format for future meetings. This is another chance to BE INVOLVED—we’ll need suggestions for topics, and members who are willing to facilitate the discussions. Last, but not least, WABO hosted a wine-tasting social event—a time where members could network and continue to “talk shop” in a less formal atmosphere and simply get to know each other better. The opportunity for networking is consistently one of the activities our members identify as what brings them to these meetings, and we are glad to be able to provide them with a venue to do that. The food, the wine, and most importantly, the conversations were good—a good time was had by all! Our next meeting will be at the Lacey Community Center on January 29, 2016, with the likely focus once again being on the legislative session. There are likely to be bills that WABO will be actively supporting, so we may arrange another “day on the Hill” for members to meet with legislators and discuss the issues—another opportunity to BE INVOLVED. We look forward to seeing you there!
WABO members participate in Cracker Barrel discussions Committee ReportsEducation Committee - Chair Tim Nordtvedt The WABO Education Committee worked exclusively on class selection for the 2016 WABO Annual Education Institute scheduled for the week of March 21, 2016. After discussion, a number of classes were proposed with an emphasis on the update sessions for the 2015 IBC, IFC, IRC, IMC, IEBC, IFGC, and the UPC (with a possible addition of the IPC). Suggestions also include classes relative to communication and “soft” skills, such as basics of code enforcement. The WABO office is now in the process of contacting instructors and formulating the schedule, which will be determined subject to instructor availability and scheduling.
Technical Code Development - Chair Lee Kranz The WABO Technical Code Development Committee met in Pasco, WA during the WABO Quarterly Business Meeting on October 15. Among the topics discussed were State code changes such as marijuana occupancy classification and sprinkler requirements for Group E daycare uses. We also discussed TCD performance at the ICC Public Comment Hearings in Long Beach, CA and the schedule to get prepared for the ICC Group B code change cycle (code changes are due January 11, 2016). Some of the scholarship recipients who went to Long Beach also gave verbal reports on their personal experiences while attending the hearings. TCD created a voting guide for WABO members to use once cdpACCESS is available for voting (was supposed to start Oct. 21 but has been delayed). The Voting Guide is divided into high and medium priority code changes. This was done in hopes of getting more members to vote on the high priority changes and then do the medium priority changes if they have time. As always, WABO members are encouraged to vote as they see fit but they can use the Voting Guide for additional information. Look for the Voting Guide to be sent out as an email attachment soon and posted on the WABO website.
Government Relations - Chair David Spencer The 2016 legislative session will be upon us soon. The government relations committee has updated the legislation subcommittee position procedures. The changes where presented to the membership at the fall business meeting in Pasco. The committee called for members to join the committee at the fall meeting. There were some members that expressed an interest in becoming involved, but the committee is still looking for others who have an interest to contact me. Many topics were discussed during the meeting. Currently the potential legislation that is expected this year will be:
The committee will continue to monitor these issues. Many other points of interest were also discussed for consideration:
Amy Brackenbury, our lobbyist, continues to do an excellent job. She is remains involved and engaged, keeps us up to date on any potential issues, and continues to help us build relationships within the legislature. Lastly, the committee would like to thank the past committee chair Gary Allsup for his years of service on the committee. His dedication to raising our profile and time spend communicating and engaging with legislators is greatly appreciated. Outreach Services - Chair Todd Blevins The Outreach committee discussed various outreach programs including teaming with OBOA, Simpson Strong-Tie, and local education programs. The main focus is getting more of our own building departments involved by focusing on mentorship and staying involved in WABO. I will continue to ask for Ideas from our membership in implementing any outreach program that we feel will benefit WABO.  Happy Halloween!
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Washington Association of Building Officials
PO Box 7310, Olympia, WA 98507
Phone: (360) 628-8669
Email: [email protected]
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