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HERE

OCT2015

M A S T E R B U I L D E R S A S S O C I A T I O N O F P I E R C E C O U N T Y

WIN A FREE FRONT PAGE COVER FOR YOUR BUSINESS

BEFORE|AFTER P H O T O C O N T E S T

{ }TURN TO FIND OUT HOW

Board of Directors Executive Committee

Kent ArolaPresident

Duke YorkVice President Treasurer

Cathi Mahan2nd Vice President

Josh DunnVice President Secretary

Laureen Skrivan Immediate Past President

Local DirectorsJason Christensen, Dennis Gregory, Lynne Hill, Mark Johnson, Scott Jones, Chris Lockhart, Gary Pedersen, Carol Pope, Steven Rork, Gary Rushing, Bill Sager, Mike Schwartz, Steve Shattuck CGR/CAPS, Kevin Spruell,

Corey Watson, Duke York CGR/CAPS

State DirectorsErnie Dittmann, Mike Fast CGR, Rick Hjelm CGR/CR, Joe Maxwell, Susie Nelson, Tom O’Connor, Gary Patterson, Erle Thompson, Scott Lee Wilson,

Duke York, Joe Zehnder

National DirectorsBob Camp , Mike Fast CGR, Lyle

Fox, Rick Hjelm CGR/ CR

Lifetime DirectorsDan Abercrombie, Terry Brink, Rick Brunaugh, Robert Camp, Sean Comfort, Bob Coyne, Ray Dally, Jeff Edwards, Mike Fast CGR, Lyle Fox, Dan Garber, Steve Garitone, Dave Graff, Buzz Grant, Kirk Harr, Dave Hendrickson, Rick Hjelm, Clem Johnson, Rebecca Jones, David Kelly, David Litowitz, Todd Lord, Cathi Mahan , Joe Maxwell, Ann McLaren, Bob Mickey, Merritt Nelson, Susie Nelson, Tom O’Connor, Les Rhea, Pat Steffan,

Doug Vieselmeyer, Duke York, Rick Yorkk, Jim Yurina

Lifetime State DirectorsRobert Camp, Don Cash, Lyle Fox, Steve Garitone

Lifetime National DirectorsRobert Camp, Ray Dally, Mike Fast CGR, Lyle Fox, Jim Yurina

MBA StaffRick Miller- ext. 104

Executive Officer

Jeremiah Lafranca- ext. 105Government Affairs Director

Kim Taylor- ext. 103Operations & Membership Director

Haylee Rice- ext. 102 Communications Manager

Official Publication of: Master Builders Association of Pierce County1120 Pacific Ave., Ste. 301, Tacoma, WA 98402Phone: (253) 272-2112 Fax: (253) 383-1047

www.mbapierce.com info@mbapierce.com

MBA Mission StatementThe Master Builders Association of Pierce County is an organization consisting of home building professionals and related service providers. We promote the interests of the home building industry through membership involvement, legislative action, networking and

education while striving to maintain the highest ethical standards.

Volume 23, Number 1 Dimensions is published 6 times per year: In Jan., April, June, Aug., Oct. and Dec. by the Master Builders Association of Pierce County, 1120 Pacific Ave, Suite 301, Tacoma, Washington 98402. Copyright 2015 by Master Builders Association of Pierce County. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of the MBA.

Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

NOW THRU NOV.20th

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BEFORE|AFTER P H O T O C O N T E S T

Calling allMBA PIERCE

Members!

FIND OUT MORE DETAILS ATwww.facebook.com/mbapierce

Is it October already? Three quarters of my Presidential year have flashed by in what seems like the blink of an eye. Once this article is completed I will only have one more article to go. I have enjoyed the first nine months of my presidency and look forward to a great finish to the year.

One of the most important things members do is visit with candidates for office in Pierce County. Our Affordable Housing Council interviews candidates for office in nearly every jurisdiction we cover. It takes a great deal of time and attention to detail. I personally want to thank the members of the committee for their dedication. Chairman Mike Fast, Laureen Skrivan, Bob Camp, Tom O’Connor, Kurt Wilson, Sean Comfort, and Bill Sager all invested their valuable time in this process.

Your association continues to track issues that affect the cost of construction and time to market. Below are two of note that are being closely monitored. As an association we need the help of our members on these issues. Please contact Jeremiah LaFranca, our Government Affairs Director, if you can help.

Pierce County Emergency Vehicle Access: Pierce County Council will be considering an amendment which reduces the required onsite private road width table from 24’ to 20’ for 50 lots or less. MBA Staff drafted a letter to support this amendment and the amendment passed through the Economic and Infrastructure Development Committee on October 13, 2015. This item will be before the Council on December 1, 2015.

Tacoma Narrowmoor Conservation District: The City Council will be considering a Comprehensive Plan Amendment proposal to create Tacoma’s first neighborhood conservation district (NCD). Under this proposal, new requirements for design review by the Landmarks Preservation Commission would be introduced for projects involving properties within the conservation district, including: (1) All new residential development that would otherwise require a permit; (2) Residential demolitions that remove more than 50% of the roof area or exterior walls are removed, or the primary elevation is affected; and (3) expansions that increase the footprint of a home or accessory structure. The MBA has been arguing against the creation of this NCD, specifically a provision in the plan which states that lot subdivisions are required to maintain a minimum lot frontage width of 60’, which effectively eliminates a property owner’s ability to subdivide their lot due to lot sizes in the neighborhood. After receiving comment from the MBA, the lot subdivision provision was removed from the Narrowmoor NCD by the Planning Commission before the being passed on to City Council for consideration. The MBA will continue to fight this proposal as it moves forward.

One of the biggest events of the year took place in early October. The annual Tour of Remodeled Homes was October 3rd and 4th. Presented by our Remodelor’s Council, this event is our showcase to the public for the year. Cliff Kendall of Wren and Willow did an outstanding job as the Chairman of the council to make this event a tremendous success. There were eleven homes on the tour this years. The numbers are still coming in, but, on average, 150 people visited each house. What a great way to show the quality of work our remodelor members do, and promote MBA Pierce. Special thanks to Gayle Kassen of Crescent Lighting for chairing the tour this year. It is a big job, and Gayle was truly amazing. Got to mba-tour.com to view this year’s entrants.

In closing this article, I have to mention one of my top priorities, membership. Nothing I have mentioned in this article happens without involved, dedicated members. I urge you to recruit a member before the end of the year. Bring a potential member as a guest to an MBA event. Show them the value of membership. Introduce them to another member. Once they join, I am confident they will be proud to be a member of our association. I know I am.

| Kent Arola

KENT AROLA | Wind river HoMes

A message from the

MBAPIERCEPRESIDENT

NOVEMBER 17GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING “NOTHING BUT NETWORKING”

LOCATION TBD5:30 - 7:30PM

NOVEMBER 19PIERCE COUNTY CAREER DAY

WA STATE FAIR GROUNDS9AM - 2PM

DECEMBER 10PRESIDENTS BALLHOTEL MURANO

{ 1320 BROADWAY, TACOMA }5PM - 9PM

NOVEMBER 24RemOdelORs cOUNcil meeTiNg

bill KORUm’s PUyallUP NissaN

{ 101 Valley aVe NW, PUyallUP }6Pm - 8Pm

MBAPIERCEE V E N T S

NOVEMBER 12dPc meeTiNg

ameRicaN aRT cOmPaNy {1126 bROadWay, TacOma }

$10 / TicKeT

5:30 - 7:30PmNOVEMBER 10legislaTiVe sTRaTegy cOmmiTTee meeTiNg

mba PieRce Office

1120 Pacific aVe #301,TacOma

@ 3Pm

G o v e r n m e n tA f f a i r s

rick MiLLer | EXECUTIVE OFFICER

A me A message from thEssage from the

EXECUTIVEOFFICER

Heading in to the last quarter of the year it is a good time to reflect on some of the bright spots for the year, and to look ahead to 2016. Through tremendous effort by dedicated members, MBA Pierce was able to accomplish a great deal in this year. Personally, I believe it will be even better next year. In 2015 our major

events were outstanding. From the Golf Tournament to REX, Family Fun Day, the Crab Feed, the Tour of Remodeled Homes, members came together to organize and attend a number of fantastic events. Along the way nearly $10,000 was raised to contribute to worthy causes chosen by MBA Pierce members.

Increasing member value was also at the forefront in 2015. The association signed an agreement with National Purchasing Partners that will continue to provide discounts on products members use every day. From cell phones to construction supplies to computers, our members can save enough in a year to more than cover their annual dues.

MBA Pierce also continued to be a strong presence in local government affairs issues affecting residential construction. Members and staff participated on city and county task forces, advisory groups, and held regular meeting with the county executive, as well as key department heads.

We face many challenges ahead. But, just as we did in 2015, and for the last seventy years, MBA Pierce members will strive to increase the value of membership, and make the dream of owning a home a reality for the members of the community we serve.

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GOVERNMENTAFFAIRSUPDATE

Puget Sound Energy Line Extension: New costs for extending Puget Sound Energy electric and service lines to new plats and developments went into

effect on September 1, 2015. The increased rates for most types of electric line extensions range between 10% and 20%. Additionally the State Utilities and Transportation Commission agreed to a higher allowance credit from PSE to builders upon completion of a construction project and activation the electric meter. For a single home, the allowance credit to builders has increased 73%, from $1,117 to $1,932.

Legislative Strategy Committee: The LSC meeting will take place on November 10, 2015 at 3:00PM at the MBA of Pierce County office in Tacoma. We will be joined by Peter Huffman, the Director of Planning and Development Services with the City of Tacoma, to discuss staffing and levels of service. This will be an opportunity for MBA Members to discuss and provide feedback about their experiences with Mr. Huffman’s department. Please join us for our guest presentation and for updates from MBA staff on local jurisdiction issues.

Tacoma: A Vision2Action Symposium on electric vehicles took place on September 17, 2015. The purpose of this meeting was to get ideas on how to spur electric vehicle infrastructure development in new residential structures, specifically multi-family housing. Most attendees were government workers or private entities that worked in the electric vehicle industry (installation, charge station retailers, etc.). Many of the participants suggested regulations should be implemented to require infrastructure to be installed when building new multi-family housing. The Sustainability Commission in Tacoma is drafting a report with its recommendations on this issue and it is unknown at this time how they will choose to proceed. The state legislature is currently working on some legislation for electric vehicle infrastructure, so the City of Tacoma will be monitoring that to see if it’s necessary to implement any regulations.

Milton: An ordinance to increase traffic impact fees in Milton was passed back on September 8, 2015. The new fee is $3,941 and is based on the p.m. peak hour trips attributable to the development activity.

Pierce County: MBA Staff was contacted by Pierce County Staff to discuss Senate Bill 5923 which requires deferral of impact fees for at least 20 lots per builder per jurisdiction with several different options for points of deferral such as deferral until final inspection, certificate of occupancy or closing of the first sale after building permit. MBA Staff provided feedback that the County should not limit deferral of impact fees to just 20 lots and that the point of deferral should be the closing of the first sale after building permit. The County will be working with the MBA over the next few months to create an ordinance that works for the building industry.

***Detached: August '15 average new home price = $344,762 / median new hm price= $314,367 / av. New home cost per sq ft = $141.39 (up 5% from 8/14) Attached (new & existing): August '15 Av. Hm Price = $223,552 / Median Hm. Price= $196,358 / New Av. Cost Per Sq. Ft = $234.50

August '15 Average Lot Price = $78,054 / Median Lot Price = $70,000 / Av. Lot=22.6% of Av. Home Price Med. Lot =22.3% of Median Home Price.

Av Foreclosed SF Home Price= $192,607 (16.3% of existing homes / 16% of all homes for sale)

Source: RealEstats (360-693-6525)

Permit Activity rePorts || August 2015

Hello MBA Pierce Members! I am thrilled to be serving as your association’s new Communications Manager. I am excited to help strengthen the association and improve how we communicate with our members. So far, my first big project is to renovate the

MBA website. We should have a completely new website up and running by next month! Long-term, I’d like to association to have a strong online/digital presence, and update our website to be as functional and easy-to-use as possible. My ultimate goal is to improve the value of membership, and create communications strategies that best meet the needs of our members. Have an idea to share? Feel free to reach out - I love hearing feedback and suggestions! I look forward to getting to know our members better and how MBA Pierce can best serve you.

GEt To Know YOUR NEW

COMMUNICATIONSMANAGER

HAyLeerice | COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

DECEMBER 10TH, 2015 | HoteL MurAno | 5:00 PM

{ AN MBAPierce EXCLUS IVE EVENT }

TOP 25 RecRUiTiNg sPiKes (sPikes thAt hAve Actively recruited within the PAst 12 months) Name SpikeS 1 Susie Nelson 393.5 2 Rick Hjelm 367.25 3 Steve Shattuck 313.5 4 Kurt Wilson 250.25 5 Kent Arola 243.25 6 Cathi Mahan 235.25 7 Sue Zimmerman 219 8 Michael Fast 164 9 Gary Patterson 162 10 Duke York 159.75 11 Rebecca Jones 159.5 12 Matt Rock 121.25 13 Tom O'Connor 98 14 Joe Zehnder 83.75 15 Joe Maxwell 81.5 16 Lynne Hill 75 17 Ernie Dittmann 71.5 18 Laureen Skrivan 57 19 Leslie Jensen 56 20 Billie Jo Hyland 51.25 21 Bill Tucker 49.25 22 Mike Schwartz 34.5 23 Chris Lockhart 30.25 24 Rob Hanlon 23 25 Gary Pedersen 22.5 * Per NAHB Active Spikes as of 9/30/2015

TOP 25 all Time sPiKes

Name SpikeS 1 Kevin Kartak 1666.5 2 Dave Graff * 630.25 3 Steve Garitone * 555.25 4 Susie Nelson 393.5 5 Rick Hjelm 367.25 6 Gary Phillips 363.25 7 Pat Steffan 333 8 Steve Shattuck 313.5 9 Carri Litowitz * 286 10 Kurt Wilson 250.25 11 Randy Kruse * 246.75 12 Kent Arola 243.25 13 Cathi Mahan 235.25 14 Robert Camp 220.5 15 Sue Zimmerman 219 16 William Schuur Jr 197 17 Dave Hendrickson 194.25 18 Gordon Neu 190.25 19 Lyle Fox 174.25 20 Michael Fast 164 21 Gary Patterson 162 22 Duke York 159.75 23 Rebecca Jones 159.5 24 Fred Brown 128 25 Wayne Mangan * 123.5 *Per NAHB Spikes as of 9/30/2015* No longer an active, named member of MBA Pierce

W E L C O M EB A c k

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PacWesT eNgiNeeRiNg Of WasHiNgTON llc

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WReN & WillOW iNc

NeWlaNd cOmmUNiTies

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N E W M B AM E M B E R S

members 70+ yeArs Miller Building Enterprises IncPuget Sound EnergyCaliber Company Inc || DBA Pioneer Pacific Homes

members 25-29 yeArsAHBL IncFox & Dahlia HomesLanway Homes

members 20-24 yeArs ACI Active Construction, Inc.Brunette MasonryChoice Carpentry Inc.Contractors Flooring SupplyExcel Drywall IncPabco Roofing ProductsPuget Sound Fireplace IncSpectrum Sign Company Inc

members 15-19 yeArs Berg Equipment & Scaffolding Co IncBlue Dolfin InteriorsC & C Concrete Construction IncCrescent Lighting Supply, Inc.Gary Howe ConstructionHenderson Bay Construction IncHomeStreet BankIntegrated Concrete Systems, Inc.Johnson & Maddox Construction Co IncRenewal Remodels and AdditionsSteelhead Communications Inc

members 10-14 yeArs 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty CorporationAccess Windows & Glass, LLCGray Lumber CompanyHammond KnollK & M Plumbing Services IncMercurios Heating & Air ConditioningRenewal Remodels and AdditionsRPD (Rickabaugh Pentecost Development LLC)Selden GroupSterling Group DKI

members 5-9 yeArsAchtens Quality RoofingArrow Lumber & HardwareClover Park Technical College || Interior DesignDanard Electric IncDWF DrywallGround Effects Landscaping IncHome Makeovers Made SimpleIdeal Services NW LLCLakewood FordLarson & Associates ||Surveyors, Engineers & Planners IncNewton Plumbing IncNorthwest Environmental & Equipment Inc || NW Contractor ServicesNorthwest Heritage Group IncProvident ElectricSignature Design & CabinetryTreats Heating & Cooling || A Division Of Auburn Sheet Metal

members 2-4 yeArsAult Electric Co., Inc.Avalon Contracting IncCornerstone Constructors LLCFirst American Title & Escrow CoFLT Properties LLCHampton Hill LLCHeritage BankKent Gypsum Supply IncPresidential HomesSeaTac Fire Protection LLCShea HomesSTOP IncStripe Rite IncTicor Title Company

F irst yeAr All Masonry Construction LLCBCRACornerstone Specialties LLCDLP Roofing IncEarthworks IncFruitland Mutual Water CompanyHenderson Hardwood Floors, IncHymer Electric LLCKorum Ford LincolnMobility Concepts IncMountain View Pumps & FiltrationPacific Northern Construction Co IncScotts Drywall & Construction IncTacoma Gutter Service IncWestern Builders Supply

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