Dear (Contact First Name),

Hard to believe that summer is over and here we are in November. CAHB has had a very busy month and below is the fall board meeting highlights.

CAHB Board of Directors met at the offices of Bryan Cave in Denver on October 15 and 16 for the standing committee meetings and the quarterly Board meeting.

 

The Nominating Committee presented the slate of leadership for 2016.  

 

The Board approved the Officers for 2016: Branson Haney, Chairman; Bruce Rau, first Vice Chair; Marc Towne, 2nd Vice Chair/Treasurer, Mike Conger, 3rd Vice Chair, Secretary and David Fiore, Immediate Past Chair and CAHB Director to NAHB. The Board also approved appointments to the Executive Committee to include David McLain - Chair appointee, and Randy Case - State Rep to NAHB.

 

Committee Chairs for 2015 include GAC Chair Carolyn Mitchell, PFC Chair Karl Knapp and Communications Committee Chair Lindsey Morrow. The new CAHB Bylaws provide for the election of committee leadership each year in January, and then those chairs will serve on the Executive Committee.


The Nominating Committee presented and the Board approved Randy Feuerstein, Bruce Likoff and Jennifer Ivey to serve as the Nominating Committee appointments to the Board for 2016.

Bob Jenkins was reappointed to serve as CAHB's Build PAC Trustee, and Bob Peterson was approved to serve as the Area 13 Representative to NAHB.    

 

Local Association Nominations to the 2016 Board of Directors and all three standing committees are due to the CAHB by November 30, 2015. Statewide membership and participation is welcomed and encouraged, all local associations have guaranteed slots on the Board and committees.

 

Chairman Fiore provided an overview of the accomplishments of the past year to get CAHB back on track and an effective voice for the housing industry statewide. He thanked the committees for their work and noted that much has been accomplished and there is much left to do.

 

Jeff Whiton was elected by the Executive Officer Council to serve as Chair and representative to the Executive Committee for 2016.

 

CAHB approved the opt-in for the NAHB medical insurance program that is part of the overall NAHB affinity program.

 

The proposed 2016 budget was reviewed and various alternatives were considered to supplement funding for political activities, management of key CAHB issues (Construction Defects and Oil and Gas) and possibly engaging a statewide membership specialist. Increased or alternate dues structures, increased membership and non-dues revenue programs were discussed. Further investigation into the membership activity and dues increases will be completed for final budget approval in January.

 

We have two busy months ahead of us as we wrap up 2015. If you have any questions or would like to attend any of the meetings, please give us a call. As always we look forward to meeting all of your needs. Have a great November

Government Affairs
This past month the GAC met during the quarterly Association board meetings held in Denver to create our 2016 legislative agenda.  We considered recommendations made by the local builders associations and members then voted to send the agenda to the Board of Directors for approval.   Our 2016 legislative agenda will again focus on the three main issues: Oil and Gas policy and regulation and its impact on surface use rights; Water policy and regulation as it impacts future development; and Construction Defects legislative reform.  There are many more issues that we will be focusing on, if you would like more information then please contact us for the agenda.
 
At our October meeting there was a lot of discussion about how to defend against municipal building code requirements to install fire sprinklers in single family homes.  If you are facing this issue in one of your jurisdictions please let us know and we can connect you with members who have dealt with this issue before and successfully prevented the requirement from going into effect. 
 
Another topic that gets a lot of attention at our meetings is how to work with Xcel to keep our developments on schedule.  In an effort to facilitate communications between Xcel and our members the GAC is hosting meetings with Xcel representatives and CAHB representatives.  If you would like to be involved or would like an update on our efforts please contact us.
 
The association continually monitors the regulatory environment to stay abreast of changes to rules and regulations that impact the costs and our ability as homebuilders to provide housing to the residents of Colorado.  If you have any questions or if you have an issue you would like to see the GAC address please contact Carolyn Mitchell or Scott Smith, we appreciate your support and participation.

  Learn More

Political Funding Committee

The CAHB is pursuing two significant funding goals for 2016 success and need your help.

 

1) Specific issue advocacy on Construction Defects and Oil and Gas rulemaking efforts require large contributions from key industry suppliers and local associations into the 527 "American Dream Alliance" fund.  $160,000 is targeted in contributions for early to mid-2016. The local association ask is based on gross dues and assessments revenues basis by local chapter. 

 

2) The CAHB Small Donor Committee - Homes for all Coloradoans has set a goal of $88,000 to positively fund legislative campaign contributions for the 2016 election cycle CAHB.  There are a few select primaries that are of great importance in many cases to optimize our position.  Those primaries are in districts that are predetermined R or D, and the PFC has determined to get involved at the primary level to support candidates that understand and support our key issues. 


Board members have been asked to reach out to a minimum 40 industry peers, (20 before November 25, and 20 again by March 31, 2016) employees and friends to achieve the goal of making consequential campaign support. 


For more information & to join CAHB Political Funding Committee Click Here

Meet Traci Weinbrecht, Executive Officer for Northwest, CO
Traci Weinbrecht is the Executive Officer of the HBA of Northwestern Colorado.  Originally from Kansas, she decided in 2003 to leave the humidity behind and head into the mountains of Colorado! 
 
While working at a local title company, in Grand Junction, Traci was introduced to longtime HBA Executive Officer Pam Paris.  She mentioned to Pam that she was considering a change in career and found out that the HBA was searching for a new events coordinator.  Call it being at the right place at the right time!  Traci applied for the job and was hired in the spring of 2008.  That was near the end of the "good o'l days" of the peak in the real estate market.  By the summer of 2010, Traci was promoted to Executive Officer and eventually became the sole employee of the association.  
 
Currently, the HBA of NW Colorado has 95 members, with 1/3 of the membership consisting of builder members.  Their major events include their annual Parade of Homes that takes place each fall as well as Home Improvement & Remodeling Expo held the first weekend in March.  Their Parade of Homes just came to an end two weekends ago!  With 10 beautiful homes located throughout Grand Junction & Fruita, it was another successful year for all involved.  Approximately 2,550 people attended the event this year!  "Our builders love being able to showcase their homes to the public, and their subcontractors enjoy being able to show off their custom touches and introduce new housing products into the market as well," says Weinbrecht.
 
Traci understands the importance of the building community in Western Colorado and the many ways every business is affected by both the housing industry and the oil and gas industry as well.  She never tires of promoting the industry and explaining to the public that building a home doesn't just support the builder.  The construction of one home employs many people!  "That is why our lobbyists at the State and National level are vital in supporting growth in our communities through the housing & building industry, and taking care of the regulations impacting oil and gas...both major drivers in the economies of the western slope.  I care about each one of our members in the HBA as if they were part of my family.  I enjoy their successes and look for ways to help when the going gets tough.  I am there to listen to their ideas and be their support system on a local level and their advocate on the state and national level," says Weinbrecht.
 
During the Fall of 2014, Traci was nominated by the Executive Committee for CAHB to serve as the Executive Officer Chair for the remainder of 2014 as well as for  2015.  She has enjoyed helping the 11 local associations become a more connected team across the state.  One of her favorite moments over the years has been watching how all the local Executive Officers, regardless of HBA size, are there to help each other.  Most locals are run by single employees; some are run solely by volunteers.  "We have an amazing team of EO's across the state with a variety of backgrounds.  Our group has become stronger, helping each other with ideas for events, marketing, management, and a variety of other resources," she adds.
 
When Traci isn't planning an event, you can find her enjoying time with her husband and their two sons, ages 7 & 4!  This usually consists of watching baseball, building Lego sets, and creating Thomas the Train layouts throughout their house! 
 
What's next for the HBA of NW Colorado?  The 2015 Home Expo!  If you are interested in booth space, getting on their mailing list, or just want more information, please contact their office at 970-245-0253 or email Traci
NAHB International Builders Show (IBS)
January 19-21 2016 Las Vegas
The NAHB International Builders' Show® (IBS) is the largest annual light construction show in the world, every year attracting 50,000 visitors from more than 100 countries.

Discover the Building Universe: Exhibits
IBS brings together the industry's most important global manufacturers and suppliers and showcases the latest products, materials and technologies involved in all types of buildings - including wood, concrete, stone and brick. See more than 400,000 net square feet of exhibits and 1,300 manufacturers and suppliers of the latest and most in-demand products and services.

Don't miss visiting The New American Home - NAHB's show home - which highlights new products and techniques.  See cutting-edge efficiency, technology and sustainability, all set in a contemporary style home with stunning desert view.

For more information and to register for the event, please click here. Also if you are State and Local Association Staff please use this link to register, as full registration for the show is complimentary for Association Staff and their spouses.

Colorado Association of Home Builders will have a reception party on Monday January 18, 2015. More details will come but mark your calendars for this great Kick Off Event.
CAHB Preliminary 2016 Calendar
CAHB has been busy working on the preliminary draft of the 2016 CAHB Calendar.  We have an initial draft of the 2016 CAHB Meeting calendar for you to review. You can also click on the calendar to review. 

Please note that that we have attempted to avoid most major conflicts when scheduling re-occurring meetings. Please review and reply with any questions/comments/concerns.

The BOD meetings are held quarterly with the spring quarterly meeting in May rather than April so that it is no longer during session. The quarterly meetings will be held during the 2nd week of the month except for the summer meetings which will be held either during the 3rd or 4th week in July to avoid peak vacation time/holidays and allow more time to elapse following the May meetings.

All quarterly meetings will be held at the end of the week on Thursday and Friday with both the GAC and BOD meeting on Friday to hopefully allow for greater participation.

The GAC will meet twice a month during session (Jan., Feb., Mar., April) on the 2nd and 4th Fridays at 1:00p, which will help our lobbyists' time effectiveness. After session the GAC will meet once a month either during the quarterly meetings or on the 4th Thursdays at 9:00 AM.

The Executive Committee will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 3:00 PM. This timing will hopefully allow for greater participation and will no longer conflict with the Metro Denver HBA meeting that is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

The Communications Committee will also meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 11:30 AM. The Finance Committee will meet on the Thursday before the Executive Committee meeting at 1:30 PM.
 
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