What's Here...

President's Message

CRA Government Relations Committee Update

Awards Dinner - Call for Entries

CRA Trade Show - Sign up to Display

Nov 20 Membership Lunch Recap

Items to Note: CRA 2010 Board Elected, DOL H2B Update, Rebuilding Together Online Auction, Texting Ban

Fall Protection Guidelines in Jeopardy

NRCA Update

2009-10 CRA Calendar

Welcome New Members

Thursday, Jan 21, 2010
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Ramada Plaza Hotel &
Convention Center
10 East 120th Ave.
(1-25 & 120th Avenue Exit)

EXHIBITORS:
Click here for a registration form or call 303-892-6966, ext. 2 to reserve a table.

ATTENDEES:
Free Admission - just present
your business card for show
admission.

COLORADO ROOFING ASSOCIATION

1675 Larimer St, Suite 700
P.O. Box 480084
Denver, CO 80248-0084
(303) 892-6966
Fax (303) 892-6322
E-mail: debbie@coloradoroofing.org
Website: www.coloradoroofing.org
Executive Director: Debbie Hathorne
Industrial Expositions, Inc.

Mission Statement
"To promote the ethics, education and image of the roofing industry in the State of Colorado through meetings and actions of the members."

The CRA newsletter is open for member input. We encourage you to submit items that will benefit the members, including new technical updates, community service achievements in your local communities, educational seminars/ workshops, etc. (no sales oriented pieces).

Contact the CRA office for more information at 303-892-6966 ext. 2.

2009-2010 CALENDAR

December

Dec 3 - CRA Board Meeting

Happy Holidays!

January 2010

Jan 7 - CRA Board Meeting

Jan 21 - CRA TRADE SHOW
Ramada Plaza Hotel & Convention Center at 120th & I-25, Northglenn. 11:00 am.

February

Feb 4 - CRA Board Meeting

Feb 18 - CRA AWARDS DINNER - Infinity Park Events Center, Glendale, CO.

WELCOME New Member(s)

A&E Roofing & Construction
2441 E. Dickenson Place
Denver, CO 80222
Ph: 303-294-9925
Roofing Contractor: Res/Com

C&M Construction & Roofing
5783 Sheridan Blvd #103
Arvada, CO 80002
Ph: 303-657-0047
Roofing Contractor: Res/Com

Citywide Roofing Inc.
1340 S. Santa Fe Dr, Ste 200
Denver, CO 80223
Ph: 303-495-3986
Roofing Contractor: Res/Com

Well folks here it is, my last column as CRA president. The last two years have absolutely flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was writing my first newsletter article. As someone on the fringe of the roofing business, I was somewhat intimidated at the prospect of being the President of an organization where much of the membership knew more about the trade than I did. My experience had always been on the sheet metal side of the roofing business, not Shingles, Single Ply or BUR. Any knowledge in that area was either incidental or cleverly faked. At the end of the day it really wasn't that important as the board that served with me filled all the gaps.

I want to personally thank the directors that have served with me the last two years. The time and energy they have brought to our association goes largely unnoticed for many of those in the membership. The CRA would not be what it is without the programs and events put together by board committees. The quarterly luncheons, educational seminars, trade show, charitable activities such as Rebuilding Together and Brent's Place, and lobbying efforts on our behalf at the State Capital are just some of the things accomplished in the last two years. Take a minute to thank the board for its hard work when you see them (there names are in the left hand column). In January the torch will be passed to new president elect Kirk Tiley and a new board including 5 new directors. These new directors were selected by the nominating committee for vote by the membership and have actively served on various committees in the past. I would urge anyone who wishes to seek a board seat in the future to "get your feet wet" by volunteering for a committee. There will be an opportunity to sign up for the CRA committees in January.

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to serve this association as president and director for the last 5 years and will continue to be an active member of the CRA. I have gotten to know many of you over the last several years and I am thankful for those new relationships as well. Personally, I have been blessed by this business that sometimes I would not wish on my worst enemy. Not many of us wrote a report in grade school opining the fun and excitement of the roofing trade. However, since your reading this your probably employed - be thankful today that your not a realtor, mortgage banker, or any of the other 10+% of the unemployed. All things considered, I can't see myself doing anything else. I wish you and your families the happiest of holidays and success in the coming year.

Chuck Spicer
Bighorn Metalworks
CRA President

Pinnacol Interim Committee

Mark your calendar! January 13, 2010 rings in a new legislative session, during which Colorado legislators will be concerned first and foremost with budget issues. Revenue shortfalls will force difficult decisions across the board and it would seem that cutting expenses and raising money will be the hot topics.

At the end of the 2009 session, Pinnacol Assurance was the target of legislation that seemed to relate directly to the issue of increasing money for the State. While efforts to thwart the most onerous legislation were successful, an Interim Committee was formed by the legislature and met this summer to study issues related to Pinnacol Assurance. Six meetings included over 40 hours of testimony, a majority of which was devoted to hearing from injured workers and also covered topics outside the committee's scope. There was minimal discussion from business community members and only a small amount of time spent covering any understanding of Pinnacol's business operations. Unfortunately, Pinnacol representatives feel that the resulting legislation is not a true response to any identified problems.

The Board of Directors of Pinnacol has therefore voted to support two and oppose five of the bills recommended by the Interim Committee. Per Pinnacol's December Association Newsletter, the Board will support the Workers' Compensation Accountability bill (Bill A) from Sen. Mary Hodge (D-Brighton) and the Workers' Compensation Claims Process Brochure bill (Bill G) from Rep. Joe Miklosi (D - Denver). The board is opposed to the remaining five bills and noted that many are beyond the scope of the legal limitations imposed by SB09-281 because they impact the entire workers' compensation industry.

Pinnacol Board Chair Johnson said, "The board believes bills B, C, D, E and F present significant roadblocks to Pinnacol's future success. These bills have the potential to drive up workers' compensation costs in Colorado and others are redundant, as well as an inappropriate intrusion of the legislature into the operations of a company that, by statute, is directed to operate as a mutual insurance company."

Johnson noted that the Pinnacol board is especially concerned about Rep. Su Ryden's (D-Aurora) bill, the Workers' Compensation Policyholder Protection Act of 2010 and a bill from Rep. Miklosi concerning the Pinnacol Board of Directors.
The provisions in Ryden's bill that limit Pinnacol's surplus to 800 percent of risk-based capital (RBC) and require the company to issue dividends hinder Pinnacol's ability to be effective in the marketplace. The percentage of RBC written in the bill is arbitrary and there is no such RBC standard in the workers' compensation industry.

"This bill is dangerous," said Johnson. "The board, which is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate, is charged with making decisions regarding rates, surplus levels and dividends and this bill inappropriately limits our authority. It also limits our ability to be flexible in responding to market conditions. Pinnacol has issued a general dividend for the past five years, returning nearly $350 million to Colorado businesses."

Johnson stated that Miklosi's bill is not needed because the current board structure is working well. The board is concerned with language that adds two non-management employees to the group. Pinnacol is a multi-billion dollar company and board members need experience and expertise in order to make critical business decisions. The board is also concerned that adding the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) creates a potential conflict of interest as the CDLE oversees workers' compensation.

"The bill is a back door attempt to make Pinnacol a state agency by imposing a public testimony provision," added Johnson. "Stakeholders with concerns have access to Pinnacol board members and to management through other means and Pinnacol is already subject to open meeting laws. This bill does nothing to further the transparency of Pinnacol's operations. The company already has more oversight by state regulators and legislators than any other insurance company in Colorado."

To keep informed about the legislation facing Pinnacol in the upcoming session, CRA members can log onto www.Pinnacol.com and register in the upper right hand corner for the 'Legislative Action Network' (or click on the picture to the right).

Colorado Ballot Initiatives

Three ballot measures are working their way through the petition process in order to be placed on the November 2010 ballot. Signatures are currently being verified for Initiatives 10, 12 and 21. A report from the Bell Policy Center suggests that any one of the three, which involve tax cuts and limitations, would be debilitating to the state in this time of budget cuts. 10 & 12 would have wide ranging affects, while 21 restricts the use of government issued COPs (certificates of participation) for financing capital construction projects such as higher education facilities.

Initiative 10 is essentially a grab-bag of tax cuts. It would overturn the FASTER bill that passed last session, which increased vehicle registration fees targeted at funding transportation needs. It would reduce the income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.5% starting in January 2011, and decrease another 0.1 percent over the next ten years until it reaches 3.5%. It would also repeal most telecommunication taxes. Over the long run, it could cut General Fund revenues almost 25%, and if in effect today it would cut revenues for 2010-11 by $1.2 billion - close to what Colorado currently spends on higher education and human services combined.

Initiative 12 relates to local property tax revenues. It would immediately overturn all past local elections that allow school districts to retain property tax revenues above TABOR limits. And it would sunset all future such elections after just four years, regardless of the intention of local voters. State colleges, universities and other enterprises and authorities would be required to pay property taxes, with tax rates being reduced to offset the additional revenue generated. School districts will have to cut their 2011 property tax rates in half by 2020, in equal yearly amounts, with the lost revenue being replaced by state aid. This at the same time that proposition 10 is cutting the means to replace the lost revenue!

As a voter, as always, stay informed and speak out on the issues! Contact your CRA government relations committee with questions or concerns.

CRA Government Relations Co-Chairs
Amy Hawkins, Boulder Roofing, Ph: 303.443.4646 / Email: amy@boulderroof.com
David Hite, Flood & Petersen Insurance, Ph: 720.977.6007 / Email: david.hite@fpinsurance.com

AWARDS DINNER . . .February 18, 2010

Nomination deadline: December 4, 2009

Let's continue to "raise the bar" in Colorado's roofing industry. The Awards Dinner gives those of us in the industry time to stop and congratulate ourselves and each other on the difficult, complex, dangerous and exciting work we do every day. Take the time to showcase the professionalism and expertise in your company.

CRA Job of the Year and Lifetime Achievement entries must be received by the CRA Office by 5:00 pm on Friday, Dec. 4. Call 303-892-6966, ext. 2 with any questions.

Click here for Job of Year Nomination Form.
Click here for Lifetime Achievement Award Nomination Form.

CRA TRADE SHOW

Sign up today to display your products and services...

Date: January 21, 2010
Location: Ramada Plaza Hotel & Convention Center
Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Vendors can display for the low cost of $200.00 per 6' tabletop -- $225 if you need electrical and $425 if you need a double space to accommodate a floor display. There are limited electrical spaces -- so those desiring electrical and/or double spaces need to apply early as space is reserved on a first come first serve basis.

New this year. . . we will be showcasing products and or information that fall under the solar and photovoltaic (PV) category. Exhibitors displaying these products will receive a large yellow balloon identifiying your table to attendees. In addition, a one-hour seminar on Solar & PV Technologies will be held during tradeshow hours and presented by Craig Silvertooth and Jim Huff of CEIR.

Vendor applications are now available. Click here to sign up today.

CRA November Lunch

Thank you to Alan Lancaster of Metalcrafts, Inc. a roofing contractor out of Savannah, Georgia and the current Senior Vice President of NRCA. Alan was our guest speaker at the November 20th membership lunch and presented an update on the key issues facing the roofing industry at the national and local levels. With so much going on at NRCA, Alan did a great job of summarizing the many areas that they are involved in and what to expect as we near the start of a New Year and what lies ahead in 2010. Topics included a "State of the Industry" from a contractor perspective, Washington D.C. issues (healthcare, climate change, tax credit, immigration, etc.), green roofing and PV Technologies, International Roofing Expo in New Orleans, recap of code hearings for the 2012 version of the International Code (including adding a PV Chapter), Residential Slide Guard Rule (withdrawal of interim guidelines), silica, ergonomics, Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress ("Wall of Wind" project and scholarship programs), etc. A ton of information . . . but covered well!

CRA ITEMS TO NOTE

CRA 2010 Board Elected, Membership Dues Reminder, DOL H2B Update, Rebuilding Together Online Auction, Colorado Texting Ban

Announcing the 2010 Board of Directors

Please congratulate the following individuals who were voted in as the 2010 CRA Board of Directors at the November 20 Membership luncheon. The willingness of each of these individuals to share their time for the benefit of our industry and our community is greatly appreciated.

Officers for the 2010-2011 elected term include President Kirk Tiley, Tiley Roofing; Vice-President Dan Zahtila, Black Roofing and Secretary/Treasurer Dave Rueter, GAF Materials Corp.

Five new Directors were elected on November 20th for a two-year term - J. Bretz, Excel Roofing; David Knight, B.R. McCracken; Bob Lansford, United Asphalts; Rick Rosendahl, B&M Roofing of Colorado and Kelly Woods, Roofing Supply of Colorado.

Current directors completing the remainder of their 2009-2010 elected term: Curt Boyd, Academy Roofing; Slate Baker, Allied Building Products and Brad Evans, Advanced Roofing Technologies and Chuck Spicer, Bighorn Metalworks as Past President.

Thank you to our Outgoing Board Members

As we look to the start of 2010 and a new board, we also say farewell and thanks to Amy Hawkins, Boulder Roofing; Jeff Sykes, ACH Foam Technologies; Mike Trotter, Front Range Roofing and John Weber, D&D Roofing as they step down from the board. These four individuals have made a big impact during their terms. Please take the time to THANK each of them for their service & commitment to you these past several years. Thank You Amy, Jeff, Mike & John!

2010 Membership Dues Reminder

Your 2010 Membership Dues renewal invoices will be mailed on December 28. We just want to remind you that upon renewal of membership each year, and in compliance with our bylaws, all contractor members must forward a current Certificate of Insurance* showing the following:

• General liability coverage of at least $500,000.
• Workers' compensation coverage reflecting roofing or sheet metal classifications. If such coverage is not provided, you must provide a copy or fill out Form WC43: "Rejection of Coverage by Corporate Officers or Members of a Limited Liability Company" from the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment. Forms are available at: www.coworkforce.com.

*This information MUST be on file for all contractor members in order to RENEW your membership.

DOL Declares H-2B Employers Responsible for Visa/Travel Fees

The Department of Labor (DOL), on August 21, 2009, announced that the visa and transportation fees of H-2B workers are officially the responsibility of their U.S. employers, where shifting these costs to employees would bring their wages below the FLSA minimum wage in the first workweek of employment. While questions remain about the specifics of this new requirement, the DOL has made it clear that this requirement is in effect. FEWA will continue working with the H2B Coalition to seek further clarification from the agency regarding the details of the requirement.n.
Source: FEWA Newsletter, Dec 09.

Rebuilding Together "Shop for a Cause"

Rebuilding Together Metro Denver's 2nd Annual "Holiday Hearts & Homes Auction" supports home repair services for low income families in the 7-county metro Denver area. Their vision is a safe and healthy home for every person. Click here to participate in the online auction! Online bidding closes Wednesday, December 9th at 11:59 pm Mountain Time.

No More Texting while Driving in Colorado

A friendly reminder, as of Tuesday, December 1, 2009, it is now illegal for drivers in Colorado to text, e-mail or tweet when they're behind the wheel. The ban passed by the Legislature during the last session will also bar drivers under 18 from talking on their cell phones (even with a speaker phone or headset). Under the new law, texting while driving is a primary offense so police can pull drivers over based on that violation alone. For an initial offense, drivers can be fined $50. Repeat offenders will be fined $100.

Safety Corner Fall-protection guidelines in jeopardy

OSHA announced that they intend to withdraw an Interim Guideline on slide guards in mid-December. Luckily, Tom Shanahan of NRCA sits on OSHA's advisory board and he needs your input! Tom will be meeting with OSHA officials in mid-December and could use CRA's help in gathering valuable data before that meeting.

As a little background, OSHA has allowed the use of "slide guards" (roof jacks with 2x6 planks) on certain residential roofing jobs (those with ground-to-eaves 25' or less in height and slopes between 4/12 and 8/12) as a sole method of fall protection. There are other compliance details that must be met, but are completely reasonable. This provision was allowed for by an unusual document called an Interim Guideline. The problem is that it is not subject to the regulatory process and can be withdrawn as easily as it was written. The concern is that NRCA heard last week that OSHA intends to withdraw this Interim Guideline in mid-December.

NRCA believes it has a reasonable chance of getting OSHA to hold off on this rescission, but we need input to help our story.

CRA MEMBERS . . . please take the time to read and fill out the linked survey below on slide guards . . .only 10 questions and it will provide much needed data. The first link below is an article from Professional Roofing that describes the situation and the second link is the questionnaire meant to find out how valuable, or not, this slide guard exception is to our industry.

Here is the link to the article.
http://www.professionalroofing.net/article.aspx?id=1560

Here is the link to the survey.
http://surveys.nrca.net/TakeSurvey.aspx?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=114

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your input on this important matter!

.

ITEMS TO NOTE . . . FROM ACROSS THE NATION

In Washington, D.C., at the top of the list, of course, is the health care debate, which has moved full force into the Senate. At press time, the Senate has voted-narrowly-to proceed with debate on a measure that, among other things, would:

• Provide mandates for employers to provide health insurance to their employees or pay penalties
• Raise $500 billion in new taxes through excise taxes, taxes on "Cadillac" health care plans and an increase in the Medicare payroll tax for the "wealthy"
• Cut Medicare benefits by $465 billion

NRCA is actively opposing the measure in its current form. It is increasingly clear final Senate action will hinge on the votes of three Democrats-Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ben Nelson (Neb.)-and one Independent: Joe Lieberman (Conn.). Please be sure to let them know how you feel.

There are two other significant federal legislative matters with which we're heavily involved.

Climate change legislation, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, will not be taken up in the Senate until next year because of the Senate's focus on health care. The House-passed bill includes a massive cap-and-trade provision that we oppose; however, it includes some building efficiency provisions we support. And the White House is sending signals that it may take up immigration reform as soon as next year. NRCA is active in a business-led coalition on that issue and will report developments as soon as they occur.

Congress did act to extend-and expand-homebuyer credits, as follows:

• First-time homebuyers can receive up to $8,000 in tax credits if they buy or sign contracts to buy homes by April 30, 2010, that they own by June 30, 2010.
• Buyers who owned homes for five consecutive years during the past eight-year period can receive tax credits of up to $6,500, subject to income restrictions ($125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples filing jointly). The tax credit is available on a partial basis to taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes up to $20,000 above these limits. The tax credit is reduced to zero for individuals with modified adjusted gross incomes of more than $145,000 for individuals and $245,000 for married couples filing jointly. The income limits are the same for the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit.

The same piece of legislation, by the way, allows businesses to use net operating losses from 2008 or 2009 to offset profits from the previous five years (instead of two). Small businesses that have already elected to carry back a loss in 2008 may now also elect to carry back losses from 2009.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its list of the top 10 most frequent workplace safety violations for 2009. They are:

1. Scaffolding
2. Fall protection
3. Hazard communication
4. Respiratory protection
5. Lockout-tagout
6. Electrical (wiring)
7. Ladders
8. Powered industrial tools
9. Electrical (general)
10. Machine guarding

Plans for the IRE (International Roofing Expo) are complete with an exceptional lineup of educational programs and social events. The keynote session is a "Power Panel" of successful contractors who will discuss their strategies for surviving in a down economy. And we're organizing a Community Service Day as part of the IRE; it will be held in conjunction with Rebuilding Together® on the Sunday before the opening of the show. Complete information about the event is available at www.theroofingexpo.com.

NRCA's Nominating Committee meets next month to finalize the slate of NRCA officers and directors that will be presented to the membership at the IRE. Interested candidates should contact Eileen Maloney (emaloney@nrca.net) for nomination forms. The deadline for submitting them is Dec. 18.

Mark Graham, NRCA's associate executive director of technical services, recently participated in three weeks of hearings held by the International Code Council (ICC), whose actions affect state and local building codes in the U.S. and abroad. Among the notable actions taken by the ICC, rooftop PV systems were determined to fall under ICC's roofing chapter, Chapter 15.

The fourth-and final-volume of The NRCA Roofing Manual, The NRCA Roofing Manual: Architectural Metal Flashing, Condensation Control and Reroofing-2010, will be completed next month. The complete four-volume set of The NRCA Roofing Manual also is available for purchase at an NRCA member price of $425; the non-member price is $650.

We have also just published Guidelines for Roof-Mounted Photovoltaic Installation, which includes recommendations for rooftop PV installation. Retail price is $110; price to members is $55.

NRCA posts position papers

NRCA has made available online four position papers related to various issues of concern to the roofing industry. The position papers include "NRCA Opposes the Employee Free Choice Act," "NRCA Supports Health Care Reform that Addresses Cost Issues," "Energy-efficient Roofing Tax Incentives" and "The Role of Roofing in Climate Change Solutions." Click here for full story.

NRCA University offers safety program in Denver

Profitability Through Effective Safety Programs is a new day long program that focuses on a safety program's critical elements that can reduce injuries, sustain a productive work force and increase profitability. The progam will be offered in Denver on March 30, 2009. Click here for full story.

IRS issues new revenue procedure

A new revenue procedure issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows most businesses to use losses incurred during the economic downturn to reduce income from previous tax years. Click here for full story.

Source: NRCA.NET