May - June 2024 Newsletter

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE (Guest Writer) 

Greetings

Happy July 4th! 

I want to thank Guy for reaching out and asking me if I wanted to write something in the next CRA newsletter. I can remember asking Amy Hawkins with Boulder Roofing to do the same when I was the CRA president.

In my first president's message in January 2016, I told you a little about myself and my company, and my goal was to show people that the CRA isn’t only for the big roofing companies; it’s also here for the smaller companies, and probably more so. Being a smaller company means you don’t have as many resources as some of the bigger companies, and the CRA is here to help share all of its resources with everyone.

I really believe in the CRA and what it represents. To me, the CRA is a place where we can come together as a group, learn from each other, help promote our profession, and be the best we can possibly be. Just look at the people that are involved in the CRA; they are some of the top leaders and professionals that the roofing profession has to offer.

Back in May, I attended a luncheon with an update from Duane Musser from NRCA on all the things that are happening in our nation’s capital and NRCA. Unfortunately, it was not the best showing from us here in Colorado, as attendance was light. I can remember when we used to get 50 to 60 or more people showing up to the luncheon, and it was always a great time to catch up with everyone. I know everyone is super busy, but I remember my dad used to have a saying, “Your association is only as good as the people in it,” and I know we have some great people in our profession; we just need to try a little harder to show up to as many of the CRA events as possible. It’s a great way to network, and you will find out that the problems and issues you face day in and day out are the same for most of us in this industry.

You've heard me say this before, but as one of your past presidents, one of my responsibilities was to respond to consumer complaints, and I'd say 90% of the complaints I received were about non-members. Our members strive to stay true to the CRA Code of Ethics and Mission Statement, which they sign each year. I was also committed to promoting the CRA to the general public to ensure that they only hire CRA members to complete their work. Join me and let us all continue to promote the CRA and direct more people to the CRA website for information so that we can educate our customers and members as much as possible. I'd rather lose business to a CRA member than a fly-by-night.

One of my concerns back then and now is attracting young, new talent to our profession. I tell my daughter and nephew, who are now in the business, that the most difficult task they will face in the future is finding a workforce to complete the work. I don't need any more supervisors or foremen; everyone wants to do that work. We need to attract the guys who are swinging the hammer every day, rain or shine. Everyone understands that roofing is a difficult job, so how will we attract people to our industry? I'm always thinking about how we can make roofing easier. I don't have an easy or correct answer to that question, but if we could show a new employee a future in the roofing profession—a daily work schedule, a good wage, a benefit package, training, etc.—from the moment they swing their first hammer and how they can advance from there, through all of the different avenues this profession can take you, we might have a chance. 

With that in mind, I'd like to talk about the CRA Training Center. I'm very excited about the facility, all of the available training programs, and the opportunity to reach so many new people. Our instructors are all very talented and willing to share their time and expertise with new and emerging talent. Education is one of CRA's core values, and we are attempting to help our industry by providing a neutral location where you can send your employees to be trained and participate in the all the classes that are available. 

So, now that I have you thinking about what’s ahead for our industry and what needs to be done, I will repeat myself and challenge all of you and your people to make the time to attend as many CRA events, training classes, and educational programs as you can during your membership. I can personally attest that you’ll benefit from the shared knowledge and resources that CRA and other members have to offer.

Over the years, CRA has strengthened our membership requirements, added new Continue Involvement Units (CIUs), and expanded our education and training opportunities, which has helped us to involve more members. I believe the CRA is as strong as ever overall—just look at this year's CRA Trade Show turnout. Let’s keep it up. 

Thanks again to Guy for letting me be your guest writer this month. I wish everyone a safe and great summer. See you at the annual golf tournament on August 16!

Ray Phillips
RTP Roofing Co.
Guest Writer/Past CRA President

Email Ray

A BIG THANK YOU to our 2024 sponsors!

TRAINING, SEMINARS & WEBINARS

YEP 2nd Annual SHOOT THE RIVER | July 19

Come float the river with us!

Clear Creek River & Lions Park | Golden, CO

• Tubing Clear Creek River*

• Networking in the Park

• Wine, Beer, Burger & Wings

• Fundraising for Trade School Building Material

Join us for a fun summer day of tubing down the Clear Creek River in Golden,. Begin your afternoon of fun at Adventure West, where we'll catch the shuttle up the river. Float down and repeat. Then we'll head over to Lion's Park for some networking, burgers, wings, beer, wine and more.

This event is all about fundraising to raise funds for YEP committee education efforts and bringing young generations into roofing and the construction trade.

Cost: 

$50  Tubing & Networking (2-4pm)

$30  Networking Only (3-6pm)

Register Now!

Member CIU = 1

* If tubing, you will be required to sign an acknowledgment of risk waiver.

CRA GOLF TOURNAMENT | August 16

Don't Miss Early Bird Pricing!

Join us!  The CRA Golf Tournament will take place on Friday, August 16 at Riverdale Knolls & Dunes Golf Courses, located at 13300 Riverdale Road in Brighton, CO 80602. We'll be celebrating our 42nd annual tournament.

We are already half full - the Dunes course is sold out as of 6/25/24.

Early Bird prices end on July 15th! Make sure to secure your spot on the Knolls course right away.

Early Bird Price Until 7-15-24.

Individual:     $255 Dunes & Knolls
Foursome:  $1,000 Dunes & Knolls

REGISTER NOW!

CRA Member CIU's = 1 per person

Golf Sponsorship Opportunities

A BIG THANK YOU to all the companies that have already sponsored!

Companies interested in sponsoring this year's tournament or manning a hole are encouraged to contact us. Please email Debbie now for details. 

We still need:

• Goody Bag Items

• Breakfast Sponsors

• Man-Hole Sponsors

• Prize Donations

Not a golfer?  Join the fun by volunteering to man a contest hole, take photos, etc. Contact Debbie.

2024 CALENDAR

We are busy working on adding to the 2024 Calendar, check your inbox for upcoming trainings, lunches, and events.

Or, click here to view the full 2024 Event Calendar .

Legislative Update

I hope you were able to join us on June 6th for the legislative update last month. We filter through more than 700 bills to find the ones that really affect you and your companies.  Here is a link to the PowerPoint slides and the bills that were covered in case you were unable to attend the lunch webinar.  We appreciate Amber Valdez, our lobbyist, being a valued partner and keeping us up-to-date.

This month is an excellent opportunity to highlight our membership in the Colorado Contractors Coalition, as we will be manning holes at several industry golf tournaments this summer, including the RMSCA tournament in June, the CRA in August, and the ASA-Colorado in September. CCC wants to raise awareness about how we advocate for you, discuss legislation that has been passed, and identify your PAIN POINTS. Make sure to stop and talk with us. Enter our fun contests for a chance to win attendance prizes (other golf foursomes, sporting event tickets, and more). Check out how we collaborate on your behalf. Read the full summary here. 

Last, I wanted to review a couple bills that go into affect in July.

Residential occupancy limits ban.  Local governments can no longer limit the number of unrelated people who can share a home or apartment, except in cases of public health or safety. Opponents of so-called "roommate caps" in cities such as Boulder and Fort Collins argue that the policies raise housing costs by making it more difficult for people to share the cost of rent.

Residents of crowded college towns, on the other hand, saw occupancy limits as a way to prevent their neighborhoods from becoming de facto student housing. The new law is part of Gov. Jared Polis' ongoing effort to correct policies that he believes make housing less affordable.

Job Application Fairness Act & Employee Privacy.  SB23-058 — The act prohibits employers from inquiring about a prospective employee's age, date of birth, and dates of attendance at or date of graduation from an educational institution on an initial employment application. SB23-058 was passed during the 2023 Regular Session and became law on Aug. 7, 2023, but will be effective July 1, 2024.

A few non-business ones that I found interesting.

“ALCOHOL to GO” is now a permanent law.  The temporary law that was born during COVID had expired. 

SKI RESORTS now liable for accidents.  For all our skiers out there: that waiver you sign that relieves the resorts from ALL liability is no longer valid! The Colorado District Supreme Court ruled May 20, 2024, that waivers of liability do not protect ski resorts when resorts violate state laws or regulations. You can sue them for negligence.

At the federal level, President Biden has issued two Executive Orders to expedite the application process for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who meet certain qualifications. The first order uses "parole in place" to streamline the process for undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens applying for lawful permanent residence. This allows noncitizen spouses who are married to U.S. citizens, have been in the U.S. for at least 10 years, are not a threat to public safety, and meet other criteria to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country. The second order allows qualifying undocumented immigrants, including those enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, to obtain employment-based visas more expeditiously. These actions come as Congress remains deadlocked on immigration reform or border security legislation.

In closing, if you are aware of or concerned about upcoming legislation or the fall elections or just want to learn more about our advocacy efforts, please reach out to me. 

Jamie Williams
Next Wave Roofing
Government Relations Committee Chair

CRA TRAINING CENTER

The CRA Training Center is located at 1660 Jasper Street, Unit I & J in Aurora, CO is designed for roofers and roofing applications, accommodating all types of steep and low slope materials and systems.

It is "application friendly" and is available for rent to contractors, manufacturers, members, and others who need space for their own training

Please consider us for your next training spot!

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Habitat Roof Over Your Head Program!

Shout out to these awesome members!!

Thank you to Custom Exteriors, Rampart Roofing and Turner Morris who have stepped up and volunteered to complete new Habitat roofs here in Colorado in April, May and June this year!

We still need help!

CRA and Habitat for Humanity are collaborating to provide donated roofing materials and labor through the Roof Over Your Head Program, promoting 'A Hand Up – Not a Hand Out'.

We are looking for roofing contractors to donate their time and labor for the following projects:

Blue Spruce HFH (Clear Creek County)
•    Mar: 1620/1622 Virginia St., Idaho Springs, 3/29/2024, 10:12 & 4:12, 3-story, 30, sq, duplex
•    Jul: 1610/1612 Virginia St., Idaho Springs, 7/01/2024, 10:12 & 4:12, 3-story, 40, sq, duplex 
•    Jul: 1600/1602 Virginia St., Idaho Springs, 10/01/2024, 10:12 & 4:12, 3-story, 30, sq, duplex

Greeley-Weld Habitat (Weld County)
•    Jul: 2905/2909 27th Ave., Greeley, CO 80631, 7/30/2024, 4:12, 1-story, 24 sq, duplex
•    Jul: 2913/2917 27th Ave., Greeley, CO 80631, 7/30/2024, 4:12, 1-story, 24 sq, duplex
•    Aug: 2921/2925 27th Ave., Greeley, CO 80631, 8/27/2024, 4:12, 1-story, 24 sq, duplex    
•    Aug: 2929/2933 27th Ave., Greeley, CO 80631, 8/27/2024, 4:12, 1-story, 15.5 sq, duplex
 
Loveland HFH (Larimer County)
•    Jul: 156 Primrose Loveland, CO 80537, 07/21/2024, 5:12, 1-story, 23 sq    
•    Aug: 151 Primrose Loveland, CO 80537, 08/21/2024, 5:12, 1-story, 23 sq, garden level 
•    Sep: 1834 Hammond Pl. Loveland, CO 80537, 09/21/2024, 5:12, 1-story, 23 sq, walkout basement
 
HFH Metro Denver (Denver County)
•    Sep: 139 E 47th, Denver, 24-Sep, 6:12,  1-story, 11 sq<
•    Sep: 4744 Leaf, Denver,  9/24/2024 , 6:12,  1-story, 11 sq
 
HFH Metro Denver (Arapahoe County)
•    Sep: 2143 S Jamaica Ct., 24-Sep, 4:12, 2-story, 33 sq duplex
 
Pikes Peak HFH (El Paso County)
•    Jun: 820 Bidwell, Colo Springs, 6/3/2024, 4:12, 1-story, 20 sq    
•    Oct: 813 Bidwell, Colo Springs, 10/7/2024, 4:12, 1-story, 20 sq

Note: We also want to remind you that this is a good way to earn your Continuing Involvement Units for 2024 before the end of the year. Community service projects are worth 8 CIUs. 

Let's do this together!
The benefits that a safe, DRY and affordable shelter can have on families and communities who partner with Habitat for Humanity can be long-lasting and life-changing. Together, we can help a family!

I/We want to volunteer! 

Interested parties should contact Debbie at the CRA office by email or by phone at 303-484-0549.

More Roof Over Your Head Information 

Thank you to these companies who have helped this year and past years!! 

ITEMS OF NOTE

WELCOME to 4 New Members(s)…

Meet our newest member(s) who joined this past month.

			JR & Co., Inc  7287 Cole View, Colorado Springs, CO 80915-9704 | 719.244.9636   Contractor - Comm/Res
			Precise Roofing LLC  7720 E Belleview Ave B140, Greenwood Village, CO 80111-2612 |  720.448.9988  Contractor - Comm/Res
			Sol Vista Roofing  2373 Central Park Blvd #100, Denver, CO 80238 | 720.712.3516  Contractor - Comm/Res
			The Morgan Law Group  600 17th Street Suite #620S, Denver, CO 80202| 303.285.1114  Trade Service: Legal

Roofing Contractor Tries to Cover Up Fatality 

The uninsured owner of a New York roofing company attempted to cover up a work-related accident that led to the death of an employee. Instead of reporting the incident, the contractor moved the severely injured employee to a local spillway to conceal that he had been working for him at the time of the accident, then called 911 to report that a person had fallen near the bridge over the spillway. The contractor also directed other workers to clean up the scene of the injury to further obscure the work-related nature of the accident.

Read More

New Report Shows Homeowners Rarely Check Roofs 

According to a recent Hanover Insurance Group report, more than half of US homeowners failed to inspect their roofs between February 2023 and 2024, with only 40% checking for issues such as damaged shingles and sealant. Roof inspections were found to be the least likely maintenance task to be completed, despite the fact that roof-related damage accounts for 70 to 90% of catastrophe losses. (Source: Roofing Contractor Magazine).

Read More

FTC Publishes Rule Banning Non-Compete Agreements

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved a new rule banning non-competition agreements, which violate Section 5 of the FTC Act. The rule, effective September 4, aims to ban all such agreements, except for true non-solicitation of customer provisions. Employers can enforce existing non-competition agreements against senior executives, but senior executives cannot be asked to enter into a new agreement after the rule's effective date. The rule does not affect true non-solicitation of customer provisions.

Source:  HPSS 6/11 Construction Law Update

Read More

This month's Building Code updates/notices:

We have a couple update for you this month:

• Boulder, City of: the city is implementing an updated and more efficient application process. Beginning Sept. 1, building and permit applications will be available through the Customer Self-Service Portal (CSS) to submit online. Read more.

• Denver, City & County: Denver recently launched a new web page that shows the estimated times of arrival for construction inspections. See the new dashboard.

• Jefferson, County of - Jeffco is running several weeks out on final inspections and there are reports of cancellation that you then have to go back in and reschedule resulting in longer wait times for your clients/homeowners.

  • Did you know?  In Jeffco, when starting a residential, or commercial project, consult with the property’s local fire district. They have the authority to enforce fire code standards beyond county requirements. Cooperating with the district early can prevent costly changes and ensure compliance with health and safety standards. Read more. 

• Preview 2024 Code Changes.  Significant changes are coming with the 2024 International Codes.  See what roofing related provisions are coming.  Read more. 

Did you know?

OneClick Code CRA Member Discount

Current and new OneClick subscribers get can get 15% off.

Are you using this CRA member benefit?  Contact Debbie to get the discount code.

Have you heard of any upcoming building code changes with any of the municipalities you work with? Please share them with us by emailing the BC&S Committee via Debbie at debbie@coloradoroofing.org.

The CRA Marketing Committee is here for you!

Are You Maximizing Your All of Your CRA Membership Benefits?

Have you been leveraging all the opportunities your Colorado Roofing Association membership offers?

Our recent analytics show that CRA's blog garners over 500 views monthly (and growing!), showing significant growth from previous years. 

This indicates that our intended audience views us and our blog as a significant source of news and insights about the industry. However, there's still more for you! 

Last month we announced our new member spotlight feature! This is your chance to shine and share your own research and blog posts with us for a chance to be featured in our blog and on our social media channels with our expansive community. Being featured on our blog and on our social platforms not only highlights your business but also significantly expands your reach within the industry.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to amplify your presence and connect with potential clients. If you're interested in being featured or want to learn more about maximizing your membership benefits, please contact Debbie for inclusion in our upcoming newsletter editions.

Be Safe. Drive Smart!!

Pinnacol releases new data on road dangers; urges safety on the road this summer

Summer months are some of the busiest on the road, increasing the risk of motor vehicle accidents, which are also the leading cause of work-related fatalities among workers by a 2:1 margin. Employers across various industries are proactively leading to keep their teams safe on the road 

Pinnacol partnered with Denver7 on an important reminder to practice safety on the roads.

READ MORE

3 Fatal Driving Habits You Can CHANGE today!

1. Stop texting. Now.

2. Relax, don't multitask.

3. Observe the traffic laws.  Really.

Read more

Helpful Member Benefits & Tools

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To guarantee delivery of the newsletter to your e-mail inbox each month, we ask that you add Debbie Hathorne to your address book using the following email: debbie@coloradoroofing.org. By adding this address to your contact list, we hope to avoid spam blockers/junk mail folders and ensure your receipt of the CRA newsletter in your inbox each month. Thank you.

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