BIA Advocacy Update

Horace City Council votes to extend two-year property tax exemption for new construction

The Horace City Council addressed the tax exemption at their meeting on Nov. 17. BIA-RRV sent a letter to councilmembers beforehand, encouraging its extension and stressing the importance of the tool, especially with the current housing market.

Access the letter here. 

The council also voted to address the exemption every two years instead of annually. 

We appreciate the council's conversations recently on housing and look forward to future discussions. 

Minnesota residential energy code updates

The BIA-RRV, along with Housing First Minnesota, Central Minnesota Builders Association, Rochester Area Builders, Window and Door Manufacturers Association and the Minnesota Association of Realtors, provided comments for the Nov. 14 Minnesota Construction Codes Advisory Committee meeting where the Residential Energy Codes were discussed. Your Association called for greater flexibility and urged the CCAC to keep affordability in mind. 

Click here to read the letter.

The CCAC did the following at the meeting:

• Simulated Building Performance was added back into the code, providing more options
• The Department recommended moving to reduce the efficiency mandates. It seems that this will allow the performance path to be used for cost savings in the next code.

The next step is the Department of Labor sending a final recommendation for the Commissioner, who will then determine what amendments are sent to formal rulemaking. Part of that process is a durability analysis, then the next comment period will begin.

National Association of Home Builders Fall Leadership Meetings in Denver

BIA-RRV and North Dakota Association of Builders leadership were recently in Denver, Colorado, for a series of national meetings which include the Leadership Council, Board of Directors, committee and council, and executive officer meetings. NAHB members attend to make decisions and provide guidance on advocacy, membership and the future of the association.  

Leadership from BIA-RRV included: 

• Adam Olson, National Delegate, President, Allstar Construction
• Brock Goossens, National Delegate, Treasurer, Hawthorne Custom Homes, LLC
• Bill Rothman, National Delegate, Immediate Past President, Kilbourne Group
• Shelly Zeis, Alternate National Delegate, Incoming Treasurer, J & L Construction
• Don Dabbert, Jr., Senior Life Delegate, Dabbert Custom Homes 

See some of the highlights below!

Above (left to right): Don and Kathy Dabbert, Dabbert Custom Homes; Matt and Shelly Zeis, J & L Construction; Bob Horab, McCody Concrete - Williston; Lance Kilwein, B&K Electric - Dickinson; Joe Hillerson, Boulder Homes - Bismarck; Joe Stenvold, JAX Contracting - Minot and Brittney Roehrich, NDAB CEO. 

Above (left to right): Joe Hillerson, Boulder Homes; Bill Rothman, Kilbourne Group; Adam Olson, Allstar Construction; Jeff Sattler, Sattler Homes - Bismarck; Brock Goossens, Hawthorne Custom Homes and Bob Horab, McCody Concrete.

News from NAHB: New WOTUS Rule brings clarity to permitting process

The new proposed rule, published on Nov. 20 by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NAHB argues would provide builders with needed clarity by defining which waters are subject to federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.  

Here is an overview of the proposed rule:

• Limits federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act to traditional navigable waters and the relatively permanent waters that flow from them, such as year-round or seasonally flowing lakes, streams and rivers, and wetlands that directly abut those waters
• Defines key terms including "relatively permanent" and "continuous surface connection"
• Removes interstate waters as a separate jurisdictional category
• Reaffirms exclusions for most ditches, prior-converted cropland and waste treatment systems

The proposed rule provides greater certainty, which will offer a more predictable permitting process.  

Click here to read NAHB's article.