Welcome Friend of CALBO,
At CALBO, our goal is to be the premier resource for all California code officials and industry colleagues. We hope you will find this newsletter to be of value as you protect the build environment in the Golden State.
A Publication of California Building Officials
1022 G Street | Sacramento, CA | 95814
916-457-1103 | info@calbo.org
Esteemed Colleagues,
2021 has been a year that brought us some of the same challenges that 2020 did, and I am pleased to say that we continue to innovate and persevere to meet those challenges head-on. As you read this edition of our newsletter, I hope that you will see that CALBO worked hard to steer the course through these questionable times in an effort to best represent our members and profession.
The current legislative session ended in September with some CALBO wins, some setbacks, but with many stories of collaboration with our industry partners and lawmakers. We didn’t hold back and we didn’t sit still offering many rounds of amendments and input to represent our interests and our communities. We’ll pick up where we left off in January, with much work to still come on the legislative front. A full briefing is included in this newsletter and real time legislative detail is always available on CALBO’s website.
Education continues to thrive with our hybrid Education Week North in San Ramon holding the record as our largest training event ever with over 3,000 students over the course of the week. I can’t offer thanks enough to the CTI Commission, the 17 instructors, 14 subject matter experts, and the production team for putting on such a great event. Only through the hard work of these professionals, the support from the 16 onsite exhibitors, and CALBO staff were we able to provide this hybrid learning event that so many of you attend virtually right along with the students onsite. As we approach Education Week South in Ontario, I recommend reviewing the course offerings located on the CALBO website and register for a class or two (or four!). Registration ends this Friday, October 15th; visit www.calbo.org/professional-development for more information.
I certainly feel that CALBO training and events have entered a new era after the COVID-19 pandemic. Your CALBO Board of Directors has marveled at what our team has been able to accomplish in the face of stay-at-home orders, masking and occupancy restrictions, and evolving venue guidelines. Over the next year you will see some events, such as Education Week Ontario, presented in-person as we have traditionally done, but know that we are taking the innovations in remote learning, webinars, and hybrid events we have seen such success with over the past couple years and will be weaving those enhancements into future offerings when and where we can. If anything, good has come from the pandemic craziness it is that we have embraced ways to connect with and serve CALBO members like never before and we don’t plan to go backwards.
Speaking of the future, I want to close with a note on how excited I am to see everyone in-person at our 60th Annual Business Meeting at the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, March 27 – 31, 2022. The Board just returned from meeting onsite and is putting the finishing touches on an exciting program of workshops, presentations, and social events that you will not want to miss. Registration for this event will be available in early 2022.
As always, I, your CALBO Board of Directors, and the awesome team of CALBO staff are here to be of service. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Sincerely,
Shane G. Diller, M.P.A
Assistant Director, Development Services
City of Elk Grove
The CALBO Training Institute and CALBO Board of Directors thank the following instructors and subject matter experts for their participation in the 2021 Education Weeks: San Ramon and Ontario. Without you, we could not have held these virtual and in-person training opportunities for our membership!
Paul Armstrong, TRB + Associates
Ciara Barnett, Los Angeles County
Bill Brooks, Brooks Engineering
Mike Brinkman, CSG Consultants, Inc.
Frank Bush, City of Los Angeles (Retired)
John Caprarelli, City of Santa Clarita
Chris Castanchoa, City of Richmond
Dennis Corbett, City of Pleasanton
Aleeta Dene, The Engineered Wood Association
Jesse De Anda, City of Montebello
Tony De Santis, City of Los Angeles
Shane Diller, City of Elk Grove
Rick English, English Pool Consulting
Gil Estrada, City of Indio
Pete Goodrich, Willdan Engineering
Rick Halloran, City and County of San Francisco (Retired)
Chris Hansen, Central Coast Access Specialists, Inc.
Brandon Ives, City of Los Angeles
Mostafa Kashe, County of Los Angeles
Mike Loomis, CSG Consultants, Inc.
Keith Marks, City of El Cerrito
Bill Mitchell, City of Los Angeles
Devin Myrick, City of Los Angeles
Hipolito Olmos, City of Gilroy
Raj Patel, JAS Pacific
Sara Retmier, City of Hemet
Jay Salazar, City of Vacaville
Faruk Sezer, City of Los Angeles
Brent Smith, City of Livermore
Andrew Stuffler, City of Santa Barbara (Retired)
Todd Snider, West Coast Code Consultants, Inc.
Bryan Spain, Bureau Veritas
Interested in serving as an instructor or content developer?
Email Lauren Herman for an application and more information.
We thank ALL of our exhibitors for joining CALBO at the upcoming Education Weeks! A special thank you to our CALBO Partners for their demonstrated commitment in helping CALBO promote the very best of our profession.
4LEAF, Inc., Gold Sponsor
Airex Manufacturing Inc.
Bureau Veritas, Silver Sponsor
Clariti
CSG Consultants, Inc., Gold Sponsor
Energy Code Ace, Silver Sponsor
Hoover Treated Wood Products
IAPMO
International Code Council, Bronze Sponsor
Interwest Consulting Group, Gold Sponsor
JAS Pacific
Lonza
Optimum Seismic, Gold Sponsor
SG Architectural Specialties
Shums Coda Associates, Bronze Sponsor
Simpson Strong-Tie, Bronze Sponsor
TRB + Associates, Inc.
True North Compliance Services, Inc.
VCA Code
Western Wood Preserves Institute
Willdan, Gold Sponsor
Wright Sales
Would like to see your name on this list? Visit the CALBO Sponsor and Exhibitor Program webpage for more information. Limited opportunities remaining!
Please join CALBO in giving thanks to each of these sponsors for their demonstrated commitment to our profession.
4LEAF, Inc., Gold Sponsor
Coastland Civil Engineering, Inc.
VCA Code
Wall and Ceiling Bureau (WCB)
Would like to have your name included on this list at the upcoming Education Weeks? Consider registering for a sponsorship opportunity! Opportunities include event Wi-Fi, give-a-way items, advertisements in daily student emails and much more! A complete listing of all available sponsorship opportunities is located on page 4 of the exhibitor program.
For any questions or concerns, please contact the CALBO Office at info@calbo.org or 916.457.1103.
CALBO’s Legislative Updates page is a useful source for our membership to stay up to date on our organization’s ongoing advocacy efforts. From the Capitol Corner Update, Legislative Bills Reports, as well as a breakdown on how the California Legislative process works, this page has everything you need to know about our advocacy efforts. As you start to navigate through the different sections of this webpage, use the helpful guide below to assist with finding valuable information.
Whether you are new to accessibility in California, preparing for an exam, or renewing your license or certification, these AIA and ICC approved courses will help you understand the most complex California Access Standards.
Are you renewing your architect license with CAB?*
Architects must complete 5 hours of coursework on disability access requirements within the previous two years. Click here for more information.
Are you renewing your CASp certification with DSA?*
CASp renewals must complete 15 continuing education units (CEUs) during each 3 year certification period, including a minimum of 5 CEUs must address regulatory updates to the CBC accessibility provisions. One CEU equals one hour of instructional time. Click here for more information.
Are you a current department leader and/or aspiring to be an expert in your department?
As a Building Official, Director or Manager, you are expected to know what’s coming next. Attend one or more of these courses that will help you prepare your department for current California trends. Join CALBO at the 2021 CALBO Education Weeks!
COVID-19 has impacted us all, especially as building-safety professionals. At the height of the pandemic, CALBO published a membership highlight series to feature building department stories of adaptation and change to keep us encouraged and connected. I was inspired by the efforts of our members to not only provide, but improve public service during one of the most challenging times in recent history.
As a Long Beach resident, I recently
visited my local building department for a ride-along to see
first-hand how staff are overcoming the barriers of the pandemic
to keep my community safe and strong. What I discovered is that
the City
of Long Beach Building and Safety Bureau demonstrates how
building departments are the pandemic’s heroes keeping services
available, whether in-person or online, to support residential
and commercial projects year round.
Even when doors periodically closed to the public during the pandemic, Long Beach plan check and permit applications increased with each quarter this past year, and customers assisted on the permit center help desk phone line ranged from 7,400-10,500 each quarter from 2020-21 to date. In addition, the Building and Safety Bureau’s website offers online scheduling, permit submissions, online training opportunities for the public, and other service resources.
I had the privilege to visit Long
Beach’s Permit Center for a ride-along with Combination Building
Inspector Eric Kranda. I visited the new Civic Center, Steel
Craft, a cargo container outdoor urban eatery, and Accessory
Dwelling Unit (ADU) residential projects. These are examples of
the diverse development in Long Beach neighborhoods. This
coastal city continues to embrace progressive standards while
improving customer service and ensuring compliance with state and
local codes for a better built-environment for all.
During my visit to the Permit Center, I walked through Long Beach’s new Civic Center, home to City Hall and the Port Administration Building. I was amazed by this state of the art facility for its redesign that ensures a seismically safe and environmentally sustainable civic core of downtown for both residents and city employees. This $520 million project, that includes the redevelopment of the Main Library and the revitalization of neighboring Lincoln Park, was made possible through a public-private partnership that offered new avenues of funding and sustainability.
Long Beach is also known for its
innovative commercial projects; most notable are downtown
high-rise projects that I drove past during my ride-along. The
City is dedicated to building for the future while respecting and
preserving the past; Eric pointed out parts of historical
structures that are being preserved in the new designs of
downtown. But, there are other cutting-edge projects to explore
to local neighborhoods.
We drove to the Bixby Knolls neighborhood to visit Steel Craft, a cargo container outdoor urban eatery that offers diverse choices for nearby residents and workers. The repurposing of these containers, otherwise deemed unusable, has been attractive alternatives to indoor dining and social gathering spots during the pandemic. This past summer, Truong Huynh, General Superintendent of Development Services, taught a CALBO webinar educating members about the use of cargo containers in residential and commercial construction.
The highlight of my ride-along was a tour of ADU projects in the Alamitos Heights and Belmont neighborhoods. Residential construction, including ADUs, continues to boom across the state. From 2020-21 to date, there have been 576 ADU projects on file with over 4,000 inspections conducted in Long Beach. Staff continue to keep up with the demand for this alternative, flexible housing model to address home supply and affordability, including offering outreach and online resources for submittal packages. During my tours of ADU projects, I met contractors and residents who talked with Eric about their construction progression and current ADU standards. I quickly noticed that there was no hostility or confusion – only cooperation and mutual respect from both parties. This is a testament to Eric’s ability to communicate professionally and knowledge of current standards and codes.
I was humbled to witness the dedicated public service efforts of the City of Long Beach Building and Safety Bureau. Staff work together to ensure a growing Long Beach while committing to a safe, sustainable, and structurally sound built environment for current and future residents and visitors alike. A special thank you to Truong Huynh, General Superintendent of Development Services, Evan Zeisel, Building Inspections Officer, and Eric Kranda, Combination Building Inspector, for contributing to my ride-along. I cannot drive, bike or walk my Long Beach neighborhood without remembering the exemplary service of my local building department. You are one piece of the puzzle that ensures a stronger California for all.
