CBPA OPPOSES PROPOSITON 92

California Business Properties Association, which represents BOMA California in Sacramento, will join a broad coalition of business, teachers, firefighters, labor, seniors, transportation and health care workers, to oppose Proposition 92 which is on the March 2008 Ballot. Proposition 92 amends the California Constitution to guarantee community college funding levels without adding any accountability structure. The measure would inflict an enormous amount of pressure on California’s already-stressed general fund and possibly require major cuts from other programs funded from the same pool of money.

Proposition 92 in effect splits the existing Proposition 98 funding guarantee for K-14 schools into one guarantee for K-12 and a separate guarantee for community colleges. The potential increase in state spending on K-14 education is about $135 million in 2007-08, $275 million in 2008-09 and $470 million in 2009-10, with unknown impact annually thereafter. Essentially, the California community colleges would maintain the benefit of a minimum funding guarantee under Proposition 98 without assuming the risk, like other public institutions of higher education, of being a separately funded public entity.

CBPA urges your “no” vote on Proposition 92.

BSC GREEN BUILDING CODES

On February 13 and 14, 2008, the Building Standards Commission’s Green Building Code Advisory Committee will meet to adopt proposed changes to the State’s Building Code, Title 24, Part 11, to incorporate new green building standards into the building code. This is part of the building codes adoption process and whatever codes are written and adopted will impact your operations as soon as January 1, 2010.

As part of a large coalition, our industry successfully fended off an ill-conceived LEED mandate bill in the Legislature last year and part of our argument was that the Building Standards Code process should work to write these codes. Well, that process is now happening and the BSC is fast-tracking these new codes and input on the proposed codes is now needed.

Please circulate this email to anyone that has practical experience with building codes and ask for their comments.

Although some of these building standards will initially be voluntary, you should assume that any voluntary measure on this adoption cycle will become mandatory in the next adoption cycle.

Proposed Green Building Standards; State agency combined green building standards proposed for publication in the 2007 California Green Building Standards Code, CCR, Title 24, Part 11.

Please either submit comments on your own or send them to Matthew Hargrove for incorporation into a comprehensive industry submission and testimony. Deadline for input is next Friday, February 1st.

AB 2160/CEC GREEN BUILDING REPORT

On January 30th, the California Energy Commission will discuss a staff report related to incentives and barriers for industry to further build “Green.” Our collective input can be seen throughout this report, but BOMA California is also coordinating testimony for the hearing to emphasize those findings we think make the most sense.

AB 2160 Green Building Report

This report is an excellent opportunity to identify ideas, proposed by a state agency that can be helpful to advancing the goal of increasing sustainable building within our industry. Throughout the past several years we have already discussed many of these incentives and we should take this opportunity to emphasize our agreement. As an industry, it would be great to come to consensus on the 3-5 best ideas for incentives; and the 3-5 biggest issues that are addressable barriers, and focus the Commission on those items.

We may also want to take the opportunity in testimony to provide some context to the committee about how good our industry actually is in this area, without any mandates and very few incentives. Our buildings are far more efficient and “green” than they were 10 years ago and we should get some credit for that fact.

Please distribute this as far and wide as possible and ask for comment. Please send comments to Matthew Hargrove. The Commission meets on Tuesday, Jan 29, so please provide input as soon as possible.

EMINENT DOMAIN BATTLE IMMINENT – SECOND INITIATIVE QUALIFIES

The secretary of state placed a second eminent domain measure on the June ballot late Wednesday, after it showed a sufficient number of projected valid signatures. Certification of the measure, which is being sponsored by the League of California Cities and others, sets up a June showdown where the two eminent domain initiatives will be the only propositions on the ballot. The first and more far-reaching of the two competing ballot measures restricting the use of eminent domain by local governments has qualified two weeks ago. The latter measure would ban almost all uses of eminent domain to take property for private uses. It is sponsored by a coalition including the California Farm Bureau and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. The former measure, would bar seizure of owner-occupied residences for private purposes, is very close to qualifying for the ballot. Watch for lots of fireworks.

GREEN CALIFORNIA SUMMIT AND EXPOSITION

Builders, property managers, developers, facilities managers and others involved in real estate should not miss the Green California Summit (April 7-9, Sacramento Convention Center). The event, guided by an Advisory Board that includes senior state officials and leaders from the real estate community, combines an exposition featuring hundreds of green products and services with seminars and training. Discover green tools that can save you money, preserve the environment and give you a competitive edge - and find out about regulations and policy that are changing the industry. For more information, click here.

HELP GRAD STUDENT WITH ADA RESEARCH PROJECT

A grad student at the University of San Francisco has asked our Association for help with a project she is doing as part of an independent research project regarding title III of the American's with Disabilities Act and how it affects business owners and managers in California. She has designed a simple survey and hopes that you might take some time to provide information to assure her results are as robust as possible. If you are willing to help out a young researcher, you can find the survey here.

BOMA CALENDAR 2008

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2008 (date TBD) —
BOMA California Board Meeting
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Embarcadero Center #4, Conference Center, Promenade Level
Co-hosted by Boston Properties and Unico Properties
San Francisco

TUESDAY, JUNE 10 & WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2008 —
BOMA California Board Meeting & CA Commercial Real Estate Summit
Sacramento (Hyatt Regency)
Times and locations TBA

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER, 2008 (DATE TBD) —
BOMA California Annual Meeting
Times and location TBD
Los Angeles