BOMA CALIFORNIA ANNUAL BOARD MEETING

Next week in Orange County, the BOMA California Board of Directors will conduct its 2008 Annual Meeting. On the docket for discussion is a broad range of policy issues important to the industry, from what policy items to pursue next year in the Legislature, how to best continue energy advocacy regionally, and how to best represent the Commercial real estate industry through the AB32/Greenhouse Gas reduction regulatory process. The Board will also choose its new leadership for 2009. For more information about BOMA California please click here.

2008 INDUSTRY AWARDS GALA

The Industry Awards Dinner is scheduled for October 23, 2008 at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. BOMA California will be honored at this event for its work on behalf of the industry on statewide energy issues. This event is not to be missed as it is a chance to recognize the unwavering leadership of individuals and companies dedicated to our industry.

Winners of the 2008 CBPA Industry Awards have been announced. Industry Awards are given to leaders in the commercial, industrial, and retail real estate industry that have significantly contributed to the advancement of the profession.

Champion of the Industry Award Honorees
Retail: Brian Smith, Regency Centers
Industrial: John Hagestad, Sares-Regis Group
Office: Steve Soboroff, Playa Vista

Ernie Hahn Memorial Award Honoree
Building Owners and Managers Association California (BOMA California)

John Caldecott Award Honoree
Starbucks

The event is SOLD OUT. Thank you for your support. Click here for more information about the honorees.
 

CBPA BOARD MEETING

Next week on Thursday, October 23, in Orange County CBPA will hold its final board meeting for 2008. Board of Directors, CBPA Advisory Board, the CBPA Legislative Committee, and all members are welcome to attend.

On the docket for discussion is a broad range of policy issues important to the industry, from what policy items to pursue next year in the Legislature, how SB 375 will impact development, how to best address the water crisis, and how to best represent the commercial/industrial/retail real estate industry through the AB32/Greenhouse Gas reduction regulatory process.

If you would like more information or would like to attend, please contact Melissa Martinez.
 

AB 32 SCOPING PLAN RELEASED

***The following document is going to change the way you live and do business in California. You should know what AB 32 is and be active in shaping its impacts.***

Hot off the virtual presses, click here to read the just released AB 32 Scoping Plan (October release) from the California Air Resources Board. As an industry, we provided 12 pages worth of comments on the draft scoping plan/appendices/economic analysis. Energy efficiency in existing buildings and “green buildings” are a large part of the strategy contained herein. We will prepare further comment for this draft, so please circulate to interested people and ask for thoughts/analysis.

SB 375 – SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES – HEARING SET

Two legislative informational hearing have been set to discuss SB 375, the recently signed law which attempts to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through mandated regional planning. Sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the League of Conservation Voters, SB 375 took more than two years to wend its way through the legislative process and was opposed by virtually all business groups.

At the core of the policy is a fundamental disagreement on land use planning. However, specific issues identified in the policy include impacts on transportation projects and funding, unequal CEQA benefits depending on project type, the need to remove litigation “hooks,” and the need for the bill to provide a “safe harbor” from AB 32 induced lawsuits.

However, now that the bill is law, we must engage in the planning process to assure it can be implemented without grinding development to a halt.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008
SELECT COMMITTEE ON GROWTH MANAGEMENT
DESAULNIER, Chair
9 a.m. to 12 noon — Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter Auditorium
101 Eighth Street
Oakland
SUBJECT: Regional Blueprint Planning and SB 375 Implementation

This is the beginning of the process to develop Regional Plans which WILL DICTATE WHERE YOU CAN DEVLOP. All members of the industry are highly, let us repeat, HIGHLY, recommended to get involved and engage in this process.
 

ECONOMIC STABILIZATION ACT SIGNED INTO LAW

On Oct. 3, President George Bush signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The measure was approved by the House earlier that day by a vote of 263-171. (The Senate approved the same legislation two days earlier by a vote of 74-25.) The package also contained important tax provisions that industry has long supported, including the 15-year depreciation schedule for leasehold improvements and brownfields remediation extended through 2010 and the Commercial Building Tax Deduction (CBTD), which was extended through 2013.

The $700 billion act also extended and enhanced critical tax credits and financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, which was attached to the measure, provides a one-year extension of the production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy. Further, the bill provides a two year PTC extension for electricity produced from geothermal, biomass, and solar energy facilities, as well as trash-to-energy facilities, small hydropower facilities using irrigation water, capacity additions to existing hydropower plants, and hydropower facilities added to existing dams.
 

TAX CHANGES IN CALIFORNIA

As a result of the tax changes adopted as part of the 2008-09 Budget in AB 1452 and SBX1 28, California businesses will pay $5.8 billion more in taxes in 2008–09 and $1.6 billion more in 2009–10. These increases were effected through a combination of tax law changes that amount to interest-free borrowing and acceleration of tax revenues from businesses for the next two years and beyond.

Because of these changes and in light of recent developments indicating that the state’s budgetary challenges are continuing and another special session may be necessary, several leading business organizations, led by the CalChamber, are working to assure that decision-makers and industry leaders have an understanding and appreciation of the impact of these tax law changes. Click here to read the fact sheet Tax Changes in the 2008-09 Budget How Will They Impact Business?

 

ANTOHER CALIFORNIA CITY MANDATES LEED

San Jose has adopted mandatory green building standards for all new construction. The standards, intended to reduce water and energy usage, will apply to all housing developments with 10 or more units. On the commercial side, buildings under 25,000 square feet will be required to meet basic LEED standards. Buildings larger than 25,000 square feet must meet the LEED silver designation. Click here for the full story.
 

UNION PUSHING LEED CERTIFICATION FOR SCHOOLS

The American Federation of Teachers has entered the green building push by an approved resolution calling for the promotion of state policies that fund the building of LEED-certified (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) and other green schools. The U.S. General Accountability Office says 25,000 schools nationally are in need of extensive repair or replacement. Furthermore, AFT notes, schools use 48 percent of the energy used in the U.S.; green schools use 30 percent to 50 percent less energy. The call does not address how to pay for the upfront costs of increasing construction costs. Click here to read the resolution.
 

LA TIMES BLOG TAKES ON GREEN BUILDING BILLS

The LA Times “environmental writer” has blogged about the status of some bills we followed closely. Click here to see the blog and comments as they are interesting reads. It is illuminating to see these advocates fiercely criticize the Governor for any veto of bills they support but give him virtually no credit for the bills he signed that actually advance their agenda. It is widely acknowledged that this Governor and California in general are way out ahead of the rest of the nation on environmental laws, but extreme advocates refuse to acknowledge that simple fact as it doesn’t fit the narrative.
 

CORPORATE WATER FOOTPRINTING CONFERENCE

How can water management help companies and your properties save energy and costs? How does water reduction drive sustainability? These are two of the central questions being answered at the Corporate Water Footprinting event which is taking place December 2-3 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco.

Confirmed speakers include sustainability experts from Pepsi, Coke, ConAgra Foods, Nestle Waters, IBM, Cisco, Adobe, Intel, GE, Dean Foods, Steelcase, JP Morgan and more. Water management experts from The Global Water Challenge, Business for Social Responsibility, The Pacific Institute, and the World Resources Institute are also speaking.

BOMA California is supporting this event which entitles any member a discount of 20% to attend this event. Simply type “csrw20” into the discount code box when booking online or quote “csrw20” when booking by phone or fax. For more information, click here to visit the website.
 

BOMA CALIFORNIA 2008 CALENDAR

October 23 —
COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL/RETAIL REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY AWARDS DINNER
The Island Hotel, Newport Beach, CA
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

October 24 —
BOMA CA BOARD MEETING & ELECTION OF 2009 OFFICERS
Newport Beach (The Irvine Company)
10:00 a.m. -- 3:00 p.m.