November 2014
Home Building Celebrated at Fall Awards IBS 2015 Schedule Page 2 NAHB Codes Meeting Page 4 Missouri One Call Update Page 12 Clay Shoot 2014 Page 13
Winners of the Distinctive Plan & Design and Pick of the Parade contests were announced as HBA members gathered on October 1st for the Fall Parade of Homes Awards Ceremony. Special thanks go to Patrick Willis, award presenter and Parade Committee Chairman and to Misty Hanson, Stewart Title, for distributing the award trophies. Please see pages 8 and 9 for a complete list of award winners. The Distinctive Plan & Design contest focuses on interior design and architecture with judges reviewing the furnishings, accessories, functionality and curb appeal of each home. Judging for the Pick of the Parade ranks homes based on construction techniques, material selection, and craftsmanship. Twenty-eight housing professionals from six states toured the more than 150 homes in the contests over September 26th and 27th. Special thanks go to HBA members who volunteered to drive the judges through the metro area; because Continued on page 5
This year’s awards featured a new design and the Parade’s trademark color
NAHB & KCHBA Ask You to Fight Clean Water Act Expansion
HBA members enjoyed a perfect fall day at Power Creek Shooting Park for the annual Clay Shoot. Winners and photos on page 13.
NAHB and the KCHBA are urging members to voice their opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule to revise the definition of “waters of the United States,” which would greatly expand federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act (CWA). This rule is important to the home building industry because it would increase the number of construction sites required to obtain appropriate permits and delay projects. While we agree that we need to protect the environment, adding a layer of regulation makes the land development process more expensive and time consuming. The CWA provided the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) with
jurisdiction to protect certain “waters of the U.S.” How parties define “waters of the U.S.” has been debated for years – including what land should fall under federal, as opposed to state or local, permitting authority. The U.S. Supreme Court only added to the confusion when it changed the test for determining which waters should be protected under the CWA in two decisions from 2001 and 2006. In April 2014, the EPA published a proposed rule seeking to clarify the definition of “waters of the U.S.” and asserted to have based its rule on scientific reports showing the connectivity of certain water features and downstream traditional navigable waters. Part of the proposed rule expands
the definition of a ‘tributary’ – even ditches and manmade canals, or any other feature that a regulator determines to have a bed, bank and high-water mark. Should the proposed rule go into effect, more waters become federally protected and developers and builders would be subject to new requirements. To submit a comment to the EPA on how to take action on the rule, visit http:// www2.epa.gov/uswaters and click on “submit a formal comment.” You can also find contact information for your Congressional representative by visiting the KCHBA’s governmental affairs webpage.