Building Business News
Volume Volume17 18• •NO.7 NO.11
www.kchba.org
January 2013 November July2012. 2011
The Official Newspaper of The Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City
Inaugural Dinner a Night of Celebration and Awards
HBA Annual Award recipients Steve Haynes, Misty Hanson, Mike Brown
The HBA’s Inaugural Dinner brought together members and guests for an evening of celebration and awards. The event is a special night to welcome the incoming President of the Board of Directors, the new executive committee, and present the annual HBA awards that recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals who have made a lasting and significant impact on housing in Kansas City. Those awards include the Bob Bollier Award for Sales and Marketing, the Fred J. Geier Associate of the Year, and the Builder Hall of Fame. See pages 6 and 7 for more on the 2012 Inaugural Dinner.
New Look for the Home Show and Flower, Lawn & Garden Show This month the HBA introduces a new logo as an enhancement to the Home Show that reflects the evolution of this Kansas City tradition. “We are continually looking at ways to present this marketplace to today’s customers who want to enjoy a Home Show experience,” said Lori Kodanaz, Director of Consumer & Trade Shows. “We are bringing in fresh talent, trendy features, and learning experiences. This new logo reflects the ideals that we are implementing for the 2013 event.” The new logo retained the traditional look and feel of the original Home Show PRSTRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 108 Lawrence, Ks
because this is an event Kansas Citians know and trust. The clean, crisp and more modern design gives new consumers an enticement to take a fresh look at this action packed event with something for everyone’s home. In addition, the new logo reflects the perfect matching of the Home Show with the Flower, Lawn & Garden Show hosted by Kansas City Parks and Recreation.
“We have the fun of what Parks and Recreation brings to the event on their stage combined with the designer content on the Spaces stage and the teaching content on the Wall Wizard’s stage,” Said Kodanaz. “I feel we are covering a lot of good ground for the price of a ticket and connecting consumers with what they need and want for their homes.” The original Greater Kansas City Home Show and Flower, Lawn & Garden Show returns, March 22-24, to Bartle Hall. The Home Show has been part of Kansas City since 1948 as the premier home and garden event in the area.
Legislative Outlook for Kansas and Missouri The November 2012 election brought many new members to the Kansas and Missouri legislatures. While the makeup of the Kansas Legislature remains solidly Republican (Republicans retained a 92 to 33 advantage over Democrats in the House and 32 to 8 advantage in the Senate), there is a more conservative Republican party in charge. Most of the moderate Republicans who once helped to block many of Governor Sam Brownback’s proposals are no longer in office. The newly-elected lawmakers are expected to be far more supportive of the Governor’s agenda in the upcoming legislative session. Early in the legislative session, Kansas lawmakers will have to grapple with a $295 million per year budget shortfall stemming from Governor Brownback’s tax reform plan that passed earlier this year and significantly reduced income taxes. Many political analysts predict that lawmakers will need to make major cuts in spending, including possible cuts in infrastructure spending, when they take up the 2014 budget. Lawmakers may also be taking a look at keeping part of a penny sales tax that is supposed to expire next summer as well as eliminating many tax deductions and credits. The deduction Continued on page 11
Inside this Edition
Building Codes
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2013 Leadership
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