News Updates - February 25, 2009

BCD keeps communications in focus

It has been a year since BCD had a group of people come together to discuss our methods of communicating with our customers and stakeholders. The focus group had representation from different generations, trades, associations, and local government. This diversity helped to produce great ideas and innovative solutions to address several of BCD's communication dilemmas.

So what effect did the focus group's ideas have on BCD in the last year?

• The BCD Web site has made many changes to create more accessibility for users. The home page has seen several design elements added and modified. We have placed the most current edition of the codes on the front page. The home page also presents a more compact content list that is easier to see and use, along with a "What's new at BCD" section, and calendar of BCD events.

• The Get Notified option on the Web site, which allows a person to get a notice sent to their email address when a change has been made on a particular page(s), has been improved. The subject line of the email now tells you what the update is about, the actual message is easier to read and more informative, and you should only receive one update per page (in the past people were receiving several notices on the same update).

• This newsletter is one of the biggest changes in communications BCD has made. The Local Building Department Newsletter provides information on a bi-weekly basis to both building departments, who receive it directly via e-mail, and our other audiences who can access it on our Web site. The newsletter's design was strongly influenced by the focus group. The group wanted something emailed, with all the same information that used to be in the BO mailings, plus other current information. They suggested we make our communications computer-based, but also provide a printable version. The group wanted short summaries of the news at BCD, allowing readers to get a quick overview, while still providing detailed information via links. If you look at the newsletter, you will see all of these elements included. You will also find a calendar of hearings and meetings, contact information for key BCD employees, and a list of events that may be of interest to readers. We also try to list important articles in the subject line of the email, so you know what to expect inside.

You can see what great ideas can do to influence better methods of providing communications. With the results from our focus group, BCD has been able to make some major strides in improving how we get information out to you. We hope to continue to get the word out using the best method possible to meet all of our customers needs.

Enforcement sweep
BCD's enforcement team conducted a multi-agency enforcement sweep with the Workers Compensation Division, Employment Department, Bureau of Labor and Industry, and the Department of Revenue. This sweep took place over a 2-day period in January. The state agencies visited 18 sites in the Eugene and Springfield areas for this action. They interviewed 144 individuals at several work sites. There were no enforcement cases opened as a of this enforcement sweep.

Electrical Program presentations
The division continues its series of electrical program presentations on Tuesday, March 3, in Portland. This presentation is the last in the series covering the changes in the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code, and meets the requirements for code change continuing education credits. The remaining eight presentations in the series will qualify for code related continuing education credits. Each course covers rules and laws related to the electrical program as well as special topics such as renewable energy, hazardous locations and health care facilities. For more information on this series of electrical programs, visit the BCD Web site.

Enforcement

Summary of enforcement cases presented to the State Electrical and Elevator Board
Summary report: These cases were resolved by the division's enforcement section without going to a contested case hearing. No action was required by the State Electrical and Elevator Board.

Final orders after hearing: These cases went to a contested case hearing. Each penalty assessment was reviewed and approved by the State Electrical and Elevator Board.

Regional Program Services

Regional Coordinators and the local jurisdictions: A Winning Team
Since many of you have worked with our regional coordinators to help resolve issues, we thought you might want to know a little more about them. Our regional coordinators come from a variety of backgrounds making for a well-rounded team.

Michael Morter, the regional services manager, has a total of 17 years legislative experience. He has been working as a liaison between the jurisdictions and various agencies for a number of years. Wendy Beard, regional coordinator for the Northwest Region, comes from the private sector, having worked in high tech marketing and organizational development of personnel as well as with various non-profit boards. Jerod Broadfoot, regional coordinator for the Eastern Region, worked with the construction industry, prior to joining BCD and has legislative public policy experience at all levels. Tim Lindsey, regional coordinator for the Central Region, has a background in the trades and came on board with us after serving as a building official. Their varied experiences mirror BCD's many stakeholders. Because they understand the issues, they can deliver a win for all parties involved!

ePermitting

Quick Permits = The first phase of ePermitting
Before you know it, Quick Permits will be moving from the current system to a new look and feel with the launch of the first phase of the new ePermitting program. In addition to the new styling of the Web page, acquiring permits will be a little different. Over the next few weeks, the newsletter will be highlighting some of the features the new system has to offer in a series of articles.

Contractor Accounts
One of the new features Acella, Inc has added is the Contractor Account. This feature asks the contractor to register the first time they use the system and then sign into the Web site with a unique login and password. The login process takes seconds and with the information provided during the initial registration, an individual can manage all aspects of purchasing a permit on the ePermitting system. Some of the benefits of creating a login account include:

• The ability to save and reenter an application at any step in the process before finalizing payment.

• Program-specific listing of information and applications that best fit a specific license type.

• The ability to see on a single screen, all your applications from all building departments you have applied to, including those in process and completed.

This new phase of the ePermitting system is expected to be online later this spring. Bookmark the ePermitting information page now. This Web site will be your window to all the upcoming changes in BCD's ePermitting.

Local Building Department Directory reminder
Remember, the Local Building Department Directory (LBDD), formerly the Directory of Responsibility, is being updated. The new directory will give jurisdictions more control over the essential information that identifies each building department and allow them to update information as necessary. The LBDD is your way to communicate fun and exciting information to your customers too. To register your jurisdiction's directory administrator for the LBDD fill out the form. Those who have already registered will be able to access their information in the next week. You can get more information about the LBDD from Lori Graham at lori.l.graham@state.or.us or 503-373-7755.