News Updates - November 5, 2009

Certification for building officials, inspectors,
and plan reviewers changing

House Bill 3462, enacted by the 2009 legislature, directs the Building Codes Division to establish a certification renewal procedure for building officials, inspectors, and plan reviewers. It also directs the division to establish training and certification requirements for a specialized inspection pilot training program.

The division assembled a rule advisory committee to work on the first phase of implementing this legislation, the certification renewal procedure. This committee, which met during September, October and early November, has just completed its work of drafting administrative rules. These proposed rules will require an Oregon Inspector Certification (OIC) for all building officials, inspectors, and plan reviewers, and renewal of that certification every three years. Those who were grandfathered in when the OIC was developed in 2005 will be issued an OIC by the division at no charge. The application and renewal fee will be set at $125 for a three year certification. The first renewal cycle for all OIC certifications, including those issued under the grandfather clause, will begin on Nov. 1, 2010 under these new rules.

The required 16 hours of continuing education (CE) every three years remains unchanged. The division's legislative update class, following each regular legislative session, will be mandatory and needs to be included in those hours. This class has been one of the CE requirements for building officials in the past. The fee for obtaining an Oregon Code Certification (OCC) will be changed to $80 in the new rules. There is no renewal requirement for OCCs, but they become invalid if the OIC is not renewed.

The rules will be forwarded to public rulemaking hearing in December with a likely effective date of July 2010. The division will develop a rule advisory committee for the second phase of implementing HB 3462 to begin work in early 2010.

For further information, please contact Chris Huntington at 503-373-1247 or by email at chris.s.huntington@state.or.us.

Boards Select Energy Board Members

In our September newsletter, we told you about the division's new board, the Construction Industry Energy Board ("Energy Board"), which was established in House Bill 2950 (2009) as part of the Governor's energy efficiency agenda. This new board will advise the division on energy efficiency issues and streamline the process of enacting new energy efficiency provisions across the residential, commercial, and electrical codes. The Energy Board may evaluate proposed standards related to energy conserving technology, construction methods, and products and materials. The seven member board is comprised of two members from the Electrical and Elevator Board, two members from the Residential Structures Board, two members from the Building Codes Structures Board, and a representative from the Department of Energy. Over the past few months, the respective boards have selected, from their membership, the individuals who will participate on the Energy Board. The members of the Energy Board are:

Lowell Arno, Electrical and Elevator Board;
Michael Broomfield, Electrical and Elevator Board;
Phil Damiano, Residential Structures Board;
Mike Goodrich, Residential Structures Board;
Bruce Dobbs, Building Codes Structures Board; and,
Rene Gonzalez, Building Codes Structures Board.

A representative from the Department of Energy has yet to be determined. The division anticipates the Energy Board will hold its first meeting early in December.

Solar Energy Code being developed by code committee

The Oregon Solar Energy Code committee is working through the code development process. The committee's purpose is to create the first statewide solar code in the nation. The primary goal of this code is to provide clarity and promote consistency in the installation and construction standards of solar energy systems statewide, focusing on photovoltaic installations.

The committee has worked through such issues as ambient temperature and raceway expansion characteristics, circuit conductor routing, and certification requirements. They have worked to clarify terminology and minimize redundancy, and they have addressed the issue of requiring a disconnecting means at combiner boxes for increased fire fighter safety.

The committee held its first meeting in September. They have had five meetings so far, mostly focusing on electrical and fire service issues. Structural and administrative provisions are the next topics to be discussed.

For further information, please contact Chris Huntington at 503-373-1247 or chris.s.huntington@state.or.us.

What is up with BCD and green building?

In the last two years BCD has been focusing on new methods and technologies that many sectors of the building industry refer to as green building. Read about where this journey has taken us in the last year. The linked article is a summary describing many areas BCD has been working on to help buildings in Oregon become more efficient and environmentally friendly.

For more information, please contact Gabrielle Schiffer at 503-373-7418 or by email at gabrielle.m.schiffer@state.or.us.

Enforcement

Summary of enforcement cases presented
to the Oregon State Plumbing 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 Oregon State Plumbing Board.
Final orders after hearing: These cases went to a contested case hearing. Each penalty assessment was reviewed and approved by the Oregon State Plumbing Board.