A flurry of construction-related bills hit the Oregon Legislature on Thursday. Here is a look at a few of them:

Bill would level the playing field for permit violations

If a contractor starts building a structure without the proper permit or plan review, he or she could face a fine between $1,000 and $5,000.

The same requirement doesn’t apply for work on plumbing, boilers, elevators or manufactured homes.

Mark Long, the administrator of the Oregon Building Codes Division, wants to change that with House Bill 2978.

“This makes the regulations across the board and consistent,” he told members of the House Consumer Protection and Government Efficiency Committee on Thursday.

He told lawmakers the bill would have no effect on most contractors – for the most part.

“If you don’t get a permit, it will definitely have an impact,” he said.

The bill would expand who could get fined – or slapped with double permit fees – for not obtaining permits. The fines would apply to people doing structural, mechanical, residential and electrical work.

State Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, the committee chairman, noted that recent amendments have dramatically changed the bill’s language.

“It’s a complete rewrite of the bill,” he said. “I would like to give (committee members) an opportunity to respond. I just wanted to get the amendment adopted and get the paperwork, so we can move ahead in the process and hopefully vote on it before the end of our timeline.”

BILL STATUS: After closing the public hearing, committee members took no further action on House Bill 2978. Next, during a work session, the bill will be killed, referred to another committee or sent to the House floor for a vote.

Green energy bill would alter rules for contractors

House Bill 3169 would amend a state requirement for building contractors who work on public buildings. Under existing law, contractors are required to provide a certain amount of green technology as part of any public project.

That green technology is supposed to amount to 1.5 percent of the overall contract price. Diana Enright, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Energy, told members of the House Consumer Protection and Government Efficiency Committee on Thursday that technology must be part of the building being constructed.

House Bill 3169 would change that. It would allow contractors to provide green technologies such as solar or geothermal power to buildings other than the ones being constructed under the contract.

The one stipulation is that new green technology cannot replace existing green technology. In other words, Enright said, a contractor couldn’t simply swap out solar panels.

The bill also would stretch the definition of green technologies to go beyond solar and geothermal to take into account others not developed yet, she added.

Mark Landauer, government affairs director of the Special Districts Association of Oregon, said the bill would provide important definitions for fire districts, water districts and other taxing entities.

“For very small districts, this can be a difficult piece of legislation to work through, especially for the smaller – and perhaps less sophisticated – districts,” Landauer said.

The bill would apply only to state-funded projects.

BILL STATUS: After closing the public hearing, committee members took no further action on House Bill 3169. Next, during a work session, the bill will be killed, referred to another committee or sent to the House floor for a vote.

QBS bill goes to Senate floor without dissent

A bill that would give city and county officials the ability to skip the bidding process for construction projects of $100,000 or less generated a lot of debate when it came before the Senate Business and Transportation Committee for a public hearing on March 25.

There wasn’t a peep of dissent on Thursday when committee members sent Senate Bill 644 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.

The bill would define when county and local governments can select designers based on either a direct appointment or qualifications-based selection (QBS) process.

Under the QBS system, if a project is worth more than $250,000, public officials can ask for the qualifications of any number of possible contractors. However, they must be evaluated based strictly on their qualifications. Price cannot enter into the initial decision.

For projects between $100,000 and $250,000, public officials can narrow their search to a handful of possible contractors. What Senate Bill 644 seeks to do is have direct appointment kick in at less than $100,000.

Public officials would then ask for the qualifications of only one potential contractor. Then price negotiations could begin. If officials were not satisfied, they could go to someone else – and so on down the line.

BILL STATUS: The bill is awaiting a vote by the Senate.

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Anyone who peruses the business section of a bookstore or reads management-focused blogs commonly will come across information about the benefits of maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

When thinking about “how to win work,” we often focus externally – interview techniques, social media strategies, and relationship building dominate the discussion. While these are all essential items, they tell only part of the story. The truth is that we have people putting together those complex documents, building those relationships and selling the firm.

Ultimately, just as all the books, articles and studies point out, if these people are awake, aware and happy, they will be at their best – and in return, not only stay with the firm, but also win work for it.

Work/life balance is a common topic in our SMPS roundtables. How do we achieve it? What kind of support do we need from our employers? What does it look like? Anyone who has been paying any amount of attention in the last five years completely understands the benefits of work/life balance, at least logically. But with the tough economy and the demands on our jobs to keep things rolling, what are the logistics of it all?

The first step is working in a firm that understands the benefits of a healthy work/life balance. Kate Walker of GBD Architects commented, “I work hard and push through deadlines; then, when I’ve got some downtime, if the snow’s a fallin,’ I head to the mountain. In all seriousness, GBD is supportive of the ‘work hard/play hard’ mentality; they support me when I need to take a break, as long as deadlines are met and I’ve got some backup when I’m out. I know it’s not like that at many firms – it’s one of the many reasons I enjoy working at GBD.”

Unfortunately, even though the firm is on board, it doesn’t guarantee the perfect balance – anyone who juggles multiple, often unpredictable deadlines, knows this too well. Sarah Bell of THA Architecture said, “Balance is rarely attained each day – you have to look at a whole week or even month and try to dedicate equal energy to your job, to your family, to yourself. And you will not always succeed, and that is OK. Just say no … to overcommitting yourself. You can only do so much, so setting realistic expectations is key.”

Katherine Robinette of David Evans and Associates stays proactive. “I really try to hold the line on internal deadlines, so I’m not working late (or from home) because of late/missed deadlines,” she said.

One effective strategy is to put items with specific time demands into a schedule. If you have a massage or acupuncture appointment or a softball game to get to, it will help rein the workload and make you more efficient.

Also, try to delegate tasks, at home as well as the workplace. Maybe reach out to the neighbor kids to mow the lawn or take Sparky for a walk. How about someone to clean the house? Tami Fuller of DOWA/IBI Group combines exercise and quality time with her children. She has introduced yoga to her daughter, and now they practice together.

So, as this year comes to a close, I challenge senior management to encourage and support staffers in their work/life balance goals. As all business owners know, their staff is their biggest asset – and we want those assets to be healthy and rested to decrease mistakes, increase efficiency and ultimately bring in work.

Hanna Baker is a marketing and business development consultant at Fantail Consulting and the professional development director for SMPS Oregon. Contact her at 503-894-2424 or hannabaker@yahoo.com.

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Many business owners will say that their staff is their most expensive – and most valuable – asset. They know that without a solid, motivated team, their businesses cannot survive.

Yet in today’s rather dismal economy, many employees are only enduring their work and operating on the concept that at least they have jobs. Quite simply, morale is low.

There is ample advice on the Internet and in books for ways to boost spirits, but suggestions can fall flat if they don’t fit the employees of the firm. One suggestion I read was, “Make one entire week ‘casual dress’ week.” Considering that our region already is jeans-focused, this might not be ideal advice.

One way to generate ideas for morale-boosting approaches is to consider what psychologist and professor Abraham Maslow called the “hierarchy of needs: survival, security, social acceptance, esteem and self-actualization.” Companies contribute to the first two by simply providing a regular paycheck; they should pay more attention to the latter three.

Social acceptance

Employees need to feel accepted by their peers and that they are important to the team. They need to have meaningful interactions with their co-workers on a regular basis. People feel less stressed and more tolerant of others when they lighten up and have fun together.

A couple of ways to enhance social acceptance are:

• Social outings: Off-site events, from formal gatherings like summer picnics to less formal ones like happy hours, can make a world of difference. Many companies have cut these “perks” in the interest of saving money, but this move can be a major morale killer. Activities provide opportunities for employees to interact and connect in a casual atmosphere and strengthen individual relationships, which in turn strengthen the entire team. And with a little creativity, this doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

• Community service: Some people say that one of the keys to happiness is giving back. If the firm supports individual interests to form group community service events, it can build tighter bonds between employees. Plus, participation in community service events can serve as networking opportunities and enhance marketing. Programs like the 1 Percent Solution, in which architects provide pro-bono services, can benefit employees and boost a firm’s reputation.

Esteem

Employees need the respect of their co-workers and supervisors. They need to feel they are important and trusted.

This is reinforced by:

• Transparency: Paul Schwer, president of PAE Consulting Engineers, says transparency is one of the firm’s strategies to buoy morale. “Communication is really important,” he says. “We have formal quarterly meetings and informal monthly meetings. The more honest you can be, the better. Share the bad news as much as you can, as well as celebrating the wins.” PAE’s approach gives a feeling of belonging, importance and trust.

• Appreciation and recognition: Show employees they are important by singling them out either in front of peers or individually through a verbal “thank you” or a note. At THA Architecture’s regular weekly meetings, individuals can give verbal appreciations called “Golden T-squares” to anyone else. These can be for work accomplishments and even positive attitudes. They help boost the staff’s self-confidence.

Random acts of kindness: In the fast-paced world of business, simple kindnesses can often take a back seat. Melissa Crosman, marketing manager at Interface Engineers, goes above and beyond by offering her own vacation time to her staff. “I’m too busy to use it and I know it means the world to them.” Not everyone can give such a big gift, but it’s amazing what an occasional coffee break, lunch out or even dinner can do for morale. Impromptu “treats” like bagels in the morning or cookies in the afternoon can put smiles on people’s faces.

Self-actualization

People need to realize their potential. “Understanding what makes them excited and allowing them to grow in that area is important,” Crosman explains. “Mentor your staff and give them the tools they need to succeed.” Employees need to feel like they can learn and grow in their positions. If their positions are limited, then firms can offer support for their other interests by paying for classes that may not have anything to do with their job.

At the end of the day, one of the most important things to do as a leader is to stay positive. Attitudes can be contagious, and a bad one can be like a bad cold – it just brings everyone down. Keep a smile on your face and continue to be friendly. Be the leader you need to be for your employees to strive.

Hanna Baker is a senior marketing coordinator at THA Architecture and an SMPS Oregon professional development director. Contact her at 503-972-5363 or hbaker@thaarchitecture.com.

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