The Sweet Summer Social Line-Up!

Member Appreciation BBQ Mixer
June 11
4:00pm - 6:30pm

Join your fellow BATC members in celebrating the beginning of Summer with an old fashioned BBQ! Yards games, delicious BBQ and libations on the house! [Register or Get more info.]

Walleye Invitational
June 15
7:00am - 6:00pm

Grab a friend, co-worker or your favorite angler and create your two-person team.  Only one individual per team needs to be a BATC member. Dinner and prizes following at Nitti’s Hunters Point. [Register or Get more info.]

Remodelers Council Boat Cruise
July 12
5:30pm - 9:00pm

Join the BATC Remodelers Council for an evening of fun, dinner and relaxation on Lake Minnetonka.  "Her Excellency" will set sail out of Excelsior Bay on Lake Minnetonka for a 3-hour tour.  $59 Boarding pass includes dinner.  [Register or Get more info.]

Showroom Mixer
August 2 
4:30pm - 6:30pm

Join us and other BATC members at Minnesota Exteriors Showroom in Osseo where they will showcase products like siding, windows, roofing, doors, gutters & more! Refreshments will be served. [Register or Get more info.]

The BATC Open
Golf Tournament
August 7
11:30am - 7:30pm

Come for a day of balls, birdies and builders! [Register or Get more info.]

BATC Foundation Member Spotlight: Jerry Peterson

Jerry Peterson carries an old BOF mug. No matter where he is, someone will ask about it. Jerry loves that because it always opens the door to wonderful conversation. It allows Jerry the opportunity to talk about something very near and dear to his heart, the BATC Foundation (formerly called BOF). Our Foundation has had many wonderful people who have donated countless hours to the betterment of our organization. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Jerry for all he does for our organization.

Click to read more ...

Has it Dawned on You. . .

Disneyland Hong Kong...that the first voice you hear when you call BATC is most likely our receptionist Dawn Marka? A typical day for Dawn centers around answering phone calls, checking mail, processing payments, and performing other administrative duties that keep BATC running smoothly. Keeping the show moving is something that comes naturally for Dawn since her most important job, being a mom, has given her a lot of experience juggling agendas among all five of her children! 

Growing up as an only child, Dawn has made up for her quiet childhood with a boisterous family of seven. Did we mention that all five of her children are boys? After their third, Dawn and her husband of 25 years, Kurt, figured that once you're outnumbered, it doesn't matter by how many!

 

While Dawn's oldest son is now married and her youngest will be in High School next year, the family still finds time to travel and grow culturally. Dawn's hobby is traveling and the kids (pictured at Disneyland Hong Kong) and husband Kurt (pictured below) love to see the world too. 

Arch de Triumph, Paris

Look at our new Look!

Drum roll please......BATC is very pleased to reveal our fresh, new, updated logos.  

Our branding work with Beehive gave us clear direction on who we are, who we aspire to be, and how all of our faces should work together.  That meant re-looking at our graphic identity with fresh eyes.  The result — a new family of logos we’re excited to begin rolling out.
How we got here.

Beehive challenged us to create a BATC logo that reflected our brand personality — rock solid, influential respected, focused and trusted.  They also recommended that our identity should capitalize upon the brand equity we have in both BATC and the Parade of Homes.  We wanted a modern, fresh look; and we wanted a strong graphic image that, over time, could become our Nike swoosh or General Mills’ big G.

We began with the Parade of Homes type font.  We combined it with the a simplified version of the house graphic that has been part of the BATC logo for a decade. We kept red as our primary color, another borrowed element from BATC’s past.  And we added blue, as a nod to our parent organization NAHB as well as a subtle connection for our advocacy and governmental affairs work.  We also added a little style by overlapping some of the letters, and pulled in a reflection of the thick underline that had also been part of the Parade of Homes logos for decades.

The new BATC graphic element (yes, we’re using our acronym as Beehive discovered that it’s as well known as our full name) is our stylized house graphic in red followed by BATC in black.  This element will attach to all of our sub brands as well as the Parade of Homes and Remodelers Showcase logos, pulling everything together beautifully.

Look for a new window cling along with your new Membership Directory in the mail soon.  And we’ll be sending out email links so you can get your own set of graphics.  You’ll see the new logos immediately in our electronic communications, though we’ll be using up old collaterals we have on hand before printing new letterhead and the like.

Kudos to Dawnita Parmely, BATC’s publications manager and designer extraordinaire for the new designs.

Tell us what you think!

St. Paul Building Code Case is Heard Before MN Court of Appeals

BAM filed suit against the City of St. Paul seeking a court declaration to prevent cities from enacting policies that violate the State Building Code.  According to a Minnesota Statute, the Minnesota State Building Code supersedes the building code of any municipality, and a municipality may not require building code provisions that differ (in any way) from the State Building Code.  Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(c).  Nonetheless, St. Paul’s Department of Safety and Inspections adopted a “Uniform Egress Window Policy” that imposes a minimum size requirement on all egress windows that are being replaced or repaired.  

There is no exception to this requirement.  Minnesota’s State Building Code, however, contains an exception to the minimum egress window size requirements that allows a contractor to replace an existing window with the manufacturer’s largest standard size window that will fit within the existing frame or rough opening.  BAM hired Joe Springer from Fredrikson & Byron to commence suit against St. Paul to obtain a court ruling that the city’s Policy violates state law and is prohibited.

The City defended on the grounds that the limitations in Minn. Stat. § 326B.121 do not apply, because the City enacted a “policy” and not an ordinance, the language used in the statute.  BAM argued that the City cannot avoid the statute by merely calling its requirement a “policy” and not an ordinance. The trial court agreed with the City, and BAM appealed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.  Oral argument on BAM’s appeal was held on May 9, 2012 and a decision is expected later this summer.  The case is important because it addresses the ability of a city to impose requirements on builders that are different than the State Building Code.

Builder Confidence Rises Five Points in May

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes gained five points in May from a downwardly revised reading in the previous month to reach a level of 29 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. This is the index’s strongest reading since May of 2007.

Three out of four regions registered improving builder sentiment in May. This included a six-point gain to 32 in the Northeast, and five-point gains to 27 and 28 in the Midwest and South, respectively. The West posted a two-point decline, to 29.

Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 25 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores from each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

Stormwater Update: MIDS Group Studies Alternatives

The next generation of stormwater regulations are likely to be taken from the Minimum Impact Design Standards (MIDS) tool kit. The development of the MIDS stormwater tool kit has been on-going for the past three years, and is operating under the performance goal which requires developments that create more than one acre of new impervious surface on sites without restrictions, stormwater runoff volumes will be controlled and the post-construction runoff volume shall be retained on site for 1.1 inches of runoff from impervious surfaces. The performance goal is a challenge for any development, but is necessary to comply with federal requirements. The current question is -- what about sites that can’t feasibly retain 1.1 inches of runoff?

The answer lies in alternative compliance, known in MIDS as flexible treatment options. 

The flexible treatment options are put in place when site conditions preclude reasonable compliance with the 1.1 inch performance goal. The flexible treatment options being considered include a ratcheting back of the 1.1 inch requirement by 25-50%, or perhaps a more site-specific measure, which would require stormwater practices that are prudent and feasible for that site. The MIDS Work Group will attempt to narrow the alternatives at its June 15th meeting. BATC members and staff on MIDS include Larry Frank(Arcon Development), Jason McCarty (Westwood Professional Services), David Newman (BANCOR Group), Ian Peterson (Pulte Group), and James Vagle (BATC).

Farewell, Miniature Dream Home!

As the phrase goes: All good things must come to end. But in the case of the BATC Foundation chalet, this miniature mobile home is moving to a new home, and its legacy will live on.

The BATC Foundation chalet was sold last week to the highest bidder in a closed-bid Craigslist auction. Now, we're bidding adieu to the home that served the needs of the Foundation for many years. While the chalet was a great tool, the board found that it no longer fit the mission of the BATC Foundation.

Congratulations to the chalet's new owner, Bob Michels, and a special thank you to the following volunteers who contributed to the design, layout and construction of the chalet:

Labor:

• Gary Aulik, Aulik & Associates, Inc.
• John Zirbes, Lyman Lumber
• Scott Gjertejansen, Carpentry Contractors Corp.
• Travis Herritz, Springer Exteriors
• Steve Williams, Mattamy Homes
• Bob Lund, Cory Fiecke, John Zirbes, Tim Liester, Lyman Lumber
• Cary Shaich, Ross Nesbit Agencies, Inc.
• Mike Swanson, Rottlund Homes
• Ross Anderson, Advanced Energy Consulting
• Wade Kranz, Metro Framing

Materials:

• Gary Aulik, Aulik & Associates, Inc.
• John Zirbes, Lyman Lumber
• LP Smart
• Brad Johnson, Brushmasters
• ABC Millwork
• Joe Friberg, Builder/Webster Insulation
• Susan Zick, Mid America Cedar
• Northside Insurance 

 Design:

• Gary Aulik, Aulik & Associates, Inc.

Chauffeur: 

• Pat Hegseth, Great Plains Millwork

Keep Up with Construction Codes

The Construction Codes and Licensing Division (CCLD) Newsletter helps builders and remodelers stay up to date with changing codes and licensing news.

The latest edition is now available and features information on:

• DLI's Boiler Division
• Plumbing and SSTS Bonds
• Contractor Insurance Requirements
• Elevator Equipment Compliance
• National Electrical Code Updates
• & More

 View the full CCLD Newsletter here>>

Sign up to receive the CCLD Newsletter here>>

Prune and Focus!

Get To Know Your BATC Staff:
Heather Litchy, Administrative & Membership Assistant, Five Years

That's the mantra at BATC these days, and Heather Litchy, our Administrative and Membership Assistant knows how to keep everyone on track and focused! Heather's a mastermind of meetings, preparing materials for Board and Committee meetings, room rentals and events. She assists the Executive Director, Director of Administrative Services and BATC's Membership Representative, while representing the Young Professionals Committee at BATC.

Heather knows firsthand that when you work hard and prune and focus, growth happens. Heather got her first job when she was fourteen and she's been working hard ever since; advancing at BATC and growing as a loving mother. Her beautiful daughter, Kaylynn, is the apple of her eye, but that's not all she's passionate about. Heather's dream job growing up plays off of her love for kids, and taste for apples.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you "grew up"? 
I wanted to be a lawyer. I dreamed of doing really big things; things I hadn’t seen done in my own family. If I wasn’t a lawyer, I thought I’d be a teacher because I love kids!

Where would we find you on your day off?
On a day off, in the Winter, you could find me shopping. I love spending full days at the MOA with my family. I have a 3 year old daughter with my boyfriend Aaron, and we live in Minnetonka. In the Summer, you’d definitely find my family at the beach. Our daughter loves the water and I love to spend time with my family!

How did you get started at BATC?
I started working at a pretty young age. I worked at Bills Superette gas station, in Ramsey, when I was 14 years old. I became a shift leader by the time I was 15 and was working 30+ hours while going to high school full time.

After High School, my best friend Tiffanie and I roomed with 3 other girls at Century Community & Technical College in White Bear Lake. I went to Century to study Business Administration and Business Management. By the time I went to college, I was out on my own working 2 full-time jobs and going to school full time.

In 2004 I worked at Counselor Realty as a Receptionist learning the Real Estate Industry. From there I became an Assistant and worked on a team with Paul Stanger & Associates. I assisted 4-Full-Time Realtors in both the buying and selling processes of pre-existing homes and new construction and had plans to get my Real Estate License. When the market took a turn, I got a call from a friend who had just left Counselor Realty and was working at BATC. She told me that BATC was looking for a Receptionist, so I applied. I was hired as the Receptionist in 2007 and have since become the Administrative & Membership Assistant and coordinator of the Young Professionals Committee.