Government Affairs
OUR ASSOCIATION WORKS BECAUSE OUR ASSOCIATION WORKS
The HBA along with FHBA sponsored Operation Rebuild: Building Florida Back Better Construction Fair in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties to enable citizens the opportunity communicate with building officials, state officials, FEMA, and local contractors on important details involved with rebuilding after Hurricane Ivan. The HBA also donated $100,000 to Rebuild Northwest Florida to help people who cannot afford to repair their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.
The HBA has prudently spent over $60,000, over the past two years, on legal and consulting fees to fight for issues that affect your business in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
We engaged the Tallahassee-based accounting firm of Purvis Gray and Company to audit the Escambia County Building Inspections Fund to make certain that your building inspections fees are being spent in accordance with Florida law. The action caused the county to reimburse the Building Inspections Fund $1,847,068 over time.
The HBA is working to find an equitable solution for more densities for development in the MU-6 zoning district that is located in the central part of Escambia County. Without the zoning change, Escambia County will not have land available for the foreseeable future, thus putting many people out of business.
We succeeded in keeping proposed user fees down in Escambia County by forming a coalition with other allied industries such as the Associated General Contractors (AGC), American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) to offer realistic fee increases, but the county must have better service for users of the system.
We worked with FHBA to pass a Construction Defect bill into law. The bill will ensure that home builders receive notice and have the opportunity to inspect and repair any alleged construction defect before the home buyer can take legal action and sue a builder.
We saved members thousands of dollars by supporting the adoption of the International Building Code, modified with Florida-specific amendments, as the basis for the Florida Building Code.