March 2013
Southeastern Arizona Contractors Association
Vol. 9, No. 1
Construction News & Views
President continued on page 4
A message from SACA’S President
Vol. 9 No. 6
Mike Rutherford
New member profile: Southern Arizona Rain Gutters
As the economy continues to languish and predicted growth is on the puny
side, I want to encour- age you to con- s i d e r more pro- a c t i v e network- ing with o t h e r m e m -
bers. Business to business network- ing is more than collecting business cards and shaking a few hands. It’s taking the time to really get to know other business owners. It’s a two- way conversation that allows you to let others know about your busi- ness and understanding theirs as well. While not every contact is going to increase your business, it’s a valuable relationship nonetheless.
Networking relationships are like spider webs and that new contact may give your business information to someone looking for your ser- vices or products. You can’t get the referral if you haven’t made the ini- tial effort.
Business experts say that con- sistency is one of the keys to estab- lishing those business to business re- lationships. You need to get out there
SACA would like to welcome South- ern Arizona Rain Gutters to our organi- zation. Below is a brief description of our new member, who will be present at our 2013 Home and Garden Show at Buena High School and is now provid- ing services in Sierra Vista.
Southern Arizona Rain Gutters is a family owned and operated Tucson business. We are a licensed contractor (R.O.C. 210367) and a member of the Better Business Bureau. Our mission is to help you solve your water drain-
age needs and protect your home from unnecessary water damage. We are also passionate about water conserva- tion and can help you find ways to pre- serve nature’s most precious resource.
We pride ourselves in the quality of our materials and the expertise of our workmanship. Not to mention we offer great customer support and honest prices.
You can visit our warehouse to view any of our rain gutters, tanks or cis- terns. Our warehouse also carries a full
line of parts and tanks that you can purchase for do-it-yourself projects.
For those of you who need a little more help, we are happy to visit your home or business to give you a free esti- mate and our expert opinion of what system best fits your drainage needs.
Through our commitment, experi- ence, and expertise Southern Arizona Rain Gutters has established a business relationship with our customers that will last a lifetime. We want your business and appreciate your referrals.
Don’t forget the
2013 SACA Home & Garden Show
Buena High School
March 15, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
March 16, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
SACA March 2013 Calendar of Events
General Membership Meeting
Location: PDS Country Club, St. Andrews Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ Date: March 20, 2013 • Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Luncheon $15 at door
March 20 will be our monthly membership meeting and we look forward to seeing you all there to support our organization and each other. What a great time to network with your fellow colleagues and mingle with friends. Find out what is happening in our great county. Our speaker will be Michael Ortega, Cochise County Administrator.
Make sure to attend the 2013 SACA Home and Garden Show - bigger and better. Event on March 15 and 16, at Buena High School. Show your stuff, meet new people! All in one loca- tion.
Upcoming SACA Events
March 20, 2013 • Membership Meeting • PDS CC – 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
April 4, 2013 • OSHA Training • Chamber of Commerce, 9 a.m. – Noon March 15 & 16, 2013 • SACA HOME & GARDEN SHOW • Buena High School
ATTENTION SACA MEMBERS!
March 2013 Construction News & ViewsPage 2
Construction News & Views
Construction News and Views is published monthly for the
Southeastern Arizona Contractors Association
The SACA newsletter is looking for members’ business stories to publish. Do you have a story about your busi- ness that you’d like other SACA members and the general public to hear? Please contact us at (520) 458-0488, or
email us at [email protected]
Contractor ContactsRegistrar of Contractors (Phoenix)
1-877-692-9762 www.rc.state.az.us Registrar of Contractors 400 W. Congress, #212 Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 628-6345
Southeastern Arizona Contractors Association
197-B, E. Fry Blvd Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 520-458-0488 Email:
For information on advertising in this newsletter, contact
Five Star Publishing
1835 Paseo San Luis, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 • (520) 458-3340 Email: [email protected]
Board of Directors & Committee Chairs
Laurinda Wallace, Office Administrator Mike Rutherford – President
Registrar of Contractors, Advisory Council Member
Building Committee Chair Water Issues Chair Wayne Gregan – Vice President
Website Chair Home Show Co-Chair Greg Keller – Secretary/Treasurer
Home Show Co-Chair Kevin Jorgenson – Director
Safety Committee Chair Scholarships/Charities Co-Chair
Robbie Cain – Director Golf Tournament Chair Larry Saunders – Director
SWPPP/MS4 Co-Chair Scholarships/Charities Co-Chair
Kristen Gregan – Director Annual Meeting Chair William Hargis – Director
Adam Spade – Director
Advertise in Construction News and Views
Call 458-3340 today
to find out how affordable it is!
Your advertising in the newsletter is now available to view on the SACA website: www.saca-az.com.
Government Meetings
Cochise Cty Board of Supervisors Every Tues., 10 a.m. County Buildings, Bisbee, AZ Sierra Vista City Council 2nd & 4th Thurs., 5 p.m. City Hall, 2nd Floor
Benson City Council 2nd & 4th Mon., 7 p.m. City Hall Bisbee City Council 1st & 3rd Tues., 7 p.m. City Hall Willcox City Council 1st & 3rd Mon., 7 p.m. City Hall
Construction News & Views March 2013Page 3
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William Mundell, Director of the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, stops for a photo with Mike Rutherford and Larry Saunders after last month’s general membership meeting.
Our speaker for the March 20 meeting is Michael Ortega, Cochise County Administrator. Lunch is at 11:30am at the Pueblo del Sol Country Club.
Mr. Ortega joined the County in 2007. He is a Cochise County na- tive and has served as the city man- ager for Douglas. He also has served as the Arizona state engi- neer assistant director for the De- partment of Transportation, where he utilized his civil engineering de- gree to lead the inter-modal trans- portation division, overseeing 6,700 miles of state highways. He also holds a degree in business admin-
istration and attended the Harvard University Executive Pro-gram for senior executives in state and gov- ernment.
The County Administrator man- ages the day-to-day operations of the County; implements policies and pro- grams approved by the Board of Su- pervisors; acts as a liaison between the Board Of Supervisors and the ex- ternal departments (i.e. Judicial Sys- tem, Treasurer, Assessor, etc.) and has direct supervision over the inter- nal departments.
Mr. Ortega will be speaking about the self-certification proposal and other building topics in the county.
Get to know our General Membership Meeting speaker for March
Do you know
your newspaper?
Construction News and Views not only goes to SACA members and on the SACA website, it is also distributed throughout Sierra Vista for the general public to read. Where better for the public to look for a professional in the field they need than in the professional’s own newspaper?
As a professional in your field, advertise your business in Con- struction News and Views. Call Five Star Publishing today at (520) 458-3340.
OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE
SACA has a single office available to sub-let.
To learn more, please call the SACA office
at 458-0488
March 2013 Construction News & ViewsPage 4 Do you think your irrigation timer could reduce the missions on Ft.
Huachuca? Yup, it could.
I am sure you had no idea your irrigation timer had so much power.
No, not like Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it is just as scary. It isn’t just your irrigation timer that has this power, it is also your older toilet, your dripping faucet, how long you leave the water running when shaving, wa- ter wasted waiting for it to get hot, etc. In other words, it is the amount of water you don’t need but you use anyway that has the power to reduce the missions on Ft. Huachuca.
Ft. Huachuca is the driving force behind our economy in the Sierra Vista area. A 2008 report estimated that the Fort accounts for about 27,000 jobs in the Sierra Vista area, and contributes approximately $2.4 billion to the regional economy. If your job isn’t directly related to the Fort, more likely than not, it is indi- rectly related. Without the Fort, the Sierra Vista area economy and the amount of money in your pocket could be very, very different.
What is the link between the wa- ter you use and the Fort?
Understanding the water balance in the SVS is not very straightfor- ward. Many have heard correctly that we have a lot of groundwater.
However, the concern is not the amount of water but the ability to ac- cess usable water. Like thousands of
straws sucking water from a bathtub emptying faster than it fills, as we draw- down our groundwater, the water level drops. Dropping water levels make well water more costly to reach, water qual- ity worse, and threatens the San Pedro river (during the winter months, the water you see in the river is primarily the top of the groundwater table).
We all understand the conse- quences of dropping wells, but what about a dry river? Besides the river being an international birding hotspot and helping contribute approximately
$10 to $17 million ecotourism dollars annually to the local economy, a dry river could also dry up many missions on Fort Huachuca. It is a bit compli- cated, but the health of the Fort is le- gally tied to the health of the river (for more information, visit Our Commu- nity, Our Future on the Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce webpage).
Less water in the river can result in fewer missions on the Fort resulting in less money in our pockets. We have to be concerned about the availability of groundwater.
But heck, it is just one person wast- ing some water. One person certainly doesn’t make that much of a differ- ence. Hmm, multiply that rationale by everyone in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed (approximately 77,000) and that can be a lot of water wasted.
If everyone saved just one gallon a day, we would save over 2 million gallons a month.
Why blame the irrigation control- ler?
Sierra Vista area water company data indicates that approximately one-third of water consumed on residential properties is for plants.
How many people do you know who have an irrigation controller and don’t reschedule it every season?
How about at all? When new land- scapes are installed, irrigation con- trollers are set to water often to get the new plants established. It is not uncommon that the controllers never get reset and the plants get much more water than they need.
The problem is not the irrigation controller; it is the human controller of the irrigation. If the irrigation tim- ing is not readjusted to water cor- rectly, a lot of water can be wasted.
The other solution to reducing our groundwater waste is to use rain- water. If we substituted rainwater for groundwater irrigation, all of us could make a significant contribution to reducing the groundwater over- draft. And we will still have beauti- ful flowers and trees (actually, they are healthier with rainwater).
Is there enough rain to supply your landscape? It depends on the plants, if you allow your landscape to have “seasons” and how much water falls on your property. With average annual rainfall, a 1500 square foot roof in Sierra Vista will shed approximately 13,000 gallons
annually and 39,000 gallons will fall on a 4500 square foot lot.
Using rainwater is a lot of fun, easy to do and very rewarding. There are many opportunities for us to harvest rainwater and help our community and Fort Huachuca be healthier and more prosperous.
For more information, contact Wa- ter Wise at 458-8278 ext. 2141, waterwise.arizona.edu. Water Wise is a University of Arizona Cochise County Cooperative Extension program whose Partners are Cochise County, the City of Sierra Vista, Ft. Huachuca, the Up- per San Pedro Partnership, and Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative.
Water Wise: Your water use and Fort Huachuca
Cado Daily, M.A.
Water Resources Coordinator Water Wise Program
UA Cochise County Cooperative Extension 1140 N. Colombo Ave Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 (520) 458-8278 x 2139 FAX (520) 458-5823 waterwise.arizona.edu Bisbee Water Wise Office 66 Brewery Ave
Old Bisbee 520-366-8148 Office hours:
Tues & Friday 1pm – 6pm
February Building Permits Issued
on a regular basis to work on making connections with other businesses.
While you may be wondering where to start, I can recommend that you begin with the SACA General Mem- bership meetings. They’re the third Wednesday of the month at the Pueblo del Sol Country Club in Sierra Vista.
This lunch meeting is an excellent way to get to know not only other SACA members, but start that network of contacts to build up your business. As an association, members doing busi- ness with members also strengthens the local economy. Keeping the money
here at home, will be an important con- sideration over the next few years.
SACA has been serving the construc- tion industry in Cochise County since 1977.
Many members can attest to the impor- tant relationships established over the years which have help grow their com- pany through the association. You’ll prob- ably get a little free advice whether you want it or not. Watch your email and be ready to sign up for the next lunch meet- ing on March 20. It’s $15, which is one of cheapest marketing opportunities you’re likely to get. I’ll see you at the next meet- ing.
President continued from page 1
The Building Division has issued 91 permits during the month of February. The total valuation was $1,974,665. Of these, 2 were new residential permits with a valuation of $372,000. There was one new commercial permit issued with a valua- tion of $650,000. Here is an overview for the year:
Residential 2013 2012
February 2 10
Year-to-date 5 22
Year-to-date Valuation $894,500 $3,840,172
Commercial 2013 2012
February 1 3
Year-to-date 1 3
Year-to-date Valuation $650,000 $12,876,107
Page 5 Construction News & Views March 2013
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In January 2013, the Registrar of Contractors (ROC) conducted an undercover sting operation in the Willcox area. The sting resulted in the investigation of 10 cases of unlicensed contracting. The ROC refers unli- censed contracting cases to the ap- propriate county attorney’s office for prosecution.
In Arizona a person commits a Class 1 Misdemeanor by (1) adver- tising to perform services that require a contractor’s license, and/or (2) act- ing in the capacity of a contractor without a license.
The Registrar of Contractors rou- tinely investigates unlicensed con- tracting by conducting stings, and in- vestigating unlicensed contractor ad- vertising in newspapers, magazines, tradeshows and online bulletin boards such as craigslist. Craigslist is a valu- able tool and is used by many licensed contractors to advertise. Unfortu- nately, many unlicensed contractors
also use craigslist to post illegal and deceptive advertisements.
“Protecting the people of Arizona from illegal contracting is a top prior- ity”, said William Mundell, Director of the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
The Registrar of Contractors advises homeowners to protect themselves by:
• Consulting the ROC, www.azroc .gov, to ensure the contractor is licensed.
• Asking for written estimates from at least three contractors.
• Requesting a list of references, and checking them before agreeing to hire anyone.
• Making sure the scope of the project, the price, the responsibility to obtain building permits, and any other relevant terms are spelled out in a writ- ten contract.
• Never paying in cash, and not al- lowing payments to get ahead of the work.
• Avoiding contractors who require large upfront payments.
• Never making a hurried decision.
No reputable contractor will pressure you into a quick hiring decision.
Other tips about hiring qualified con- tractors can be found at www.azroc.gov.
For more information, or to request an interview with Director Mundell, contact Tyler Palmer, Chief of Staff for the Arizona Registrar of Contrac- tors at (602) 771-6710.
AZ Registrar of Contractors conducts sting of unlicensed contractors in Willcox
The Building Code Techni- cal Committee will meeting on Tuesday, April 23, in Douglas at 9 a.m.. Our hosts are the City of Douglas and APS will present a training on the dan- gers of working around elec- tricity. Their “Weenie Wagon”
will be there for demonstration purposes. Mark your calendars now to attend. Free registra- tion is online at www.saca- az.org. This meeting is a great way to get your questions an- swered by building officials and stay informed on the latest changes around the county.
We’ll see you there.
Building Code Technical
Committee meeting
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG
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March 2013 Construction News & ViewsPage 6
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Step up to ladder safety
Printed online at Construc- tion Business Owner
Ladders are standard equip- ment on most construction sites.
Unfortunately, hazards from mis- using ladders commonly occur, re- sulting in a surprisingly high acci- dent rate. Ladder-related hazards are also a prime Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) target and one of the most frequently cited violations, yet lad- der safety is often overlooked.
Follow these basic ladder safety training elements to prevent haz- ards:
Ladder Selection - Tell work- ers to choose ladders based on the weight load limit, extension length and type of ladder (i.e., workers should avoid metal ladders if they might have contact with electric- ity).
Maintenance and Inspec- tion - Require workers to inspect ladders before use, and check for cracks in rungs or side rails; miss- ing or weakened rungs; damaged tie rods; mud, grease or oil on rungs or side rails; and damaged welds or loose screws on metal ladders.
Carrying and Moving Lad- ders - Instruct workers to ask for
help when carrying heavy or extra-long ladders, check the area for overhead power lines or other obstacles before moving ladders, and carry ladders hori- zontally, not vertically.
Ladder Setup - Train workers to set up ladders at a 4:1 angle, anchor the base firmly on a solid surface, keep ladder rungs horizontal, make sure the top of the ladder extends at least 3 feet beyond the roof edge or support point, and keep both side rails resting firmly against the roof edge or support point.
Climbing- Teach workers to main- tain three points of contact (hands and feet) with the ladder when climbing, hold the side rails rather than the rungs, carry tools in a tool belt, avoid extending too far left or right from the center of the ladder, and allow only one person to climb one at a time.
Visit www.osha4you.com/osha in- spects for additional resources
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG
Arizona Blue Stake
1-800-782-5348
Page 7 Construction News & Views March 2013
Cochise County considering self-certification for licensed contractors
Originally published in the Si- erra Vista Herald
Cochise County is considering moving forward with a self-certifica- tion process that would allow licensed architects, engineers and contractors to claim the design and construction of buildings and homes that meet all county code requirements. During a work session last week, the Board of Supervisors sat down with Karen Riggs, interim community develop- ment director; Beverly Wilson, interim planning director; Jack Holden, county building official; and Adam Ambrose, county civil deputy attorney, to go over the main points of the new program.
The idea, according to Wilson, is to conserve county resources.
“We want to promote a program that recognizes the expertise of li- censed contractors to perform work within the scope of their licenses with- out the need to for the county to pro- vide inspection services by the build- ing inspectors,” said Holden. “Con- tractors are bound by the building code and Registrar of Contractors to com- ply with the provisions of the building codes. This will promote the use of licensed contractors to perform work in the county and will conserve the resources of the county.”
For architects and engineers — also known collectively as Profes- sional Registrants — they would be responsible to self-certify the plan re- view portion of a project and assume liabilities to bring the structure into compliance during the construction phase, to the satisfaction of the build- ing inspector, Holden said. Owners of the building or home have to agree to participate in the process, and sign off on that choice. This program would not negate the need for health, utility, septic, right of way, floodplain, set- backs, Sierra Vista Sub watershed or lighting code inspections, Holden said.
It only applies to building code inspec- tions. Contractors who participate in the self-certification program will be held to building code standards and if
those codes are not met, the county can shut the project down and the contrac- tor will be placed on probationary sta- tus until the code violations are cor- rected. If a contractor continues to perform substandard work that could cause a life safety hazard, the contrac- tor would be removed from the self- certification list immediately.
Holden stated, “Once the contrac- tor certifies that all codes are met for construction, a certificate of occupancy will be issued with a caveat stating:
‘This project was certified by the con- tractor that all applicable codes were met.’ A certificate of zoning compli- ance or other final inspection reports will be provided as a record of compe- tition of the project.” All contractors or professional registrants have to do is apply for the free program, Holden noted.
“The building permit fees would be limited to plan review fees and that’s essentially 25 percent of what the per- mit fee would have been for residen- tial and 40 percent for commercial,” ex- plained Holden. “A certificate of oc- cupancy will be issued, with wording stating that it was certified by the con- tractor that all applicable codes were met.”
Supervisor Pat Call suggested the program needed more accountability.
“This is a great thing for contractors to be able to do. It helps their businesses,”
added Call. “I think there needs to be a bit more accountability in the wording here. We state that if a contractor con- sistently performs substandard work they ‘may’ be removed from the pro- gram. I don’t think that’s near strong enough. We have lots of great contrac- tors in this county that do excellent work. If somehow a contractor fails two, three or four times and is abusing this trust, I do not think it should take more than one or two times when they
‘will’ be out of the program.”
County Administrator MIke Ortega, who was home sick but attended by phone, said the idea came out of the county’s business friendly task force.
However, Ortega said he did under- stand Call’s concern. If a neighbor re- ported a contractor as doing “shoddy work” and the county goes out to check on it, there should be wording in the program sufficient to allow the county to shut the work down immediately, if the tip proves to be true.
“The language does need to be strengthened a bit,” said Ortega. “And, we need to include a component about what happens if during the project, we find a problem with the contractor, just as a fallback position. “We would is- sue a stop-work order and establish a process whereby a building official or a hearing officer can make a determi- nation. We don’t want to allow a con- tractor to continue doing sub-standard work,” Ortega said.
Supervisor Ann English pointed out that if the contractor agrees to self-certify, the county would not be
“watchdogging” them.
“If the owner signs off on it and the contractor signed off on it, I think we should let it go,” English contin- ued. “We don’t need to be another layer up there that’s watching these people who are self-certifying.”
The only reason the county would be involved is if someone bought bad construction practices to the building official’s attention, replied Ortega. He does not expect the county officials to be on the site looking over the shoulders of contractors.
Call suggested staff come back with the program after talking with
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Certification continued on page 8
March 2013 Construction News & ViewsPage 8
representatives of the Southeastern Ari- zona Contractors Association (SACA).
Call said that not all contractors belong to SACA and therefore the ideas the organization puts forth would not rep- resentative of all the contractors who work in the county.
English suggested that since the task force asked for the program, busi- nesses should be offering suggestions on how to hold contractors who are not performing in accordance with codes responsible.
“We should get some sort of feed- back from them” English suggested.
“The liability for the quality of work is on them.”
Ortega said he would contact SACA and would have more information to present at another work session soon.
Certification continued from page 7 Everyone knows of the old lottery saying, “You can’t win if you don’t play.” Well, at SACA the slogan is simi- lar, if you don’t attend the monthly mem- bership meetings and put your business card in for the annual grand prize you don’t have a chance to win. I attended the meetings in 2012 and put my cards in for the drawing, and guess what? I won the fabulous week in Maui. It was a week that you can only dream about, white sand beaches, whale watching, clear blue water for miles and of course the awesome food that is custom to the island.
The time share that was donated was awesome. Everything you could want was on the property; restaurants, lounge, scuba rental, a swimming pool like you have never seen, with gas tiki torches everywhere. At night it was fantastic listening to the waves crashing on the beach while sipping a glass of wine. I was in paradise. I want to thank SACA for the opportunity and also a big Thank You to Mike Rutherford for the gracious and awesome donation of the annual prize. So members, put those cards in and attend the monthly meeting and maybe you too will be a lucky winner
