On June 20 – 24, Ronnie Blakney and I attended the BOMA International Conference and Office Building Show in Denver, Colorado. The International Conference provides a unique opportunity to network with fellow BOMA members from all over the country. In addition, BOMA provides numerous opportunities for both industry training and BOMA committee/legislative updates. Following are brief summaries of some key points:


BUILDING CODES & VOLUNTARY STANDARDS COMMITTEE
June 21, 2008

The BOMA International staff updated the committee on the continuing updating process for the ICC, ADA and ASHRAE standards in both the federal and the local municipalities. Following are the updates from the June, 2008 meeting:

ADA – Revisions to the Department of Justice ADA guidelines continue to undergo review and discussion. One major issue of concern to BOMA is the request to “grandfather” existing buildings into the new codes. The DOJ appears to be against the grandfathering provision, but BOMA and several other organizations are fighting this concern.

NFPA – New regulations concerning buildings over 120 feet tall include regulations regarding a fire service elevator. Additional requirements regarding occupant evacuation are still under review. NFPA 70E codes governing arc-flash dangers continues to undergo updates.

LEED – multiple municipalities continue to align local codes with LEED standards. San Francisco now requires tenant buildouts greater than 25,000 sq.ft. to be LEED compliant. Dallas expects to have LEED compliance standards incorporated shortly.


BOARD OF GOVERNORS
June 22, 2008

The Board of Governors meeting began with an update from outgoing Chairperson Brenna Walraven. Brenna summarized the recent successes both within the business industry and in the congressional arena, the biggest of which has been the widespread adoption of the “green” process in the real estate industry.

Secretary/Treasurer Dave Stucky updated BOMA International financials. As of June 1, 2008, BOMA was $115,000 ahead of the same period in 2007, primarily due to increased convention revenue – the Denver International Conference saw record attendance.

Updates to the Sustainability process were given – 50 of the 92 local associations have accepted the BOMA “7-point” challenge as of June 15, 2008. Your local Birmingham BOMA association voted to accept this challenge in early May, 2008.

Closing out the meeting, an update on BOMA Advocacy efforts was given. Key issues continue to be taxes and environmental policies. BOMA will continue to fight for those issues which affect those of us in the industry.


GREEN RENOVATIONS BOOST THE BOTTOM LINE
June 22, 2008


BOMA International hosted a seminar to provide information for those in the industry evaluating if “green” renovations and/or improvements will provide a measurable return.

Two gentlemen from Melaver Inc. served as moderators and hosts for the meeting.
A 94,000 square foot Melaver-managed building in Atlanta, Georgia recently completed a five year capital upgrade which included multiple “green” implementations. Following are a few of those which were put in place:

- The exterior landscaping saw a reduction in seasonal planting beds, a thorough check of the irrigation system for leaks and an effort to plant native species (Knockout roses, Trailing ice plant, Fire Star) to reduce the amount of supplemental watering.

- Extensive recycling programs – for paper, plastic and metal - were put into place. Management also coordinated an “office supply trading day” where unused office supplies were swapped for other, needed supplies. Money brought in from the recycling proceeds was used toward tenant events.

- Lighting upgrades included hallway motion sensors, photocells for the lobby lighting and low energy vending machines.

These green upgrades plus others resulted in measurable returns for the building ownership. Even with annual utility rate increases, actual utility bills remained consistent.

In summary, green renovations – if implemented properly – can support a measurable return and boost the property value.