After Recent Building Failures, IIBEC Recommends Wilmington, North Carolina, Establish a Facade Inspection Program October 10, 2024 On October 7, 2024, IIBEC sent a letter to the mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina, and the city council recommending that they consider establishing a building facade inspection program in light of two recent building failures. The letter was signed by IIBEC Executive Vice President and CEO Pallasch; IIBEC Region II Director Nicholas Tribble, RRO; and IIBEC Carolinas Chapter President Scott Singleton, PE, RRC. Government Relations
IIBEC Educates Florida City About Problems Associated with Job-Order Contracting September 26, 2024 Earlier this month the city of Tampa, Florida, released an internal audit of its recently enacted cooperative purchasing job-order contracting (JOC) program. IIBEC, in a letter signed by its Executive Vice President and CEO Brian Pallasch, and IIBEC Florida Chapter President Ricardo Moncada, took the opportunity to educate the Internal Audit Department about problems associated with JOC for design and construction services. Along with the letter, the RCI-IIBEC Foundation report, An Analysis of Unit-Price Procurement, and IIBEC’s Safeguarding Taxpayer Funds During Procurement of Design and Construction Services policy recommendations also were sent to the department. General Interest
GSA Releases Updated Design Standards in Move Toward Zero Emissions August 8, 2024 On August 5, 2024, the US General Services Administration (GSA) released an update to the federal design standards to advance building efficiency, reduce emissions, and increase resilience. Updated every three years, the Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service (P100) establish mandatory design and construction standards and performance criteria for 300,000 federal buildings nationwide. Government Relations
Canada Green Buildings Strategy Released July 29, 2024 On July 16, 2024, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson released the first Canada Green Buildings Strategy (CGBS). The strategy is designed to increase the energy efficiency in Canadians’ homes and buildings while focusing on affordability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. IIBEC submitted comments regarding the original proposal. Government Relations
IIBEC Calls on Baltimore City Council to Protect the Primacy of the Designer of Record July 10, 2024 On June 28, 2024, IIBEC sent a letter to the Baltimore City Council concerning Council Bill 21-0160, which mandates that all new construction (commercial and residential) and additions must install a cool roof. An earlier version of the bill only applied to buildings partly financed with city funds, but just before the city council voted on passage it was amended to include all residential and commercial roofs. General Interest
Michigan Panel Passes IIBEC-Backed QBS Bill June 23, 2024 On June 18, 2024, a Michigan legislative panel approved legislation that would expand the use of qualifications-based selection (QBS) for the selection of architect and engineering design (A/E/D) professionals, sending it to the full House for a vote. Government Relations
IIBEC Opposition Helps Defeat Anti-QBS Bill in Illinois June 9, 2024 IIBEC, in conjunction with other design and construction groups, succeeded in killing legislation in Illinois that would sidestep the qualifications-based selection (QBS) of architects, engineers, and design professionals. Introduced in the Illinois state senate in late April, S. 3932 would have amended the state procurement code to allow state agencies and school districts to use job order contracting (cooperative purchasing) to procure construction services—which, as defined in the bill, include architecture/engineering/design services. Government Relations
IIBEC Signs Coalition Letters Supporting Building Codes May 30, 2024 During the past month, IIBEC signed two coalition letters in support of building codes that were sent to US congressional committees. Government Relations
