HBAL Happenings

Unique Opportunity available to become the “Presenting Sponsor” of the Home Garden & Remodeling Show
held March 11-13th, 2011. Huge branding opportunity with lots of Added Value. Please contact Leah Ritter or Melissa Mattingly for this and other sponsorship opportunities at 502-429-6000. At this time we would also like to thank The Trend Appliances for their past participation as our Title Sponsor.





MSD certification required for the Erosion
and Sediment Control Ordinance
As the Administering Agency for the Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance, MSD has developed policies with respect to Single Family Residential Construction or Demolition Permits as described in Section 159.02(H)(4) General Permits. These policies ensure compliance with said Ordinance and require anyone obtaining a single family residential permit to be certified by MSD prior to obtaining a building permit.

Regular certification classes are scheduled throughout the year through Jefferson County Public Schools. The schedule of classes can be found by going here and registering in the desired Homebuilding Certification class. Additional classes will be added as needed.

To allow time for those wishing to obtain building permits that are not currently certified, there will be a sixty (60) day grace period from the date of this member (April 6, 2010) in which certification should be obtained. After that, no permits will be issued without valid certification.

If you have any questions concerning this policy, please contact Bob Stauble at 540-6433





EPA Announces Enforcement Delay
Last Friday, NAHB scored a clear victory when EPA announced that it would delay enforcement of the worker training and firm certification requirements for the Lead-Based Paint (LBP) rule. Although the rule became effective April 22, this new directive effectively gives remodelers until Oct. 1, 2010 to file for firm certification, until Sept. 30 for workers to register and Dec. 31 for workers to take the required training course.However, they will still be required to use lead-safe work practices during this time. As you recall, NAHB has been urging EPA to delay the rule for a number of reasons, including the lack of training providers and training opportunities.

It is very rare that we are able to claim clear victories in the regulatory arena, yet EPA’s delay of enforcement of the LBP rule is exactly that. Unfortunately, there are still a number of uphill battles ahead in the LBP arena related to clearance testing and removal of the “opt-out” provision – battles that staff and the members will continue to fight.

EPA’s action is in direct response to NAHB’s continued involvement in the LBP rule, NAHB’s petition to delay the rule, NAHB’s work with the HBA of Tennessee to provide relief in areas damaged by the recent flooding, NAHB’s strong support of Senator Collin’s amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act that would delay the rule’s effective date, and NAHB’s efforts to educate the Members of Congress on the rule and its ramifications. Indeed, EPA’s memo acknowledges that the delay was necessary because of concerns raised by the regulated community. Now that EPA has heard and acted on our concerns, it is incumbent on NAHB to continue to provide support to remodelers to increase their awareness of the rule and inform them of the opportunities to get the necessary training and certification.

For more information, please read the NAHB Press Release.

$5000 Tax Credit Extended
With the passage of the state budget (HB1 and 2) during the special session, the Kentucky New Home Tax Credit of up to $5,000 has been extended until December 31, 2010. This tax credit was due to expire on July 25, 2010.

After being over-shadowed by the Federal Tax Credit programs, the State program may now help to spur the purchase of newly built, not previously occupied homes. Unlike the Federal tax credits, the State credit is non-refundable and the amount of the credit that you are able to use is based on the amount of tax liability owed after all allowable deductions for state income taxes. Not everyone who qualifies for the credit will be able to take advantage of the full $5,000 credit amount. Unused portions of the credit cannot be carried forward for future tax liabilities.

According to the Department of Revenue, so far $5,197,500 has been used. In order to receive an extension of this credit, it was necessary to reallocate $10,000,000 back to the state, therefore the original $25,000,000 budgeted for this program is now capped at $15,000,000. There are $8,295,000 remaining to be used in this credit program, which represents enough funds for 1,960 newly built homes.

For details about the tax credit, qualification requirements, and to see the amount of money left in the program, visit www.HBAL.com and click on Trends and Ideas to find a link to the Department of Revenue tax credit page. Please contact Tara Brinkmoeller at 429-6000 with additional questions.

Share the great news about the extension of the tax credit in your advertising! This is a just another great incentive for buying a newly built home!

Lead Paint Rule's Opt-Out Provision Ends July 6
The EPA has gone forward with its proposal to eliminate a provision to its Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule that previously allowed owners of older homes to opt-out of the lead-safe work practices mandated by the rule if no children under six or pregnant women resided in their home.

An amendment that makes this rule change official was published in the Federal Register on May 6, with an effective date of July 6. This means that after July 6, 2010, renovations in all 78 million pre-1978 homes could be subject to the new work practice standards as stipulated in the rule. This is despite EPA's own estimates that a significantly smaller portion of homes — more like 38 million — still contain lead paint.

The new rules also require a post-renovation notification to be presented to the home owner. This means that the remodeler must give the property owner and/or residents a copy of the post-renovation checklist or similar form. Importantly, the EPA has also extended the expiration date for any certified renovator who completed his or her training before April 22, 2010. The new expiration date is July 1, 2015.

One more thing to keep in mind: the EPA has previously given notice that it is writing another rule to require more complex dust-wipe or clearance testing, effectively requiring remodelers to fill the role of lead-paint abatement workers. If approved, this rule would become effective in July 2011. NAHB will keep you updated through this report and our other communications vehicles going forward.