THE INSIDER
March 27, 2012

Inside this issue:
• CALENDAR 
• FROM THE EO’S CORNER 
• BIAWC NEW MEMBERS 
• BIAWC February RENEWING MEMBERS 
• MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORIES IN THE MAIL! 
• IT’S ROII ENROLLMENT TIME 
• "HELP US HELP YOU” with claims management! 
• April 4 "Lunch and Learn”:  MAKE YOUR BUSINESS MORE BANKABLE 
• April 18 BUILT GREEN® "AFTER HOURS”  
• NEW ENVIRONMENT CHAPTER for BELLINGHAM COMP PLAN  
• REQUEST FOR HELP 
• CLASSES FROM SICBA 
• GATEWAY PACIFIC TERMINAL UPDATE 

CALENDAR
March 27—11:30 a.m., Membership Committee Meeting
March 28 – 5:30 p.m., Home Show Committee at the Fountain Bistro
April 4 – 11:30 to 1 p.m., "Make Your Business More Bankable” class
April 5 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., "Help Us Help You” ROII class
April 5 – Noon, MRC.
April 9 – 11:30 to 1 p.m., Built Green® Board
April 12 & 26 – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Government Affairs Committee
April 17 – 4:30 p.m., BIAWC Exec Board
April 18 – 5:30 -7 p.m., Built Green "After Hours” gathering at SSC,
April 19 – 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., BIAWC Board of Directors
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FROM THE EO’S CORNER
I’ve been "on the job” here at BIAWC for just over six months. I’m getting a handle on the range of activities this organization manages. I’m learning our history from a whole new perspective. I’m enjoying the heck out of my new role and look forward to this organization growing.
The most troubling thing before us is the onslaught of regulation. There seems to be a never-ending flood of new regulatory proposals to solve any and every woe that can be described. One of our biggest goals is to educate our members about good and bad policy and then get you to take some action. Write a letter, make a phone call or speak at a public hearing.  The community needs to hear from you – the building community!
Stay tuned and thanks for being a member.
It’s a new day at BIA!
BAE
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BIAWC NEW MEMBERS
Please welcome new members BP Cherry Point Refinery and Blaine Insurance, both sponsored by Audrey Borders.  Also new to BIAWC is Padden Trails LLC, sponsored by Bill Geyer.
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BIAWC February RENEWING MEMBERS
The following members have shown their support of the BIAWC through their continued membership.  Thank you.
Aggregates West, Associated Project Consultants, Coast Insulation, Custom Closets & Bedrooms, David Simpson, Deric Willet Construction, Gary’s Plumbing & Heating, Hudson Remodeling, JVD Construction, Nielsen Brothers, Northwest Fence, Premier Coatings, Preview Properties, Rain Cap, Schouten Construction, Skeers Construction, St. John Glass & Glazing, Sterling Real Estate Group, Western Refinery Services, Windsor Plywood.
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MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORIES IN THE MAIL!
Your 2012 Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide is scheduled to mail the week of March 26th.  Look for it and use it to make contact with your fellow BIAWC members and to practice "members doing business with members.”  Again, thanks for helping us create an accurate directory.  If your information changes over the year, send us a note at sharonk@biawc.com  so that we can keep the online directory and our database up-to-date. 
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IT’S ROII ENROLLMENT TIME
The ROII Select Program has launched its annual enrollment campaign.  In early March applications were mailed to current and potential participants for enrollment in the 2012-13 Plan Year (July 1 to June 30).  Recently revived and restructured, the BIAW ROII Select Program embraces a proactive, aggressive claim management approach that has changed the face of the claims management game between ROII Select participants and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L & I).
The deadline for submitting an application is April 27.  For more information or to enroll in the ROII Select Program, contact BIAW Insurance Programs Administrator Jenn Wright at 800-228-4229 or enroll@biaw.com. See below for a very important and informative claims management workshop offered by BIAW at our Bellingham location.
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"HELP US HELP YOU” with claims management
April 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at BIAWC
There’s still room – register now!  Members enrolled (or enrolling) in the R.O.I.I. program, here’s a benefit for you.  BIAW is offering a very successful basic claims management workshop at Baker Creek Place. The price is right and it includes lunch, but please pre-register by Thursday, March 29th.
COST : $15.00 per person
REGISTRATION: 1-800-228-4229 and ask for Amanda Fields, or contact her at amandaf@biaw.com
The workshop was designed for business owners and their staff who handle L&I claims and includes:
• A presentation by Dr. Clyde Wilson, the Regional Medical Director for US HealthWorks on the importance of partnering with the physician treating the injured worker in returning the employee back to full duty quickly.
• Allen Larson, the Vice President of Marketing for Court Trax, presented information on how BIAW’s Quick Check program works and the value of doing background checks before hiring a new employee.
• R.O.I.I. Staff provided simple steps in the ‘20minute/$20 investment segment that can be used to prevent a future claim.  
• And of course, the ABC’s of claims management. 
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"Lunch and Learn”:  MAKE YOUR BUSINESS MORE BANKABLE (and APPEALING FOR A LOAN)
Wednesday, April 4, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It's now more than ever that local businesses need to change their focus to stay alive.   In this session, we will look at a short case study of a business that nearly went broke by looking at the wrong measures of performance.  This session will give you an overview of what you can do in your business to increase profitability and value as well as measure what matters
Taught by Stephanie Artino of Metcalf Hodges.
Cost: BIAWC members, $20.  Non-members, $35.  Price includes lunch for those who pre-register.
To register online, click here.
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BUILT GREEN® "AFTER HOURS” on APRIL 18
Built Green® is hosting another of our popular "after hours” gatherings, 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18, at Sanitary Service Co.’s new offices, at 21 Bellwether Way, Suite 404.  This gives you a chance to network and say hi to about 60 people, and you get to do it with free wine and beer.  Built Green® beer glasses will be sold as a fund-raiser.  Come on over after work and join the crowd!  Everyone is welcome.  Thanks to Sanitary Service for sponsoring this one!
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NEW ENVIRONMENT CHAPTER for BELLINGHAM COMP PLAN
Bellingham is about to begin consideration of an Environment Element, Chapter 9, to the city’s Comprehensive Plan. A draft is written, which will go to a Planning Commission public hearing on April 12, and will end up before City Council probably in May or June – the City Council committed in January 2011 to adopting this new chapter, "the Environmental Element,” by July 2, 2012. The proposal reportedly "provides a foundation” to be considered during the larger Comp Plan update to be completed in 2016.  To see the staff report and draft proposal, click here.  Staff contact is Kim Weil. 

This document is a summation, a rewrite, of city environmental goals and policies – and a careful reading is advised to be certain the rewording accurately reflects existing policy, since policy can impact your business and livelihood.  The staff report says this draft consolidates existing environmental goals and policies from the Comp Plan into a single chapter with background information, and that 9 new goals and 10 new policies are proposed, related to:  critical areas, climate change adaptation, energy and resource conservation, and fish & wildlife habitat conservation.  See "Part 9,” starting on page 13 of the Draft, for a list of the new goals, and "Part 10,” page 18, for the new policies. The draft updates Comp Plan information on Lake Whatcom water quality issues.  Goals and policies of the city’s Shoreline Master Program also will be included, as per RCW 36.70.480.

Regarding the draft’s treatment of climate change adaptation, which seems to be a new direction: 
Staff ties this to GMA Goal 2, reducing sprawl, and draws from that goal the need to encourage efficient multimodal transportation. The staff report also says, "although climate change is not directly addressed by the GMA at this point, it is an issue that can’t be ignored in long-term planning.”  The section on Climate Change Mitigation notes, "Land use and development also can influence air quality. Maintaining or increasing residential density, and allowing for mixed development, could reduce pollution, primarily by reducing the amount of car trips people must make and thereby reducing emissions.”  The section on Climate Change Adaptation notes, "An example of a climate change adaptation strategy is raising the elevation of development adjacent to the Puget Sound to minimize the risk of sea level rise,” mentions that the City has drafted a Climate Adaptation Plan, and notes that adaptation strategies for Western Washington encourage planning for a sea level rise of 50 inches by the end of the century.
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REQUEST FOR HELP
We’ve received a call from Gordon Dahl, maintenance person at Camp Lutherwood on Lake Samish, who is looking for someone willing to volunteer advice or other services involved in putting a new base under one of their 2,500-gallon water tanks. This is a nonprofit retreat center, and presumably would be a tax deductible contribution. Mr. Dahl can be reached at 360-708-1830 or candgdahl@wavecable.com.
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CLASSES FROM SICBA
Excel for Construction:  A beginner-level Excel class for building industry professionals
Thursday, March 29, 11:30-1p.m.
Presented by Tim Garrison.  Stop wearing out your fingertips on an adding machine – let Excel do the number crunching. Lunch-N-Learn at the North Puget Sound Association of Realtors office in Mount Vernon. Only $5 and bring your lunch. More information, click here.
Built Green Roundtable & Orientation
Friday, March 30, 12:30-4 p.m. at the PSE office in Burlington.
Ted Clifton will lead a review of the Built Green checklist. This roundtable will familiarize you with using the Checklist to get the most points for your home’s Built Green rating, and meets the orientation requirements to join the Built Green program. Cost:: $25 for Built Green members; $30 for nonmembers. For a registration form, click here.
South Whidbey Chapter’s Chili Feed
Thursday, March 29, to raise scholarship funds!  All are welcome! Click here!
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GATEWAY PACIFIC TERMINAL UPDATE
The three groups that will be co-lead agencies on an Environmental Impact Statement for the Gateway Pacific bulk cargo terminal proposed at Cherry Point held an informational meeting March 20 at Bellingham High School. The EIS process they described will allow 30-60 days for public comment during the "scoping” process this summer, when 3 public meetings will be held to collect suggestions on what the EIS should cover. A preliminary draft EIS will be written by a consultant, to be completed this coming fall. The lead agencies – Whatcom County, the State Dept. of Ecology, and the Corps of Engineers – will then work on and issue a draft EIS to be released in 2013, followed by another 60-90 public comment period and public hearing. The EIS, which will be used as a resource during the permitting process, is due for completion during 2014. The project will need permits from various state and federal agencies, but a main point will be the Whatcom County Council’s decision on whether to grant a major project permit.  "No action” (denial of permits) remains one possibility. Agreement on mitigation of issues raised in the EIS is another.

For more on the March 20 process meeting, and additional documents SSA Marine has filed with Whatcom County on the project, see John Stark’s articles "Coal port meeting draws 800” and "SSA adds details to Gateway Pacific Terminal plans for Cherry Point” from the March 21 Bellingham Herald (bellinghamherald.com).  For more information and resources posted by the county, click here, or posted by Ecology, click here.  If you would like to join Whatcom County’s e-mail subscriber list, send your e-mail address to pds@co.whatcom.wa.us, and in the subject line type "GPT Subscriber List."
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