Item 6: Ratification of IGR Minutes and Direction on Legislative Policy

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Mr. Ramsing said that HB 2540 was no longer an issue and could be dropped. Ms. Bettman moved to Drop HB 2539 and HB 2540. Ms. Piercy asked why Mr. Ramsing did not recommend dropping HB 2539. Mr. Ramsing replied that Eugene was part of the Oregon Building Officials Association (OBOA), which sponsored the bill. He said there were a number of state boards that provided oversight for numerous codes, processes and regulations; the Plumbing Board was one of those and there was no representation among its seven members from jurisdictions and building officials who were responsible for administering the building codes. He said the board was largely controlled by a voting block from a plumbers’ union that politicized decision-making. He used the example of waterless urinals, which could be bolted to the wall instead of requiring a plumbing system. He said building officials across the State felt that a more balance membership would result in more reasoned and balanced discussions and decisions related to making safer structures and not a particular interest. Ms. Piercy asked if the bill would tilt representation in another direction. Mr. Ramsing said the bill would add a representative of building officials and a representative of building owners and managers, making it a nine member board. Ms. Bettman stated that the minutiae of the issue were better left to the professional organizations who were concerned instead of spending the City’s legislative resources on it. Ms. Piercy said she did not perceive the issue as minutiae as boards of that type could have a great deal of power. She preferred to see a balanced approach to oversight. In response to a question from Ms. Wilson, Mr. Ramsing said he might testify on behalf of Oregon building officials but the odds of the bill getting a hearing were slim as the unions were resistant to the legislation. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to Monitor HB 2539. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Ms. Taylor, moved to Drop HB 2540. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. HB 2827 Mr. Rikhoff encouraged the committee to support, rather than monitor, the bill. Ms. Bettman moved to Support the bill as a Priority 2. In response to a question from Ms. Taylor, Ms. Bettman said the bill would limit the resources to implement the federal Read ID Act of 2005, thereby hamstringing it in the State of Oregon. Mr. Rikhoff explained that the federal ID act was poorly conceived and worse in implementation as it would require everyone to prove citizenship and nationality; it was moving towards a universal federal ID and also represented a significant unfunded mandate at the State level. Ms. Taylor observed that people already had to prove citizenship to get a job. Mr. Rikhoff said the federal MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations March 16, 2007 Page 5