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FEBRUARY 2014 FEBRUARY 2014 FEBRUARY 2014 ΙΙΙ VOLUME 59VOLUME 59VOLUME 59
UPCOMING
MEMBERSHIP
MEETINGS
SAVE THESE DATES!
April 16, 2014
Combined Social with the
Winnebago Home Builders
Association Members
May 14, 2014
Annual Meeting
Holiday Inn
More info in next issue.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE The Home Builders Association of Fond du Lac & Dodge Counties offers two, $750 scholarships to students who have com-
pleted high school and are enrolled in a formal program of higher education for the 2014-2015 academic year. All appli-
cants must reside in Fond du Lac or Dodge County to be eligible.
One scholarship in the amount of $750 will be awarded to a qualifying student who is the son/daughter of a current Home
Builders Association of Fond du Lac & Dodge Counties member. The second scholarship in the amount of $750 will be
awarded to a qualifying student based on the information they provide on
their application and their intended participation in any one of the following
fields relative to residential construction:
Construction Management
Architecture
Building Trades (including qualified apprenticeship programs)
Engineering (with an emphasis on construction trades)
Interior Design
Other related field of study relative to residential construction
To apply: Contact the Home Builders Association office for a copy of the application and requirements or visit our website
at www.HomeBuildersFDLDodge.com. All applications must be postmarked by Friday, April 4, 2014. Scholarships will be
awarded in May at the Home Builders Association Annual Membership Meeting. Should you have any questions regarding
the application process, please call 920.922.9067.
Happy Happy Happy
Valentine's Valentine's Valentine's
Day!Day!Day!
Message From the President… Message From the President… Message From the President…
Greetings everyone. Spring is just around the corner; however as I write to you Ole Man Winter lingers around cloaking us with -3 degree temperatures this morning. As my year of serving as your Associ-ation President nears the half-way point, I find myself impressed by the way our Association, Board and Committee members as well as the staff have worked together to create a more effective and responsive or-ganization with real and positive changes. Despite positive economic developments, challenges remain not only for the building industry but for the economy as a whole. Be sure that you are reading infor-mation that comes across your desks (however that may be). An article that I read last week had some great information that I felt should be shared: “Our Association (HBA) is governed by volunteers who advocate at all three levels of our Government (Local, State, Na-tional) in an effort to enhance the industry and protect you as Home Builders Association Members. The HBA offer up the best builders, reno-vators, suppliers and sales repre-sentatives in the industry.” That statement really stood out to me and grounded me on what the Na-tional HBA does that we do not see. If you are not reading the material that is sent please do so on a regular basis. Upcoming events that I hope to see all of you at is the Membership Open House on February 19 from 5pm to 7pm at the Association building. What not a better time to stop in and do some networking,
learn about discounts and incentives exclusively for HBA members, as well as have a drink and some appe-tizers. Sport and Home Extravaganza – March 28-30th. If you have not signed up or have not received your application information you can download it at SportHomeExtrava-ganza.com or Contact Amanda to get one sent out. There are still a few booth spaces available. Lots of benefits to signing up now. Don’t forget to encourage your customers to “Visit you” at the show! This can be as simple as modifying your ad-vertising to include a blurb about the show or better yet remind your staff to talk to customers about it! Doing so only benefits US ALL! A HUGE Thank you to the people who donate their time and energies to the building. During a recent pipe burst on January 25th, George Hettenhaus, Ed Braun along with his son Kevin dropped what they were doing to fix the situation. Thank you for your time and efforts. Until next month,
Dave Thiel Be Proud………………………………….
Be proud to be part of the future of this organization.
David Thiel Associated Bank Congratulations to Stacey & Shane
Stoffel on the birth of their daugh-
ter, Raven Barbara Stoffel, who
entered the world on October 12,
2013 weighing 7 pounds 6 ounces,
and measuring 20 inches! Stacey
is the Team Culture, Customer Re-
lations, & Branding Team Leader
at Drexel Building Supply.
One of my favorite membership deals…
the 10% Office Depot discount! I simply
go to www.nahb.org/ma and click on
the ‘Office Depot’ icon. The first time
you log in you need to complete a pro-
file, but it remembers it every time you
come back. If I place an order by 3pm ,
99% of the time my order arrives at the
office the very next business day! I espe-
cially love all of the coupons they send in
the mail so on top of the 10% discount,
the coupons in the mail, and their great
sale prices… The savings can add up
fast! Better yet, I don’t have to hop in
the car in subzero temperatures to run
somewhere for office supplies, they
come right to my door! Give it a try and
watch the savings add up!
Investors Can Learn Much from Super Bowl TeamsInvestors Can Learn Much from Super Bowl TeamsInvestors Can Learn Much from Super Bowl Teams
If you’re a football fan (and probably even if
you aren’t), you are aware that we’re closing
in on the Super Bowl. This year’s event is
unique in that it is the first Super Bowl held in
an outdoor, cold-weather site — New Jersey,
to be specific. However, the 2014 game
shares many similarities to past Super Bowls
in terms of what it took for the two teams to
arrive at this point. And some of these same
characteristics apply to successful investors.
Here are a few of these shared traits:
• A good offense — Most Super Bowl
teams are adept at moving up and down the
field and crossing the goal line. And good
investors know how to choose those invest-
ments that can provide them with the gains
they need to keep moving toward their own
goals, such as a comfortable retirement.
That’s why, at every stage of your life, you will
need to own a reasonable percentage of
growth-oriented investments, such as stocks
and stock-based vehicles.
• A strong defense — Even a good
offense usually isn’t enough to vault a team
into the Super Bowl, which is why most partic-
ipants in the Big Game also have strong de-
fenses. Similarly, the best investors don’t just
put all their money in a single type of aggres-
sive instrument and then forget about it —
they know that a downturn affecting this par-
ticular asset class could prove extremely cost-
ly. Instead, they “defend” their portfolios by
diversifying their holdings among a range of
investments: stocks, bonds, government secu-
rities, certificates of deposit, and so on. And
you can do the same. Keep in mind, however,
that although diversification can help reduce
the impact of volatility on your portfolio, it
can’t guarantee a profit or always protect
against loss.
• Perseverance — Every team that
makes it to the Super Bowl has had to over-
come some type of adversity — injuries to key
players, a difficult schedule, bad weather,
playoff games against good opponents,
etc. Successful investors have also had to
overcome hurdles, such as bear markets, bad
economies, political battles and changing tax
laws. Through it all, these investors stay in-
vested, follow a long-term strategy and con-
tinue to look for new opportunities — and
their perseverance is often rewarded. You can
follow their example by not jumping out of
the market when the going looks tough and
not overreacting to scary-sounding headlines.
• Good coaching — Super Bowl teams
contain many fine players, but they still need
coaches who can analyze situations and make
the right decisions at the right times. Smart,
experienced investors also benefit from
“coaching — in the form of guidance from
financial professionals. It’s not always easy
for busy people to study the financial markets,
stay current on changing investment-related
laws, monitor their own portfolios and make
changes as needed. By working with a finan-
cial professional who knows your situation,
needs, goals and risk tolerance, you will find it
much easier to navigate the increasingly com-
plex investment world.
As we’ve seen, some of the same factors that
go into producing a team capable of reaching
the Super Bowl are also relevant to investors
who want to reach their own goals. By incor-
porating these behaviors and attitudes into
your own investment strategy, you’ll be fol-
lowing a pretty good “game plan.”
Dan Sprader
Edward Jones Investments
The Buildings & Grounds Com-
mittee is currently accepting
lawn mowing bids for the 2014
season. Please send your bid
to the Association by April 1,
2014 for consideration.
Builder’s Panel
Please join us on Wednesday,
February 26 at 8:00am at the
Association office for a panel
discussion on code updates fol-
lowed by a Q&A session. The
panel will include:
Ernest Clarenbach
Dan Hanks (County Code
Enforcement Office)
Jordan Skiff (Public Works)
Guy Fox (City Building In-
spector)
There is no charge for this class.
THANK YOU to Jackie Gulig for
coordinating this important
panel to keep our builders up to
date with the very latest infor-
mation. To register, please call
Amanda at 922.9067.
INSPIRE YOUR BUSINESS! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the ‘Inspire Your
Business’ Membership Meeting on January 29 at Whis-
pering Springs Golf Course. Joe Skelton, President of
Nemesis Metals, was our guest speaker and shared his
inspiring story of how he started his business and devel-
oped it into the success it is today. I think many of those
in attendance could relate to the roller-coaster that goes
into starting a business. For those of you who missed
the meeting or aren’t familiar with Joe, it is Nemesis
Metals who is responsible for the ‘Dancing Lights’ show
at Lakeside Park every year. What a fantastic story!
Thank you again to everyone who attended. Our next
dinner meeting is our Annual Meeting on May 14 at the
Holiday Inn.
MEMBERS UP FOR RENEWAL
January
Goebel Roofing & Siding, Inc.
Modern Business Machines (MBM)
Shea’s Country Carpentry
Wegener Electric & Plumbing
Wendels Construction, Inc.
February
ABC Supply Company, Inc.
Benter Builders, Inc.
Feavel Concrete
Fondy Heating & Air Conditioning
Kranig Excavating
Menards - Fond du Lac
Silica Plumbing & Heating
March
Buechel Stone Corp
Buerger Builders
Central Well Drilling
Marine Credit Union
April
Cutter Vac
Edward Jones Investments
FDL Service Awning & Siding
Focus on Energy
Geoff Baumhardt Exc
Menards Beaver Dam
Stuarts Landscaping
W.J. Leasa Electric
THANK YOU FOR
RENEWING!
Smith Builders, Inc.
Integrity Saw & Tool
Ahern Gross Plumbing
D.B. Reetz Inc.
American TV/
Kennedy Hahn
Jackson Kahl Insurance
Steve Wirtz Builders
A and B Custom Homes
Lycon, Inc.
Badger Masonry &
Fireplace
Maritime Insurance
Luedtke Lumber
US BANK
Action Door LLC
Combination Door
Integrity Glass & Paint
Baumhardt Sand & Gravel
February Birthdays
Ron Cutter
Joel Fleischman
Tom Bawolek
Steve Wetterau
Dean Kranig
Chris Nett
February Anniversaries
Theron & Sara Bashaw
Tim & Beth Pautsch
John & Joan VandeCastle
Dean & Linda Kranig
Chris & Sue Smith
Mark & Dawn VanBuren
Monday Morning Review… Your Political Action Update
DSPS website on agenda items/code changes
As you may remember, the Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) Council is currently reviewing the UDC and will issue a report that includes recommended changes to the code in late June/early July 2014. The council has been meeting monthly since September 2013 and has even broken out into subcommittees at times to dive deeper into issues (most notably re-lating to a code on decks that are attached to a home). It is worth repeating that now is the time to get your concerns on record with the current UDC so they can be reviewed by the UDC Council before July 2014! The Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) has made the process for sub-mitting possible code changes very easy by setting up a website that you can enter in spe-cific code changes and submit supporting documents. If you have a code concern, please take the time to click here. Once you get to this page, titled “DSPS Public Board Agenda Item”, select “Dwelling Code Council” in the drop down form, and then enter your contact information. In the “Message” section state what part of the UDC you have an issue with (by code number), why it is an issue for builders, and a recommendation on how to improve the code. Again, please take the time to fill out the online form so you can help guide the discussion of the UDC Council and make needed improvements to the UDC before the council con-
cludes their work this summer!
DOA Study: No merger of DSPS and DATCP
During the Joint Committee on Finance deliberations on the state budget this summer, there was a push to merge the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) into one agency named the Department of Agriculture, Regulation and Trade (DART). Ultimately the “big bang” of merging two state agencies was set aside but a motion offered by Co-Chair John Nygren (R-Marinette) was ultimately passed that required the Department of Administration (DOA) to study the concept of “DART” and issue a report by January 1, 2014.
Recently that report was issued by DOA. Click here for the full report. The first point of the “Conclusions and Recommendations” section of the report strongly states “Do Not Consolidate
Agencies.”
Continued on next page
Brad Boycks Vice-President of Advocacy
Wisconsin Builders Association
(608) 242-5151 ext. 16
Visit our web site: www.wisbuild.org
Your Political Action Update… Continued
The following explanation was given against the consolidation of agencies, “Due to limited overlap between agency customers, customer sentiment against a merger, potential adminis-trative difficulties presented by the potential merger and limited potential for savings, the agen-cies should not be merged. A merger could risk losing the generally high performance ratings of both agencies, most notably the 65.8 percent of respondents that rated their interactions with the Department of Safety and Professional Services as "Good" or "Very Good".” Anyone in the legislature could still introduce a bill to merge these two agencies but with the strong support against the concept from the regulated community, ultimate passage of such a
plan seems unlikely.
Congressman Mark Pocan hosts Business Roundtable
Congressman Mark Pocan (D-Madison) recently hosted a business roundtable in December to discuss current issues and get an update from the freshman member of the Wisconsin con-
gressional caucus.
Pocan had high praise for Congressman Paul Ryan’s work on the budget deal that was recent-ly worked out and passed by both houses of congress calling Ryan “the adult in the room” on
fiscal policy.
When looking to the 2014 campaigns, Pocan said he is working to recruit and raise money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and that out of the 60 targeted races in America, they have recruited 50 candidates to run. Pocan has been active in candi-
date recruitment in surrounding states like Minnesota and Illinois.
One interesting note, members of the Wisconsin congressional delegation have had a long standing unwritten rule not to recruit or work with candidates challenging other members of the delegation. Pocan is abiding by that unwritten rule and is focusing his efforts on surround-
ing states.
Finally, one issue that Pocan is hopeful will be addressed before session is adjourned is com-prehensive campaign finance reform. Pocan’s theory on this is that Congressman Ryan also wants to get this issue resolved and if he is engaged he could possibly bring along enough GOP votes to finally re-solve an issue that has been discussed on and off for the past several
years.
Assembly GOP Caucus returns to 60 members
In December remodeler Ken Skowronski (R-Franklin) was victorious in the special election for the 82nd Assembly District seat to replace for-mer Representative Jeff Stone who recently took a position within the
Walker administration.
Skowronski bested democrat John Hermes, the current Village of Greendale President, 3951 to 2195 in very low voter turnout special
election.
The state assembly is now back to 99 members after filling three va-cant seats that were open due to Assembly GOP retirements this fall. With Skowronski’s victory the Assembly GOP Caucus is now at
sixty members, the same number on inauguration day 2013.
Continued on next page
Brad Boycks Vice-President of Advocacy
Wisconsin Builders Association
(608) 242-5151 ext. 16
Visit our web site:
www.wisbuild.org
Your Political Action Update… Continued
Surveyor modernization contains positive developer pieces (and working for 1 more)
Recently the Assembly Committee on State Affairs and Government Operations held a public hearing on a bill to modernize the state statutes on the requirements relating to surveyors in Wisconsin. This bill in various forms has been around for a number of sessions and this time
around it is being managed by former state senator turned lobbyist Bob Welch.
In addition to technical changes to the state statutes on surveyors, the bill contains a number of positive changes for developers including: •Current law provides that a subdivider's project may be constructed in phases and that the amount of any security required by the municipality in which the project is located must be lim-ited to the phase of the project currently being constructed. The bill makes this provision retro-active to all subdivision plats, regardless of when submitted for approval. •Extends the time for plat approval and recording from a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 24 months to a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 36 months. •Codifies the Bass Lake decision which says a stream cutting a property in half does not auto-matically create two parcels. •Makes a number of small changes to simplify the paperwork movement involved in subdivi-sion approval.
•Allows for a non-court method of vacating a public access to waterways.
In addition to the positive provisions mentioned above, WBA has been working to address the issue of determining the ordinary high watermark as an amendment to this bill. The WBA Ad-vocacy agenda had a section on this topic that said if the DNR and a county had a disagree-ment on the ordinary high watermark that the county’s determination would be recog-nized. That plan met DNR resistance along with some builder/developer members in Dane
County telling us, “be careful what you wish for.”
We are now working on a narrow amendment to the surveyor bill that will allow a landowner to use a surveyor’s determination of the ordinary high water mark for measuring setbacks that are required by a zoning ordinance in areas where the Department of Natural Resources has not made an ordinary high water mark determination. The surveyor’s determination does not establish the extent of state title or jurisdiction under Chapter 30 of state statutes associated with navigable water. Wisconsin water law expert Paul Kent has been consulting WBA on the
narrow drafting of this amendment.
If our efforts are successful to amend this bill with the ordinary high water mark language, this would be another land use agenda to take off the WBA Advocacy list to conclude this legisla-
tive session.
State political money by zip codes
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign recently released an interesting study and correspond-ing map on the political giving habits over the past 10 years by U. S. Postal Service ZIP codes. Some quick takeaways from the research show that people living in more urban areas give to state candidates at a much higher level than those living in less populated areas. The City of Milwaukee and City of Madison have zip codes dominated by those that give largely to demo-crats and the suburbs around the City of Milwaukee give heavily to republican (neither of these results are a big shocker). One interesting result of the study show three democrat majority zip codes in the heavily GOP areas around Milwaukee, a portion of Wauwatosa, Brown Deer and all of the City of Shore-wood. The only zip code that has a GOP majority of givers in municipalities around Madison is
Waunakee.
The countdown is on, and the 2014 Sport & Home Extravaganza is just around the corner. If you have ‘liked’ our Facebook page (www.fb.com/
sporthomefdl) you can click on the ‘countdown’ app to learn exactly how much time is left! A BIG ‘THANK YOU ‘ to those members who have al-
ready reserved your vendor space, secured a sponsorship, and/or placed an ad in the Sport & Home Extravaganza magazine/placemat/website.
We can’t tell you enough how much we appreciate your support of this annual expo show!
This is an event that the community attends to learn more about the latest home and garden ideas. It is also the show that area sporting enthusi-
asts attend, which is a huge benefit for all of you. Every single person needs some type of home improvement project, and the truth is that people
are more apt to work with someone who they build a relationship with. Whether it be shaking your hand, taking your company magnet, or shar-
ing a smile about something going on at the show, it’s this experience that stays with them for a long time over any other form of marketing you
can do.
Last year, within a few weeks following the show numerous vendors shared their successes as a result of the event. There is no greater pleasure in
learning that a contract was signed for a $35,000 steel roof, or that the job you secured a week later from a show goer more than paid for your
investment as a vendor. At the same time, sometimes the benefits of participating in this community show may not be visible to you for a little
while. I recall last year, an attendee asked for a specific builder who she had seen for a few years at the former home and garden show. She was
incredibly excited as she was ready to build her brand new dream home. However, this business did not participate last year and she was disap-
pointed that she was unable to talk with them at the event.
The Sport & Home Extravaganza is about visibility within the community and showcasing who you are and what you do. It’s your presence that
counts, and people will be looking for YOU! Whether business is going really well or it could be better, the Sport & Home Extravaganza is the per-
fect place for you. If you have not yet signed up to participate, I ask that you consider doing so. You can find all of the contract materials at
SportHomeExtravaganza.com under the ‘Vendor’ page or call the office for more information. Thank you!
WHY SHE?!
NEW MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
The Home Builders Association is proud to welcome Jim-
my’s LLC to our membership! Jimmy can help with all of
your lawn care, spring and fall clean-up, snow removal,
auto-detailing, and painting needs. He also makes amaz-
ing decorations for Christmas! Give Jimmy a call today
and welcome him as a new member to our Association!
James Gneiser
920.924.4433
JimmysLawnCareFdl.com
The Home Builders Association is proud to welcome Pit-
Stop Portables back to our Association. Pit-Stop Porta-
bles is your final stop when you're looking for portable
showers, restrooms, and toilet rentals and sales. They
also offer liquid waste hauling and are family owned and
operated since 1998. Give them a call today to say hello!
Peggy Dean
920.922.7241
RentAPotty.net
JOIN US FOR A CASH FLOW SEMINAR
490 W. Rolling Meadows Dr.
Fond du Lac, WI 54937
920.922.9067 ph
920.922.6668 fax
HomeBuildersFdLDodge.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Thiel, President
Barbara Knickel, Vice President
Jackie Gulig, Treasurer
Builder Directors
Dave Boelter
Glenn Elmer, Past President
Steve Faber
Mike Wirtz, Past President
Associate Directors:
Kevin Aubrey, Past President
Greg Feucht
George Hettenhaus, Past President
Tom Leu, Past President
Kim Schmitz
David Washkoviak
Association Staff:
Amanda Kemmel, Executive Officer
Kathy Braun, Administrative Assistant/Accounting
UPCOMING ASSOCIATION EVENTS
Wednesday, February 12 Focus on Energy 4-Credit Course
Thursday, February 13 Membership Committee, 8am
Wednesday, February 19 Membership Open House, 5pm to 7pm
Monday, February 24 Sport & Home Extravaganza Committee, 4pm
Wednesday, February 26 Fond du Lac County Panel for Builders, 8am
Wednesday, February 26 CASH FLOW SEMINAR, Presented by SCORE
Tuesday, March 4 Board of Directors Meeting, 4pm
