Florida Roofing & Sheet Metal Contractors Association Winter 2019 Update

By FRSA.

FRSA committee members are hard at work to advance the roofing industry in the state of Florida. 

Ever wonder what happens at the FRSA quarterly board meetings? Here is a complete recap of what the committees are up to. FRSA Members are invited to participate on committees and help guide the industry for the future. 

Advisory Committee – The committee heard a brief financial report and plans for the 2019 Convention. The property FRSA purchased was discussed and the committee recommended that the FRSA Board accept Building Committee proposals to move forward with construction in a timely manner, including reducing the Reserve Fund balance to avoid incurring any construction debt.

Affiliate Council – The committee discussed different options for the Affiliate Competition and agreed to have a trivia challenge following the Welcome Reception. The Affiliate Roundtable is scheduled for February 27, 2019 at the FRSA offices in Winter Park.

Building Committee – Quotes from two well-known Orlando general contractors were reviewed and the committee decided to recommend that the FRSA Board approve Aagaard-Jurgensen LLC as the Association contractor. The committee also discussed financing the project and made a recommendation that the Board of Directors reduce the Reserve Fund balance to $500,000 in order to complete the project without incurring any debt. A separate Building Reserve Fund was set up for future use, and both this and the general Reserve accounts are to be systematically refunded once the building project is completed.

Codes & Regulatory Compliance Committee – There was a long discussion on ASCE 7-16 and how it will affect roofing in Florida. The Codes Subcommittee reviewed over 1,000 code modifications that were submitted to the FBC, and presented the committee with language to counter some of the mods. They also discussed issues with ISO and plywood, the reuse of salvaged tile and the proposed roof diaphragm language.

Convention Committee – As of January 8, 2019, there were 187 exhibitors filling 339 booths as compared to 178 exhibitors filling 310 booths at the same time last year, with only 21 booths needed to make budget. The committee reviewed 2019 promotional plans and the Convention schedule, which will include golf, fishing, clay shooting, and target shooting tournaments, a Welcome Reception on Wednesday, and the S.T.A.R. Awards on Thursday. New seminar offerings include the NRCA For Foremen Program, Levels 1 and 2, and the OSHA 10-Hour Training. Entertainment plans for the S.T.A.R. Awards were discussed and members were encouraged to get their S.T.A.R. Award applications in by April 10, 2019.

Educational & Research Foundation – The committee reviewed financial statements and discussed ways to reach out to the industry for contributions to the Endowment. They also reviewed the Endowment marketing materials that will be updated and reformatted. The committee agreed to split a $3,000 sponsorship with the Association for the FBA Leadership Summit that Mike Silvers will be teaching at in March. The upcoming Convention seminars were reviewed and an estimating seminar was added to the schedule.

Executive Committee – The committee reviewed December 31, 2019 Association and Services Corp Financial Statements and investments, including the makeup of the Reserve Fund. Construction of a new FRSA building on property that was closed on in December was discussed in detail, with the committee reviewing proposed construction bids and financial resources for the project. A contractor was recommended to the Building Committee to consider, along with a recommendation to finance the project internally. The February 2019 IRE Show in Nashville was previewed, as was the NRCA sponsored Roofing Day in DC scheduled for early April.

Governmental Affairs – FRSA Legislative Counsel Cam Fentriss delivered a report covering: possible upcoming PAC expenses including candidate contributions, Assignment of Benefits, open and expired permits, and the state sponsored Construction Work Force. Roofing Day in DC and a possible Roofing Day in Tallahassee were discussed. There was a long discussion on a CILB Proposed Residential Roofing Specialty License that had been withdrawn by the CILB, but that had been altered and reintroduced in a different format as part of a bill filed for the 2019 Legislative Session. A subcommittee was formed to look at alternative language to the bill as filed and make a recommendation on FRSA’s position.

Ladies of FRSA – The Ladies of FRSA finalized details for the Ladies’ Program during the 2019 Convention, which will include a World of Chocolate Workshop and a Healthy Mind, Body & Spirit Workshop. Plans for the Kids’ Program, including a Mad Science Superhero Party, an off-site day at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, Extreme Video Game Night, and a pool party, were also finalized. Plans to raise money for the 2019 Charity of Choice, Our Daily Bread of Bradenton, were discussed, and committee members were reminded to bring Silent Auction donations to the April committee meeting.

Membership Committee – The committee discussed additional ways to promote FRSA on social media and inquired about the use of Instagram to reach consumers. The Retention Subcommittee decided to reach out to members who were dropped for nonpayment of dues.

Roof Tile Committee – The committee reviewed the status of code mods related to the 6th Edition FRSA-TRI Tile Manual, along with other code mods that FRSA submitted. Other code mods related to tile roofing that were submitted by others were reviewed as well. The committee also discussed some issues that contractors were having with building inspectors in Broward County due to labeling issues. TRI and Boral are working together to address this issue. Issues with solar arrays and penetration were discussed, with the possible creation of a subcommittee addressing this topic at eh end of the current cycle. Worker

Training Subcommittee – The committee is in the final phase of revising the Certified Roofing Technician (CRT) Program, a basic training program for new employees. This program with be a train-the-trainer program that members can take back to their companies. Other plans include developing on-boarding courses, promoting NRCA’s ProCertification Programs, and working with the Young Professionals Council to create instructional videos. 3

Young Professionals Council – Instead of having an official meeting, the YPs had their annual Panel Discussion with industry professionals Brian Pratt, Ralph Davis, and Bill Boyer as the panelists. FRSA Members are invited to participate on committees and help guide the industry for the future.

If you’re interested in volunteering for a committee(s), please contact Lisa Pate at 800- 767-3772 ext. 157 or by email at lisapate@floridaroof.com.

Learn more about FRSA committees.