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• May 10, 2007 Minutes

Board Meeting Minutes

May 10, 2007

At The Mission Inn,
3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, California 92501

Call to Order
Board Chair Matt Kelly called the meeting of the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) to order on May 10, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. at the Mission Inn in Riverside. A quorum was established.

Board Member Bob Lamb led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance. Board members, staff, and members of the audience introduced themselves.

Board Members Present:		Board Members Excused:
Eddie Barnes		Paul Baldacci
Larry Booth		Bob Brown
Matthew Kelly
Louise Kirkbride
Robert Lamb
Ed Lang
Stephen Matich
Bernedette Medrano
James Miller
Cynthia Mitchell
John O'Rourke
Donald Zampa
CSLB Staff Present:
Stephen Sands, Registrar		David Fogt, Enforcement
Maureen Abbott, Executive Assistant		Peter Sugar, Enforcement
Don Chang, Legal Counsel (DCA)		Rick Lopes, Public Affairs
Jonathan Buttle, Administration		Karen Ollinger, Licensing
Michael Brown, Legislation		Bob Porter, Testing
Amy Cox-O'Farrell, Info. Technology

Chair's Remarks and Board Member Comments
Board Chair Matt Kelly welcomed everyone to the Riverside meeting. He thanked Board Member Steve Matich for the dinner he hosted on May 9. Mr. Kelly also thanked Board Member Larry Booth for his service to the Contractors State License Board. This is Mr. Booth's last Board Meeting as his term expires on June 1, 2007.

Mr. Kelly informed the Board that due to a prior commitment he would be leaving the meeting early and the first order of business will be to vote on Agenda Item J, Election of the 2007/08 Board Officers.

Election of 2007/08 Board Officers
Mr. Kelly asked Larry Booth to report for the Nominations Committee. Mr. Booth told the Board the Committee recommended the following officers for 2007/08.

1. Jim Miller, Chair
2. Don Zampa, Vice Chair
3. Cindy Mitchell, Secretary

MOTION:  A motion was made by Larry Booth to approve the nominations for the 2007/08 Board Officers. A second was made by John O'Rourke. Motion was carried 12-0

Public Comment Session
There were no public comments.

At this time, Chair Matt Kelly turned the meeting over to Vice Chair Jim Miller and left the meeting. Jim Miller thanked Chair Kelly for his outstanding service as Board Chair.

Approval of the February 9, 2007 Board Meeting Minutes

MOTION:  A motion was made by Steve Matich to approve the February 9, 2007 Board Meeting Minutes. A second was made by Bob Lamb. Motion was carried 11-0.

Legislative Committee Report
Chair Steve Matich provided highlights from the Legislative Committee Meeting which was held in Sacramento.

Approval of the April 20, 2007 Legislative Committee Summary Report

MOTION:  A motion was made by Eddie Barnes to approve the April 20, 2007 Legislative Committee Summary Report. A second was made by John O'Rourke. Motion was carried 11-0.

Update on Board-Sponsored Bills
Chief of Legislation Mike Brown updated the Board on the latest legislation. Most all of the bills have passed the Assembly. The SB237 Mechanic's Lien Bill needs to be amended so that it is understandable and beneficial to consumers. It is being held in the Senate Judiciary Committee. CSLB will try to amend this bill to resolve the issue of mechanic's liens that are old and not enforceable.

Mr. Brown recommended that the Board "Support" SB355, "Oppose" AB785 and AB1025, and "Watch" AB354, AB507, AB711, AB721, AB865, AB1393, SB374, SB569, SB618, SB721, SB738, and SB963.

Approval of Recommended Positions on Legislation

MOTION:  A motion was made by Eddie Barnes to adopt the recommended "support" position, the recommended "oppose" position, and the recommended "watch" position with the exception of SB569. A second was made by Don Zampa. Motion was carried 11-0.

MOTION:  A motion was made by Eddie Barnes to move SB569 from the recommended "watch" position to a "support in concept" position. A second was made by Bob Lamb. Motion was carried 11-0.

Executive Committee Report
Vice Chair Jim Miller asked Registrar Steve Sands to update the Board on the Administrative Program.

Administrative and Information Technology Program Update
Steve Sands reported that Succession Planning is moving forward with the Department of Consumer Affairs. CSLB is working on the risk assessment regarding emergency recovery after a disaster. This includes CSLB's role, what would be done to protect the public, and how would operations be continued. CSLB would also be involved in the disaster clean-up and rebuilding.

Chief of Information Technology Amy Cox-O'Farrell updated the Board on the Information Technology Program. The full implementation of the iLicensing-On Line Licensing Services project has been moved to January 2010 due to the complexity of this project. Daylight Saving Time transitioned to the time adjustment without any problems. A new CSLB Intranet site has been implemented. The site contains forms, policies, guidelines, and phone listings.

Budget Briefing
Budget Analyst Jonathan Buttle reviewed the charts in the Board Packet. He also reported on the FY 2008/09 Budget Change Proposal (BCP) Concepts and the projected fund condition.

Enforcement Committee Report
Chair Cynthia Mitchell provided highlights of the Enforcement Committee Report. Certificates of Appreciation were given to Yolo County representatives who helped create the Yolo Unlicensed Response Apprehension Team (YoU RAT) in partnership with CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT).

Approval of the April 20, 2007 Enforcement Committee Summary Report

MOTION:  A motion was made by Eddie Barnes to approve the April 20, 2007 Enforcement Committee Summary Report. A second was made by Bob Lamb. Motion was carried 11-0.

Enforcement Program Update
Enforcement Manager Peter Sugar reported on the complaint handling statistics and reviewed the graphs in the Board Packet. He also detailed a sting operation.

Chief of Enforcement David Fogt reported on the certification of C-10 electrical employees. CSLB is the lead agency for licensed contractors and to protect consumers from illegal operators.

The EEEC (Economic and Employment Enforcement Coalition) program continues to be very successful. This operation is designed to combat the underground economy by carrying out stings and sweeps which target unlicensed contractors and contractors who are not in compliance with the law.

Licensing Committee Report
Chair Eddie Barnes asked Chief of Licensing Karen Ollinger to update the Board.

Licensing Program Update
Ms. Ollinger reviewed the license application workload charts in the Board Packet. In the Licensing Information Center the average call waiting time is under 3 minutes. Approximately 18,000 calls are received each month and the call center staff retention has improved.

In the Criminal Background Unit (Fingerprinting) a Budget Change Proposal was approved to allow the addition of 3 new Program Technician II positions in fiscal year 2007/08. Unfortunately 66% of applicants falsify their applications regarding their prior criminal convictions. Those applicants who lied on an application are given the opportunity to withdraw the false application and submit a new truthful application along with the full application fees if the convictions are such that they would have been cleared had the applicant been truthful. Approximately 70% of those applications are withdrawn at the request of the applicant.

Testing Division Update
Chief of Testing Bob Porter briefed the Board on the status of the test centers. The waiting time for an examination date is 17 weeks for applicants who test in San Bernardino. Waiting times will remain high until the new test center is completed in the Fall 2007. In Norwalk the waiting time is 4 to 5 weeks until the new test center is completed in the Fall 2007.

A Budget Change Proposal was approved to fund 5 additional Test Monitor positions for the 2007/08 fiscal year. These additional positions will diminish CSLB's reliance on temporary employees by replacing the 5 positions lost in previous budget cuts.

Communication & Education Committee Report
Chair Louise Kirkbride asked Chief of Public Affairs Rick Lopes to update the Board.

Public Affairs Program Update
Mr. Lopes reported that the Public Affairs Office continues to distribute press releases to the media publicizing enforcement actions and undercover sting operations. Between January and April 9 press releases have been distributed. Also during this timeframe, 5 Industry Bulletins were distributed with news of importance to the construction industry. The Public Affairs staff also responds to media inquiries and has provided interviews to a variety of newspaper, radio, and television outlets.

Phase One of the Board's Website Project is in its final stage. This phase will make it easier for the contractors and consumers to navigate the Website and find the services they need and will also include an improved license look-up system.

Review of Tentative Schedule
Mr. Miller announced that the next Board Meeting will be held at CSLB Headquarters in Sacramento on August 3.

Meeting Adjourned
The Board Meeting adjourned at 11:20 p.m.