Message From the Board Chair
I hope that you are enjoying a busy spring season as the pace of construction continues to quicken in California. According to a state Employment Development Department report, the construction sector in the state bounced back to become the fastest-growing industry on a percentage basis between March 2014 and March 2015, adding more than 46,000 jobs (up 6.9 percent).
Amid the boom in private and public works construction, CSLB has its own list of spring improvement projects: easier and more accessible license renewal payment stations, and expansion of our battle against the underground economy.
Here's what CSLB has planned in the coming weeks and months:
- We've streamlined the credit card payment system for licensees at our headquarters in Sacramento, and have introduced a payment kiosk at our main Southern California office in Norwalk. The ePayment system allows credit card payments for most license categories, using a touchscreen computer set up in the office lobbies. The payment system also is planned for CSLB offices in Fresno, San Bernardino, and San Diego later this year. (Read more about ePayments.)
- A revamped renewal application form also is coming soon. This easier-to-use form will be the latest in a series of upgrades CSLB is undertaking to modernize and simplify services that licensees and the public utilize the most.
- The Little Hoover Commission has released a new study about the underground economy's devastating effects on California industries. CSLB has been a major player in the fight against the underground economy and, on June 12, our new Registrar of Contractors, Cindi Christenson, will host a conference/workshop to explore strategies to combat underground practices, trends, and opportunities for criminal prosecution. The conference will be held in Castroville (Monterey County), and will feature speakers from CSLB, the Department of Insurance, and the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, which has been particularly aggressive in pursuing unlicensed or rogue contractors. C-10 Electrical, C-39 Roofing, and C-20 Warm-Air Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning contractors who have been particularly hard-hit by unlicensed, cut-rate competition, are particularly encouraged to attend. Keep an eye on CSLB's website for registration details.
A review of CSLB's mission, and its operations, recently was conducted at the state Capitol as part of the Sunset Review process. As a Board within the California Department of Consumer Affairs, CSLB is reviewed every four years as a legislative oversight procedure. It's expected that legislators who sit on the reviewing committee will extend CSLB's "sunset date," in essence its charter to operate as a state board, for another four years, until 2020. As board chair, I had the opportunity to introduce the report that outlined CSLB's activities and successes during the previous four years, and believe me, it's an impressive list.
You can expect CSLB to continue its vigorous regulation of California's construction industry, and to aggressively pursue unlicensed contractors and unscrupulous businesses through sting operations, construction site sweeps, and other strategies. We want to build more partnerships with licensees, industry groups, and government agencies to present a united front against individuals and businesses who try to hide from state laws or take advantage of consumers.
We encourage you to report incidents where you suspect illegal contracting. You can give our Statewide Investigative Fraud Team a heads-up directly from our website.
Best wishes for your continued success.
Respectfully,
David Dias
