The 2008 Annual Convention is right around the corner. The convention dates are scheduled for May 7-8, 2008. Over a hundred of the associations’ most active members are headed to Reno, Nevada for the year’s most important manufactured and modular home industry event. Make plans to join us!
Whether you are looking for networking opportunities, want to attend seminars on issues that are critical to the industry, get targeted one-on-one information from the exhibitors or just looking for a couple of days of relaxation, the annual convention is just what you need.
The 2008 convention will be held at the stunningly renovated Harrah’s Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. The Golf Tournament is being played at Wildcreek Golf Course, just minutes from the hotel.
The MHA Executive Director and Board of Directors are working hard to put together a convention and golf tournament you won’t forget and won’t want to miss.
Convention keynote speakers include, but are not limited to MHI Chairman Barry McCabe, Renown author/ motivational speaker Henry Thomas, Idaho Lobbyist Jack Lyman and Utah’s Dale Zabriskie, six education seminars and revolving roundtable discussions with national and state experts. Nevada members get 4 education credits. The Idaho, Nevada and Utah MHA annual meeting and elections are held at the convention and awards will be presented.
MHA members get special room rates of $65 until April 13th by calling 888-726- 6311 and giving group code S05MHA.
By the time you read this, the 2008 Legislature will be history, with lawmakers concluding the session and wrapping things up after Easter. This session has been fairly quiet for the manufactured housing industry. Early bills dealing with community closures issues stalled. A bill to make housekeeping changes to last year's licensing bill passed the House and is expected to be approved by the senate and signed by the Governor.
The most newsworthy topic has been electioneering as the filing period for candidate filing has begun. While we don't yet know the shape of all of the legislative races, some announcements have already been made.
On the Senate side, Senator John Andreason, Chairman of the Commerce and Human Resources Committee, has announced his plans to run again. Senator Andreason has been a long-time friend to our industry, and it's good news he wants to continue in office. Senator David Langhorst has announced his plans to retire from the legislature and will run instead for the Ada County Commission. Additional announcements are expected soon but few of them are expected to change the mix of people who have been involved on our issues.
On the House side, Representative Max Black has announced he will run for re-election. Rep. Black is Chairman of the Business Committee where most of our legislative efforts are heard. He has been a long-time supporter of ours, and his return will be particularly helpful as we deal with closure issues in future sessions. Representative Lenore Barrett, Chairman of the Local Government Committee, has also indicated her plans to run again. Some legislation dealing with closures issues may be referred to her committee in the future.
Representative Mark Snodgrass has announced he will leave the House and run in a Republican primary for a Senate seat. Rep. Snodgrass has been our go-to-guy on manufactured housing issues for the past four years. While we will miss his leadership on our issues in the House, he will be a great addition to the Senate if he is successful.
We will soon be identifying candidates who are supportive on our issues and working to assist their election efforts through our political action committee (PAC). It's essential that we support our friends to assure that our voices will be heard as lawmakers consider issues critical to the future of the industry. If you haven't yet made a substantial contribution to the IMHA PAC, please do so today. Send your checks directly to IMHA c/o Linda Lindholm, 8275 S. Eastern Ave.#200, Las Vegas, NV 89123. We'll work hard to make sure your contribution is well spent.
News From Other States
Wednesday, 02 April 2008
OREGON – The 2008 Salem Manufactured Home Show opened to the public on February 28th and ended on March 2nd. About 4100 potential homebuyers paid up to $6.50 admission to see 20 homes. Despite a downturn in attendance, retailers report that they sold in excess of 200 homes at the Show, including five park models. Retailers only count homes where a substantial deposit (usually $1000) was taken. Retailers continue to generate sales when they follow up on contacts made at the Show. The Public Choice Awards went to: Golden West Homes – Golden Estate; Karsten Homes of Oregon – McKenzie; and Palm Harbor Homes – Timberline.
CALIFORNIA – A local California rent control ordinance was held unconstitutional by Judge Walker of the United States District Court. The Court has issued an eighty page opinion setting forth in detail why the City of San Rafael’s mobile home park rent control ordinance is unconstitutional. The litigation was initiated years ago with trials in 2002 and 2007, probably the most thoroughly litigated rent control dispute in history. The end result is that the court concluded that the ordinance is a regulatory taking of private property and enforcement will be enjoined. Walker found that the rent control ordinance limited the rent increases to such an extent that fully 75% of the park’s value was taken by the regulation. The case has delayed several years while the U.S. Supreme Court heard related cases, including the Lingle v. Chevron USA, a case decided in 2005 that dramatically changed the law as to how rent control ordinances are to be viewed and analyzed when constitutionality is at issue.
TENNESSEE – Champion Enterprises, Inc. a leader in factory built construction, announced that its manufacturing facility in Henry, Tennessee was destroyed by fire during the early hours on February 8, 2008. There were no injuries reported. The Henry plant had been in business since 1968 with distribution throughout the southeastern states. Champion operates 34 manufacturing facilities in the USA and United Kingdom and works with over 3000 retailers.
FLORIDA – The Florida Association’s top priority is defeating a move by legislators to “privatize” the in plant inspection process currently performed by the Florida State DMV on behalf of HUD. The rivatization really means giving the program to HUD who would then delegate inspections to approved third parties, a move that would increase inspection costs and impact credibility with consumers and regulators.
WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Housing Alliance has set a slate of educational programs for the manufactured and modular industry. At the Modular Seminar the Alliance released its two-part Subcontractor Agreement which is intended to be used by member builders when they engage a
subcontractor. The parties sign a general agreement covering liability, insurance, status as an independent and the like, then a per job form with particulars like price and schedule.
The 2008 Idaho Legislature continued its work and prospects for an early March conclusion diminished fairly quickly. Tax receipts in January were below expectations, and the prospects of meeting all of the state's needs seemed unlikely. It will take significant efforts to balance the needs of the state with the resources available and such efforts will take time.
Governor Otter had proposed several big ticket spending items in his State of the State address. Those have now been scaled back in the face of the reduced state revenue streams. Among those items in jeopardy are:
• $50 million for college scholarships; this is likely to be scaled back or, possibly, eliminated. • $20 million to study the state's ground water; this is still hanging on (barely) and may be approved. • $78 million for state employee pay raises; the Governor's recommendation for a five percent increase, coupled with greater employee contribution to health care costs, has already been reduced to a three percent increase. • $70 million for a secure facility to house mentally ill inmates; still undecided. • $134 million to be borrowed for road improvements; doubtful because of growing opposition to a significant increase in egistration fees to financed other highway needs.
Prospects for any major legislation impacting the manufactured housing industry faded when Rep. Phylis King was unable to get her bill introduced to require a right of first refusal for tenant organizations to buy mobile home parks. This effort is now dead and her other bill to create a trust fund to pay tenants relocation costs (funded by a $60 annual charge per space to park owners) was not introduced. The Division of Building Safety's bill to make minor technical changes to our 2007 licensing bill is progressing and is likely to pass.
The failure of all legislation dealing with park closure issues presents an opportunity for the industry to seek solutions to this enduring problem over the next year. If we can find workable solutions and gather support from other interest groups, we may be able to present legislation to the 2009 Legislature.
Business interests continue to pursue a phased elimination of personal property taxes. That is the tax you pay on business equipment. The current draft legislation would immediately eliminate the tax on equipment purchased after January 1, 2008 and would phase out the tax on existing equipment over the next four or five years. Although the bill would not affect the 2009 budget, the state's fiscal situation has reduced the chance of success of this pro-business tax policy.
A fun, informative and well orchestrated two days in Reno. Enjoy the pictures!
The 2008 Annual Convention is right around the corner. The convention dates are scheduled for May 7-8, 2008. Over a hundred of the associations’ most active members are headed to Reno, Nevada for the year’s most important manufactured and modular home industry event. Make plans to join us!
By the time you read this, the 2008 Legislature will be history, with lawmakers concluding the session and wrapping things up after Easter. This session has been fairly quiet for the manufactured housing industry. Early bills dealing with community closures issues stalled. A bill to make housekeeping changes to last year's licensing bill passed the House and is expected to be approved by the senate and signed by the Governor.
OREGON – The 2008 Salem Manufactured Home Show opened to the public on February 28th and ended on March 2nd. About 4100 potential homebuyers paid up to $6.50 admission to see 20 homes. Despite a downturn in attendance, retailers report that they sold in excess of 200 homes at the Show, including five park models. Retailers only count homes where a substantial deposit (usually $1000) was taken. Retailers continue to generate sales when they follow up on contacts made at the Show. The Public Choice Awards went to: Golden West Homes – Golden Estate; Karsten Homes of Oregon – McKenzie; and Palm Harbor Homes – Timberline. 
The 2008 Idaho Legislature continued its work and prospects for an early March conclusion diminished fairly quickly. Tax receipts in January were below expectations, and the prospects of meeting all of the state's needs seemed unlikely. It will take significant efforts to balance the needs of the state with the resources available and such efforts will take time.