AIA Northeast Texas - Tyler, Texas

The meeting was called to order by TSA President Heather McKinney. Following welcoming remarks, Minutes of the previous Board Meeting were approved along with consent agenda.

In the Treasurer’s Report, Mark Wolf reported that TSA had income for 2009 in an amount of $166,392.15 of which $157,743.12 will go to the Committed Surplus Funds as called for in the By-Laws. The Finance committee previously determined that the stipend of $1,500 provided to each of the 17 Chapters should be included in the 2010 Budget allowing Chapters a full year to prepare for the curtainment of this subsidy. This stipend provides for reimbursement expenses for Directors and other Directors to attend training events and Board Meetings.

A fundraising request was made by TSA staff asking Directors to attempt to secure two corporate sponsors from their respective Chapters who might be willing to sponsor one or more events at the San Antonio Convention. The cost of this sponsorship is $350 per event.

There were discussions regarding Board responsibilities including Nominating Committee, Conflict of Interest Policy, AntiTrust Policy, and Whistleblower Policy.

On Friday, there was considerable discussion, brought to the Board by the Historical Resources Committee, regarding the need to adopt a resolution stating TSA’s position on the Governor’s Mansion Restoration and Addition. The following day, a resolution was approved urging the State Preservation Board (SPB) to proceed expediently with the restoration, while strongly urging SPB to follow proper programming process in exploring the validity of an addition to the Mansion for the purpose of providing more functional living quarters for the Governor’s family. This resolution will be directed to the SPB and the Texas Historical Commission, with a copy to the Austin American-Statesman.

The Board approved a position statement, prepared by the Government Affairs Steering Committee stating, “The Texas Society of Architects supports sustainable building initiatives and standards; therefore, we recommend TSA participate in discussions influencing development of sustainable standards, guidelines, and codes”. In conjunction with this topic, there was discussion of AIA 2030 Initiative and how individual firms might respond by implementing green principles into their day-to-day office functions and practices. This topic will be discussed at subsequent meetings.

Kurt T. Cooknick, AIA California Council, and Ravi Shah, Board Member, of International Code Council and Building Official of City of Carrollton, discussed the ongoing development of the IgCC (International Green Construction Code) development. While many TSA members support the philosophy of the code, many voiced concerns that codification of green construction standards will result in increased effort and liability for architects without increasing fees. It was stated that the IgCC will be parallel with the current International Codes and, thus, will provide uniformity between municipalities since many are presently developing their own green codes with may be in conflict with one another. It was further stated that the IgCC will allow jurisdictions to choose various levels of sustainability. Finally, the presenters stated that many jurisdictions are opposed to codes and standards that are “private” in nature (LEED). Adoption of IgCC would allow architects to design “green-compliant” facilities by virtue of their registration without requiring additional testing and accreditation. Further discussion by the Board determined that TSA should remain involved in the development of IgCC and will be represented at the next IgCC meeting to be held in Austin later in the month.

Various Commission reports were presented by Commissioners as well as reports by AIA Regional Directors. TSA will most likely poll Chapter presidents regarding a possible change in by-laws related to the issue of Associate Members functioning as delegates at AIA National.

Finally, Dan Hart, a member of the Joint Advisory Committee, reported that the JAC was making progress. The Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) was established by law to provide architects, landscape architects, and engineers a forum in which to address issues of overlap between the two professions. The law, passed in 2003, provides for each of the agencies which regulate these professions, the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners and the Texas Board of Professional Engineers, to appoint members to a joint board that will meet at least twice a year. In addressing the three areas of interest in determining the differences between architecture and engineering (education, experience, and training), the JAC has now defined various documents that can be utilized in developing a matrix for separation of the two disciplines. Mr. Hart cautioned the Board that, should the JAC not be unable to come to terms, it is entirely possible that the legislature could conceivable put both disciplines under a single regulating board, such as TDLR.