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State Government Featured Articles 

AIA Pennsylvania is pleased to announce a new feature to e-Architect Update.  Veteran Capitol reporter, Peter Durantine, will be writing feature articles on happenings in the State Capitol for our newsletter.  In this and the February issue, he will be "setting the stage", moving forward, he will focus more directly on AIA PA issues and activities.

Mr. Durantine has been a journalist for nearly 30 years, working a range of beats, from business and education to government and politics. He spent 11 years as a legislative correspondent in the Pennsylvania statehouse, where he worked for the York Daily Record, Associated Press and Capitolwire.com. Early in his career, he worked in Washington D.C. for Roll Call and The Washington Business Journal. As a freelance writer, he has written for the New York Times, Philadelphia Daily News, Wilmington News-Journal and Stateline.org, among other publications. In addition to writing for AIA's newsletter, he's also the founder and editor of TheBurg, a monthly community newspaper for greater Harrisburg.  

State Budget Process Begins 

Peter Durantine

 Gov. Tom Corbett prepares to unveil the second budget of his administration in February with tax receipts lagging behind by nearly half a billion dollars. He's already tightening the state's belt on the news.

 Keep in mind, though, there remains six more months to the state's fiscal year, plenty of time for collections to catch up and possibly surpass expectations, though in this volatile economy that's not a wager many want to make.

 A telling shortfall, an 18.2 percent drop in corporate tax collections, could be an indicator of another year of sluggish growth. It certainly is not motivating the administration to propose ambitious new programs.

 The Corbett administration, like all Republican administrations, is responding to this year's revenue collections with a conservative forecast of 1.3 percent in growth while Democrats in the General Assembly have a sunnier assessment of things.

 "It's way too early to forecast that we're going to have a revenue shortfall," Senate Democrat budget analyst Randy Albright told the Patriot-News. "We're going to have to see."

 Historically, Republican administrations tend to project revenue growth on the conservative side while Democratic administrations view projections more optimistically, anticipating healthy coffers to pay for programs.

 Indeed, in the past, when the state's Rainy Day Fund, a surplus of revenue socked away at the end of each year, has grown to more than $1 billion while tax receipts remained robust, Democrats and Republicans would debate its use:

 Should some be spent on programs, as Democrats argue, or should it be used, as Republicans insist, for budget shortfalls to offset the need to increase taxes; or should it be used for both? This year, with the Rainy Day Fund depleted, that debate is moot.

 While Corbett has been adamant about not increasing taxes, particularly an extraction tax on Marcellus Shale gas drilling, he is negotiating with Republican and Democratic leaders on a tax or fee to provide funds for local communities impacted by the gas drilling.

 There also is bipartisan desire for taxes and/or fees to meet growing transportation needs as well as education initiatives for improving charter and cyber charter schools as well as teacher reforms.

 How much of this gets done, or if any of it gets done, will depend on the budget negotiations and whether revenues come up short - some in the legislature are predicting a $750 million shortfall - or they arrive on target or above.

 Furthermore, it's an election year, and that can play a factor in terms of where spending is increased and where it is reduced. As a no-tax conservative, Corbett is likely to again seek to reduce overall spending this year.

 And although his party controls the legislature, the governor cannot be assured that budget negotiations will go smoothly or that he will get all he wants - by virtue of separation of powers and a tradition of fierce independence between the branches.

 That's not to say they can't come together and find common cause, they typically do. But Corbett and his administration, many of whom followed him from the attorney general's office, are still finding their governing legs, so things may move a bit slower, depending, again, on how much money is available when all the tax revenues are tallied. 

Legislative Update 
 

Architects Day
 

Associates Rate 50% Off for AIA National Convention 
 

We have really great news that should help motivate associate members to attend the 2012 AIA National Convention in Washington, DC. The AIA National Board approved a half-off rate for registration for Convention for the associate members! This means registration will only be $210 for 2012, and should lessen the concern that "convention is too expensive" for associate members. Since Washington DC is so close to us, we hope to see many Pennsylvania interns and emerging professionals at Convention this year. If architects in PA can encourage their associate members and employees to attend, this will show AIA National that they made a worthwhile investment by reducing the registration rate. I'm asking you to support and encourage your associate members to attend Convention. It is an excellent learning and networking opportunity.
 

Melissa Bernstein, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

Pennsylvania Regional Associate Director, National Associates Committee

Stay Current with NCARB 
 
NCARB publishes several newsletters that communicate the registration and testing requirements that affect you and your staff.  Register for them online.

Sprinklers in One- and Two-Family Dwellings 

AIA Pennsylvania has received several inquiries from members asking for clarification on the status of sprinklers as it relates to One and Two Family Dwellings in the Pennsylvania Building Code.

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One- and Two-Family Dwelling Sprinker Installation
 

Section R313 of the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) mandates the installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems in new one- and two-family dwellings. The compliance date was January 1, 2011. However, the automatic sprinkler requirement for new one- and two-family dwellings was repealed retroactively to January 1, 2011 on April 25, 2011, when HB 377 was signed into law as Act 1 of 2011.
 

Municipalities with legally enacted local residential sprinkler requirements (adopted in a local building code ordinance that was in effect on July 1, 1999 or adopted per the section 503 amendment process after the municipality elected to administer and enforce the UCC) may continue to enforce these requirements.

Act 1 amended Section 902 of the PCCA to include subsection (g)(2), which requires a builder of a one- or two-family dwelling subject to the IRC to offer the buyer the option to install sprinklers at the buyer's expense and to provide the buyer with information regarding the initial and ongoing costs associated with a sprinkler system and the benefits of installing a sprinkler system. The Act does not mandate that this offer be in writing nor does it mandate that a specific form be used to document that the builder complied with the requirements of section 901(g)(2) (35 P.S. §7210.901(g)(2)).

Act 1 does not prohibit the installation of a partial automatic sprinkler system, if the buyer chooses, so long as the system is designed and installed in accordance with the provisions of section R313.2.1 (relating to design and installation of automatic fire sprinkler systems) of the 2009 IRC. However, to comply with the exception regarding fire protection of floors under Section (H)(2)(I) of Act 1, the automatic sprinkler system directly under the floor assembly must be installed in accordance with P2904, NFPA 13D or must be another equivalent sprinkler system approved by a municipal code official.

(Issued 8/1/2011)

One- and Two-Family Dwelling Fire Protection of Floors
 

Act 1 of 2011 amended Section 901 of the PCCA to include subsection (h)(2), which requires certain floor assemblies that are not required to be fire-resistance rated by the International Residential Code (IRC) to be provided with ½-inch gypsum wallboard membrane, 5/8-inch wood structural panel membrane or equivalent on the underside of the floor framing member (35 P.S. § 7210.901(h)(2).
 

To determine equivalency, Section 721.6.2, specifically Table 721.6.2(1), of the 2009 International Building Code, which assigns a fire resistance rating time to membranes on the fire-exposed side of a floor framing assembly, is referenced. Table 721.6.2(1) assigns a fire-resistance rating time of 15 minutes to both ½-inch gypsum wallboard and 19/32-inch wood structural panels. Therefore, any membrane installed on the fire-exposed side of a floor framing assembly that provides a 15-minute fire-resistance rating time should be considered as equivalent to the requirements of subsection(h)(1), provided the documentation is acceptable to the municipal code official.

(Issued 8/1/2011)

David Brennan honored as "Citizen Architect" 
  

Erie, PA (December, 2011) - The National Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has conferred on David A. Brennan, Architect, Director of Planning & Design at the Economic Development Corporation, and Erie City Councilman-Elect, recognition as a "Citizen Architect" for his commitment to his community and to the architecture profession. This distinction, given to about 1 percent of the organization's 83,000+ members, is being awarded for applying his insights, talents, training and experience to actively advocate and support initiatives that enhance the quality of life and future of the community.

The AIA's Citizen Architect/Civic Engagement Program is an advisory network of the AIA National Board of Directors Advocacy Committee. Their goal is to promote this group of citizen architects as inspiration and a resource for other professionals.

"The Citizen Architect uses her/his insights, talents, training and experience to contribute meaningfully, beyond self, to the improvement of the community and human condition. The Citizen Architect stays informed on local, state and federal issues, and makes time for service to the community. The Citizen Architect advocates for higher living standards, the creation of a sustainable environment, quality of life, and the greater good. The Citizen Architect seeks to advocate for the broader purposes of architecture through civic activism, writing and publishing, by gaining appointment to boards and commissions, and through elective office at all levels of government."

Mr. Brennan is very active in the community and has served on numerous committees. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Arts Erie, he is a board member for the Presque Isle Partnership, and he is also the past Chair of the City of Erie Planning Commission.

Former PSA President Dies
 
Randolph Jay Stauffer died on December 24th. Randy was the first "S" in the former GSGS&D. He was president of AIA Northeastern PA in 1969 and Pennsylvania Society of Architects (AIA Pennsylvania's name at the time) in 1975. You can read his full obituary.

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