Bike Parking
BOMA Portland met with representatives from PDOT and Commissioner Adam’s office to suggest revisions to current bicycle parking requirements. We proposed giving building owners the option of accommodating bike racks and paying into the bicycle parking fund for the racks that will not fit outside your buildings. This proposal is currently at PDOT for review.

Development Review Advisory Committee/BDS
BOMA staff is in attendance and represent our members on development issues including land use, transportation, housing, economic development, neighborhood livability and the environment.

Energy Efficiency Work Group
BOMA Portland represented you at the Governor’s EEWG. This group was heavily stacked with energy people and very few business people. BOMA Portland will work to represent your interests in Salem at the 2009 legislature. BOMA Portland supports energy efficiency programs as long as they make good business sense.

Fire Escapes
Portland Fire and Rescue established a new fire escape policy in February, 2008 replacing previous policies. Building owners are finding this policy difficult to achieve and very expensive. BOMA Portland is working on revising this policy to guarantee the safety of fire fighters and building tenants, while making it more reasonable and achievable for building owners.

High Performance Green Building Policy
This policy will fine owners if they don’t build to a certain standard above existing city code. BOMA Portland was successful in having OSD rethink this proposal and allowing building owners to be judged by level of improvement.

Historic Buildings
BOMA Portland represented you and tracked this issue closely. The proposal would create a new, simpler property tax reduction; new improvements would be excluded from the assessed value during the 15 year term, and most importantly – second 15 year terms would be permitted after reassessment.

Non conforming use
BOMA Portland was successful in securing inclusion of two major Non Conforming Use issues in the city’s RICAP 5 which goes to council sometime in early 2009.

Oregon Real Estate Agency
A number of BOMA members represented you in meetings with Commissioner Gene Bentley and the OREA. The revised Property Management Rules are a considerable improvement over current existing rules.

Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Committee
As a Commissioner on the OSSPAC committee, BOMA Portland advocates for the needs of building owners.

Recycling
BOMA Portland represented you at recycling meetings at Metro and the City of Portland to make new recycling mandates more business friendly. The TAG group proposed a number of options to help and educate you to the new requirements.

Solid Waste Advisory Committee
BOMA Portland represents your interests on Metro’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee. As the only business voice on a very large committee we are very vocal when representing your issues.

Street Access for Everyone (SAFE)
BOMA Portland represented you at meetings regarding potential changes to the SAFE ordinance. We will testify on your behalf when this goes back to council for review.

We were also successful working with the GSA to bring together the Federal Protection Service, the US Marshal and the Portland Business Alliance to reduce the number of people loitering around the Federal Courthouse.

Sustainability Policies
BOMA Portland has been involved on the city and state level working to lessen the impact of sustainability mandates on building members. We are advocating for owners to be judged on your improvements – especially Energy Star – and not be penalized if your building does not reach a pre-determined standard. It cannot be Sustainability at any cost. Sustainability must make good business sense.

Technical Advisory Group – Code Updates
BOMA Portland represents you at the BDS TAG meetings. This group is attempting to rewrite energy code to a higher – potentially unattainable standard. BOMA Portland argued for the higher standard to be fair and reasonable.

Title 29
Title 29 is a revision of the City’s Property Maintenance Code clarifying existing minimum exterior maintenance provisions. We have met with BDS with a toned down proposal that will not significantly impact building owners.

BOMA Portland is your eyes and ears. We sit on a number of other committees and are working for you:
• Central City Committee
• TOPOFF
• Keep Portland Moving
• The Energy Trust Conservation Advisory Committee
• Plumbing, Electrical and Elevator stakeholder meetings
• State form, fees and methodologies meetings

BOMA Portland has strength in our numbers and City and State elected officials listen when we talk. We are the voice of the Commercial Real Estate Industry.