Grassroots Info

This year, the Finance Committee is providing more detailed information on the budget prior to the Grassroots Budget meeting. In an e-mail that follows this Newsletter, I will be sending a .pdf of many pages from the draft budget.

It is important for you to keep in mind that this budget is a draft. The purpose of the Grassroots budget meeting is to obtain input from the Chapters. The intent of the meeting is to be interactive.

This year, be prepared to answer the questions that you will be asked during the meeting. There are a number of issues that we need input from the Chapters. This information will be brought back to the Board.

During the April Board meeting, the Board will finalize the budget. This is when the budget must be approved.

Unlike previous years, the Grassroots budget meeting will be run similar to the webinars. You will be able to hear, but you will not be able to speak. Thus, all of your comments or questions will have to be typed.

One of the beauties of having you type in your comments or questions is that we can have a complete record to present to the Board at the next meeting.

I hope that every Chapter has at least one person participating in the Grassroots Budget meeting.

Seattle March 16

On March 16, 2010, I will be in Seattle to charter our newest Chapter. This is an exciting time for the plumbing engineers in the Seattle area. For too many years, there has not been a Chapter.

While many of the members have belonged to the Portland Chapter, attending the meeting became very difficult since there is quite a distance between Seattle andPortland. Now, the travel to a Chapter meeting will be very easy.

If you happen to be in the Seattle area on March 16, be sure to stop by the chartering meeting.

Single Stack a Go in IPC

I received word that there were no public comments submitted to the ASPE code change to the International Plumbing Code on the single stack venting system, also known as the Philadelphia Single Stack.

What that means is that the code adding the single stack venting requirements will be block voted into the code. Basically, it is a sure thing (just requiring a formal vote).

In the 2012 edition of the International Plumbing Code, single stack venting will appear in Chapter 9. The International Plumbing Code was the last remaining model code that did not have any reference to the single stack system.

Both the Uniform Plumbing Code and the National Standard Plumbing Code have the single stack venting requirements in the Appendix underengineered design. This has allowed any plumbing engineer to use this venting method as an engineered design.

A big thanks to the Philadelphia Chapter for the is perseverance in promoting the Philadelphia Single Stack. Now the rest of the country can benefit from their design method.

Great Olympics

Congratulations to our British Columbia Chapter for being great hosts for the recent Winter Olympics. I think the rest of the world see what a great place Vancouver is, as well as, all of British Columbia.

I know that a number of our Chapter members in BC designed the plumbing systems in some of the Olympic venues. I didn’t hear one complaint about the plumbing during the Olympic coverage, so great job!

It was also great to see a final event that had so much passion. I am talking about the Canada vs United States men’s hockey game. After the Canadian women’s hockey won the gold, it was a question of whether the men could do the same thing.

I will admit, I am not a hockey fan. (I am a skier, not a skater.) So, I was just glad it was a close(and great) game. Congratulations to Team Canada!

Although the USA only got the Silver medal, remember, the record is still 1-1 between the USA and Canada. I had to put that in there.

Green Convention

Since my last Newsletter, I have received a lot of interest in the going green at the EPE and Convention. However, I did not provide any details.

Basically, we would like to get rid of as much paper as we can. Too many times, the trash cans are filled with paper that was handed out either during the business meeting or technical sessions.

For additional details, you need to tune-in to the Grassroots Budget meeting. During the meeting we will discuss options for going paperless at the Convention. That would include the technical seminars, as well as, the delegates’ meeting.

It would be very exciting if we can go completely green. I look forward to hearing (or reading) your comments during the Grassroots budget meeting.

Delegate Name Submittal

A question was raised about the new requirement that delegates names be submitted by July 15. Some Chapters asked how they could select delegates when they only find out in early July how many delegates the Chapter is entitled to have.

The easy answer to that is to look in the By-Laws and do a quick calculation yourself. You will be within one delegate of calculating the number of delegates correctly. So, select that many delegates and consider adding an alternate.

You will be able to move any alternate delegate into a full delegate position after the names have been selected. Don’t be afraid to add additional names as alternates. Some Chapters have three alternate delegates at the Convention.

Your Comments

Your cards and letters are always appreciated. All of your comments are welcome. Also, feel free to share information with other Chapters through this Newsletter.

Contact me at any time. I can be reached at PrezASPE@aol.com. My office number is 219-922-6171.