In this issue:
· 04.20.2010 — Lobby Day Report

Lobby Day Report
By Emily Nemens, AIANY Communications Coordinator

(L-R): Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP; Susan Chin, FAIA; Margery Perlmutter, Esq., AIA; Venesa Alicea, Assoc. AIA; Ricardo Scofidio, AIA; Anthony Schirripa, FAIA, IIDA; and Rick Bell, FAIA.

Jay Bond

Two weeks ago, AIANY sent representatives to AIA New York State’s Architects in Albany Lobby Day. AIANY’s new Policy Director, Jay Bond, organized a group of Chapter leadership and NYC-based practitioners, including 2010 President Anthony Schirripa, FAIA, IIDA; President-elect Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP; Director of Legislative Affairs Margery Perlmutter, Esq., AIA,; and Executive Director Rick Bell, FAIA. The Manhattan Chapter was joined by President of AIA Queens, Laura Heim, AIA; AIANYS Regional Director Susan Chin, FAIA; AIA New York State Associate Director Venesa Alicea, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP; Ricardo Scofidio, AIA, founder of Diller Scofidio + Renfro; and Regional Directors Russell Davidson, AIA and Terrence O’Neal, AIA.

It was a busy day in Albany: appointments started with NYS Senator Liz Krueger of the 26th District, and stretched throughout the day with meetings in the offices of NYS Assembly Member Deborah Glick of the 66th District; Mark Furnish, Chief Counsel to NYS Senator Thomas Duane of the 29th District; NYS Assembly Member Cathy Nolan of the 37th District; NYS Assembly Majority Leader Ronald Canestrari of the 106th District; and NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of the 64th District. The New York Chapter arrived in Albany ready to talk to their legislators about AIANYS’s agenda: lobbying for Alternative Project Delivery, including design-build, advocating for a revision in the non-design professional ownership rules, and promoting the design and construction of green schools.

“This trip to Albany was important, ” explained Rick Bell, FAIA, Executive Director of AIANY, “because together with AIA colleagues from around the state, we pushed for two very important issues: Statute of Repose and interdisciplinary firm ownership. The lack of both puts New York architects and designers at a competitive disadvantage with our colleagues in other states. We seemed to get more traction on these issues than ever before, with a positive meeting with senior staff in the office of New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver capping the day’s efforts.”

The Chapter also shared with New York legislators two lists of bills: ones that it would like to see advanced (including Design Liability Reform, Qualification Based Selection of Professional Design Services, Good Samaritan Act, Smart Growth, and the Historic Preservation Tax Credit), and those that the Chapter opposes (including Professional Certification, Prohibition; Criminal Prosecution for Building and Fire Code Violations, Construction Threshold, and Damages for Delay). (Read the AIANYS Legislative Program here) The Chapter emphasized its concerns over our state’s lack of a statute of repose. Currently, 48 states and the District of Columbia have some sort of statute of repose for design professionals, while architects in New York have to maintain their insurance into retirement. (Although there is a three-year statute of limitations on actions brought by an owner or client, architects are answerable for an indefinite period after project completion to third party claims) AIANY advocates a 10-year limitation on third party claims recognizing that the design professional has no control over a property after construction is complete.

All of the legislation mentioned are in various states of progress in the Senate and the Assembly, and it’s not clear how far they will get before the session ends in June. As we move forward, the Chapter will look to AIA New York State and Eric Goshow, AIA, the Chair of the Government Affairs Standing Committee, for guidance on how best to use our local resources to move all these priorities forward. “For me our visit to Albany was a great success even before we had our first meeting because we were able to have more of our members motivated and involved in the process,” explained Bond. “Sometimes this is the toughest obstacle to overcome and I know, from what I experienced in Albany, we have a group of individuals committed to moving the discussion forward on issues that architects care about.”