BOMA Advocacy
Denver Metro BOMA and BOMA International represent building owners
and property managers before America's decision-makers. Whether on
legislative, regulatory or codes and standards issues, BOMA works to
protect the interests of the commercial real estate industry.
Local Achievements
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Saved owners millions of dollars
by intervening in
Phase I and II of the 2009 Xcel case before the PUC to represent
ownership interests to prevent shifting of evnvironmental liability to
owners and developers (Phase I) and to prevent extrememly large rate
impacts to owners by getting the ratchet phased in at 50 percent rather
than 75 percent. Also, in 2005 and 2006, successfully intervened in the
Xcel electric case and steam case before the PUC for the fair allocation
of rates.
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Millions of
dollars in savings to
property owners because Denver Metro BOMA was successful in persuading
the state conveyance department to promulgate reasonable new state
elevator regulations. We were able to settle a firefighter service issue
that exempted buildings equipped with fire suppression sprinklers, less
than 75 ft. tall or those already meeting the 1981 or later ASME A17.1
Elevator Code from any retrofit requirement. Pre-1990 buildings were
also exempted from a requirement to install door restrictors.
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Thousands of
dollars in savings to
property owners because Denver Metro BOMA was successful in sponsoring
HB 09-1365 in the 2009 Colorado legislative session. HB 1365 modified
the requirements of the property tax exemption for a state entity that
enters into a rental or lease agreement so that the application of the
property tax exemption is revenue neutral to property owners. Without
the clarifying language, property owners may not have been able to
collect the proper amount of property taxes from other tenants and could
have potentially been out of pocket for the exempt amount of taxes.
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Clarified that the Metro Wastewater
Reclamation District (MWRD) policy concerning discharge of
molybdenum from building cooling systems into the drain system does not
mean that moly must be removed from an existing closed-loop system, or
that a small leak from such a system would really result in huge
fines;
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Saved owners $1.00/SF savings in
capital expenses for the repeal of the Denver mandate to run hard-pipe
risers for diesel fuel transfer in buildings;
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$0.015/sf savings in operating
expenses for elevator and other City of Denver inspection fees;
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Through lobbying and testimony, continuing to
fight onerous legislation that would impact the right to
contract for services in buildings;
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Ongoing advocacy activity including
meeting individually with many key legislative leaders to discuss BOMA
issues for Colorado BOMA, the state coalition of Denver and Colorado
Springs BOMAs;
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Colorado BOMA PAC made campaign contributions
to 20 state legislative candidates in 2008 election and is
already soliciting contributions for the 2010 election cycle;
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Joined with the Denver Police Department in the first
Denver Public/Private Initiative program, DP3, to coordinate
disaster preparedness, cross training, and crime prevention
activities.
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Ongoing meetings with the Colorado Homeland
Security officials, to discuss preparedness and training for
BOMA members on infrastructure protection.
BOMA International Achievements
Showing
YOU
the Money – the
Bottom Line Benefits of Your BOMA Membership
BOMA International’s advocacy and codes teams helped
secure key legislative victories in 2009 that will help save the
commercial real estate industry billons. While it’s not always
easy to put a dollar figure on the broad value of your BOMA membership,
we can quantify the money saved on recent advocacy success:
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Tax incentives of up to
$1.80/sf for energy efficiency
upgrades to commercial buildings by passage of the national energy
policy legislation. BOMA was successful in extending the $1.80/sf
deduction for energy efficient buildings for an additional 5 years,
through Dec. 31, 2013. BOMA will continue to be vigilant on energy
efficiency and climate change proposals impacting both new and existing
commercial buildings in the 111th Session of Congress.
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$1.1 billion in annual tax
savings to the industry when
Congress approved the two-year extension of the 15-year depreciation
period for leasehold improvements and the tax deduction for brownfields
remediation costs. These measures expired at the end of 2007; however,
the two-year extension is retroactive back to Jan. 1, 2008 through Dec.
31, 2009. BOMA continues to lobby Congress to extend this provision.
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Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings
Tax Deduction Legislation passed in 2008
extended tax deductions for energy-efficient upgrades to commercial
buildings first passed in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The new
legislation extends the deduction an additional five years through 2013.
Savings to the industry = $887 million over five years.
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$620 million in annual tax
savings to
the industry as a result of the passage of the Tax Relief Extension
Reconciliation Act of 2005 which extends through 2010 the reduced 15%
tax rate for capital gains and dividends.
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Additional Annual Construction Costs Avoided from
Energy Code Changes
During the 2009 ICC Codes Meeting in Minneapolis, BOMA was successful in
getting the proposed blanket 30 percent increase to the International
Energy Conservation Code disapproved. Savings to the industry =
$990 million.
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Terrorism Insurance
victory – priceless. Following 9/11, BOMA worked
with Congress to enact the 2002 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and the
Terrorism Risk Insurance Extension Act of 2005 (TRIEA), extending TRIA
to 12/31/07. BOMA recently worked with Congress to extend the federal
terrorism risk insurance program for an additional seven years through
December 31, 2014.
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Additional Annual Construction Costs Avoided from
World Trade
Center Proposals
During the 2009 ICC Codes Meeting,
BOMA was successful in defeating NIST/World Trade Center proposed
structural, fire and egress codes changes. Savings to the industry =
$3.8 billion.
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Lost Lease
Income Avoided
Billions in lost lease income
were avoided with BOMA’s defeat of NIST/World Trade Center
proposals requesting additional elevators in the 2009 ICC Buildings
Codes. Saving to the industry = $630 million.
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Advocacy
