| Press Release |
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| October 21, 2003 |
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Oregon Regulatory Streamlining Efforts Called "National Model"
(Portland) Measures taken to streamline administration of building codes in Oregon have earned national recognition for Governor Ted Kulongoski. The National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards (NCSBCS) announced Monday that its highest honor, the Gene Rowland Award, has been given to Kulongoski and Oregon’s NCSBCS delegate, Building Codes Division Administrator Mark Long, for outstanding leadership and achievement in furthering effective and efficient administration of statewide building codes.
The award was presented at the annual NCSBCS meeting, which is being held in Portland, October 19 through 22. NCSBCS President Tom Joachim made the presentation, highlighting the importance of the governor’s regulatory streamlining initiative.
“This is not an annual award,” Joachim said. “We only give the Rowland Award when a state’s governor and its delegate to NCSBCS have truly taken exceptional action to improve administration of their state’s building codes system.”
Joachim is the chief building official of the State of Minnesota. Past recipients of the award have included then-Governor George W. Bush of Texas, New York Governor George Pataki, and their NCSBCS delegates.
“Oregon’s progress in this area reflects the joint effort of industry, the building trades, and state and local building officials,” Kulongoski said. “That partnership yielded a series of key measures in the recent legislative session to streamline building code processes while protecting the safety of Oregonians. This is exactly the kind of change I’m determined to bring to business regulatory systems throughout state government as we revitalize Oregon’s economy and improve accountability in public programs.”
NCSBCS’ Portland meeting has included a panel discussion that brought together representatives of Oregon business and government to describe the state’s approach to regulatory streamlining, the state, national, and international business environment that makes it essential, and the public/private partnerships that make it possible.
The Rowland Award is named after Eugene Rowland, who was chief building official of the State of Wisconsin in the 1960s. Rowland was a founding father of NCSBCS, which he helped establish to promote uniform, professional administration and enforcement of building codes in every state.
Contact:
Mary Ellen Glynn 503.378.6496
Marian Hammond 503.378.6169
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