Rick Bishop, Region Director (760) 730-3116

Gordon Pithart, Region Treasurer

Don Wall, Region Secretary

HIC Growing Steadily - As of Feb. 1, 2001, CSLB has issued 137,959 Home Improvement Certifications. Effective July 1, 2000, any contractor wishing to work in the home improve-ment industry must have Home Improvement Certification. If you are not yet certified, you may take the 20-question open-book exam on the CSLB web site at www.cslb.ca.gov or call (800) 321-CSLB (2752) to order your printed testing materials. Don't delay - some local building departments are refusing permits to contractors lacking the certification. CSLB enforcement staff is also checking for HIC when performing license checks on construc-tion sites and during complaint investigations.
Update on Water Watcher Badges - Safe Kids Coalition has given their final approval on the wording for the badges. They will be produced mid-April and hopefully delivered to each member from IPSSA Inc. in the May monthly billing.

Treasurer's Report: Gordon Pithart - All chapters are up to date with chapter dues. Michael Nieratko received $2,000 from the R7 Emergency Fund. Picnic Account balance is $6,000. The Emergency Fund CDs were rein-vested. Presented Proposed 2001 Budget; will bring a more detailed Budget to the next R7 Board meeting.
NSPI Liaison Report: A.J. Wilson 1) Board of Directors meeting was held March 13 at Amber's Restaurant; future meetings may be held at the Doubletree Resort in Penasquitos. General meeting will be April 10. 2) A.J. is on the board for the Pool Design Award Dinner/Golf Tournament scheduled for September. 3) Charlie Yancy of IPSSA, Escondido chapter, will discuss Tech courses at the next NSPI Board meeting. 4) The Region is relatively stable and fit.

Chapter Reports:
Carlsbad: Had a raffle for a donated motor; another motor will be raffled or auctioned off soon. The saga of the sick route coverage continues, in which a sick member has been having his route cov-ered for six months in spite of most of the accounts being in Escondido. The member now claims he lost some of the accounts while they were being covered for him; Rick Bishop told him to document his claims. Brian sent member a copy of the Sick Route by-laws.
East County: 1) One new member. 2) Chapter had about 50% attendance at the Table Top. 3) Robert Blake, Blake Sales, was guest speaker at a recent chapter meeting. 4) Emerson Motors is working on coming up with a better warranty at the corporate level. 5) The prognosis has improved for member Michael Nieratko, who has can-cer. He will go through chemo and radiation and hopes to return to work in the fall. Mike really appreci-ated the $2,000 donation from the Emergency Fund. 6) Guest speaker at an upcoming chapter meeting will be a motivational speaker.
Escondido: 1) Member Jack Cannon is moving to northern Calif.; chapter will do something for him at the next meet-ing. 2) Laars-Jandy talked about heaters at their Feb. meeting. 3) No March meeting. 4) At the April meeting he will address striving for 100% chem certifi-cation. 5) Chapter donated $1,000 to NSPI, $500 to the IPSSA Inc. Scholar-ship Fund. 6) New chapter treasurer is Brad Mitchell, who recently graduated from the chapter's apprenticeship program. 7) Apprenticeship program has turned out to be positive.
Metro: 1) The chapter's new meeting site is PEP; the guys like it and they are saving money. 2) The chapter had three finalists for the truck drawing in Service Industry News, but none won. 3) Three chapter members attended the Annual Installation Dinner. 4) Mike Iagmin is the new chapter treasurer. 4) Fernando of Water Pik gave a very informative pres-entation at a recent chapter meeting. 5) Son Energy was guest speaker at the March meeting. 6) Chapter did a price survey; members were very receptive. 7) One new member took the water chem test but failed. The chapter is four shy of 100% chem certification.
N. County Coastal: Has quite a few guest speakers scheduled.
Rancho Del Mar: Nothing to report.
San Diego: 1) Last Saturday 15 chapter members and their spouses attended a softball game at the Polinsky Center, a center for children of domestic abuse. The event was well received and will be continued on an annual basis. 2) Saturday the bowling group will meet. 3) Sunday the chapter is participating in the Walk for MS. 4) The chapter got open-ing day Padres tickets. 5) One prospective member, one going into the apprentice-ship program. 6) The chapter is using the new blue cards that include the liability disclaimer; they have added a list of zip codes for members to circle which zip codes they service. 7) Rick Bishop will administer the chem test at the June chapter meeting.
Director's Corner: Rick Bishop reviewed highlights of the IPSSA Management Company's February 23, 2001 meeting. 1) He explained that IPSSA Inc. approved increasing liability insur-ance at an increase of $1.44 per month in dues effective March 1, 2001. It was rounded up to $2.00, with the extra 56¢ going back to the chapters. Motion was made by Don Wall, sec-onded by Jon Rumble, and carried unanimously to keep the 56¢ in the chapters and donating to IPSSA Inc. as they see fit. 2) He summarized the insur-ance claims report.
Unfinished Business:
1. IPSSA/NSPI Golf Tournament - A.J. Wilson -- IPSSA/NSPI Golf Tourna-ment held March 2 was a success - weather was good, and there was a good number of people in attendance, although not a sizable amount of paying people. Proceeds were $10,000, expenses were $7,000, and the balance of $3,000 was donated to the family of Dennis Sisler and Becky's House, a home for victims of domestic violence.
2. Table Top Review - Jon McArthur -- the Table Top held March 3 was a good one, with interesting booths and a raffle. They are, however, concerned with attendance; there were more attendees from outside the region than from R7. Attendance was 350 people total, with 40% from R7. Attendance fluctuates from year to year; last year's attendance was 400. Some pos-sible reasons for the low attendance were the golf tourney, weather, lack of adequate parking spaces. It was suggested that those attending classes get raffle tickets at the end of classes, thus motivating them to stay for the entire class.
3. Region 7 Directory - A.J. Wilson -- still on track to complete directory in six months; suggested the chapters get involved.
4. Water Watcher Badges - Rick Bishop -- Badges will be made available for chapters to buy, and every IPSSA member will receive one in their monthly statement from IPSSA. The cost to make the badges, including neck cord, is 48¢ each; will be dis-tributed in packets of 50, with the envelope for every 50 costing 15¢. IPSSA Inc. is paying for 5,000 badges, and R7 is paying for 5,000. They will sell for 50¢, a little above cost. Safe Kids Coalition's name is going on it because IPSSA is not in the safety business. Jon Rumble was anxious that a professional looking explanatory brochure accompany each badge, with vendors paying the cost of the brochure production.
5. Marc Stewart Dinner Certificate - Motion was made by A.J. Wilson, seconded by Jon Rumble, and carried to approve a $100 dinner certificate for Marc Stewart, winner of the annual B. K. Taylor Memorial Award.
New Business:
1. R7 Water Chemistry Certification - Discussion.
2. Chapter Blue Cards - Chapters should be using the new blue cards that include the liability disclaimer.
3. Contribution to MS Walk - Rick got a lot of good feedback from the B.O.R.D. regarding his request for money to reimburse half the cost of T-shirts for San Diego chapter members to wear in the MS Walk. His motion had failed; it was commented that this was ironic since holding the last B.O.R.D. in Texas was especially expensive.
4. 2001 Picnic and R7 Emergency Fund donations -Rick will be accepting donations of used parts and materials for the Emergency Fund Auction; trying to get space at a supply house to store the donations. Don Wall got all the picnic information transferred from Dave Courey, who organized the picnic last year. The Board agreed to hold the picnic Sun., 8/19, alternate date Sun., 8/12 at Mission Bay; Don will get the permit. The first meeting of the Picnic Committee will be 4/24; Committee should include as many of the same people as helped last year.
5. 2001 NSPI Energy Forum -- Will be held April 10, 2001; it is free to all NSPI and IPSSA members. The pool pump refund and rebate program could save money for homeowners, depending on what horsepower engine is installed.
6. Watch Water Door Hanger - Because of insurance claims for water left run-ning when filling customers' pools, it is now IPSSA's policy to not allow service techs to add water to pools. Mike Iagmin showed a sample door hanger he created which shows water level and reminds the customer to add water to pool; will get more price bids for the next meeting.
7. Set date for next meeting - Motion was made by Mike Iagmin, seconded by Jon Rumble, and carried to change Board meeting location from Amber's Restaurant to Karl Strauss Brewery. Next R7 Board meeting June 26. Next B.O.R.D. June 23 in Sacramento; the Region reimburses $100 for travel.
Open Forum Discussions:
1. New R7 leaders - Rick's term as director and some chapter presidents are completed in December; not too soon to start lining up replacements.
2. Installation Weekend Newport Beach - Rick hopes next year there will be more representation from R7.

Water Chem Certification - R7 Board Gives Feedback

At the March 27 R7 Board meeting, Rick Bishop reminded the Board that Region 10 is 100% Water Certified. He is hearing good things regarding R7's status in that area -- Barry Seems' chap-ter, Metro, has made a goal of 100% certification, and Jon Rumble's chapter, San Diego, is also working on it. He asked for Board feedback on striving for 100% certifi-cation.

Don Wall declared that all new mem-bers in the East County chapter are required to take the water chem test and asserted the test needs to be made more available, possibly on the Internet or mailed out. Jon Rumble proposed dis-tributing the test in small booklets with different questions, or administering in sections at each chapter meeting. Rick pointed out that he is available to administer the test at chapter meetings, and it is administered at Table Top, and all new members have one year to get chem certified. A.J. Wilson suggested it is not the availability of the test, but the incentive of the individual to take the test - the oppor-tunity is there. Rick mentioned the roster has a "c" next to the names of those who are water certified.