Post Hurricane Isaac Update / Fall Training Plans New Law “Act 193” — Penalties for Unlicensed/Unregistered Jobs

Hats off to all the dedicated contractors who’ve been working long hours in difficult conditions post Hurricane Isaac, restoring some ease & reviving the spirits of those affected. The SELACACI Board suspended its September plan to host the Contractors Board of Licensing — on the topic of the new State Law “Act 193” which dramatically increased penalties for unlicensed and unregistered home improvement work of over $1,500 (formerly $7,500), also requiring contracts and insurance and a $75 fee. Act 193 exempts licensed contractors. A summary of this statute (which took effect Aug. 1), the registration form, & a link to the text of the law, are posted below. Also recently posted below is: “Evaluating Water-Damaged Electrical Equipment” — which all relevant contractors are urged to review, as there has already been at least one casualty post-Isaac. When it met this summer, the SELACACI Board agreed to hold trainings on the 2012 Energy Code as well as one on Ductwork. These plans will be reviewed as the recovery proceeds, and as always, your input is encouraged. The hurricane only underlines the importance of the “whole house” approach, as tens of thousands of homes are now undergoing restoration in our region. Despite the urgency, care must be taken to avoid long-term problems and to seize opportunities to upgrade safety & efficiency. Best wishes as we jointly tackle the aftermath of Isaac and seek continued improvement of the industry. Audrey Evans, Secretary Charley Leaumont, President Tim Pierre, Treasurer

Evaluating Water-Damaged Electrical Equipment  >>More>>

News: Home Improvement Registration

Effective August 1, 2012, Act 193 of the 2012 Regular Legislative Session provides for significant changes to Home Improvement Contracting under the statutory authority of the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC). >>More>>

SELACACI Annual Meeting

The Southeast La. Coalition of the Air Conditioning Industry (SELACACI) held its first annual meeting recently. The president of the organization, Charley Leaumont, gave his annual report to the membership. SELACACI was founded after Hurricane Katrina by Charley Leaumont and Tim Pierre to assist in keeping the members of the air conditioning industry up-to-date with the rapidly changing government regulations. After Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana State Legislature met with the insurance industry and the construction industry in an attempt to establish statewide minimum building construction codes. The State Legislature created the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council (LSUCCC) to adopt, implement, and monitor state wide minimum building codes. The LSUCCC suggested that the air conditioning industry establish an organization to communicate between the LSUCCC and the industry. SELACACI now approaches 500 members. The membership includes manufacturers, distributors, large mechanical contractors, air conditioning contractors, students, teachers, energy raters, code enforcement officers and anyone interested in improving the air conditioning industry. SELACACI is a nonprofit organization that charges no annual membership dues. All communications are done by e-mail. The organization does charge fees for training to cover the expenses associated with training and to cover its website and operational expenses. Anyone can apply for membership by following instructions on the SELACACI website:  www.selacaci.org. SELACACI is run by a Board of Directors representative of the broad interests of the divergent membership. The Board of Directors recently held its annual meeting and re-elected Charley Leaumont President, Tim Pierre Vice President and Treasurer and Audrey Evans Secretary. The organization has standing committees to further its goals. Kenny Robert and Barry Couvillion chair the training committee that oversees all training programs conducted by the organization. Recent training programs were conducted on the issues related to air conditioning spray foam houses and the recent EPA changes on R22 refrigerants. Future training is planned on psychrometrics and the part that relative humidity plays in air conditioning in our area. President Leaumont said in his report to the members that “Kenny and Barry do an outstanding job in developing and implementing training opportunities not only with SELACACI but also with the Louisiana Heat Pump Association. Their goal is simply to help raise the competency skills of the industry members that design, install, and service air conditioning equipment in our area. Kenny and Barry want to give something back to an industry that they love. Our industry is served well by these leaders.” Audrey Evans supervises the membership communications and the SELACACI website (www.selacaci.org ). “Audrey has done an outstanding job in upgrading the website. Our website now is not only a valuable source of information about SELACACI and our mission but a great source of information about other important industry related issues. We are very fortunate to have Audrey as a leader in our organization,” Leaumont reported to the membership. Paul Lagrange is leading a committee to investigate the availability of government incentives available to members for education and equipment costs to contractors for learning and implementing the new state codes. The annual meeting was held at Delgado Community College in conjunction with a training event on the recent R22 EPA changes.