Click HERE for a fee chart for our three-county region

Do you know your City and County elected officials?

OWASA 2012-2013 fee structure 

Current Issues and Updates

The HBADOC strives to represent our members whenever local governmental activities might affect our industry.  We periodically invite local elected officials and governmental staff members to our meetings so that HBADOC members can ask questions and provide input.

Frank Thomas, the HBADOC's Director of Governmental Relations, works hard to keep his finger on the pulse of activities in county and municipal offices.  His observations are summarized in our monthly print newsletter, Rooflines.  Here's Frank's article from a recent newsletter.

What can we do for you?

The HBA has recently formed a Chapel Hill Task Force. This group is focusing on ways we can work with Town staff to improve the processes and procedures involved in the acquisition of a building permit. Specifically, we are focusing on the ZCP process and stormwater requirements.

After years of becoming more and more frustrated with what is clearly a broken system, we are going to make one more effort towards making life a little easier. What do we need to make this project more successful? Practical examples of the ways the system fails to deliver the results we all want.

I understand the hesitance. Fear of retaliation is a strong deterrent. While there are no guarantees that this would not happen, the HBA will promise to help members every step of the way going forward and at least bring attention to any attempt at retribution.

Nothing is easy in Chapel Hill, but without real-world examples to share with decision-makers we don’t have much of an argument to present.

Where else should we be making similar efforts? There are aspects of the building process that we simply don’t hear about at the HBA. I guarantee, you are not alone in your frustrations. Tell us where you think a similar task force could be useful. Or, just call me at the HBA office and tell me about something you think should be changed.

Things are also happening in other parts of our three-county region. Durham will soon do away with the DRB. New ordinance language will eliminate the need for this group and provide more certainty in the code. More approvals will be administrative and the early planning stages of future developments will easier.

Would you like to become better acquainted with your local elected officials? We regularly host members of our city and county elected boards for the purpose of helping everyone get to know each other. We are starting those meetings up again in the coming month and we need some fresh faces to attend. Just let me know you are interested and which jurisdictions you work in and I’ll make sure you have the opportunity to participate.

If you would like more information about any of the subjects mentioned above, call or email me at 919-493-8899 or at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .