Fred C. Cox for Utah

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Week 1 Update

Week one of the Legislative General Session.

Numbered bills for Rep. Fred C. Cox

http://le.utah.gov/asp/billsintro/RepResults.asp?Listbox3=COXFC

H.B. 29 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board Amendments
passed the House and in Senate Transportation and Public Utilities and Technology Committee

H.B. 126 Design Professionals - Amendments
on House Business and Labor agenda for Feb. 2

H.B. 162 Construction Trades Continuing Education Amendments
in House Business and Labor

H.B. 177 Absentee Ballot Amendments
in House Rules

See the above link for more information and also for some bills in the works. Some of those and other bills may not be required because of other proposed legislation, including alcohol restrictions for those on probation and parole and disabled adult child guardianship. Some bills may not be drafted this session. The bill request list should be updated by February 5th.

Remember, any bill may change and that could change my support or opposition.

I was willing to support one bill on Friday until a last minute substitute made the bill worse than the law we have now. I attempted to block the substitute and when that failed, hold the bill in committee. That motion failed. I then voted against the bill having other Representatives voting with me. The bill still passed the committee for more debate on the Floor of the House.

Committees

I have also been very involved in debating, amending and voting for and against many other bills, along with on going discussions on the budget and policy decisions.

Stay on top of posts from my blog:
http://www.fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/

CONTACT INFORMATION:

801-966-2636 (home)

Official Legislative Website and email
http://le.utah.gov/house2/detail.jsp?i=COXFC

The best way to get a hold of me is via email at:

fredcox@le.utah.gov

There have been 2 town hall meetings, well attended with two more. Hundreds of Surveys have been returned. I am still reading them. I should have some general statistics from them in the next few days.

2015 Town Hall Meetings at Hunter Library 4740 West 4100 South West Valley City, Utah
Thu. January 22, 2015, 7:00pm to 8:30pm (completed)
Sat. January 24, 2015, 1:00pm to 2:30pm (completed)
Sat. January 31, 2015, 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Sat. Febrary 28, 2015, 10:30am to 11:45am

A 2015 survey is at:
http://www.fredcox4utah.com/Survey2015.pdf

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Gas Tax Options

If you read the survey I sent out, or this article:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/2084871-155/house-senate-split-over-gas-tax

There is a 3rd option. Keep the fuel tax a fixed number per gallon, 24.5 cents. Adjust that with a CPI increase or decrease each year with caps so it doesn't go up or down too fast. So next year could be 25 cents or perhaps 25.5 cents per gallon. The amount of funds wouldn't keep going down in value each year based on inflation.

The other two options, in my opinion, will not pass both houses. if it is sales tax, we could double the amount going to the state per gallon in a year if gas prices go back to $4 per gallon. It is too unstable with the potential of fast tax increases or leaving the state and local governments hurting for road funds again. .

Raising the fixed rate by 5 cents is a 20% increase for the tax. That doesn't fly with most voters where I live. Raising it by 10 cents or 41% increase is even worse.

We have, dozens of cities that want more money from the state for their local roads. You do realize 30% of the state fuel tax goes to the local cities, etc. for local roads. They have been raising local property taxes or cutting police or fire to cover the shortfall. They either want more money from a larger fuel tax or permission to raise local sales tax for this purpose.

Under Utah Art XIII sec. 5, 6 the State Fuel tax has to go to roads or drivers training or UHP or debt re roads. It doesn't go in a general fund. The Utah Legislature hasn't raised it a little based on CPI for many years.

The fuel tax doesn't go to the UTA. It does go to UDOT.

UTA gets its funding from local sales tax, specifically voted on to fund UTA. It has also received funds from the Federal Government.

Approx. 17% of the sales tax collected in Utah is transportation based, including cars, tires, oil, etc. Approx. that percentage of the state portion of that tax goes to roads. See again Utah Art XIII sec. 5, 6 . Those electric cars are paying into the road fund. The Governor in 2011 vetoed a bill, which sends this money to roads, which was passed again in a veto override session by the legislature. In his current budget, the Governor proposes to use this money for something else, but that would require the law to be changed, which based on Utah Constitution, Art. XIII, Sec. 5, (6), it likely will not.

This transportation based sales tax is general fund money that normally could be used for any other state program.

The State Income Tax, goes to K-12 Public Education and also Higher Education. Utah Art. XIII, Sec. 5 (5).

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Clean Air

At one of my Town Hall meetings, I was given this document. It was used to raise the question as if small users, such as wood burning, are being asked to take a bigger hit on clean air requirements because larger users are getting away with more.

See:
http://ssrn.com/abstract=2536928

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

2015 HB 126 Design Professionals - Amendments

Typically Interior Designers and Architects fight over what each can do under state licensing laws. That is true all over the country. As an architect, I was surprised that both the interior designers and the architects wanted me to run the bill. I have a proposed compromise and I am working to be fair to both sides.

http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/HB0126.html

The interior Designers submitted their fee and licensing proposal this summer and the issue was covered in two committee meetings in September and October. The Occupational and Professional Licensure Review Committee. In September, a request from the committee was made to open a bill file, which was done, but the result created a lot of people showing up to support it and oppose it. I personally had major problems with the bill at that time.

Over the last several months, I have met with several members of those groups, including the Utah Building Code Commission, the Architectural Licensing Board, Utah AIA (American Institute of Architects), interior designers, etc.

This bill is very different than I thought it would be last April and May when I was first contacted about the idea by the interior designers.

The bill doesn't require most interior designers to be licensed and it doesn't create a new area of practice requiring a license.

What it does do, is allow specific interior designers, with specialized education, training, experience, certification and a license, to provide signed drawings limited in scope of work, with a DOPL licensing number for a building permit that currently requires an architect license. We are not talking about colors, etc. This would allow then to create building permit drawings for non-bearing walls, doors, etc.

It is literally creating competition for me as an architect. There are many drawings that can be created without a license and those exceptions are not eliminated. There are about 160 interior designers with a NCIDQ certification that this may help, and others that may work toward this.

Additional Information:

Does not require interior designers to obtain a license unless they want to work in some of the areas that currently require an architect’s license.

Interior Designers who desire to expand their scope of practice now have pathways to meet the standards of the state for the specified licensed space through a combination of education, experience and examination.

The expanded scope for a licensed interior designer is limited to specific types of interior spaces that already have the building exiting designed and does not involve changing beams, columns and bearing walls.

Increases the number and type of professionals that can compete for projects in this space.

One, Two, Three and Four Family Residential spaces remain unregulated. Interior designers practicing in these spaces are unaffected, and are able to continue to practice as usual.

The title of “interior designer” is not regulated

Stakeholders met together to create bi-partisan agreement on a non-mandatory licensing bill that enacts permitting authority within specific interior spaces by individuals who meet the life safety requirements of the space.

Designers working on project drawings for commercial spaces requiring a permit will have more than one option when seeking Building Permit Construction Drawings.

Additional details of the bill
    Minimum design education accredited by CIDA, or equivalent Requirement for professional experience

    National Council for Interior Design Qualification NCIDQ is the primary examination interior design licensing

    A code of guidelines for professional practice and ethics is outlined

    A requirement for continuing education included

    Grandfathering with education, experience and examination criteria License/Signing privileges to substantiate documentation

NCIDQ requirements.

http://ncidqexam.cdn.bypronto.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/232/2013/12/ExamEligibilityRequirements.pdf

See also for building code occupancies

http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ibc/2012/icod_ibc_2012_3_sec002.htm

with the Utah State amendments from:

http://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter3/15A-3-S102.html?v=C15A-3-S102_1800010118000101

Or this document that is designed to combine these:

http://www.fredcox4utah.com/2015HB126codeInfo.pdf

Saturday, January 3, 2015

2015 Town Hall Meetings

Utah House District 30, Fred C. Cox 2015 Town Hall Meetings at
Hunter Library 4740 West 4100 South West Valley City, Utah

Thu. January 22, 2015, 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Sat. January 24, 2015, 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Sat. January 31, 2015, 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Sat. February 28, 2015, 10:30am to 11:45am

A survey is at:
http://www.fredcox4utah.com/Survey2015.pdf

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Draper Prison to move or not to move

Representatives and Senators, [PRC members]

re: the Draper Prison, Uinta Five Reception and Orientation building along with the Oquirrh Five Annex and almost all of Wasatch.

Based on information provided to me by constituents in my area that work at the Draper Prison, I believe at minimum, the listed Draper buildings need to be replaced. They could be replaced on site, as there seems to be enough room to double or triple the number of beds at Draper, or possibly targeted to be replaced off site, at a new prison location, such as near the Wal-Mart Distribution Center near Stansbury Mountain, in Tooele County. Based on the report, there is enough room for Gunnison to match Draper in beds as it is currently. An alternate or 3rd site is not required.

I was wondering if we have a specific cost for constructing each of these 3 complexes and if the Draper Prison can function in place without any or all of these 3 buildings. Clearly, the buildings can be built on site and then these specific existing buildings can be demolished.

It is the opinion of many that the majority of the buildings at the Draper Prison, other than these, can function for many years, if not decades.

Any new cell complex should at least have the safety of layout of the 192 bed pods at Gunnison. From an aerial photo, it appears a large percentage of the beds at Draper are in the pod or super pod type layout with the central control station.

I have stood in Wasatch, in one of the active cell block common areas with my wife. I don't like that layout. We spent two years as volunteers at the Draper Prison. It was interesting to use the non-denominational chapel that I had worked on the drawings for many years ago.

While it has been many years since I worked on construction drawings for jails and prisons, I helped with the construction drawings for a Salt Lake County Jail expansion/remodel down town (later demolished), Oxbow, Gunnison, and using the 192 bed pod system, perhaps a dozen potential 1920 bed complexes around the country. At one point, I perhaps had drawn more parking spaces and jail/prison cells than anyone I knew in the State.

Based on the information I have now, I [still] would not have voted to move the prison when [others] voted on [it] last year. I realize Draper City is tired of having the prison and the property around it is getting worth more and so the State may want to move it sometime in the next few decades.

What I said in February 2014:
http://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2014/02/do-not-move-prison.html

Since the timeline for moving has not be agreed to by the legislature, finding out from the Prison or your consultant the cost of replacing only the 3 complexes mentioned would be helpful for direction and discussion.

For many years, anyone moving near the Draper Prison has known it was there. It would be wise if the prison is to be moved, for residents to have many years to know it is moving and where it is moving to, long before it does.

Fred C. Cox,
Rep. Elect, House 30
West Valley City, UT 84120

PS, based on me being at the West Jordan school where they had as many as 2,500 people show up opposed to the prison moving near there, and other similar reports, I don't believe any of the current 6 sites will work.

They may be close for employees, visitors, volunteers, schools, courts, and medical, but the Draper location has those already. Those items are more important than the cost of the land in Draper, as the people involved are worth more than the buildings and the land. Again, the majority of the buildings at Draper are fine, with no rush to replace. We do need to target replacing particularly the Wasatch block cells for prison officer and inmate safety, in my opinion.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Not the other Fred Cox

Not the other Fred Cox.

My name is Fred C. Cox, and I am running for the Utah House of Representatives District 30. A photo of me is here:

http://www.fredcox4utah.com/2012capitolstairs9a.jpg

When I was very young, some of my friends used to joke that I was the Fred Cox that played for the NFL football team, the Minnesota Vikings, as their field goal kicker. He played for them from about the time I was two years old to when I was in high school. A photo of him (taken many years ago) is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Cox#mediaviewer/File:Fred_Cox.png

That Fred Cox scored lots of points for his team (1,365).

That Fred Cox is not running this year for State House District 30.

Neither is our current junior US Senator.

Almost everyone I have talked to understands that. The purpose of this email is to have you remind a few of your friends or relatives before Tuesday. They may like our US Senator or they may not like him. This Tuesday, he is not on the ballot.

I was never really good at football. In high school I was on the track team for running the two mile and on the cross country team. I wasn't really fast, but I could pace myself to finish. I also represented the school in chess, sang in choirs, and played table tennis.

In 2011 and 2012 I had more than 1300 floor votes on bills as a member of the Utah House of Representatives. That doesn't include votes in committees. (if you combine both years, I missed the fewest floor votes of any legislator of both parties and both houses). I was in the Senate Chambers during those 5 out of 1302 votes. There were also special legislative sessions, and I didn't miss any of those floor votes.

I read through each and every bill I had to vote on. I don't look at bills as republican or democrat sponsored bills. I vote on bills based on what the bill says and would do, and I have spoken against bills and spoken for bills based on the bill and not the sponsor or party. I will look for win-win solutions. A bill has to improve things, however small the steps, or it should not pass.

That is a record that I am proud of. I also had many Town Hall meetings. I was able to take bills that voters in our area wanted run and have them pass both houses and be signed into law by the Governor. I stood up against a tax increase on food and against the state government taking away our rights.

For those that have not already voted, I ask for your vote. For those with vote by mail ballots, they have to be postmarked by Monday, November 3rd, or be hand delivered to a voting location.

Fred C. Cox for State House District 30

http://www.fredcox4utah.com/

Education Excellence, Clean Air and Water, Your Rights, and a Stable and Growing Economy

PS. I did not invent the Nerf Football.

Town Hall Meetings at West Valley Library 2880 West 3650 South West Valley City, Utah
Tue. October 7, 2014, 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Sat. October 11, 2014, 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Meet the Candidates Nights (PTA Sponsored)
Thu. October 2, 2014, 6:00:pm to 8:30pm Matheson Jr. High 3650 Montclair St, Magna, UT
Wed. Ocbober 8, 2014, 6:30pm to 8:30pm Hunter High School 4200 S 5600 W, West Valley City, UT
Thu. October 9, 2014, 6:00pm to 8:30pm Granger High School 3580 S 3600 W, West Valley City, UT

Town Hall Meetings at Hunter Library 4740 West 4100 South West Valley City, Utah
Wed. October 22, 2014, 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Sat. November 1, 2014, 12:00pm to 1:00pm