Dear CALBO Friends and Colleagues,

It’s hard to believe summer is already winding down.  With that, I hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy some of what makes California so special – whether that meant exploring our famed towns, spending time on our iconic coastline, or relaxing with family in your own backyard, it’s important to hit pause when we can.

While summer may offer a chance to recharge, things haven’t slowed down for CALBO.  Our Legislative Team has remained active and has been keeping a close eye on the final stretch of this year’s legislative session. As we all know, AB 130 – the budget trailer bill that contained the provisions from AB 306 and AB 750, has been on all our minds.  Without question, this bill is a headache – but not just for local building departments.  CALBO has continued to work directly with our state agency regulatory partners and implementation guidelines.  These will hopefully be available in the immediate weeks ahead from the California Building Standards Commission.  Please stay tuned.  If you haven’t yet caught Matt Wheeler’s monthly legislative briefings, I encourage you to check them out.  They’re a great way to stay current with legislative proposals – especially during this big year for housing legislation.  Click here to view them. 

Looking ahead, I hope you’ll join us this fall for CALBO’s Education Weeks in Burlingame and/or Costa Mesa.  Whether you’re planning to attend in person or joining us virtually, we’ve worked hard to ensure the experience is well worth your time.  For our virtual participants, live facilitators will be available to answer questions in real time.  And if you’re attending in person, I encourage you to take a few moments during the breaks to connect with our industry partners and explore the latest innovations and services.  You can find more details and registration information here.

Another exciting offering this fall is the Permit Technician Career Advancement Academy, now entering its third year.  This leadership resource was created by CALBO to strengthen the professional development of our counter technicians – those who play a vital role in building department operations.  On a side note, this academy and CALBO offering is particularly personal to me as I have been an active participant in its development.  With demand growing, we’re once again offering the Academy in both Burlingame and Costa Mesa.  A few spots are still available in each location – click here for more information.  

Of course, none of this happens without the hard work and dedication of many individuals.  I want to thank the California Training Institute (CTI) Commissioners for putting together a strong lineup of courses, as well as our instructors, facilitators and moderators who make the learning experience a valuable one.  And of course, a special thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors for your continued support year after year at our annual training events. 

Looking for additional professional development in the coming months?  Visit the CALBO calendar for the latest on all our current events, including the 64th Annual Business Meeting in Santa Clara (San Jose area), April 12-16, 2026.  Mark your calendars for this and stay tuned for more details.  Or better yet, if you have a programming idea for the meeting, please email it to info@calbo.org by September 2.  

As always, thank you for the work you do every day to protect our communities and to elevate our profession.  I look forward to seeing many of you this fall on the road.  Don’t hesitate to stop me in the hallways and say hello – I’m easy to find. 

Sincerely, 
Raj Patel