by Saxon Sigerson, AIA
I find it best to use a compelling tease to engage the audience in arcane subjects. Here is my story.
I received an email from one of my consulting engineer clients requesting my Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) registration number. I puffed up my sole practitioner chest and quipped that, “Of course I do not have that ear tag since there are no employees here and no workman’s compensation insurance.” The patient engineer gently forwarded me an AIACA article, (https://aiacalifornia.org/public-works-registration-with-the-department-of-industrial-relations/), noting that any participation in public works projects (including looking sideways at one) requires architects to be registered. This was a new feature of a law signed by Jerry Brown in 2017. In order to be listed in a statement of qualifications for a public works project we, as a team were interested in, I needed to have a registration number.
Now comes the pain. I went onto the DIR site to get my number and was indignantly ready with credit card for the $400.00 annual fee. Then “the proceed to the next window” dance began and I landed with a thud when the added $2,000.00 fee blared out, “If you are registering for the first time and have worked on a public works project in the last twelve months you must pay this added amount”. I had worked on other projects this past year.
Several screechy phone calls and emails to our local AIACA office and the DIR produced no relief or forgiveness for breaking a rule that I had no idea existed. My credit card has a soul and it argued with me saying, “No no this can’t be true, it makes no sense!” Unfortunately I won the argument, clicked the pay this amount box ($2,400.00) and now can you please feel a little of my pain. I hope this does not happen to you.
Be advised, my interpretation of the rule is, that if you are going to be some part of bidding or just a statement of qualification submittal on a public works project (not even doing any actual work yet), you need to pay the $400.00 before submitting your name on any piece of paper digital or otherwise.
Watch this space for a future PayPal link to the Saxon Sigerson Reparations Fund.