HPRT Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda
February 22, 2013
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Campton House Inn, 3rd & M St., Eureka
Introductions began at 5:35p, meeting adjourned at 7:35p
Present: Bill Hole, Alyson Hunter, Ray Swedenburg, Eliott Kane, Tracy Thomas,
Steve Perris, Shawn Herlihy, Nate McKeever, Alex Stillman, Libby Maynard, Bob
Felter, Bob Brown
Absent: Eric Hollenbeck, Tim Thornton, Rob Wall, Jeff Cummings, Jill Macdonald,
Ron Kuhnel, Dane Cowan

Program Overview Update
o Certificate/Degrees
o Course updates
o Program Review
o Program and Course Assessment
o Granting and funding – Carl Perkins
 Current Updates
Bill: Discussion of accreditation update unknown and budgets are very dire. CR is
in need to cut programs and staff.
 Program Future
Bill: Discussion with Dean Cummings, based on current budget shortfall at CR, that
HPRT again is threatened with discontinuance and all courses need 20-person
enrollment. Active discussion on rebranding, and the importance of these 17 years
of program to the community. Advisory committee role is to help with ideas to
improve on data and program enrollment, along with graduate survey ideas.
Alex: HPRT is important for the community, yet HP is becoming a difficulty. Would
renaming the program to Sustainable Building Technology or Building Maintenance
while teaching the same skills work? It’s important to know how a building
functions, no matter its age.
Tracy: Renaming could be effective. Sustainable Technology could attract students
from other regional communities. Working to keep the program alive is important. If
changing the degree will make my skills more marketable I’m all for it! A recent job
offer is on the table for Tracy to design a new house with historic flavor and yet
build it more modern and sustainable.
Nate: Industrial technology at HSU was not what I expected. There is a gap in the
educational marketplace for affordable education on the construction side of the
trades. There is a need for: Building Sciences, existing building retrofits. We have
many older buildings, how do we take the existing building stock and make these
buildings more energy efficiency and continue to use them…vs. tear down, build
new. Why doesn’t HPRT have a strong following?
Nate earned a Certificate in Green Building from Sonoma State and his business
relies heavily on CR’s electrical program to recertify his electricians. There are jobs
right now.
Nate I am on the HBE Board and we have student scholarships. Also, we have a
newsletter for members. HBE wants more cohesive partnership with CT. (Bill
connect with Nate and HBE)
Ray: This is a great time to rebrand.
Bob Brown: In Blue Lake he is working on a sustainable building blueprint plan.
Climate change = energy conservation. Typically these plans are cutting back
transportation…Blue Lake needs building retrofits. Sexy solar is cool, but there’s a
lack of knowledge of building efficiency and energy retrofits.
Bob Felter: There is Vinyl window surge in Arcata. Tearing out wood windows is
not acceptable, so teaching the job skill of window restoration is good for
community.
Ray: HPRT trains window restoration, yet local contractors don’t hire workers to fix
the wood windows. HPRT should petition California Building Contractors Board to
accept training towards contractors’ license. Nate says this is so…Bill, call and find
out.
Shawn: RRP EPA lead paint certification needs to be a part of the program.
Working with other employers and contractors, who are motivated by the bottom
line and need these skills. Shawn Armstrong would be a good connection to
streamline building concepts and Michael Winkler for energy calculations.
The use of heat pumps and heat exchangers in existing historic buildings would be
useful. Demonstration sites like Annie B. are great. Insulation and rewiring, air
sealing. Fine Homebuilding has a house they are doing with video.
Bob Felter: HBE just had their mixer and maybe have their mixer at Annie B. to
demonstrate the work HPRT students have done.
Nate: Have electrical students work on old and new construction in the same the
same course makes for a good learning experience, since a lot of electrical work is
needed on existing buildings.
Tracy: In our program we need to explore how to learn about air sealing, and
energy strategies. The hit-n-miss approach causes problems for students wanting
to learn the entire aspect of home rebuilding. We need to be able teach community
how to retrofit old buildings.
Elliot: A primer lecture course focusing on the entire house from foundation to roof
and how to update, would tie into the other introduction series. A comprehensive
lecture to enhance the field school experience and to assist the majority of students
is fixing up their old house.
Bob Brown: Houses of the 50’s and 60’s are really important to retrofit and
remodel.
Advisory Committee Brainstorming industry needs
*Homeowners want to know how to repair their houses.
*Students want to build a career in this subject.
*Building Science and energy efficiency must become a major part of the program.
Blow in insulation examples were stated to relate to the entire building system…
*“The Sustainable Building” could be a holistic lecture course that covers many
aspects of the building as a complete unit and covers examples of how to repair
any age building.
* New Technology in Old Buildings – a course idea
*Student Scholarships – Builder’s Exchange and Eureka Heritage Society
*Internship and job opportunities – providing opportunities is important to student
learning.
* Graduate Josh Carr hired this year for paid internship with HistoriCorps, project
leader on numerous remote sites in western states.
*Alumni - Need to run current poll to provide CR with data. Review summer12
survey and analyze data.
*Student Club – Historic Green, fundraising, community projects, Student blog site
needs updating. Club wants to market more at Arts Alive on Gazebo.
* Fortuna C’s are excited and want more HPRT hands-on training with green jobs
and construction repairs.
*Green Jobs Training – again, CCC interested in more training.
*Support students planning on volunteering in New Orleans over spring break with
Historic Green.
*PGE offers min-series courses that are free.
*HBE golf tournament could be a great place to partner with the Student Club; it is
headed up by Dave Morris of Beacom Const.
*HBE education committee.
*We need to import people and money…it must be affordable.
* Building Science as the ENERGY EFFICIENCY side of the training.
CT 12 – Primary survey research course projects
Humboldt Barn Surveys and book printing of 15 student reports almost
ready…paid by Humboldt Farm Bureau.
CT 13 - Building Analysis course projects
Carson Mansion Conditions Assessment, Samoa Cookhouse, Arcata Nose
Hanger, Bayside Grange, Carnegie Library, Barnum House, Federal Wildlife
Cook House
CT 15 – Construction for Existing Buildings Field School
 Annie B. Ryan Field School site update
7 years, 20,000+ student hours, 500 students, and no physical cost to CR
and tools through grant writing. Bob Felter is teaching basic home repair and
maintenance classes for CR Community Ed. at the Anne B., which is working
well for diversifying the program. Almost 50 students overall.
Bob Felter – Community Ed courses are good to develop, but challenging to get
students and develop fees. There are not many students, but the exposure to CT
training is good for all.
Nate…Sustainability is bad word as it’s ambiguous…need a better BRAND, maybe
that includes “Appropriate Technology”.
Next meeting: Friday, April 26, 2013
Web links to program:
Preserveandrestore@blogspot.com – student site
http://www.redwoods.edu/departments/construction/Restoration/index.asp - CR site