Real estate commission minutes

MINUTES A meeting of the Alabama Real Estate Commission was held March 22, 2018, at the Cullman City Hall Auditorium, 204 2nd Avenue NE, Cullman, Alabama. Those present were Vice Chairman Bill Watts; Commissioners Reid Cummings, Cindy Denney, Carole Harrison, Clif Miller, Vaughn Poe and Danny Sharp; Executive Director Patricia Anderson; Assistant Executive Director Teresa Hoffman; General Counsel Mandy Lynn; Investigators David Erfman and K. C. Baldwin; Auditors Anthony Brown and Vickie Shackleford; and Executive Assistant Barbi Lee. The Hearing Officer was Jim Hampton. Chairman Nancy Wright and Commissioner Emmette Barran were absent with notice. The meeting, having been duly noticed according to the Alabama Open Meetings Act, was called to order at 9:00 a.m. and a quorum was declared. Commissioner Sharp made a motion to approve the minutes from the February 22, 2018 meeting. Commissioner Harrison seconded the motion and it passed unanimously 6‐0. Commissioner Miller arrived for the meeting at 9:13 a.m. and was not present for the vote on the minutes. Vice Chairman Watts recognized former Commissioner Steve Cawthon who was in attendance, and Cindy Dyer, President of the Cullman Association of REALTORS® and a Trustee of the North Alabama REALTOR® Leadership Program. He also recognized the participants in the North Alabama Leadership Program and other attendees who were there for the Commission meeting. Vice Chairman Watts also recognized Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, who welcomed the Commission to the city. Vice Chairman Watts expressed on behalf of the Commission appreciation for the invitation to meet in Cullman. Executive Director Patricia Anderson presented the February 2018 financial report. Revenues have increased in temporary and original licensing due to the increase in the number of individuals who are taking licensing examinations in 2018. Ms. Anderson also provided a legislative update. Commissioners received a packet of information containing the substitute bill for HB402; correspondence between Ms. Anderson and Jeremy Walker, CEO of the Alabama Association of REALTORS® (AAR); AAR’s proposal to exempt the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), AAR and local REALTOR® associations from Commission regulation regarding their schools, instructors, administrators and courses; the Commission’s counteroffer to exempt NAR‐offered courses only, and AAR’s refusal to accept the counteroffer. Ms. Anderson reminded Commissioners that the Speaker of the House had instructed the House not to bring any controversial bills to the floor. HB402 had not been deemed controversial and was moving toward passage; however, Ms. Anderson reported that AAR’s last minute proposal and refusal to negotiate then made the bill controversial, and the Rules chair in the House would not allow it to be placed on the House Special Order Calendar. This resulted in the bill not being able to move forward. Commissioners also received a report