Council Subcommittee

MINUTES OF THE GILBERT COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE ON BUILDING CODES, NOVEMBER 27, 2018, AT 4:30 P.M., ROOM 236, 90 EAST CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, GILBERT, ARIZONA COUNCIL PRESENT: Councilmembers Scott Anderson, Victor Petersen, and Jared Taylor COUNCIL ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Town Clerk Lisa Maxwell, Development Services Director Kyle Mieras, Plan Review and Inspection Manager Larry Taylor Councilmember Jared Taylor was selected to serve as Chair. CALL TO ORDER Chair Taylor called the meeting to order at 4:33 p.m. AGENDA ITEMS 1. Discussion of roles and responsibilities. Development Services Director Kyle Mieras said he talked with the Mayor about what she hopes the subcommittee will accomplish. She would like to see changes to the Building Code that are a better fit for Gilbert. She would like things removed that do not pertain to the Town. She wants a Building Code that is consistent, applicable, simple and clear. She would like staff to have more authority during plan review and for inspectors to have some flexibility to make decisions. There was some discussion about the last Building Code update. Councilmember Peterson said one main question for the subcommittee is answering what the Building Code should do. Should it only be concerned with building safety? Are current codes adequate and do they need to be updated? Are energy codes needed? Kyle – got stakeholders group. 2. Discussion of meeting logistics. A timeline was developed: December 18, 2018 – meeting to discuss form for collecting comments January 12, 2019 – community input due January 15, 2019 – meeting to discuss community input February 6, 2019 – input from Development Services due  March 6, 2019 – meeting to assemble feedback for Council April 18, 2019 – report out to Council 3. Discussion and introduction of Building Codes. There was discussion about access to copies of the various versions of the International Building Codes (IBC). The Town is currently using the 2012 version. There is a 2015 version that was not adopted. The Town has one paper copy of the 2018 version and an electronic copy can be put on a server that up to five people at a time can access. Anyone accessing the electronic copy would have to be at a Town facility. Paper copies would be available at Municipal Center II for the public to view. Chair Taylor said access to the 2015 version is needed as well. It was noted a Google search will also bring up the IBC for anyone searching. Gordon Ray, Gilbert resident, asked for documentation showing the Town has problems with the current Building Code and that the Building Code needs to be updated. Councilmember Petersen said he is concerned about whether updating the Building Code will just be adding more regulations. No one can possibly know all the codes. There is no particular problem, it is just general practice to update the Building Code when a new version of the IBC is released. The Town wants to be consistent with neighboring jurisdictions. Councilmember Petersen said his goal is for less regulation and if a structure can be built it in Tempe it can be built it in Gilbert. He would like for the Town to adopt sections that reduce regulations or do with public safety issues. He also likes the idea of a review check-list and he would to see that done for inspections so builders know what to expect. Councilmember Scott Anderson said he believes the Mayor has some of the same concerns. There was a question whether there are any statutes requiring adoption of the IBC. Plan Review and Inspection Manager Taylor said there are not. There was also discussion about International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ratings. The Town insurance carrier stated the Building Code has nothing to do with insurance rates. There was discussion about differences between custom built homes, multi-family homes and public buildings. 4. Discussion of process for reviewing Building Codes. Rusdon Ray, Gilbert resident, said one option is to start with the IBC and eliminate unnecessary codes. A second option is to start with the checklist and add needed codes. He believes it is possible to get all the information on one page. There was discussion about the necessity of updating the Building Code, increased regulations and increased cost for custom built homes. The business he works for has a checklist they complied using years of experience in building. Councilmember Petersen said it was his preference to start with the checklist and add items Development Services Director Mieras said the subcommittee should make a presentation to Council at an April meeting. In June Town staff can take the information to stakeholder groups for their input. The Building Code and can be adopted by Council next fall. Chair Taylor said he would like to have a meaningful discussion about the Building Code with input from the community. He wants everything worked out as much as possible before involving stakeholders in the process. Plan Review and Inspection Manager Taylor went over the International Code Council (ICC) process for updating the IBC. They have hearings in the spring and fall and they gather input. At the spring meeting the committees for topics like plumbing, electrical, etc. meet. At the fall meeting any changes that make it through the committee are voted on. The updated IBC are approved every three years. The 2018 IBC are available now. Changes from the previous version are marked in the sidebar of the new codes. There is also a publication which lists all significant changes. Since the Town skipped adopting the 2015 version staff cannot just look at the sidebar changes. Town staff goes through the changes with input from stakeholders to develop the Town’s amendments to the IBC. Some amendments are based on recommendations from Maricopa Area Governments (MAG) so there is consistency valley-wide. There was discussion about the best way to collect comments from the public. An on- line form with drop-down boxes to collect data on specific code books would be helpful. A webpage with information about the Building Code and updates could be developed. Chair Taylor said social media messages could link to that webpage. Examples to look at are the City of Phoenix which has a standard form for submission of comments about their codes and suggested amendments. The City of Mesa is in the process of updating their codes. They have landing page on their website and a way for the public to leave comments. Comments from the public will be collected and reviewed at the January meeting. The public can continue to leave comments after that date. Staff comments will be reviewed in February. This information can all be synthesized in March. ADJOURN Chair Taylor adjourned the meeting at 5:41 p.m. ATTEST: ___________________________ ___________________________________ Chair Jared Taylor Lisa Maxwell, MMC, Town Clerk