Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2019-26 and Ordinance No. 2019-16:  Adoption of the “The 2018 Suite of Codes and the 2019 Amendments to City Code, Title 4, Building Regulations."

The most recent building code adoption for the City of Flagstaff occurred in 2013 with the 2012 I-Codes and the 2009 IECC.The International Code Council (ICC), a developer and publisher of model codes, is on a 3-year update cycle. The City of Flagstaff has opted to adopt the International Codes, or I-Codes, every other cycle, which equates to every 6 years. The 2018 Suite of Building Codes is the next round in the 6 year cycle. These codes are identified as follows:

2018 International Building Code (IBC)
2018 International Residential Code (IRC)
2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC)
2018 International Fuel-Gas Code (IFGC)
2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
2018 International Solar Energy Provisions (ISEP)
2018 International Swimming Pool & Spa Code (ISPSC)
2017 NFPA 70 - National Electrical Code (NEC)
A117.1-2017 Standard for Accessible and Useable Buildings and Facilities

***PowerPoint presentation has been added***

 

City Council's adoption of “The 2018 Suite of Codes and the 2019 Amendments to City Code, Title 4, Building Regulations” will not have a financial or budgetary impact on the organization.

There is no policy impact affiliated with the adoption of “The 2018 Suite of Codes and the 2019 Amendments to City Code, Title 4, Building Regulations”.

Council Goals
Climate Change - Take meaningful climate change action.
Code Compliance - Achieve comprehensive and equitable code compliance.

Flagstaff Strategic Plan
Foster a Resilient and Economically Prosperous City

• Deliver outstanding services through a healthy environment, resources and infrastructure.
• Promote policies that reflect a positive and safe community.

Work in Partnership to Enhance a Safe and Livable Community

• Foster a safe, healthy, equitable and accessible community.
• Promote a high quality of life through consistent standards, rules and regulations.

Flagstaff Regional Plan
Goal E.1. - Increase energy efficiency
Goal E.2. - Expand production and use of renewable energy
Policy LU.1.6. - Establish greater flexibility in development standards and processes to assist developers in overcoming challenges posed by redevelopment and infill sites
Goal NH.4. - All housing is safe and sanitary
Policy ED.4.2. - Promote variety and flexibility in land use and development options within the urban growth boundary.




 

The current Suite of Building Codes was adopted by Council in 2013. The Council held a work session on May 14, 2019 to discuss the need for and provide direction on the adoption of “The 2018 Suite of Codes and the 2019 Amendments to City Code, Title 4, Building Regulations." These codes are now presented to the Council for review and adoption. 

1. Adopt Resolution No. 2019-26 declaring that the document entitled “The 2018 Suite of Codes and the 2019 Amendments to City Code, Title 4, Building Regulations” to be a public record.
2. Do not adopt Resolution No. 2019-26.
3. Adopt Ordinance No. 2019-16 to adopt the “The 2018 Suite of Codes and the 2019 Amendments to City Code, Title 4, Building Regulations”.
4. Modify and adopt Ordinance No. 2019-16.
5. Do not adopt Ordinance No. 2019-16.

A model building code is developed and maintained by a standards organization independent of the jurisdiction responsible for enacting the building code. A local government can choose to adopt a model building code as their own. This saves them the expense and trouble of developing their own codes. Model codes are intended to be adopted in accordance with the laws and procedures of a governmental jurisdiction. When adopting a model code, some jurisdictions amend the code in the process to reflect local practices and laws.

Local codes are diverse in the extent to which the base model code is amended. Most local amendments are limited to administrative provisions, which are subject to change to meet other local regulations regarding implementation of ordinances. Engineering provisions are among the least amended, with a common reason for amendments related to unique site conditions that affect foundation design or applied wind and snow loads.

The International Building Code and International Residential Code are generally considered more comprehensive codes while the rest are considered specialty codes.

The items that have been the most significant concerns with adoption of the “The 2018 Suite of Codes and the 2019 Amendments to City Code, Title 4, Building Regulations” include the following provisions:

• Mandatory Blower Door Testing
• Electric Vehicle Charging for Residential

The concerns are in regards to additional costs implications to single family home construction. While these items represent small initial up-front costs, they increase energy efficiency and cost savings over the life of the home. The attached PowerPoint presentation provides a summary of the cost benefits of these items.

None

The purpose of adopting the most up-to date codes is as follows:

• Protect public health, safety, and welfare
• Keep construction costs down
• Provide consistent minimum standards in construction
• Contribute to the well-being of the community
• Help control or lower cost of insurance premiums by providing the insurance industry with a baseline for mitigating risk.

The City of Flagstaff is currently under an audit with the Insurance Service Office (ISO) to determine its current Building Code Effectiveness Rating Schedule where a lower score, on a scale from 1 to 10, indicates exemplary commitment to code enforcement. The current building codes adopted affect this rating.

In conjunction with Coconino County, a series of 10 code training sessions on all of the codes was held, attracting 257 attendees. The target audience for public outreach included the design community, contractors, and any interested community members. Advertising for code update training sessions and public open houses was performed as follows:

• Posters & flyers
• Coconino County / Building Safety website
• Local businesses: home improvement center, coffee shop bulletin boards
• Social media
  • City of Flagstaff Facebook page
  • City of Flagstaff Sustainability page
  • Linkedin
  • Flagstaff Community Forums
• Inspection staff handout to subcontractors and contractor supply houses
• Northern Arizona Builders Association (NABA)
• Radio interview: KAFF, January 25, 2019 Flagstaff City Hall / Building Safety website
• AZ Daily Sun