ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the Construction Commission with a Request for DIRECTION Related to the ADOPTION of Updated BUILDING CODES.
Body
BACKGROUND:
At the conclusion of the Policy Session on Building Inspections in March, 2014, the City Council unanimously directed Staff to work toward the adoption of the 2012 family of building codes. Subsequent to this direction, Staff began the background research and review process and met with colleagues from other area jurisdictions that were also in the process of adopting the 2012 family of codes.
Many of the other local jurisdictions involved in these discussions have already adopted the 2012 codes. Communities that have already adopted the 2012 codes include East Peoria, Peoria County, Tazewell County, Galesburg, Normal, Bloomington, and Springfield. Washington is working toward the adoption of the 2012 codes at this time. Most of the suburban Chicago communities have adopted the 2012 codes and some have, or are working on the adoption of the 2015 codes.
Per the City Code, the Construction Commission is charged with the responsibility to review and make a recommendation to the City Council on all building code changes. To this end, the Construction Commission started the review process a few weeks ago. It was anticipated that the entire review process would take approximately three months.
The codes under review are; the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), International Fire Code (IFC), International Existing Building Code (IEBC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fuel - Gas Code (IFGC), International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), and the National Electric Code (NEC).
At the most recent Commission meeting (the first meeting where code specifics were discussed), Councilman Weaver - who was in the audience - suggested to the Commission that the Council was not ready to adopt updated codes and that Staff should poll t...
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