HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Council Action Form dated August 10, 1020 MP A
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ITEM # 20aAe
DATE: -10-10
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: TRIENNIEL UPDATES TO BUILDING, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING AND
FIRE CODES
BACKGROUND:
On July 27, the City Council considered setting a public hearing for adoption of the
City's updated Building Codes. After discussion, Council chose to request more
detailed information regarding the proposed changes. A report giving a thorough
description of these changes is attached, along with the actual Code language that
would be considered at a public hearing.
During the public input portion of the July 27 meeting, Jim Gunning raised questions
regarding what appeared to be discrepancies within the current Code. The Deputy Fire
Chief met with Mr. Gunning on two occasions. He confirmed that the Code, as currently
published, does in fact contain two previous chapters that should have been removed
when the Building, Electrical, Mechanical & Plumbing codes were combined into
Chapter 5 in 2007. Having these two chapters accessible from the City's website may
have been a source of confusion for citizens, vendors, or contractors looking up
Electrical or Plumbing codes. Those chapters will now be deleted through the attached
changes.
Mr. Gunning also expressed some concern over the list of Top Ten Plumbing issues
that have been circulated, feeling that some may not have been based on adopted
Code. Staff provided him with a document that relates all ten items and lists to the
corresponding Plumbing Code references.
One issue has received further changes by staff after the combined Boards' review.
This regards the extent to which structures annexed into the City must be brought into
compliance with adopted City plumbing codes. The attached proposal now requires
that newly annexed structures must meet applicable plumbing code provisions at the
time that they connect to the City water or sewer systems, and not at the time that they
annex into the City. Any required changes to the structure's existing plumbing would be
determined through an evaluation by the Building Official prior to connection to the City
system.
During the July 27 meeting, Council requested a description of what defines a
renovation versus a repair for home owners, including when a City permit is and is not
required. The specific code sections used to answer these questions are shown in
Attachment 1 . More user-friendly information is presented on the City's web site to
answer this question and to help building owners know whether or not they need a City
building permit for a project. That information is shown on Attachment 2.
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ALTERNATIVES:
1 . Set August 24, 2010 as the date of public hearing to consider adoption of the
attached changes to the Ames Municipal Code by adopting the 2009 editions of
the International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC), International
Residential Code (IRC), International Existing Building Code (IEBC), International
Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), Uniform Plumbing
Code (UPC), and local amendments.
2. Refer this item back to staff to work with the Building or Plumbing/Mechanical
Code Board of Appeals, as appropriate, for additional review or public input.
3. Do not consider updating of the City's various building codes at this time.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE:
Adoption of the current editions of the International Codes is a routine action performed
by the City at regular three year intervals. By adopting the 2009 Codes, the City of
Ames will continue to share the same minimum building, mechanical and plumbing
codes as most other local, state and county governmental jurisdictions throughout the
nation. Citizen input was solicited through a series of seven monthly public meetings
with combined members of the City's Building, Electrical, and Plumbing and Mechanical
Boards, at which significant code changes and specific related local amendments were
considered. It appears that this action has the full support of all members of these three
Boards.
Hopefully the attached Code language and the description of the proposed Code
changes will answer questions raised by the Council and the public at the July 27
meeting.
With regards to interface between the updated codes and the City's Rental Housing
Code, these proposed updates do not significantly alter the building, plumbing or
mechanical code requirements that currently affect rental housing units. In the event
that Council desires to consider modification of these requirements as applied to rental
units, those changes would best be considered as part of the Rental Housing Code
work session being arranged for late September. Any such changes made at that time
would only affect Chapter 13 (Rental Housing), and not Chapter 5 of the Code.
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the City Manager that Council approve
Alternative #1, setting August 24, 2010 as the date of public hearing to consider
adoption of the attached changes to the Ames Municipal Code by adopting the 2009
editions of the International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC),
International Residential Code (IRC), International Existing Building Code (IEBC),
International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), Uniform
Plumbing Code (UPC), and local amendments.
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Attachment 1
International Building Code (IBC) - Chapter 34 - Existing Buildings
3401.2 Maintenance.
Buildings and structures, and parts thereof, shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary
condition. Devices or safeguards which are required by this code shall be maintained in
conformance with the code edition under which installed. The owner or the owner's
designated agent shall be responsible for the maintenance of buildings and structures.
To determine compliance with this subsection, the building official shall have the
authority to require a building or structure to be reinspected. The requirements of this
chapter shall not provide the basis for removal or abrogation of fire protection and safety
systems and devices in existing structures.
3401.3 Compliance with other codes.
Alterations, repairs, additions and changes of occupancy to existing structures shall
comply with the provisions for alterations, repairs, additions and changes of occupancy
in the International Fire Code, International Fuel Gas Code, International Mechanical
Code, [Uniform] Plumbing Code, International Residential Code and [National] Electrical
Code.
3403.1 Existing buildings or structures.
Additions or alterations to any building or structure shall comply with the requirements of
the code for new construction. Additions or alterations shall not be made to an existing
building or structure that will cause the existing building or structure to be in violation of
any provisions of this code. An existing building plus additions shall comply with the
height and area provisions of Chapter 5. Portions of the structure not altered and not
affected by the alteration are not required to comply with the code requirements for a
new structure.
3403.2 Structural.
Additions or alterations to an existing structure shall not increase the force in any
structural element by more than 5 percent, unless the increased forces on the element
are still in compliance with the code for new structures, nor shall the strength of any
structural element be decreased to less than that required by this code for new
structures. Where repairs are made to structural elements of an existing building, and
uncovered structural elements are found to be unsound or otherwise structurally
deficient, such elements shall be made to conform to the requirements for new
structures.
3403.3 Nonstructural.
Nonstructural alterations or repairs to an existing building or structure are permitted to
be made of the same materials of which the building or structure is constructed,
provided that they do not adversely affect any structural member or the fire-resistance
rating of any part of the building or structure.
3403.4 Stairways.
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An alteration or the replacement of an existing stairway in an existing structure shall not
be required to comply with the requirements of a new stairway as outlined in Section
1009 where the existing space and construction will not allow a reduction in pitch or
slope.
3406.1 Conformance.
No change shall be made in the use or occupancy of any building that would place the
building in a different division of the same group of occupancy or in a different group of
occupancies, unless such building is made to comply with the requirements of this code
for such division or group of occupancy. Subject to the approval of the building official,
the use or occupancy of existing buildings shall be permitted to be changed and the
building is allowed to be occupied for purposes in other groups without conforming to all
the requirements of this code for those groups, provided the new or proposed use is
less hazardous, based on life and fire risk, than the existing use.
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Attachment 2
Inspections Division
Permit Questions
Do I need a Building Permit?
• Building permits are required for all new buildings - new homes, commercial
buildings, garages, sheds over 120 square feet in floor area - all new buildings
constructed within the city limits of the City of Ames
Are you constructing a new building?
You need a permit!
• Building permits are required for all new additions to existin_g buildings -
room additions, garage additions, second story additions, decks, porches with or
without roofs - permits are required for all new floor area added to an existing
home, commercial building, garage, shed, barn, storage building
Are you adding a new addition to an existing building?
You need a permit!
• Building permits are required for all interior remodelin_q of existing homes,
apartments, commercial, industrial, storage buildings - all changes to the inside
of all buildings requires a building permit, unless you answer no to all the
questions in the section below.
You need a permit! Unless you answer NO to ALL of these questions:
Am 1 removing more than 32 square feet of sheetrock or plaster from any wall?
Am I going to fur out and finish a basement wall?
Am 1 building a new interior or exterior wall?
Am I removing an existing interior or exterior wall?
Am I making repairs that include the cutting away of a part of any wall or partition?
Am 1 removing or cutting any structural beam or load-bearing support?
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Am l going to cut an opening for a window or doorway in an existing wall?
Am l installing a replacement window or door in an opening that needs to be made
larger or smaller?
Am I changing the location of a doorway?
Am l going to replace a window in a sleeping room on any floor of the
house?
Am l rearranging any parts of the building that affect the way people get in or out of
the building?
- If you answered YES to ANY of these questions, then
YOU NEED A BUILDING PERMIT!
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