HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Special Meeting of the Ames City Council 07/20/1992MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL
AMES, IOWA JULY 20, 1992
The Ames City Council met in special session at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 20, 1992, in the City Council Chambers
in the City Hall, 515 Clark Avenue, pursuant to law with Mayor Pro Tem Parks presiding and the following Council
Members present: Campbell, Hertz, and Hoffman. Council Members Brown and Wirth and Mayor Curtis were
absent.
CONSTRUCTION CODE WORKSHOP: The workshop began with an in-depth
discussion of Section 21.201(1) of the Plumbing Code concerning permits. Paul Wiegand, Director of Public
Works, stated Staff's position that the same quality work can be obtained from non-licensed plumbers for the
installation of private storm sewers, private storm sewer services, and footing drain lines, if they are supervised
by the Public Works Department. Monte Gibbs, owner of Gibbs Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Co., disagreed
with this idea and said that he would rather have the City continue with the practice of requiring licensed
plumbers to do this work in order to maintain high standards of quality. Plus he pointed out that professional
plumbers do not need as much inspection by the City. Bob Friedrich, Jr., representing the homebuilders, asked
the Council to set the discussion of the issue aside until it can be discussed by the Plumbing Board. He
concurred with Mr. Gibbs' request to continue allowing only licensed plumbers to do this work. Mr. Wiegand
explained that people could still hire licensed plumbers, but this change would allow them to hire employees of
construction companies, such as Ames Trenching, if they chose. Those employees would have to pass an exam
to get on the qualified list. He said that a normal plumbing inspection routine would be followed for inspecting
their work. When asked, Mr. Wiegand indicated that he did not know how much money this change would save
in the development process. He informed the Council that several other communities in Iowa are following this
process. Mayor Pro Tem Parks commented that he would like to hear from contractors as to whether they are
even interested in this type of work. Council Member Hoffman also requested information from citys that
already allow non-licensed plumbers to do this type of work. Mark Speck, owner of Speck Plumbing, Inc.,
suggested that the new method using non-licensed plumbers could be used in new subdivisions since there is
already a full-time inspector there and the old method of requiring licensed plumbers could be used for single
properties.
Moved by Campbell, seconded by Hertz, to approve the Staff proposal to allow non-licensed people to
install storm sewer, private storm sewer services, and footing drain lines.
Vote on Motion: 2-2. Voting Aye: Campbell and Hertz. Voting Nay: Parks and Hoffman. Motion
declared failed.
Mayor Pro Tem Parks suggested that this topic be discussed at another meeting with cost saving information
provided for the Council by contractors and with plumbers in attendance as well. Bob Kindred, Assistant City
Manager, stated that Staff would work on this issue.
Discussion moved to Section 21.302 of the Plumbing Code concerning registration of plumbing firms. Mr.
Kindred recommended that plumbing firms be registered but that journeymen and master plumbers still be
required to be licensed. An insurance requirement would be placed on the firm rather than a bonding
requirement on the individual plumbers. He said that plumbers in Ames have expressed a desire to include the
names of journeyman plumbers working for a firm as part of the registration.
Moved by Campbell, seconded by Hoffman, to approve the plumbers' request to include journeyman
plumbers working for a firm as part of the registration and to switch the order of parts I and J in this
section of the code.
Vote on Motion: 4-0. Motion declared carried.
Don Newbrough, representing the Homebuilders, expressed a desire to see that plumbers are given due process
during any revocation of their license or registration.
During discussion of Section 21.401, Mr. Kindred recommended that the Plumbing Board be composed of three
licensed plumbers rather than two licensed plumbers and a lay person as it is now. Mr. Friedrich said that the
Homebuilders would like to have two more members on the board from the construction trades in order to have
another viewpoint on the Board. However, he agreed that most of the members need to be plumbers.
Moved by Campbell, seconded by Hoffman, to approve Staff's recommendation to have the Plumbing
Board of Examiners composed of three plumbers.
Vote on Motion: 4-0. Motion declared carried.
The Council moved to a discussion of Section 21.501 of the Plumbing Code.
Mayor Pro Tem Parks commented that if no change is specifically made by the Council, this portion of the code
will remain as it was presented by Staff. Mr. Kindred recommended that Section 1007 of the Uniform Plumbing
Code pertaining to water pressure be amended to allow up to 110 pounds per square inch before a pressure
regulator is required. He said that once the City is regulating water pressure better throughout the City, then
Staff will come back to Council and recommend that that number be lowered. The Council took no action on
this thus agreeing with Staff's recommendation.
COMMENTS: There were no comments.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.
_____________________________________ _____________________________________
Nancy Dionigi, City Clerk Larry R. Curtis, Mayor