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2-8-2021 Building and Standards Commission Agenda With Associated documents          MEETING AGENDA Building & Standards Commission February 8, 2021                                 HAL BALDWIN MUNICIPAL COMPLEX COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1400 SCHERTZ PARKWAY BUILDING #4 SCHERTZ, TEXAS 78154 CITY OF SCHERTZ CORE VALUES Do the right thing Do the best you can Treat others the way you want to be treated Work cooperatively as a team    AGENDA MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. The Building and Standards Commission will hold a meeting at 6:00p.m., Monday, February 8, 2021, at the City Council Chambers. In lieu of attending the meeting in person, residents will have the opportunity to watch the meeting via live stream on the City's YouTube Channel.        1.CALL TO ORDER      2.SEAT ALTERNATE TO ACT IF REQUIRED      3.HEARING OF RESIDENTS Residents who choose to watch the meeting via live stream, but who would like to participate in Hearing of Residents, should email their comments to the Inspections Division, at Inspections@schertz.com by noon on Monday, February 8, 2021, so that the Inspection division may read the public comments into the record under the hearing of residents. In the body of the email please include your name, your address, phone number, agenda item number if applicable or subject of discussion, and your comments. This time is set aside for any person who wishes to address the Building & Standards Commission. Each person should fill out the Speaker’s register prior to the meeting. Presentations should be limited to no more than three (3) minutes. Discussion by the Commission of any item not on the agenda shall be limited to statements of specific factual information given in response to any inquiry, a recitation of existing policy in response to an inquiry, and/or a proposal to place the item on a future agenda. The presiding officer, during the Hearing of Residents portion of the agenda, will call on those persons who have signed up to speak in the order they have registered.      4.ACTION ITEMS:     A.Minutes for the February 1, 2021 Regular Meeting.     5.WORKSHOP & DISCUSSION:     Building and Standards Commission                               February 8, 2021 Page 1 of 2     A.Workshop and discussion related to the revising and adoption of the Schertz Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 Building and Building Regulations and local amendments.     B.Workshop and discussion related to the revising and adoption of the Schertz Code of Ordinances, Chapter 30 Fire Prevention and Protection and local amendments.   6.ADJOURNMENT OF THE REGULAR MEETING      CERTIFICATION I, Tiffany Danhof, Administrative Assistant, of the City of Schertz, Texas, do hereby certify that the above agenda was posted on the official bulletin boards on this the 5th day of February, 2021 at 12:00 p.m., which is a place readily accessible to the public at all times and that said notice was posted in accordance with chapter 551, Texas Government Code.  Tiffany Danhof Tiffany Danhof, Administrative Assistant I certify that the attached notice and agenda of items to be considered by the Building and Standards Commission was removed from the official bulletin board on _____day of _______________, 2021. _______________title:_____________ This facility is accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Handicapped parking spaces are available. If you require special assistance or have a request for sign interpretative services or other services please call 619-1030 at least 24 hours in advance of meeting. The Building & Standards Commission for the City of Schertz reserves the right to adjourn into executive session at any time during the course of this meeting to discuss any of the matters listed above, as authorized by the Texas Open Meetings Act. Executive Sessions Authorized: This agenda has been reviewed and approved by the City’s legal counsel and presence of any subject in any Executive Session portion of the agenda constitutes a written interpretation of Texas Government Code Chapter 551 by legal counsel for the governmental body and constitutes an opinion by the attorney that the items discussed therein may be legally discussed in the closed portion of the meeting considering available opinions of a court of record and opinions of the Texas Attorney General known to the attorney. This provision has been added to this agenda with the intent to meet all elements necessary to satisfy Texas Government Code Chapter 551.144(c) and the meeting is conducted by all participants in reliance on this opinion. Building and Standards Commission                               February 8, 2021 Page 2 of 2     BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION MEETING: 02/08/2021 Agenda Item 4 A TO:Building and Standards Commission PREPARED BY:Tiffany Danhof, Administrative Assistant SUBJECT:Minutes for the February 1, 2021 Regular Meeting. Attachments Draft Minutes for the December 14, 2020 Regular Meeting D R A F T BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION MINUTES December 14, 2020 The Schertz Building and Standards Commission convened on December 14, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Complex, Council Chambers, 1400 Schertz Parkway Building #4, Schertz, Texas. Present: Bruce Johnson, Commissioner; Patricia Cullum, Commissioner; Glen Outlaw, Vice Chairman; Daniel 'Frenchy' Bourgeois, Chairman; Shawn Moore, Commissioner Absent: Matthew Wood, Commissioner; Andrew Buratowski, Commissioner City Staff: Lesa Wood, Director of Planning & Community Development; Gil Durant, Chief Building Official; Tiffany Danhof, Administrative Assistant; Brenda Dennis, City Secretary; Kade Long, Fire Chief; Thomas Pinder, Fire Marshal; Marc Yamazi, Code Enforcement Officer              1.CALL TO ORDER Mr. Chairman Bourgeois “Frenchy” called the meeting to order at 6:00 P.M.   2.SEAT ALTERNATE TO ACT IF REQUIRED Mr. Moore was seated as an alternate.   3.HEARING OF RESIDENTS This time is set aside for any person who wishes to address the Building & Standards Commission. Each person should fill out the Speaker’s register prior to the meeting. Presentations should be limited to no more than three (3) minutes. Discussion by the Commission of any item not on the agenda shall be limited to statements of specific factual information given in response to any inquiry, a recitation of existing policy in response to an inquiry, and/or a proposal to place the item on a future agenda. The presiding officer, during the Hearing of Residents portion of the agenda, will call on those persons who have signed up to speak in the order they have registered. No one spoke.   4.PRESENTATION:   A.Presentation: Recognition of appreciation for Commission Members - B. Dennis There was a brief discussion.   5.ACTION ITEMS:   A.Consideration and action on the minutes for the October 28, 2019 Regular Meeting. There was no discussion.       Motioned by Commissioner Patricia Cullum, seconded by Vice Chairman Glen Outlaw to approve the action item  Vote: 5 - 0 Passed   6.WORKSHOP AND DISCUSSION   A.Workshop and discussion related to the update of the Schertz Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 Building and Building Regulations and local amendments. There was a lengthy discussion.      B.Workshop and discussion on the 2018 Fire Code Amendments There was a lengthy discussion.      7.ADJOURNMENT OF THE REGULAR MEETING Mr. Chairman Bourgeois “Frenchy” adjourned the regular meeting at 6:48 P.M.   ____________________________________ Chairman, Building and Standards Commission ______________________________ Recording Secretary, City of Schertz BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION MEETING: 02/08/2021 Agenda Item 5 A TO:Building and Standards Commission PREPARED BY:Gil Durant, Chief Building Official SUBJECT:Workshop and discussion related to the revising and adoption of the Schertz Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 Building and Building Regulations and local amendments. BACKGROUND The City of Schertz Planning and Community Development Department – Inspections Division has determined a need to amend the City’s adopted building codes regarding sanitation, fire, building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel/gas and electrical requirements. On December 8, 2020 staff received feedback and direction from City Council from a policy standpoint. At the consensus of City Council Inspections staff will be amending the City’s local amendments to provide less oversight and use the minimum standards set forth by the 2018 International Building Code series of books. Building Inspections Staff has met with a group from the Construction Industry including Homebuilders, Electricians, Plumbers, and Mechanical Contractors to gain their input on the proposed code changes on February 4, 2021. Each group has provided beneficial feedback and offered recommendations based on industry standards and experience. Staff will hold another public meeting on February 11, 2021 to present the proposed codes changes with any interested party including Contractors, Homebuilders, Chamber, Residents, etc. The purpose of the building code is to establish the minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of safety, public health and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property from fire, explosion and other hazards, and to provide a reasonable level of safety to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. When adopting new or amended International Building Codes cities generally adopt some local amendments. Local amendments are adopted to mitigate regional climate (i.e weathering), environmental conditions (i.e. wind, flooding, wildfire, etc.), geological, topographic and natural hazards. Some of those amendments are part of the building appendix written by the International Code Council for municipalities to adopt new construction practices or trending construction and some are local and based on industry professional recommendations. Municipalities adopt new building codes because of industry standard changes and to provide for implementation of new construction practices and improvements in safety standards for the safety and welfare of the community. The codes are also intended to ensure the proper construction of structures built and to follow compliance with the requirements of the Insurance Service Office Inc. (ISO) which regulates estimated insurance costs. The ISO program evaluates a community’s building code enforcement with the intent to encourage code compliant construction ultimately providing discounts on property insurance within municipalities with effective codes adopted and that are well-enforced. The City of Schertz Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 includes mandates that provide for future code adoptions which are consistent with the standards adopted by the State of Texas. The State of Texas does allow for municipalities to adopt local amendments to those mandated standards. The following codes are currently being regulated through those mandates: National Electrical Code 2020 – enforcement started November 1, 2020 as mandated by the State of Texas. 1. International Energy Conservation Code 2015 as mandated by the State of Texas.2. International Swimming Pool and Spa Code 2018 (ISPSC) as mandated by the State of Texas.3. The City currently regulates construction under the 2012 ICC Codes and will be requesting to adopt the 2018 ICC Codes with some local amendments as listed below: International Building Code (IBC) 20181. International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings (IRC) 20182. International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) 20183. International Mechanical Code (IMC) 20184. International Plumbing Code (IPC) 20185. International Existing Buildings Code (IEBC) 20186. Manual of Cross Connection Control, Tenth edition 7. The public input meetings schedule includes: December 8, 2020 – Workshop with City Council December 14, 2020 - Workshop Building and Standards Commission February 4, 2021 - Contractor/developer/builder presentation and discussion on the proposed local code amendments. February 8, 2021 - Building and Standards Commission meeting - Workshop and discussion on the local amendments (detailed presentation). February 11, 2021 - Contractor/developer/builder/Chamber presentation and discussion on the proposed local code amendments. February 22, 2021 - Building and Standards Commission meeting - Presentation, discussion, and recommendation on the local amendments (detailed presentation). March 2021 - City Council presentation. BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION MEETING: 02/08/2021 Agenda Item 5 B TO:Building and Standards Commission PREPARED BY:Kade Long, Fire Chief SUBJECT:Workshop and discussion related to the revising and adoption of the Schertz Code of Ordinances, Chapter 30 Fire Prevention and Protection and local amendments. BACKGROUND The City of Schertz Fire Department – Prevention Division has determined a need to amend the City’s adopted fire codes regarding, fire, building, mechanical, fuel/gas and electrical requirements and would like to get feedback and direction from City Council from a policy standpoint before moving forward with recommendations to the Building and Standards Commission and eventually City Council. The purpose of the fire code is to establish the minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of safety, public health and general welfare through structural strength, means of egress facilities, stability, sanitation, adequate light and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property from fire, explosion and other hazards, and to provide a reasonable level of safety to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations. When adopting new or amended International Fire Codes cities generally adopt some local amendments. Local amendments are adopted to mitigate regional climate (i.e. weathering), environmental conditions (i.e., wind, flooding, wildfire, etc.), geological, topographic, and natural hazards. Some of those amendments are part of the appendix written by the International Code Council for municipalities to adopt new construction practices or trending construction and some are local and base on industry professional recommendations. Municipalities adopt new fire codes because of industry standard changes and to provide for implementation of new construction practices and improvements in safety standards for the safety and welfare of the community. The codes are also intended to ensure the proper construction of structures built and to follow compliance with the requirements of the Insurance Service Office Inc. (ISO) which regulates estimated insurance costs. The ISO program evaluates a community’s code enforcement with the intent to encourage code compliant construction ultimately providing discounts on property insurance within municipalities with effective codes adopted and that are well-enforced. Staff has been reviewing the adopted local amendments and is preparing modifications to provide less oversight in certain areas, to reduce overall cost to the contractor and property owner and to gain efficiency for fire department.