AGENDA REPORT
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 11/20/2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Development Department
Fire Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Public Hearing for City Council adoption of Ordinance No. 3306, second reading of an Ordinance of the City of Corona, California for amending various Chapters within Title 15 of the Corona Municipal Code adopting by reference the 2019 California Building Standards Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 3306, second reading of an Ordinance amending Chapters 15.02, 15.04, 15.05, 15.07, 15.08, 15.09, 15.10, 15.11, 15.12, 15.20, 15.28, and Section 15.06.080 and adding Chapter 15.54 to Title 15 of the Corona Municipal Code, adopting by reference the 2019 Edition of the California Building Standards Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24); including the 2019 California Building Code; the 2019 California Green Building Standards Code; the 2019 California Residential Code; the 2019 California Mechanical Code; the 2019 California Energy Code; the 2019 California Historical Building Code; the 2019 California Existing Building Code; the 2019 California Fire Code with Errata; the 2019 California Plumbing Code; and the 2019 California Electrical Code; together with certain additions, insertions, deletions and changes thereto.
Body
ANALYSIS:
The City Council at its meeting on November 6, 2019, approved the first reading of Ordinance 3306 to adopt the latest updates to the California Building Standards Code (BSC). The updates go into effect January 1, 2020. Although the first reading of the ordinance did not require a public hearing, the adoption of the ordinance for the updated California BSC does require a public hearing pursuant to state law. There are no changes to the initial ordinance introduced by the City Council from the prior meeting.
The California BSC is published in its entirety every three years by order of the California Legislature. The California Building Standards Commission recently adopted new model codes with amendments. The California BSC, Title 24, is the established minimum regulation for the design and construction of buildings and structures in California. State law mandates that local government enforce these regulations, or local ordinances with qualified reasonably necessary and generally more restrictive building standards than provided for in the California BSC. The City of Corona adopts by reference the BSC within Title 15 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) covering the Building Code, Residential Code, Fire Code, Plumbing Code, Mechanical Code, Electrical Code, Historical Building Code, Existing Building Code, Energy Code, and Green Building Standards Code. The ordinance also contains certain local amendments that are considered reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological or topographical conditions.
One noteworthy change to the 2019 Energy Code is solar photovoltaic systems are now required for all newly constructed single-family dwellings that are plan checked under 2019 building code.
The city is also adding new CMC Chapter 15.54 for Safety Assessment Placards also known as SAP. The ordinance governs the procedures for affixing standard placards to buildings and structures to identify the level of occupancy after a natural or man-made disaster. The SAP program utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects, and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in the aftermath of a disaster. The program is managed by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in cooperation with professional organizations. California Building Officials (CALBO) is a professional organization that assists in managing the SAP program and recommends that each local jurisdiction adopt a placard ordinance in order for a uniform system to be in place throughout the State of California. SAP was formalized in the late 1980’s and the city has been participating in the program since that time.
Additions to the city’s local ordinance adopting the 2019 Fire Code, CMC Chapter 15.12, now includes provisions for defining hazardous conditions in Section 15.12.110 when it comes to having outdoor fires burning wood or other solid fuel. This activity would be prohibited when sustained winds exceed 8 MPH as determined by verifiable data, when the relative humidity is less than 25 percent, and when a red flag warning has been declared by the fire code official. Provisions have also been added to Section 15.12.120 for the establishment of outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire rings and other similar devices for Group R occupancies, which is residential. The provisions cover separation requirements to combustible construction based on the residential occupancy for gas fueled devices and devices using wood or fuels other than natural gas or liquefied petroleum.
The city is also amending the requirements for emergency responder radio coverage in new buildings under Section 15.12.260. New buildings shall have approved radio coverage for emergency responders within the building based upon the existing coverage levels of the public safety communication systems utilized by the city. The emergency responder system shall comply with the Corona Fire Department’s Guideline for Emergency Responder Radio Coverage and where the functionality or performance requirements in the California Fire Code are more stringent. New buildings exempt from this requirement include a) single family residences, b) single story, wood construction not exceeding 10,000 square feet, c) multiple family residential buildings that include an exterior walk up, no interior corridors and no subterranean storage or parking, and d) elevators.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
Not applicable.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The adoption of this ordinance will have no fiscal impact to the general fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The changes made to the uniform codes are enacted to mitigate the threats posed to public peace, health and safety from earthquakes, high winds and fire. In this regard, the recitals set forth in the Ordinance are incorporated by reference as findings. Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that adoption of this Ordinance will not have a significant adverse effect on the environment and is therefore exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
PREPARED BY: CHRIS MILOSEVIC, BUILDING OFFICIAL/BUILDING INSPECTION MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
REVIEWED BY: BRIAN YOUNG, FIRE CHIEF
REVIEWED BY: KERRY D. EDEN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER/ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR
SUBMITTED BY: MITCHELL LANSDELL, INTERIM CITY MANAGER
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Ordinance No. 3306 - Clean.
2. Exhibit 2 - Ordinance No. 3306 - Redline.