I think we'll go through these each one by one.

Perfect.

Good afternoon, Dustin Newsbaum, Chief Building Code official for the City of Frederick.

So we're going to go over ordinance updates, changes to I believe five different ordinances ordinances.

We will start with chapter twenty-six, the electrical code.

And just for some background information, Chapter 26 of the Frederick City Code adopts by reference the National Electric Code.

And makes local amendments to the primary purpose of the draft ordinance is to adopt a 2023 edition of the code.

The ordinance also eliminates outdated or unnecessary provisions, including those relating to electrical inspectors, and adds provisions relating to permit requirements, which were transferred from chapter five, the building code.

How would you all like me to proceed?

I guess if there's anything that you feel needs highlighting, uh you can bring that up, but I don't not sure what.

I I agree with with that.

Um changes in in this section and in others that are essentially clerical updates, or you know, we we've moved this to a different section, so now it's not in this section anymore.

Those are all fine.

So we can understand what what those are.

But just moving around bullets.

Um we don't need to hear as much about it.

Okay, understood.

Uh so yeah, just give me a minute, we'll we'll go through here.

The the first major update is like I said, that the ordinance originally stated that the electrical code was the 1987 edition.

We have changed that to state the 2023 National Electric Code.

Um, so that is the primary change to this ordinance.

Um it just makes it clear for all contractors, residents when applying for a permit, when completing work, the 2023 National Electric Code is the standard.

Understood.

Although that is currently the standard in practice here in the city anyway.

Correct.

We're just notating it more clearly in this section.

Correct, yes.

Now, I I will say that Maryland had just adopted a 2023.

Uh so that's what we're we're moving to.

Um and you know, the I believe the website says the twenty twenty, I believe, right now.

So we will be updating the website to show to reflect that to the public as well.

Um just gonna try to go through here and scan over any major updates.

So I think one, if you look at Crate number.

2620C, uh, which is persons eligible to make applications.

Um we have modified that to if you look at number two, the owner and principal residence of a residential building um who signs a statement as required by the code official may apply for and receive an electrical permit limited to the installation of fixtures equipment devices, branch circuits, yada yada um the load side of the service disconnect.

So that means they can do minor wiring inside, but they cannot do the disconnect the the meter install to their to their principal structure.

Um we kind of we took out that if you if you have rental properties, we're not allowing that person to do work in the rental property.

The the tenant you mean the the actual no the property owner.

Okay.

We we kind of it's more of a like a life safety, we're more concerned for that tenant, and that's why we are requiring a master electrician do that and not just any homeowner that has rental properties.

Okay, but this change allows for a property owner to request a permit for minor work to be performed on a property that they occupy themselves.

Yes, sir, correct.

And that allows them to perform the work.

Correct.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Yep.

Can you give me a just a real practical example of that?

Is that like me as a homeowner apply to change out my dining room light fixture and I need a permit to do that, and then I'm allowed to do it myself?

Now, if if you're just changing a light fixture out, you wouldn't need a permit, like if you're just replacing it with the same type and kind.

If if you are adding lights, if you're adding wiring outlets, you are now able to, you know, to do that.

I'm not going to, but thank you.

Any other questions on that topic?

Everything else in here is honestly minor changes, kind of clarifies when permits expire.

Um that how when they extend um just clerical stuff throughout.

Okay, sounds like we're good on that one.

All right.

Let's move on to property maintenance code.

Yep.

So the uh discussion for this one is chapter 12.5 article one property maintenance.

Uh Frederick City Code, Chapter 12.5 Article 1 adopts the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code.

The primary purpose of this ordinance is to adopt a 21 edition.

So question about that.

Yes, sir.

Spell that out again.

That that change.

Yeah.

So currently, and in the ordinance, we have adopted a 2015 property maintenance code.

We are moving towards what the state of Maryland has adopted and's currently adopted is the 2021 property maintenance code.

Okay, right.

So we make this change, and then what are our next steps for adopting a new code?

I guess this relates to the the prior prior topic as well.

This is a necessary step to change this.

Then if people look in this chapter, they see what is the the code that the city is using.

Then what are your next steps?

Your department, other departments, to actually put this into place and does that need to come back before us, or will you then move forward with the the actual sort of practical adoption of this?

Yeah, I I believe and if Rachel may speak for me.

I believe it it would come back again just for a vote.

Is that correct, Rachel?

Well, yeah, I mean, if you mean will it come back to you after today, then yes, because this is just a committee recommendation to the full council.

So assuming that um it's so we'll put it on probably the next possible public uh you know regular public meeting agenda for a public hearing, and then presumably the full council will adopt all these ordinances that are being presented today.

Um unless you say otherwise, I think they're uh right now they the way they're drafted, they just say they'll go into effect immediately, essentially, once they're signed by the mayor.

And then whatever sort of administrative things Dustin and his team have to go through to actually implement the new codes, he could speak to.

But but yeah, once the council approves all these, there's there's really nothing else that'll come back to you on these.

Okay.

So once that happens, and and this is this is approved, which I expect it to be, then what is the timeline and the process for you to start rolling this out so that this is what your team is working off of, this is what your documents say, and this is what the public and contractors and and property owners understand they need to be checking or they need to be you know reviewing when when they want to do something with the property.

Uh understood.

Yeah, so we've actually been in contact with contractors now.

We get uh phone calls weekly, emails weekly about hey, when's your code change and what code are you on?

Um we we will initially post it online that our new code will be going into effect January 1, and then from that time that's when that code will be in effect.

So we we kind of give them a grace period of getting it changed over, and we actually we would allow them if somebody's submitting and they want to use the more updated code, we would allow that as well until that January 1st, and then it's hey, this is a code you have to use.

And if a person had applied for a permit at the and gotten a applied for a permit under the existing rules, and uh don't they don't do the work until after the change, is that permit stay good or do they have to reapply?

Yeah, so that that permit would stay good and it would be inspected to the old code that was adopted.

Well, and that's kind of why we're doing the January 1st.

It gives us a clean break on the permit numbers.

So any permit that has a 26-01 would be initially the updated codes.

That makes sense, thank you.

You guys couldn't do a motion just to recommend that this move forward.

All right, great, thank you.

That is the only major update to that portion of that code.

Okay, let's move on to local amendments to the code.

Yeah, so um this agenda item is an ordinance to add uh the Frederick City Code Section 12.51.2 local amendments to the property maintenance code.

Um just some background.

Frederick City Code Section 12.5-1 is being amended concurrently to adopt the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, the 2015 edition of the IPMC as previously adopted was amended by resolution.

The purpose of the proposed ordinance is to add a new section to the city code in order to have the local amendments in the 2021 IPMC codified and easily accessible.

Upon adoption of this ordinance, the resolution adopting previous local amendments will be void.

So basically when a homeowner residents were going to go look for the amendments to the IPMC, it was actually in a resolution and not the ordinance.

And it is very difficult to find a resolution that is nine years old, ten years old.

Um so that's why we as a team decided hey, we're we want to throw it in the ordinance so it's clear.

Um it's readily accessible.

So this would just incorporate all of the local amendments into an ordinance in one place so that it's current correct.

Yeah, it was already adopted through resolution.

Now we're putting it in the ordinance.

That's great.

I think that needs to be kept in mind in the future when we do these things.

Absolutely very much uh appreciate that.

You know, we we adopt many things, we pass various legislation, sometimes resolutions, and then just because we we passed that and it it went on a piece of paper somewhere in some file, then uh there's sort of an expectation people are supposed to know that and be able to find that, but it's not always that easy.

Um I do just want to check these local amendments that are now decade old.

Um you went through a process to take a look at them again.

You know, these are sort of l little changes we made that uh were based on uh an understanding that we needed to do things a little bit differently, or we needed a a local tailoring um to regulations that are that are used you know by other places.

Did you take a look at that again?

Is are these things necessary or ought they be updated?

Yes, we actually ran through that whole resolution to verify that we still wanted that amendment to be in the ordinance.

Um one of the issues that we have when we update codes, sometimes the code section which is referenced in the amendment, that changes per code.

Like if they add a section or delete a section, it would change that number.

So we're we're actually aligning those section numbers with the current code as well.

Um one of the um big changes per se for um the amendments is 109.4, which is violations and penalties.

The state of Maryland has adopted where the max fine is now five thousand dollars.

It went from a thousand to five thousand.

So we're just aligning our ordinance with that.

Um it just kind of gives us some flexibility on recurring issues that we can raise that fine from a thousand to five thousand.

Um honestly that that is the mate, you know, the the one major change.

Everything else is kind of what with that resolution was adopted.

I'm good.

Next uh regarding building.

This agenda item is is an ordinance to amend Frederick City Code Chapter 5 buildings.

Um background and discussion.

Maryland Public Safety Code 12-503 requires the state of Maryland, uh sorry, the the Maryland Department of Labor to adopt by right regulation as the Maryland Building Performance Standards.

The International Building Code, including the International Energy Conservation Code with certain modifications under public safety, Article 12-505.

Each local jurisdiction is required to implement and enforce the most recent version of the standards and any local amendments there, too.

The implementation and enforcement of the standards must include the review and acceptance of appropriate plans, issuance of building permits, inspections of the work authorized by those building permits, and the issuance of appropriate use and occupancy standards.

Local jurisdictions may determine the manner in which the minimum implementations and enforcement activities are carried out.

All with certain modifications.

Any code references in chapter five, we are putting them in those chapters.

It would tell you you need electric permit.

We are moving that to those ordinances.

So to me, if if you're looking for electric, you go to that chapter, you go to that ordinance, and you find it.

Um so we are removing a lot of that from chapter five, the building code.

Um we are the the same thing as the property maintenance code.

We had resolutions which adopted amendments.

We are now and putting those into chapter five so that they're clear clear as day.

This is what what we have adopted.

It kind of eliminates a lot of questions.

You'll actually see a table that's been added.

That's one of the frequent questions we get is hey, you know, your your wind load, um snow load, things of that nature, it's right there for the public to see.

Um review to see if there's any other major changes.

It would be the same thing for um as the electric kind of cleaned up when a permit expires, that that kind of thing.

Um and it directs you to the fee schedule.

So I'm just noticing that we're we're these things are adopting a 2021 code, which seems out of date, but that's the most current that there is now, and at some point there will be another update that will correct.

So the the city, like we're we are adopting what Comar has, the state of Maryland, and then once they adopt the 2024 code, I'll be back in front of you.

I don't I don't really know when that will be, but honestly, it'll probably be within a year.

Um it it does take them some time to adopt their code, and then we have a year to adopt that is what we were supposed to do.

Sounds like you guys are doing some great streamlining work and making things easier for our our public to interact with us, so that's good stuff.

Thank you.

All right.

Now plumbing and gas.

Yeah.

Um the next agenda item and ordinance to amend Frederick City Code Chapter 16 Plumbing and Gas.

Um the International Plumbing Code IPC is a model code adopted by many states, including Maryland.

The IPC provides minimum regulations for plumbing facilities and covers aspects such as installation, alteration, repair, replacement, and maintenance of plumbing systems.

Under Maryland Code, business occupations and professionals, Title 12, subtitle 5.

Anyone who provides plumbing services must comply with the state plumbing code or any applicable local plumbing code.

Maryland State Plumbing Code currently incorporates by reference certain model codes, including the 2018 International Plumbing Code with certain modifications, Comar 9.20.1.1.

Currently under Chapter 16 of the City Code, the city has adopted the Maryland Plumbing Code without reference to a specific IPC edition.

The proposed ordinate clearly states that the Maryland Plumbing Code incorporates the 2018 IPC as adopted by the state of Maryland.

The ordinance also makes certain local amendments there to add certain provisions relating to permits, transferring from chapter five, update references, clarifies language, and makes stylistic changes.

We we have um in the old ordinance, it required a plumbing permit for just about anything.

If you were um replacing a faucet, if you were replacing a LAVI, um you needed to get a permit.

So now if you were replacing an end-kind item and are not changing any pipe size or routing of pipes, you are allowed to do that work without a permit.

I appreciate that, and I think uh it's a great it's a great update.

I think there is a considerable amount of work.

Plumbing related, home repair and renovation, even some minor, you know, electrical work.

You know, we're not we're not going into the into the box, but you know, some small things that people ought to be able to do themselves.

I also think it's important to recognize they're doing these things themselves no matter what, and it's not really helpful to have a ton of stuff on the books that we claim you're supposed to get a permit for, and then we know nobody ever is.

They're they're just going the lows and getting a new faucet and they're just putting it on.

We're kind of we got this whole big I don't know, cloudy system that nobody is really doing this, we're not really checking, etc.

I think it's better to be realistic and define it in our in our codes.

What do we really need people to get permits for?

And then you know, hold them accountable for that.

Expect that.

But there's way too much of this stuff that you know everybody's doing, especially as construction and materials have evolved that there's a lot more people can do themselves now.

There's a lot more, you know, fixtures, there's a lot more kind of plug-and-play items that manufacturers are designing to be able to DIY.

And that wasn't as possible 30 years ago.

Now there's you know, every box is designed to say you can do this yourself.

And I think these are updates that kind of pay attention to that fact.

Thank you.

I'm excited because my bathroom faucet just started leaking for the second time, and I'm ready to replace it.

So I'll be making a trip to some store to buy something.

All right.

Yeah, that was the only honestly the major was the code update, and and just given some allowance for those fixture replacements um in kind.

And lastly, we are on to fire protection.

Yes, this uh agendum item and an ordinance um regarding Frederick City Code Chapter 9, fire protection.

Um Maryland Code Public Safety Article 6-206 requires a state fire provision prevention commission to adopt comprehensive rec regulations as a state fire prevention code.

The state fire prevention code establishes the minimum requirements to perfect protect life and property from the hazards of fire and explosion.

If a state or local law or regulation is more stringent than the state fire prevention code, the more stringent law or regulation governs as long as as it is not inconsistent with the state fire prevention code and not contrary to recognize standards and good engineering practices.

Under the code of Maryland Regulations, Title 29 Subtitle 06, Chapter 01, Fire Prevention Code, the Fire Prevention Code incorporates the National Fire Protection Association 1 Fire Code 2024 edition, NFPA 1, and the National Fire Protection Association 101 Life Safety Code 2024 edition, NFPA 101, with certain amendments.

Currently under Chapter 9 of the City Code, the city has adopted the state fire prevention code which incorporates by reference the 2012 version of the NFPA 1 and NFPA 101.

The prime primary purpose of this proposed ordinance is to amend Chapter 9 in order to adopt the version of the fire prevention code that incorporates the 2024 versions of those codes.

The ordinance also adds some provisions relating to permits transferring from Chapter 5, updates, references, clarifies language, and makes stylistic changes.

So as noted in that background, the major changes were going from the 2012 edition to the 2024 edition, and that code was just adopted recently by this by the state.

So we are current and hopefully that one won't change for a while.

But recent let this past session, this the state passed some uh uh laws regarding the use of certain kinds of piping that have been uh prone to explosion um and a firefighter had lost his life.

Um it is this is that wrapped into this somewhere, or we're are we're compliant with that.

So we that this code, it would not affect this code, but it actually affects it's the changes are in the gas code.

And the state of Maryland has made though those amendments to their code, which is then reflected on our code, so yes.

Thank you.

Yeah, I just wanted to acknowledge the work of those um folks that lobbied for that and were successful.

And that is the only major change in that, besides bringing everything over from chapter five okay.

No other questions up here.

Is anybody here would like to make public comment on these exciting codes?

Really is important stuff, and I do appreciate it.

This is taking a long time, and I I I know there's a lot of sausage making that goes on, so I just want to appreciate you for that.

Um council member, do you want to make a motion to uh move these forward?

Yes, motion to move these recommendations forward to the full council.

I'll second that.

All those in favor?

And that's two zero unanimous.

Thank you very much for all your hard work on this.

Thank you all.

Thanks.

And with that, we're adjourned.