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GALLATIN WEATHER

County to update building codes




 

 

The Sumner County Commission is expected to adopt updated building codes later this fall, which will increase construction costs of new buildings.

“We are now operating under 2006 building codes, and they are expired,” County Executive Anthony Holt told the commission last week. “The state fire marshal came in and said we had to adopt a new code.”

New building codes are issued every three years for possible adoption. The state requires counties to update their codes at least every seven years.

For example, if the county were to adopt the 2009 codes this year, they would have to adopt new codes next year because it will have been seven years since the 2009 codes were released.

County Law Director Leah Dennen said if the county does not act soon to move from the 2006 codes, the state will.

“If you do not adopt something, the state will come in and say either we don’t have codes or they can say, ‘We’re going to enforce the codes that we see fit,” she said. “That could be the entire 2015 code…it’s way more stricter than what is in front of you now.”

What was in front of the commission was a proposal by Marshall Wright, the director of the building and codes department, and Erika Porter, a staff attorney for the county.

Their recommendation was to adopt certain sections of the 2015 codes, but older versions of other sections of the code.

“The biggest problem that came out of the vetting process was the energy code…so what Mr. Wright and I came up with was to adopt the 2009 energy code,” Porter said, “to give us the time to do the research to decide what to adopt, because we can’t stay in the 2009 energy codes for very much longer.”

Under the proposal by Wright and Porter, the county would also opt out of a measure requiring residential fire sprinklers, the newest swimming pool codes and codes pertaining to retaining walls.

The new codes, if adopted, would require the county to hire a mechanical engineer.

To pay for the position and other increased costs of the codes department, the county is looking at a possible increase in building permit fees, with the thinking the expense will be paid for by only those who use the service instead of every taxpayer.

The proposed increase would not be a set amount, as a variety of factors such as the type of structure being built, its use, and the materials used in construction are used to determine the building permit fee.

The idea has some commissioners concerned.

“I just feel like every time I open my light bill or my phone bill there’s been an added fee or something that went up (in cost),” said Commissioner Billy Geminden of Portland. “Sometimes I feel like we do that to the public.”

The commission passed two resolutions in regards to the building codes, but they do not put anything in place yet – they just say the county has agreed to an official proposal and will now have a 90-day period for public input.

The proposals can be read at the county clerk’s office or the codes office.

Commissioner Larry Hinton of Portland also asked the county hold a public hearing on the proposed new codes.

“This not only possibly affects people that are in the construction business, but also people who are buying houses because I suspect it will increase the price of housing,” he said. “I think we should do a little more than besides what is reasonable to let folks know these things are being considered.”

According the resolutions passed last week, the county will revisit the issue in October.

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