City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services Department

MEMORANDUM

TO:              David L. Corliss, City Manager

Thru:              Scott McCullough, Planning & Development Services Director

FROM:         Barry Walthall, Building Safety Manager

C:                    Rich Barr, Division Chief

DATE:           October 12, 2007

RE:              Future I-Code changes

This memo is intended to provide information concerning International Code Council (ICC) code update cycles and plans for review and adoption of future code editions and detail plans for notification and implementation of the new codes.

The ICC publishes new editions of its codes (I-codes) on three-year cycles, with the next edition scheduled for 2009.  We plan to coordinate review of the ICC codes every third year as they are published.  The review should be accomplished during the first three quarters during the year newly published codes are available and sent to the City Commission with a recommended effective date of January 1 the following year.  For instance, the 2009 I-codes would be reviewed by advisory boards by September of 2009 and sent to the City Commission for approval with an effective date of January 1, 2010.

Our plans for notifying stakeholders of the adoption of the 2006 I-codes include:

• A mailing to all licensed contractors, as well as all design professionals.  Mailing lists will be obtained from contractor license information and mailing lists of design professionals compiled by the Planning & Development Services Department and the Fire Prevention Division.  We will take the opportunity to inform this group of other news from the department as well.  This mailing will be sent in late October.
• An item was published in the September edition of the Lawrence Home Builders Association newsletter notifying their membership of the new codes and effective date.  We will continue working with LHBA to publicize the effective date and important code changes.  This will entail future newsletter items and possibly attending a LHBA meeting for a question and answer session on the new codes.
• Post notices on the main city website and department websites of the newly adopted codes and effective date.  We will also request the item be posted on channel 25.
• Consult with Communications Coordinator Lisa Patterson on a news release.  The purpose of a news release is to attempt to inform the general public of the change.

In addition to notifying stakeholders of the changes we are taking action to educate contractors of significant code changes.  A training session for residential contractors will be held in November or December titled “2006 International Residential Code transition from the 1997 Uniform Building Code”.  This seminar will provide specific information for residential contractors of changes from our currently adopted building code to the 2006 IRC.  We also plan to distribute newsletters describing significant changes to all the adopted codes.