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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003 07-01 Pre Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 The Pre-Council Meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 5:30 P.M. on Tuesday, July 1, 2003, by Mayor Robert D. Corrie. Members Present: Mayor Robert Corrie, Bill Nary, Keith Bird, and Tammy de Weerd. Members Absent: Cherie McCandless. Others Present: Kenny Bowers, Bill Nichols, Nick Wollen, Mike Worley, Pauline Skeggs and Will Berg. Item 1. Roll Call Attendance: X Tammy de Weerd X Bill Nary O Cherie McCandless X Keith Bird X Mayor Robert Corrie st Corrie: Tuesday, July the 1 2003 at 5:30 P.M. Would have roll call attendance please with the clerk. Item2. Adoption of the Agenda: Corrie: Item number two is the adoption of the agenda and we have two items on the agenda on the Pre-Council. One is executive session and a discussion of the 2000 edition of the International Fire Code with Joe Silva. What is the Council’s pleasure? De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd. De Weerd: I move we adopt the agenda as presented. Nary: Second. Corrie: Motion made and second. All in favor say aye. All ayes motion carried. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES. Item 3. Executive Session: Corrie: I will entertain a motion to go into executive session at this time. Do we have the piece of paper there? Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 Page 2 of 8 De Weerd: Mr. Mayor I move that we move into executive session per Idaho State Code 67-2345 item (b). Bird: Second. Corrie: Motion made and second to go into executive session. Roll call vote Mr. Berg. Roll-Call vote: De Weerd, aye; Bird, aye; Nary, aye; McCandless, absent. (Enter Executive Session) (Return from Executive Session) Corrie: Okay I will entertain a motion to come out of executive session. Bird: So moved. Nary: Second. Corrie: Motion made and second to come out of executive session. Any debate? All in favor say aye. Motion carries. Let the record show that no legal decisions were made in the executive session. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES Item 4.Discussion of 2000 Edition of the International Fire Code with Joe Silva: Corrie: Number four on the Pre-Council meeting is discussion of the 2000 edition of the International Fire Code with Chief Bowers sitting in for Joe Silva who had to go on a fire call. So chief. Bowers: Is this on Will? Berg: Yeah it’s on. Bowers: First off I’d like to thank everybody that showed up yesterday to the dusty dirt blowing, dirt throwing at Fire Station number three, that is going to be a very important step for the City of Meridian and the Meridian Rural Fire Protection District. Thank you for showing up. Question, is Bill Nichols going to be in this session? Bird: He’s back talking with – Nick’s here. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 Page 3 of 8 Bowers: Okay. Mayor Corrie and City Council members, like we said Joe just had to head off to Saint Luke’s so. I was hoping maybe Bill Nichols would be here if you had any questions any concerns on the new ordinance for the International Fire Code. In 1995 we had an ordinance in the City of Meridian we’ve adopted parts of that into the new International Fire Code right along with the State of Idaho which adopted the International Fire Code in January, so we’ve kind of put a couple parts and pieces together to make one. I was wondering if you guys had any concerns or questions what Bill Nichols had gave you guys to read. Corrie: Kenny I don’t have any real heartburn with any of it. But a question is do you feel that this ordinance will bring us up to snuff as far as the fire codes and that, that was not there before? Bowers: Yes everybody basically is trying to go to one fire code across the United States and I hope it works. I’m sure there will be some hold outs but it would sure be nice for the developers and the contractors to be able to work in different areas and be able to use the same code. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Bird. Bird: Kenneth I disagree on – I don’t think you need an International Code because every area is different. We’ve got a long – this is strictly a code that has been put in by the fire union pushing it. I don’t know if we went to AGC – have we taken this, has anybody in the State taken this to the developers and the builders that have actually put the money out to see how much more this costs for a building? I think with sprinkler systems and stuff you have it pretty well covered, especially for this area. Why would Boise Idaho want to have the same codes, building codes, which this is a building code then New York City or LA does or something like that where they are putting up 100 story high rises and you know we got 25 stories going up and that’s the biggest thing you are talking about. I have a real problem. I would like to know what AGC and VEA and some of these people personally thought about this and I realize that you are in a situation that you didn’t go probably – I didn’t know if Joe did or who did or anything else. Just because the state passed it I don’t think Meridian Idaho has to pass it. Bowers: That is a good concern. Bird: I think we need to look and see if we are covered and I can’t believe we are not covered. Bowers: That is a very good concern. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 Page 4 of 8 Bird: The other two Councilmen might disagree with me but I just don’t – just because the State of Idaho adopted the 2000 Fire Code doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for Meridian Idaho. Corrie: What’s the down side Kenny in not adopting this? We still have the old one right? Bowers: Instead of staying with the old one? I believe that and maybe Councilman Bird possibly knows more about this than I do but possibly I would think that the 2000 Fire Code and the new building code would mesh together better instead of having a building code at a 2000 year and a Fire Code and 97 or something like that. I don’t know if they would really mesh that well. And my question would be maybe to Bill Nichols would be is do you know if anybody by any chance has talked to the BCA or the Building Contractors or anybody Bill on that? Nichols: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council. I’m not aware of whether that has occurred or not, I think my recollection of those, generally these uniform codes have been promulgated out and sent out to these different groups. I think this is the code that Nampa is operating under. And I can’t remember now I may have recently sent out something that – I’m not sure about Kuna rural. Bowers: All rural districts go under the State of Idaho. They don’t have to adopt them. The State of Idaho adopts for all rural districts. Bird: Ken do you know off hand Boise adopted, Eagle adopted, Star have they all adopted this? Maybe. Bowers: I can’t tell you Councilman Bird on Boise maybe Bill Nary can but like I said Eagle and Star are districts so they – Bird: That’s right so they automatically. Bowers: Yeah Kuna, Eagle and Star the State has adopted for them. Bird: Kenny I understand that because you know they basically have to stay under the state and adopt something. But we are a city that have our own building permits and our own building things and I just have a – its not that if it come up for vote that I might not vote for it but right now I just don’t like somebody coming in here and telling me we have to adopt it because I don’t see there’s any penalties if we don’t adopt it. I think our fire code right now is very very safe. I think our buildings built here in Meridian are just as safe or safer then the ones built in the big cities. Just because New York City needs an International Building Code I don’t say that Meridian, Idaho a little town of 35,000 needs it, the same code. So that’s the only thing I’m against and I don’t think Boise’s passed it. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 Page 5 of 8 De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd. De Weerd: I guess Kenny when I talked with Joe about this he had been in conversations with Nampa. I think Nampa made a few amendments to it. You can’t make them lesser but you can put more on. And I guess in our conversations Boise never came up. My concern is not similar to Councilman Bird’s, I know our development community has said they would like to have more consistent standards across the valley and we heard that when we adopted the International Building Code. That they would like to start seeing that there are consistencies instead of in this city you do this this way and this city you do this this way. It is more predictable, it gives for better planning and bid processes. So and I think that is why Joe started this process to bring it up to the standards that others were starting to adopt. And so Councilman Bird I think that was a lot of it. As I understand also from our Public Hearings with the International Building Code the AGC the BCA they have input at the State level into these codes and having opportunities to comment and really bring testimony. But where I do agree with Councilman Bird and I think that because we are looking at our fees and Joe is working with these different agencies to make sure we have all the comments on the fees. If he can just ask them when he is talking to them if they have any specific concerns about the International Fire Code that we can continue this and hear it at the same time that we consider the fees and kind of try and package it all in one public hearing if the Council would be open to that. Corrie: I think that would probably be a good idea. I’m a little concern that Mr. Bird is concerned and that makes me concerned. He’s been around construction a long long time and he knows the ins and outs and if he’s got some concerns so do I because of that. So I think that is a good idea Kenny have them talk to them and when he brings this all back under one package then we can make a decision at that time. I think that’s probably a very good idea Mrs. de Weerd. De Weerd: So we could maybe put it I think that ones open for conversation on nd the 22. Is that correct? Bowers: Deputy Chief Silva will be gone on vacation that week so we might have to make another date there. th. th Corrie: August the 5 There is five Tuesdays in July. It looks like the 5 of August would be the first one that comes up then. Bowers: Would the second week be better if he gets back. He’ll have some more time to work on it. Bird: Yeah probably. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 Page 6 of 8 Bowers: The second Tuesday? th Corrie: The 12 of August? Bowers: Yeah. Corrie: If that meets the approval of Council. Bowers: And Mayor Corrie, Councilman I have one question. Bill Nichols is there anything else we need to look at per say? Nichols: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council. What we did when we put this together is we looked at, worked with Joe to come up with the exceptions or the little tweaks if you will to the International Code. There was for example part of the code that does make the – I can’t remember the officer but a particular individual would become a for cause employee which conflicted with the personnel manual. So we went through those things, we cleaned those up and did the ones that Joe felt were important and that’s why you see those amendments and those changes in there but the overall (inaudible) just follow the international code, so I’d defer it to the fire experts as to the wisdom of adopting it but I think Joe can certainly highlight the differences between the existing code and what this one would do and then it gives us time to also look at whether BCA and the other development groups those sort of folks whether they’ve had any feelings input that sort of thing. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mr. Bird. Bird: If I should add one more thing. Kenneth I think it would be very smart to talk to some insurance people seeing how they write most of the policies. You know. See if this International Code how well it helps the developers in their bottom line pocket book of how much they are going to pay. I mean we’ve already got the sprinkler system in which pays for itself in I guess in five to six years they’ll tell you which I think is very true and they got some other things. But I think we are forgetting one industry that is in a fire situation is the biggest one and that’s our deal there. So I would have them look into it and see what they think also. Bowers: You bet that’ll be fine. De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 Page 7 of 8 De Weerd: I guess one more question I would have and I don’t know if Mr. Nichols could answer this right off the bat but because we are a rural and a city Fire Department if we don’t adopt it and – does our rural commission adopt it and we don’t, are you operating on two different codes? Bowers: We would be yes. We would be. Bird: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Yes Mr. Bird. Bird: I think they need to look at the Joint Powers Agreement that was signed two years ago. Corrie: To see which way they have to go. Bowers: We will do that. De Weerd: Thank you. Corrie: Thank you Kenny. Bowers: Thank you very much. nd Nary: Was the intent on the 22 to hear it at a Pre-Council again? th Corrie: Yes Pre-Council. Yeah we wanted to discuss it then. August 12 Pre- Council. De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd. De Weerd: I guess Kenny when is Joe going on vacation? th Bowers: The 17. De Weerd: And he’ll be gone? Bowers: To the end of the month. De Weerd: Okay. Does he want this on Pre-Council then? The fee schedule’s are in public hearing. Meridian City Pre-Council Meeting July 1, 2003 Page 8 of 8 Bowers: That’s right, that is correct. My question I would think that the City Council probably would want it on a Pre-Council again for any questions or any concerns again. De Weerd: Before it gets through the public hearing process. Okay. Bowers: I’m sorry I cut off Bill Nichols he was going to say something. Nichols: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council. I think you want to keep the two issues separate. Because it will may be that you find out BCA says yes this is the greatest thing since (inaudible) and those kinds of things and you need to know that up front then you don’t need to burden the regular council meeting with that information. Then got over the hurdle of why this should be adopted or what those other issues are. Bowers: Thank you. th Corrie: Okay then it will be Pre-Council 12 of August. So be it. Okay that takes care of the Pre-Council agenda unless there’s something else that (inaudible). I’ll entertain a motion to close the Pre-Council hearing. Bird: So moved. De Weerd: Second. Corrie: Motion been made and seconded to close the Pre-Council meeting at 6:45. Any further comments? All those in favor say aye. All ayes motion carried. MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6:45 P.M. (TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS) APPROVED: / / ROBERT D. CORRIE, MAYOR DATE ATTESTED: WILLIAM G. BERG, JR., CITY CLERK