SR-081280-8BCA:SS5:LBC:se
Council Meeting 08/12/80 Santa Monica, California
STAFF REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
r^ROM: City Attorney
SUBJECT: Adoption of the Uniform Administrative and
Technical Construction Codes
INTRODUCTIOnd
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This report transmits for first seading'a proposed ..ordinance
repealing the'1976 TJniform Codes and adopting`the 3979 Uniform
Codes.
BACKGROUPdD
A report from City staff recommending adoption of the
Uniform Codes was received as Item l0A and approved by Council
on March 4, 1980. This proposed ordinance adopts the following
specific documents:
a) Uniform Administrative Code, 1979 edition, published
by International Conference of Building Officials with
local Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical fee schedules
and local amendments (including Appendix I, Covered Ma11
Buildings).
b) T7niform Building Code and Uniform Building Code Stan-
dards, 1979 editions, published by International Conference
of Building Officials.
c) Uniform Fire Code, all its appendices and Uniform Fire
Code Standards, 1979 edition, published jointly by Inter-
national Conference of Building Officials and Western Fire
Chiefs Association. (Note: The Uniform Fire Code is coor-
dinated and compatible with the Uniform Building Code.)
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d) National Fire Codes Volumes 1-16, 1979 editions, pub-
lished by the National Fire Protection Association.
e) Uniform Housing Code, 1979 edition, published by
International Conference of Building Officials.
f) Uniform Code for Abatement of Dangerous Buildings,
1979 edition, published by International Conference. of
Building Officials.
g) National Electrical Code, 1978 edition, published by
National Fire Protection Association.
h) Uniform Mechanical Code, 1979 edition, published by
International Conference of Building Officials.
i) Uniform"Plumbing Code, 1979 edition, published by
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical
Officials.
A11 the amendments to all the Uniform Codes are set
forth in the attached document ".Santa Monica Amendments to
the 1979 Uniform Construction Codes.".This document includes:
(a) Minor amendments to the Administrative Code
(b) Supplemental Fire and Safety Requirements
(c} Supplemental Fire and Safety Duties and Procedures
(d) Supplemental Seismic Safety Rehabilitation Requirements
(e) Supplemental Land Hazard Zone Requirements
{f) Supplemental Santa Monica Construction and Property
Maintenance Requirements
A11 these amendments amending the various Uniform Codes
become Santa Monica's local amendments to the Uniform Administrative
Code. For example, Items (b) through (f), above, become Section 206
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of the Admihistrative Code. This replaces the small blue
booklet, "Administrative Provisions," formerly used in con-
junction with the 1976 Uniform Codes.
The controversial sections of the ordinance are con-
tained in '°Santa Monica Amendments to the Uniform Construction
Codes." -- Section 210(A) Supplemental Fire Safety and Prevention
Requirements and Section 206 (C) Supplemental Seismic Safety
Rehabilitation Requirements. There is local disagreement over
the area and height of new buildings required to have automatic
sprinkler protection. The Fire Department req'aires automatic
sprinklers in new buildings of 10,000 square feet in gross area
and 40 feet in height. The Chamber of Commerce wants this reduced
to 15,OOG square feet in gross area and SO feet in height.
There is also disagreement over the final rehabiliation
date of substandard and potentially hazardous buildings. The '
Building and Safety Commission's position is that July. 1, 1985
is the final date exempting 90 buildings of less than 50 occupants
each. The Chamber of Commmerce wants the date extended 5 years
to July 1, 1990 for all buildings including those with less than
50 occupants.
ALTERNATIVES.
The Council may either. introduce the ordinance with the
proposed amendments, further amend the ordinance before intro-
ducing it, or introduce specified sections of the ordinance. If
the Council should decide not to adopt the Uniform Codes at all,
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they will eventually be binding on the City in their unamended
version by operation of law one year after their effective date
of state adoption.
RECONtb4ENDAT IONS
In accordance with the recommendation of the Building
Officer, the Fire Marshal and other technical boards and
commissions of the City, it is respectfully recommended that
the City Council introduce this ordinance adopting. and
amending the Uniform Administrative and Techncal.Construction
Codes.
Prepared by: Stephen Shane Stark
Lyn Beckett Cacciatore
William Rome
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