Building Code Board of Appeals Minutes 2000

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previously When we adopted the IPC we kept the fee schedule from the 1994 UPC. The State does not adopt the first chapter of the Plumbing Code,which is where the fees are. Sam Light—So on page 3 of the draft ordinance which you have, section 4 says only that we are going to use the fees in table 1-1 of the Uniform Plumbing Code,but we do not have to do that. We have very wide discretion to set our own fees, provided the fee to equals the cost of the service which we are providing. Ray Schlott—I think we should continue with the same fee schedule. Sam Light—Yes,you could do that, we would need to restate that in the ordinance. Giles Schurman—I for one, don't think that we need to go through the Uniform Plumbing Code and digest the whole code. This is a code that has been widely accepted for years and the State has adopted. I don't think we need to go through it the way we did the IPC, which is a relatively new code. I am thinking that we ought to adopt it in it's entirety It has already been scrutinized by the code panels. With the exception of the administrative section,which we can add to or delete where it is necessary For fees I don't know if you can have higher fees than the State. I know for electrical fees you cannot go higher than what the State sets. Thomas Talboom—You can go five percent higher Sam Light—For Plumbing we are simply guided by the prmciple that we can charge whatever fee is reasonably calculated to cover the cost of the services provided. Greg Cullison—In talking with plumbers in the field they feel there are not significant changes between the 1994 and 1997 UPC. So I feel we really don't need to get into great depth. Ray Schlott—I don't disagree. I am just concerned about some of the wording. "Board of Appeals and City Staff have reviewed the 1997 addition of the UPC as adopted" Thomas Talboom—One change that is probably significant is the muumum fixture counts. The minimum fixtures required has moved from an appendix into the body of the code. One of the effects that will come out of this is that there will be an increase in the number of plumbmg fixtures by occupancy Also the pipe sizing tables are larger The studor vent may be a moot issue at this time,but the UPC does not allow a studor vent. What you end up with is larger fixture counts,with probably increased tap fees. By adopting the UPC there will increased cost both to the consumers and contractors, and there will probably be an increase in tap fees. Sam Light—Is it correct that the increase in tap fees will be in those situations where the fixture count,because of the new code,will bump into the next category? Thomas Talboom—Yes. 4