September 23, 2025
Agenda Item No. 9
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
Jaime Murillo, Acting Community Development Director - 949-644-3209, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Tonee Thai, Deputy Community Development Director/Chief Building Official - 949-718-1867, [email protected] James Gillespie, Fire Marshal - 949-644-3354, [email protected] TITLE:
Ordinance Nos. 2025-23, 2025-24, and 2025-25: Adoption of the 2025 California Building Standards Codes with Local Amendments, the 2025 California Fire Code with Local Amendments, and the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface with Local Amendments ABSTRACT:
For the City Council’s consideration are the adoption of amendments to Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) and Chapter 9 (Fire Code) the Newport Beach Municipal Code (NBMC) incorporating the 2025 California Building Standards Codes, the 2025 California Fire Code, and 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface with Local Amendments. The attached ordinances were introduced and considered at the September 9, 2025, City Council meeting.
RECOMMENDATION:
Find this project statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 21080.17 of the Public Resource Code and Section 15282(h) of the CEQA Guidelines, which states that the adoption of an ordinance regarding second units to implement the provisions of Sections 65852.1 and 65852.2 of the Government Code are exempt from the requirements of CEQA; Conduct second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2025-23, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City Of Newport Beach, California, Amending Title 15 (Building And Construction) of the Newport Beach Municipal Code to Adopt Chapter 1, Division II, of the 2025 Edition of the California Building Code; the 2024 Edition of the International Property Maintenance Code and Swimming Pool and Spa Code; the 2025 Edition of the California Building Code, Residential Code, Electrical Code, Mechanical Code, Plumbing Code, Green Building Standards Code, Historical Code, Existing Building Code, and Energy Code; and to Amend Portions of Chapter 15.50 (Floodplain Management), with Local Amendments; Conduct second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2025-24, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Amending Title 9 (Fire Code) of the Newport Beach Municipal Code to Adopt the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code, with Local Amendments; and Conduct second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2025-25, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Adding Chapter 9.07 (Wildland Urban Interface Code) to Title 9 of the Newport Beach Municipal Code to Adopt the 2025 Edition of the California Wildland Urban Interface Code, with Local Amendments.
DISCUSSION:
The California Building Standards Code is published every three years and amends the California Code of Regulations Title 24. These codes are commonly referred to as Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical, Green and Energy Codes.
The California Building Standards Codes are adopted and amended in Titles 9 (Fire Code) and 15 (Building and Construction) of the NBMC. The City may adopt more restrictive modifications and amendments if the City Council adopts findings relating to local climatic, topographic and geographic conditions, and files those findings with the California Building Standards Commission. The California Building Standards Commission has established January 1, 2026, as the statewide effective date for all the 2025 California Building Standards Codes. All local municipalities are required to enforce such codes as the minimum design standards and construction codes.
At the September 9, 2025, City Council meeting, the City Council adopted Resolution Nos. 2025-58 and 2025-59 adopting the necessary findings supporting the local amendments. At the same meeting, the City Council also introduced and considered Ordinance No. 2025-23 (Attachment A), No. 2025-24 (Attachment B), and No. 2025-25 (Attachment C).
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact related to the City for this action.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action proposed herein is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with Section 21065 of the California Public Resources Code and Sections 15060 (c)(2), 15060 (c)(3), and 15378 of the California Code of Regulations Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3 (State CEQA Guidelines) because the code amendment will not result in a reasonably foreseeable physical change to the environment. Additionally, the code amendment is exempt from the CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. This code amendment itself does not authorize development that would directly result in physical change to the environment.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – Ordinance No. 2025-23: Adopting the California Building Standards Code and Other Related Codes Attachment B – Ordinance No. 2025-24: Adopting the California Fire Code Attachment C – Ordinance No. 2025-25: Adopting the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code 9-3
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Ordinance Nos. 2025-23, 2025-24, and 2025-25: Adoption of the 2025 California Building Standards Codes with Local Amendments, the 2025 California Fire Code with Local Amendments, and the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface with Local Amendments
September 23, 2025
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