Ordinance No. 25-09
STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) ORDINANCE NO. 25-09
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss
CITY OF SAN JACINTO )
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN JACINTO, CALIFORNIA,
REPEALING AND REPLACING CHAPTER 8.16 OF THE SAN
JACINTO MUNICIPAL CODE, ADOPTING BY REFERENCE
RIVERSIDE COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 787.11 WHICH ADOPTS THE
2025 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA FIRE CODE (TITLE 24, PART 9) AND THE 2025 EDITION OF THE CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN
INTERFACE CODE (TITLE 24, PART 7), INCLUDING LOCAL
AMENDMENTS BASED ON LOCAL CLIMATIC, GEOLOGICAL, AND
TOPOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS, AND ESTABLISHING
ADMINISTRATIVE SUBSTITUTIONS, FEES, AND PENALTIES.
WHEREAS, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 50022.1 et seq., the City of San Jacinto (“City”) may adopt by reference uniform codes, including the California Fire Code and related local amendments adopted by the County of Riverside; and
WHEREAS, the California Building Standards Commission has published the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code (“CFC”) and the 2025 Edition of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (“CWUIC”), effective statewide on January 1, 2026; and WHEREAS, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 787.11, updating the County Fire Code to incorporate the 2025 CFC and CWUIC with local amendments reflecting unique climatic, geological, and topographical conditions; and
WHEREAS, California Health and Safety Code Sections 17958.5, 17958.7, and 18941.5 authorize cities to make modifications to the California Building Standards Code where reasonably necessary because of such local conditions; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that adopting Riverside County Ordinance No. 787.11 by reference, with the administrative substitutions and fee provisions contained herein, will ensure consistency and coordinated fire protection standards between the City and County, facilitate enforcement by the Riverside County Fire Department / Cal Fire, and promote public safety; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed and hereby adopts the “Findings and Justifications for Amendments to the 2025 California Fire Code and California WildlandUrban Interface Code,” attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by reference, as required by Health & Safety Code Sections 17958.5 through 17958.7 and 18941.5; and
WHEREAS, copies of Riverside County Ordinance No. 787.11, the 2025 California Fire Code, and the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code have been on file with Ordinance No. 25-09
the Office of the City Clerk for at least fifteen (15) days preceding the public hearing on this Ordinance, as required by Government Code Section 50022.6; and WHEREAS, the City Council introduced this Ordinance on October 21, 2025, and held a duly noticed public hearing on November 18, 2025, at which all interested persons were given the opportunity to appear and be heard; and
WHEREAS, all legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Ordinance have occurred.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN JACINTO DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Findings. The City Council adopts the findings set forth in Exhibit “A,” incorporated herein by reference, determining that the local amendments contained in Riverside County Ordinance No. 787.11 are reasonably necessary due to the City’s local climatic, geological, and topographical conditions.
Section 2. Repeal.
Chapter 8.16 of the San Jacinto Municipal Code, entitled “Fire Code,” is hereby repealed in its entirety.
Section 3. Addition of New Chapter.
A new Chapter 8.16, entitled “Fire Code,” is hereby added to the San Jacinto Municipal Code to read in its entirety as follows:
“8.16.010 Adoption of Fire Code.
The City of San Jacinto hereby adopts by reference Riverside County Ordinance No. 787.11, adopting the 2025 Edition of the California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9) and the 2025 Edition of the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Title 24, Part 7), including all appendices and amendments thereto, as the Fire Code of the City of San Jacinto, except as modified by this chapter.
8.16.020 Administrative Substitutions.
For purposes of enforcing the Fire Code within the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of San Jacinto:
A. The term “County of Riverside” shall mean the “City of San Jacinto” when referring to the geographic area or governmental jurisdiction in which the Fire Code is enforced, but shall continue to mean the County of Riverside where the context pertains to County-level administration, fee establishment, or regional authority.
Ordinance No. 25-09
B. The term “Board of Supervisors” shall mean the “City Council” when referring to legislative or administrative actions taken by the City under this chapter, but shall continue to mean the Riverside County Board of Supervisors where the context relates to County-adopted fees, policies, or regulations implemented by the Riverside County Fire Department / Cal Fire.
C. The term “County Fire Chief” shall mean the “Fire Chief of the City of San Jacinto or the Riverside County Fire Department / Cal Fire,” depending on the context of enforcement, administration, or delegation.
D. References to County ordinances governing fees, penalties, or administrative procedures shall be interpreted in accordance with the City’s contract with Riverside County Fire Department / Cal Fire, ensuring consistency with County-adopted standards and fee structures.
8.16.030 Fees.
Fees for plan review, inspection, re-inspection, fire protection system testing, and other services performed under the Fire Code shall be those established and adopted by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and administered by the Riverside County Fire Department / Cal Fire.
Such fees shall be paid directly to the County and shall not be collected or remitted through the City.
8.16.040 Penalties.
Any person violating any provision of the Fire Code as adopted by this chapter shall be subject to the penalties provided in San Jacinto Municipal Code Chapter 1.24.
Such violations are hereby declared to be public nuisances subject to abatement in accordance with applicable law.”
Section 4. CEQA. The City Council finds that this Ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3), because adoption of the 2025 California Building Standards Code and related local amendments will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. This action is a regulatory update mandated by State law and therefore does not constitute a “project” as defined in Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Section 5. Severability. Should any provision, section, paragraph, sentence, or word of this chapter be determined or declared invalid by any final court action in Ordinance No. 25-09
a court of competent jurisdiction or by reason of any preemptive legislation, the remaining provisions, sections, paragraphs, sentences, or words of this chapter shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 6. Publication. The City Clerk shall certify as to the adoption of this Ordinance and shall cause a summary thereof to be published within fifteen (15) days of the adoption and shall post a Certified copy of this Ordinance, including the vote for and against the same, in the Office of the City Clerk, in accordance with Government Code Section 36933.
Section 7. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in full force on January 1, 2026, concurrent with the effective date of the 2025 California Building Standards Code, as adopted by the State of California.
Introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council on the 21st day of October, 2025.
PASSED APPROVED, AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council on the 18th Day of November, 2025, by the following vote.
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
CITY OF SAN JACINTO:
___________________________
by Valerie Vandever, Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________
Julia Espinoza, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP
__________________________
City Attorney
Ordinance No. 25-09
CERTIFICATION
State of California )
County of Riverside) ss
City of San Jacinto)
I, Julia Espinoza, duly appointed City Clerk of the City of San Jacinto, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 25-09 was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of San Jacinto on the 21st day of October 2025. Ordinance No. 25-09 was passed, approved, and adopted by the City Council of the City of San Jacinto, California, at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the 18th day of November 2025:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
WITNESS MY HAND AND SEAL the 18th day of November 2025. _____________________________
Julia Espinoza, City Clerk
City of San Jacinto