City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: August 6, 2024
From: Daniel S. Wall, P.E., Director of Public Works
Department: Public Works
Submitted by: Cynthia Cano, Administrative Secretary
Subject
Adoption of California Fire Code Reference
Recommendation
A. Find that the proposed action is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, because it is general policy and procedure-making activity that is unrelated to any specific project, which must undergo separate CEQA review, and that will not result in direct physical changes or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical changes in the environment, and therefore does not constitute a “project” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378; and B. Conduct second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 1303 amending Title 8, Health and Safety, to adopt the 2022 California Fire Code by reference.
Background
Every three years, the California State Fire Marshal’s Code Development and Analysis Division carefully evaluates California’s fire and life safety regulations for relevance, necessity, conflicts, and duplication. This division also formulates the state’s fire and life safety regulations and buildings standards, which are then submitted for approval by the California Building Standards Commission. In previous cycles, the City has adopted amended state adopted codes and submitted those amendments to the state adopted along with justification for those amendments.
In the past, these amendments provided our businesses with a competitive advantage, but this is no longer the case. Today, the state-adopted fire codes serve as the comprehensive standard for the design and construction community and are relied upon by the insurance industry to minimize the loss of life and property.
The insurance Services Office (ISO) classifies fire departments and municipal building departments. These ratings are used by insurers to establish rates. Vernon is protected by a Class 2 Fire Department and a Class 2 Building Department. Nationally less than 2% of building departments are rated Class 1 of Class 2 by the ISO. One of the areas the Public Works’ Building Department can improve in its rating to Class 1 is by adopting State Codes without amendment.
Accordingly, Ordinance No. 1303 amends Title 8 (Health and Safety) of the Vernon Municipal Code to adopt the State Fire Code without amendment.
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 50022.3, the public hearing notice was published in the Los Angeles Wave (Huntington Park Bulletin) on July 18 and July 25, 2024.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Attachments
1. Ordinance No. 1303
2. Public Hearing Notice