06.03 State Building Code - Laserfiche WebLink

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PEQUOT LAKES FIRE DEPARTMENT 4. , i f` 4638 County Road 11 r ` uar � , Pequot Lakes, MN 56472 „ 7 (218) 568-8201 Fax (218) 568-7672 pequotfdapequotlakes-mn.gov "This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer" TO: Pequot Lakes Mayor and City Council FROM: Tom Nelson, Chief DATE: February 28, 2017 RE: Building Codes/ Building Official I am in full support of the City of Pequot Lakes adopting the State Building Code. By adopting the State Building Code, this would help ensure the safety of the citizens of Pequot Lakes and members of the Pequot Lakes Fire Department. It is proven that communities with a building official and the State Building Code in place have a higher valuation than communities that don't. It is a benefit to the City to move in this direction. The cost to the city for a building official would be minimal (little to no cost). The permit fees cover the costs of the inspections. The City would work out an agreement with the building official and charge the permit fees accordingly. The City can set the fees to a reasonable rate by adopting an older fee schedule. Yes, you would need to get a permit to change a water heater, but the fee could be minimal, and it would ensure that the person that"Mrs. Smith" has install the water heater does so correctly and does not end up killing her due to carbon monoxide poisoning or worse yet, blowing up the house because they didn't connect it correctly. Contractors have stated they would rather work in a city that follows building codes so when they bid on a job, everyone is bidding equally, knowing that it has to be built to code and the same rules apply to everyone. Cities without building codes/building officials have contractors who can underbid because there is no one checking to see what is actually being done. Are they installing the drywall on the underside of stairs as a fire barrier? Are they ensuring that there is a fire barrier between the house and the attached garage? When you are purchasing a home, don't you want to know it was built correctly and that you and your family will be safe? Pequot Lakes is already charging for permits, but does little to ensure that codes are being followed. We have had several situations in Pequot Lakes where additions were done, permits were obtained, and the final product is not up to code. This puts citizens in danger. Do you really want to wait for a tragedy to happen and realize that perhaps we should have had a building official and building codes to follow? Please consider doing something before that happens. Our firefighters put their lives on the line when they respond to every call. Having to worry if the home is built to code should not be something that we worry about. If you have any questions please let me know. Thank you, Tom Nelson, Chief