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[Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure Committee on August 24, 2023.]
NAME IS DAVID ROBINSON.I'M CHAIR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, TTI COMMITTEE.
THAT'S TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
IT IS THURSDAY, AUGUST 24TH, 2023.
IT'S 2:00 PM AND I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THOSE OF YOU TO THE CHAMBER AND ONLINE TO THIS SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE HOUSTON TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE.
AS MENTIONED, MY NAME'S DAVID ROBINSON.
I CHAIR THIS MEETING AND I'D LIKE TO, UH, BEGIN BY THANKING ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF FOR BEING HERE IN PERSON AND ONLINE TO INTEND THIS IMPORTANT MEETING.
UH, AND WITH THAT, I'D LOVE TO RECOGNIZE THE VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER SALLY ALCORN FROM THE AT LARGE POSITION FIVE.
WE'RE JOINED IN COUNCIL, UH, IN PERSON BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MIKE KNOX, UH, AT LARGE POSITION ONE LIVE AND IN PERSON.
UH, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, THE DISTRICT C COUNCIL PERSON, MY COUNCIL PERSON, AND, UH, ALSO ONLINE.
AND WITH US IN CHAMBER, WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, DR. CAROLYN EVANS SHABAZZ FROM THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION, DISTRICT D.
WE HAVE, UH, STAFF, UH, VIRTUALLY WITH US FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MARY ANNE HUFFMAN FROM DISTRICT G.
WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EDWARD POLLARD FROM THE DISTRICT, GJ, EXCUSE ME.
AND THAT'S OUR CHIEF OF STAFF.
PAUL, GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US AS WELL AS CHIEF OF STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS IN DISTRICT.
I ALSO WITH US VIRTUALLY AND ONLINE IS STAFF FROM VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM.
WITH THAT, AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY FOR THIS SPECIALLY CALLED MEETING.
IT IS THE HOUSTON CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION, THE 2021 BUILDING CODE ADOPTION.
I'D LIKE TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT DUE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS RELATED TO COVID-19, THIS MEETING WILL OFFER THE OPTIONS TO PARTICIPATE VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE OR IN PERSON.
THE LOCATION FOR THE COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HERE AT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THAT'S 9 0 1 BAGBY SECOND FLOOR, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 0 2.
THE MEETING WILL HAPPEN, UH, TO, AND THE PUBLIC RESTRICTIONS REGARDING MASKS, ALLOWABLE ROOM CAPACITY AND SEATING ARRANGEMENTS, UH, MAY BE IN PLACE.
THE DESIGNATED PRESIDING OFFICER, THAT'S ME FOR THE COMMITTEE IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN THE CHAMBER AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 5 51 0.1 27 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE APPLICABLE TO A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT EXTENDS INTO THREE OR MORE COUNTIES.
ALL OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE THE OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. AND THEREFORE, HAVING SAID THAT IN OUR PERFUNCTORY NOTES, UH, I WOULD WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR PRESENTING, UH, BODY FROM THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND IN PARTICULAR FROM THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
WE ARE JOINED IN CHAMBERS BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE GONNA TURN DIRECTLY TO THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND, UH, FOR HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
THAT'S CHRIS BUTLER AND THE BUILDING OFFICIAL FOR THE CITY OF FI, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
MR. BYRON KING, UH, DIRECTOR BUTLER FOR YOU, PLEASE.
MADAM VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS.
WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD AND PLEASED TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY TO PROVIDE A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION PROJECT AND PRESENT THE PROPOSED 2021 HOUSTON CONSTRUCTION CODES.
THE PROPOSED 2021 CONSTRUCTION CODE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN HELPING HOUSTONIANS STAY SAFE FROM EVERYDAY DISASTERS SUCH AS FIRES, BUT ALSO PROTECT US FROM THE EXTREME WEATHER PATTERNS SUCH AS HURRICANES, FLOODING, STRONG WINDS, AND EXTREME HEAT AND COLD.
IN ALL OF OUR HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTATIONS, WE LIKE TO BEGIN THOSE WITH OUR PURPOSE.
AND IN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, OUR PURPOSE IS TOGETHER WE CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR HOUSTON TO THRIVE.
WE ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH OUR FIVE TO THRIVE VALUES, WHICH ARE RESPECT, OWNERSHIP, COMMUNICATION, INTEGRITY, AND TEAMWORK.
IN OUR PRESENTATION TO THE TTI COMMITTEE ON JULY 13TH, WE PRESENTED THE IMPORTANCE AND NEED FOR BUILDING CODES BY STAYING CURRENT IN OUR BUILDING CODES.
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CITIZENS PROTECT THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES WHILE PROVIDING SAFETY AND GREATER ECONOMIC SECURITY.OUR MISSION FOR HOUSTON'S 2021 CONSTRUCTION CODE IS TO ADOPT THE 2021 BASE CODE ADDITIONS AND WHEN ACCEPTING PROPOSED BUILDING CODE AMENDMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THESE AMENDMENTS HELP STRENGTHEN AND ENSURE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY IN HOUSTON, THAT THEY DO NOT REDUCE THE FIRE OR LIFE SAFETY PROVISIONS, THAT THEY COMPLY WITH THE INTENT OF THE CODE AND QUALITY, STRENGTH, EFFECTIVENESS, FIRE RESISTANCE, DURABILITY, AND SAFETY, AND THAT THEY COMPLY WITH ANY FEDERAL AND STATE LAW.
SO HERE'S A LOOK AT THE PROCESS THUS FAR IN ALL OF OUR SUCCESS.
TO DATE, THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION PROJECT BEGAN IN JUNE OF 2022, AND WITH SUPPORT OF OUR CONSULTANT JENSEN AND HUGHES, WE COMPLETED THE CODE ANALYSIS OF COMPARING 11 BUILDING CODES FROM 2015 AND 2018 AND INCLUDING ALL OF THE EXISTING HOUSTON AMENDMENTS TO THE 2021 BASE CODE EDITIONS.
THE CODES WERE THEN GROUPED INTO FOUR TASK GROUPS THAT REVIEWED THE CODES BY CATEGORY.
WE HAD TASK FORCE GROUP ONE, WHICH WAS FOR COMMERCIAL TASK FORCE GROUP TWO, RESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE GROUP THREE, ENERGY AND TASK FORCE GROUP FOUR, WHICH WAS MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING.
SINCE DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, 32 CITY STAFF MEMBERS WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH 42 COMMUNITY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS IN ONE OF FOUR TASK FORCE GROUPS FOR SIX MONTHS, BEGINNING IN JANUARY AND GOING THROUGH JUNE, EACH TASK FORCE GROUP REVIEWED ALL NEW PROPOSED AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE CCM WEBSITE.
ALL AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING ANY NEWLY APPROVED AMENDMENTS BY EACH TASK FORCE GROUP WAS POSTED ONLINE ALLOWING THE PUBLIC A MINIMUM OF 30 DAYS PER CODE FOR REVIEW.
AND AFTER SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS, A MINIMUM OF MORE THAN 60 DAYS PER CODE WAS OFFERED FOR PUBLIC FEEDBACK.
AFTER A TASK FORCE GROUP APPROVED AN AMENDMENT, THE PROPOSAL MOVED TO ANOTHER LEVEL FOR CONSIDERATION THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION COMMITTEE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CCMC, AND MR. KING WILL BE REFERRING TO THE COMMITTEE THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION.
THE CCMC CONSISTS OF ALMOST 200 COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS REPRESENTING MORE THAN 50 CONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS, DESIGN PROFESSIONALS, SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES, AND OTHERS CONCERNED WITH HOUSTON'S BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
THE CCMC THEN DISCUSSED AND PROVIDED TO THE CITY THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO EITHER APPROVE OR DENY A PROPOSED AMENDMENT FOR A PERIOD OF SEVEN MONTHS.
BETWEEN NOVEMBER, 2022 AND JUNE, 2020 THREE, ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SIX AMENDMENTS WERE RECEIVED FOR CONSIDERATION COMPARED TO 55.
IN OUR PREVIOUS BUILDING CODE ADOPTION PROCESS, 46 AMENDMENT PROPOSALS WERE APPROVED VERSUS 15 IN OUR PREVIOUS CODE CYCLE.
THE REMAINDER OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WERE NOT APPROVED WERE EITHER WITHDRAWN OR DENIED AS THEY FELL BELOW.
BASE CODE PROPONENTS WERE ALLOWED TO GO THROUGH AN APPEAL PROCESS IF THEIR AMENDMENT PROPOSAL WAS DENIED BY A TASK FORCE.
WE HAD FOUR APPEALS AND THROUGH THE RESOLUTION PROCESS, THREE WERE APPROVED BY THE CC CM.
MORE THAN 5,000 HOURS WERE DEDICATED TO THE CODE ANALYSIS AND JUST UNDER 4,000 HOURS FOR THE TASK FORCE GROUP, WHICH CONSISTED OF VOLUNTEERS ALONG WITH CITY STAFF WHO REVIEWED ALL THE SUBMITTED AMENDMENT PROPOSALS.
AFTER THE CCMC VOTED FOR A FINAL APPROVAL, THE CODES WERE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
FOR REVIEW, TODAY, WE WILL PRESENT TO CITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, THE PROPOSED HOUSTON 2021 HOUSTON CODES.
UPON APPROVAL OF THIS COMMITTEE, THE STAFF WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO DIRECTOR HADDOCK, WHO WILL THEN PRESENT THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE ADMINISTRATION ON HOW WE SHALL PROCEED.
THE TARGET DATE FOR CITY COUNCIL ADOPTION IS OCTOBER OF 2023 WITH THE REQUESTED EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY OF 2024.
SO THESE ARE THE BUILDING CODES THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY.
THESE ARE THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE 2021 INTERNATIONAL EXISTING BUILDING CODE 2021 INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE 2021
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INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE 2021 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING POOL AND SPA CODE 2021 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE 2021 UNIFORM MECHANICAL CODE 2021 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE AND THE 2023 NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE.AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT TO MR. BYRON KING, CITY OF HOUSTON BUILDING OFFICIAL TO GO INTO FURTHER DETAIL.
IF I COULD TAKE JUST A MOMENT, I'D LIKE TO ALSO MENTION THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER.
HER STAFF IS ONLINE VIRTUALLY, AND UM, I BELIEVE THAT IS THE UPDATES FOR THAT.
AND WE MENTIONED DR. EVANS SHABAZZ.
AND WITH PROTOCOL BEING ESTABLISHED, UH, LET'S REVIEW THE MAJOR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT ARE BEING INTRODUCED AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AS PART OF THE 2021 BUILDING CODES.
WHAT, WHAT CAN OF WORK YOU NEED NOW,
OKAY, FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, HERE ARE JUST A FEW SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE BASE CODE.
THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE HAS ADDED A NEW TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR MASS AND HEAVY TIMBER BUILDINGS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR BUILDERS AND DESIGNERS.
THERE'S BEEN AN UPDATE TO THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS OF ATRIUMS, WHICH IS ALLOWING FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY INTO THE DESIGN.
UH, THREE SHIPPING OR INTERMODAL CONTAINERS CAN NOW BE USED AS BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES WHEN CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE.
AND THE LAST ONE IS NEW UPDATES TO IMPACT PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS IN WINDBORN DEBRIS REGIONS.
THAT WILL BE BETTER, UH, BETTER PROTECTION FOR CITIES LIKE HOUSTON THAT ARE LOCATED IN OUR TYPE OF REGION.
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE, WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING SEVERAL BASE CODE CHANGES THAT WILL PROVIDE GREATER LIFE SAFETY MEASURES.
FIRE COMMAND CENTERS WILL NOW BE REQUIRED IN F1 AND S ONE IES THAT ARE OVER 500,000 SQUARE FEET.
NOW THIS WILL AID FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS AT LARGE WAREHOUSE BUILDINGS.
THE NEXT ONE IS NEW PROVISIONS ADDED FOR CLOSED DRYER EXHAUST MAINTENANCE TO ENSURE TRAPS AND DUCTS ARE CLEANED AND PROP, UH, PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
MANUAL FILE ALARMS ARE NOW REQUIRED IN PUBLIC STORAGE AND SELF STORAGE FACILITIES THAT ARE THREE STORIES OR MORE.
AND THE LAST ONE IS NEW PROVISIONS FOR PORTABLE GENERATORS THAT WILL REGULATE AND ENSURE SAFETY ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED.
AS WE LOOK AT THE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE, SEVERAL MAJOR, UH, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES INCLUDE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EMERGENCY ESCAPE AND RESCUE OPENINGS, PROVIDING UP-TO-DATE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS IMPORTANT FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY FEATURE.
NEW PROVISIONS THAT WILL REQUIRE EXTERIOR GUARDS ON DECKS TO PROVIDE A FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST SIGNIFICANT FALLS.
AND SIMILAR TO THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, SHIPPING CONTAINERS CAN BE USED IN RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS AS LONG AS THEY COMPLY WITH THE SHIPPING CONTAINER REQUIREMENTS LOCATED IN THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE.
IN TASK FORCE GROUP TWO, WE WERE PLEASED TO BE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OR GHBA, AS WELL AS SEVERAL AFFORDABLE HOME ADVOCATES, INCLUDING HOUSTON HOUSING COLLABORATIVE HOUSTON HABITAT, AND NEW HOPE HOUSING TO REVIEW ALL SUBMITTED RESIDENTIAL AMENDMENT CODE PROPOSALS.
WHILE THERE AREN'T ANY SPECIFIC SIGNIFICANT BUILDING CODE AMENDMENT CHANGES TO ADDRESS, OTHER THAN THE MANY ENERGY CONSERVATION CODES THAT CAN HELP HOMEOWNERS SAVE MONEY FOR THE LIFE OF THE HOME, WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TO THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COST SAVINGS FOR HOMES THAT ARE 1800 SQUARE FEET OR LESS.
BY PROVIDING REDUCED PERMIT FEES, THE 50% DISCOUNT ON PERMIT FEES RESULTS IN SAVINGS OF AROUND $543.
IN 2022, WE PROVIDED 1,392 HOMES WITH THIS DISCOUNT.
AND IN 2023 YEAR TO DATE, 1,185 HOMES HAVE RECEIVED THIS BENEFIT.
APPROXIMATELY 40% OF US ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS FROM RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS USED WITH 22% AS RESIDENTIAL AND 18%.
COMMERCIAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODES ARE ONE OF THE EFFECTIVE TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX FOR REDUCING ENERGY USE AND EMISSIONS FROM NEW BUILDINGS.
ENERGY CODES ALSO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN AN EQUITABLE ENERGY EFFICIENT ECONOMY AS THEY SET THE MINIMUM STANDARD THAT ALL BUILDINGS MUST MEET, ENSURING THAT NO HOUSEHOLD
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A BUSINESS IN A NEW BUILDING IS LEFT WITH COSTLY HIGH ENERGY BILLS.AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE RESOURCE SCARCITY AND FACE THE INCREASING DANGERS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THIS BIG PIECE OF THE PIE, WHICH IS 40% OF THE US ENERGY CONS CONSUMPTION.
WE ARE EXTREMELY PLEASED TO PROPOSE THE ADOPTION OF THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE OR IECC, BOTH DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SUPPORTED NATIONAL LABORATORY AND THE ENERGY SYSTEMS LABORATORY AT TEXAS A M HAVE CONDUCTED ANALYSIS AND FOUND THAT ADOPTION OF THE 2021 ENERGY CODES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT THAN THE 2015 AND THE 2018 CODES.
SOME OF THE ENERGY CONSERVATION CHANGES WORTH NOTING IN THE 2021 IECC INCLUDE THE, THE AVERAGE SAVINGS FOR A NEW HOME BUILT IN TEXAS UNDER THIS CODE WILL SAVE 8.9% ANNUALLY, ABOUT $179 PER YEAR.
WHILE THE DOWN PAYMENT COSTS WILL INCREASE BY $161 AND THE ANNUAL MORTGAGE ABOUT $26, IT WILL TAKE LESS THAN TWO YEARS FOR A POSITIVE CASH FLOW.
LIGHTING CONTROL REQUIREMENTS THAT RECOGNIZE PARKING GARAGES NEED TO BE PROVIDED WITH EITHER OCCUPANT SENSORS OR TIME SWITCH CONTROLS TO ENSURE ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
THERE'S NEW ENERGY MONITORING REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WITH THE CONDITION FLOOR AREA, AREA OF 25,000 SQUARE FEET OR GREATER.
THIS CHANGE IS TO MEASURE AND RETAIN THE INTENDED ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF A BUILDING.
THE 2021 IECC ALSO PROVIDES ADDITIONAL EFFICIENCY PACKAGE OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION TO PROVIDE EVEN MORE PATHS TO ACHIEVE ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS.
HOUSTON CURRENTLY FOLLOWS THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL OFFICIALS, WHICH IS AMO CODES, AND WE PROPOSE TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR 2021 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE.
HERE WE HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES, UPDATES TO THE FUEL, GAS AND MEDICAL GAS PROVISIONS OF THE BASE CODE, INCLUDING REORDERING OF MEDICAL GAS CATEGORIES FOR EASE OF USE.
TWO NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR LEAK DETECTION AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICES.
THREE, THERE ARE ALSO NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR TEMPERATURE LIMITING DEVICES AND THERE ARE NEW STANDARDS AND PROVISIONS FOR DRAIN WASTE AND VENT PIPING.
HOUSTON ALSO CURRENTLY FOLLOWS THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL OFFICERS OFFICIALS MECHANICAL CODE AND WE PROPOSE TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR 2021 UNIFORM MECHANICAL CODE.
WE HIGHLIGHT HERE SOME OF THE NOTEWORTHY CHANGES, ONE NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR VENTILATION IN RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCIES AND TRANSIENT AND NON-TRANSIENT OCCUPANCIES, NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS INCLUDING PRESSURE LIMITING DEVICES AND HYDROSTATIC EXPANSION.
THREE NEW PROVISIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS, WHICH IS CNG FUELING STATIONS.
AND LASTLY, THERE IS ALSO NEW FIRE EXTINGUISHING AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR EXHAUST SYSTEMS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
FOR THE 2023 NATIONAL ELECTRIC ELECTRICAL CODE, THERE ARE THREE SIGNIFICANT UPDATES.
THERE'S BEEN UPDATES TO GFCI AND A FCI PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS.
THE GFCI PROTECTION HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO OVENS AND DRYERS AND A FCI PROTECTION IS NOW REQUIRED IN SLEEPING QUARTERS OF SUCH DWELLINGS AS POLICE, FIRE AND RANGER STATIONS.
TWO UPDATES TO THE KITCHEN ISLAND SLASH PENINSULA PROVISIONS TO REMOVE OVERBURDENSOME RECEPTACLE REQUIREMENTS.
AND THREE, A NEW ARTICLE IN THE NEC WILL ADDRESS CLASS ONE POWER LIMITED CIRCUITS AND CLASS ONE POWER LIMITED REMOTE CONTROL AND SIGNALING CIRCUITS FURTHERING THE NEC SHIFT TO ADDRESSING LOW VOLTAGE AND LIMITED POWER APPLICATIONS.
ONE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO DISCUSS IS A PROPOSAL TO EXEMPT CLASS TWO AND THREE WIRING FROM PERMITTING IN HOUSTON, INCLUDING POWER LIMITING APPLICATIONS.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON CURRENTLY PROVIDES EXEMPTIONS FROM PERMIT FOR WIRING RELATED TO SOUND EQUIPMENT, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS, THERMOSTATS AND BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS. FOUR MAJOR REASONS FOR REJECTING THIS PROPOSAL WERE, AS SUCH, THE AMENDMENT PROPOSAL FALLS BELOW BASE CODES AND WOULD REDUCE RE AND COULD REDUCE LIFE SAFETY.
ONE OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES DICTATED BY OUR DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR HADDOCK AND NOTED ON EVERY AMENDMENT PROPOSAL APPLICATION IS TO ENSURE HOUSTONIANS HAVE SAFE BUILDING CODES.
POE PROPOSALS WOULD PROHIBIT THE CITY FROM ENFORCEMENT
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OF THE STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS AND THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE.THE TEXAS ELECTRICAL AND SAFETY LICENSEE ACT DOES NOT REPEAT, DOES NOT EXEMPT CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING FROM PERMIT OR CODE REQUIREMENTS, THEREFORE, THEY SHOULDN'T BE EXEMPT IN HOUSTON.
AND LASTLY, FINALLY, THE LOW VOLTAGE ISSUE IS ONE THAT CAN ONLY BE ADDRESSED AT THE STATE LEVEL SINCE IT'S A STATE TEXAS STATE LAW THAT CREATES THE CONFUSION SLASH INCONSISTENCIES IN THE REQUIREMENTS.
IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT THE HOUSTON AMENDMENTS TO THE NEC CURRENTLY HAS EXEMPTIONS THAT RELATE TO LOW VOLTAGE AND POE APPLICATIONS.
AS SEEN ON THE SLIDE, ELECTRICAL WIRING DEVICES AND EQUIPMENT OPERATING AT LESS THAN 50 VOLTS AND NOT MORE THAN 50 VOLT WATTS IS EXEMPT FROM PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, SOUND EQUIPMENT, TELEPHONE SYSTEMS, THERMOSTAT WIRING AND BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS CONFIGURED WITH LOW VOLTAGE WIRING ARE ALSO EXEMPT FROM PERMIT.
ANY FURTHER EXEMPTIONS TO LOW VOLTAGE SLASH POE WIRING BEYOND WHAT'S CURRENTLY ALLOWED, COULD MOST ASSURE, UH, MOST ASSUREDLY REDUCE THE LIFE SAFETY IN BUILDINGS WITH THAT TYPE OF WIRING.
ONE ITEM THAT WE KNOW EVERYONE WILL BE INTERESTED IN IS HOW WILL GRANDFATHERING PROJECTS WORK WITH THE 2021 CODE UPDATE.
THANKFULLY, THE PROCESS WON'T CHANGE FROM HOW IT'S CURRENTLY BEING ENFORCED WITHOUT 2015 HOUSTON CONSTRUCTION CODE ONLY PROJECTS SUBMITTED AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE 2021 CONSTRUCTION CODE WOULD NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE 2021 ADDITIONS OF THE CODES PROJECTS CAN CONTINUE TO BE GRANDFATHERED UNDER THE 2015 CONSTRUCTION CODE AS LONG AS AN APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT WAS SUBMITTED BEFORE THE 2021 CONSTRUCTION CODE CONSTRUCTION CODE EFFECTIVE DATE.
NOW LET'S REVIEW THE MAJOR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WERE INTRODUCED THROUGH PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AS PART OF THE 2021 CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION PROJECT.
HERE WE HAVE 10 MAJOR AMENDMENT CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AFTER WORKING WITH COMMUNITY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO PROVIDE PROGRESSIVE AND FORWARD THINKING APPROACHES TO THE CITY'S CONSTRUCTION CODE.
WHILE WE ARE PROPOSING TO ADOPT THE 2021 BUILDING CODES, WE HAVE AGGRESSIVELY LOOKED, LOOKED AHEAD AT THE 2024 BUILDING CODES TO INCLUDE UP-TO-DATE REQUIREMENTS.
WE BELIEVE HOUSTONIANS WILL BENEFIT FROM.
IN A BREAKOUT COMMITTEE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE HOUSTON WATER DEPARTMENT AND OTHER KEY STAFF CITY STAFF WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE SOCIETY OF FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERS, THE AMERICAN FIRE SPRINKLER ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION, AND THE NATIONAL FIRE SPRINKLER ASSOCIATION.
TO DRAFT AN AMENDMENT TO HOUSTON'S HISTORIC BREAK TANK RE REQUIREMENTS TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS N-F-P-N-F-P-A STANDARDS.
THIS NEW AMENDMENT WILL REMOVE THE MANDATORY BREAK TANK RE, UH, BREAK TANK REQUIREMENT AND WILL INSTEAD REQUIRE HYDRAULIC CALCULATIONS BE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE ANY POTENTIAL NEEDS FOR A SYSTEM.
THIS WILL HELP ENSURE THAT AN ADEQUATE SYSTEM IS PROVIDED ONLY WHEN NEEDED AND WILL REDUCE ANY UNNECESSARY SYSTEMS AND POTENTIAL ISSUES AFFECTING WATER SUPPLY DURING FIRE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS.
FROM THE FIRST DECORATIVE FOUNTAIN IN PHILADELPHIA IN 1809, DRINKING FOUNTAINS HAVE CHANGED THROUGHOUT TIME AND WITH OUR NEW HOUSTON AMENDMENT, THEY CONTINUE TO EVOLVE EARLY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUILDING CODES, WATER FOUNTAINS WERE ADDED AS A REGULATION ENSURING EVERYONE HAD ACCESS TO PUBLIC WATER.
TODAY WE HAVE ACCESS TO WATER ALMOST EVERYWHERE WE VISIT, INCLUDING ACCESS TO BOTTLED WATER, ACCESS TO WATER IN PUBLIC SPACES, ACCESS TO WATER AT RESTAURANTS AND OFFICE AND RETAIL WATER DISPENSERS FOR THESE REASONS.
IN ADDITION TO THE AFTER EFFECTS OF COVID, THE NEED FOR WATER FOUNTAINS THAT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS HAS SHIFTED, THE BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION BOMA REQUESTED THIS CHANGE IN THE CITY.
IN WORKING THROUGH THE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE CAME UP WITH AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH ACCESS TO WATER WHILE BEING CONSCIOUS OF THE COST INVOLVED FOR DEVELOPERS AND THE BUILDERS.
THIS WILL REMOVE OUTDATED FOUNTAIN EXCEPTIONS.
IT WILL INCORPORATE 2021, UH, PLUMBING CODE LANGUAGE FOR FOUNTAINS, ALLOWS FOR A WIDER RANGE OF SUBSTITUTIONS, AND THE NEW AMENDMENT WILL ALLOW SUBSTITUTION OF 50% OF DRINKING FOUNTAINS WITH OTHER
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WATER DISPENSING METHODS.AFTER MANY DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN A TASK FORCE GROUP RESOLUTION COMMITTEE AND THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION COMMITTEE, THE WATER QUALITIES ASSOCIATION PROPOSAL TO REMOVE MANDATORY DOUBLECHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL WATER TREATMENT UNITS WAS APPROVED.
THIS CHANGE WILL BE MORE IN LINE WITH THE BASE CODE REQUIREMENTS AND WILL REDUCE EXPENSES FOR HOUSTON RESIDENTS MOVING FORWARD.
THIS UPDATE WILL ONLY REQUIRE DOUBLECHECK VALVES FOR COMMERCIAL WATER TREATMENT UNITS.
NOW, HERE ARE TWO MOMENTOUS CHANGES THAT WILL IMPACT BOTH PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL.
THE TWO HISTORIC HOUSTON AMENDMENTS THAT PROHIBITED UNVENDED ROOM HEATERS AND NON-LIQUID SATURATED TREATMENT SYSTEMS. OR AS ALL OF US KNOW, COMPOSTING TOILETS WILL BE REMOVED IN THE 2021 CODE UPDATE TO ALLOW FOR THESE TYPES OF APPLIANCES.
THE CHANGES WILL OCCUR IN THE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE, BUT WILL ALSO BE REFLECTED IN THE UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE AND MECHANICAL CODE RESPECTIVELY.
COMPOSTING TOILETS WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE NSL 41 PER THE BASE CODE AMENDMENTS REQUIREMENTS, EXCUSE ME, UNVENDED ROOM HEATERS WILL NEED TO BE LISTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANSY Z 21 AND WILL NEED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS LOCATED IN THE BASE CODE.
ANOTHER MAJOR, ANOTHER MAJOR CHANGE THAT'S COMING TO THE 2021 HOUSTON MECHANICAL CODE IS THE A TWO L REFRIGERANT UPDATE.
THIS CHANGE WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED DURING THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT PROCESS AND WAS THEN REVISED WITH I ATMOS SUPPORT IN RECEIVING A COPY OF THE 2024 UNIFORM MECHANICAL CODE.
THE CHANGE WILL BRING THE 2024 UNIFORM MECHANICAL BASE CODE PROVISIONS FOR A TWO L REFRIGERANTS IN CHAPTER 11 TO THE 2021 HOUSTON MECHANICAL CODE AS AN AMENDMENT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE UP-TO-DATE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOW A TWO L REFRIGERANTS WILL BE COVERED WHEN PROVIDING, UH, FOR HUMAN COMFORT.
IN ADDITION TO THIS CHANGE, ASHRAY STANDARDS 15 AND 34 WILL BE ALSO UPDATED TO THEIR MOST CURRENT ADDITIONS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE THE 2022 EDITIONS.
THIS CHANGE WILL HELP ALSO HELP ENSURE WE STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH TEXAS STATE LAW CONCERNING SUBSTITUTE REFRIGERANTS.
IN WORKING WITH THE US GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, THE SOUTH CENTRAL PARTNERSHIP FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AS A RESOURCE OR SPEAR, THE SIERRA CLUB AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED SUSTAINABILITY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND RESILIENCY, WE MADE HEADWAY IN REVIEWING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE 21 BUILDING CODES 2021 BUILDING CODES IN CONCERN FOR ANTICIPATED INCREASED DEMANDS ON THE TEXAS POWER GRID TASK FORCE.
GROUP THREE ON ENERGY CONSERVATION DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE ADOPTION OF THE MANDATORY SOLAR READY APPENDIX FOR RESIDENTIAL.
THIS APPENDIX PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON THE PREPARING A HOME FOR SOLAR READINESS FOR HOMEOWNERS SO THE HOUSE CAN BE EASILY EQUIPPED WITH SOLAR POWER.
IN EVENT THE HOMEOWNER CHOOSES TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS.
NEW TO THIS CODE CYCLE IS THE ADOPTION OF THE COMMERCIAL SOLAR READY APPENDIX.
THIS APPENDIX WILL BE OPTIONAL AND IS NOT MANDATORY, AND IT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS WISHING TO UTILIZE SOLAR POWER IN THE FUTURE.
THE CCMC AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON RECOGNIZES THE GROWING POPULARITY AND INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES EV WITH PROJECTIONS SUGGESTING THAT WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, 50% OF ALL NEW VEHICLES WILL BE ELECTRIC.
BOTH COMMERCIAL BUILDING OWNERS AND RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNERS WANT EVS CHARGING STATIONS IN THEIR BUILDINGS PRIOR ADDITIONS.
AND THE 2021 EDITION OF THE CODES DID NOT INCLUDE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO INSTALL THESE EV CHARGING STATIONS.
THESE NEW AMENDMENTS BROUGHT FORTH BASED ON PROPOSALS TO THE 2024 EDITION OF THE IECC WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON PROPER INSTALLATION, ELECTRIC HAZARD SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND PROPER LOCATIONS FOR EV CHARGING STATIONS.
BOTH THE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL EV READY APPENDICES WILL BE OPTIONAL AND ARE INTENDED TO BE USED AS GUIDELINE FOR FUTURE EV INSTALLS.
SINCE 1980, THE GREATER HOUSTON REGION HAS FACED 26 FEDERALLY DE DECLARED DISASTERS INCLUDING MAJOR RAIN THUNDERSTORM AND OR FLOOD EVENTS.
FIVE HURRICANES, FIVE TROPICAL STORMS, TWO WILDFIRES, A PANDEMIC, A SEVERE WINTER STORM IN FEBRUARY, 2021, AND A HEAT WAVE IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.
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AND AGAIN THIS YEAR IN 2023.OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS, HOUSTON CAN EXPECT MORE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND HIGHER UTILITY RATES THAT WILL IMPACT HOW NEW BUILDINGS ARE DESIGNED.
OUR MAYOR, MAYOR TURNER, MADE A COMMITMENT TO BUILD A STRONGER HOUSTON ABLE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE BY BUILDING DISASTER RESILIENCY.
TO SUPPORT THAT COMMITMENT, WE HAVE INCLUDED A MOONSHOT AMENDMENT PROPOSAL GOING BEYOND THE 2021 BUILDING CODES.
HOUSTON WOULD BE, EXCUSE ME, GOING BEYOND THE 2021 BUILDING CODES.
HOUSTON WOULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES TO ADOPT THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS OR A SCE 2022 STANDARDS KNOWN AS A SCE SEVEN DASH 22.
TYPICALLY, THE CITY WOULD ADOPT THE A SC SEVEN DASH 2016 THAT COORDINATES WITH THE ICC 2021 CODES.
THE QUESTION YOU ASK IS WHY HAVE WE TAKEN SUCH A MAJOR STEP 2016 PREDATES HURRICANE HARVEY? WHY ADOPT A CODE THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE AVAILABLE TO US? NOW, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREPARE HOUSTONIANS FOR MAJOR EVENTS SUCH AS THE DEVASTATING HURRICANE HOUSTONIANS HOUSTONIANS EXPERIENCE JUST A FEW YEARS AGO IN WORKING A-S-C-A-S-C-E TO REVIEW THE FEASIBILITY OF PIVOTING TO THE 2022 VERSION, ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE ON THE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE SAID, I QUOTE, A SCE SEVEN DASH 22 REPRESENTS BETTER AND MORE RECENTLY GATHERED ENGINEERING ENGINEERING DATA AS ITS BASIS.
IT'S A MODERNIZATION OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEER POINT OF VIEW.
AND TO INCORPORATE IT WOULD BE A POSITIVE MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THEN THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL TOOK THE EXTRA EFFORT ON OUR BEHALF TO SUBMIT OF ALL THE CODE CHANGES THAT COORDINATE THE 2024 IBC SLASH IRC WITH THE NEW A SCE SEVEN 20 TWOS STANDARD.
THE CODES WERE THEN MOST TACTFULLY PREPARED BY SHEILA BLAKE CONSULTING, WHO WAS THE CO PROPONENT FOR FINAL PREPARATION AND THEN SUBMITTED TO JENSEN HUGHES TO CORRELATE WITH THE 2024 I-B-C-I-R-C BUILDING CODES.
WHAT ARE JUST THE FEW OF THE BENEFITS BY ADOPTING A SC SEVEN DASH 22 VERSUS 26 20 16? IT INCLUDES SIX YEAR UPDATES TO WIND AND TORNADO LOADS FOR MORE RESILIENT CONSTRUCTION.
IT IMPROVES ROOF UNDERLAYMENT IN HIGH WIND REGIONS AND WATER INFILTRATION IN HURRICANE PRONE REGIONS, AND IT EXPANDS CERTAIN CATEGORIES TO RISK CATEGORY THREE TO FOUR THAT WILL COVER EMERGENCY CENTERS AND NURSING HOMES THAT TYPICALLY PROVIDE 24 HOUR MEDICAL CARE FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE INCAPABLE OF SELF PRESERVATION.
THIS CHANGE WILL ALSO INCLUDE POWER, WATER, AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES NOT ALREADY INCLUDED IN RISK CATEGORY FOUR.
I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY JUST A FEW OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT WILL COMING WITH THE RECOMMENDED ADOPTION OF THE 2021 BUILDING CODES UPON ADOPTION.
WE WILL BEGIN OFFERING TRAINING WORKSHOPS TO EDUCATE OUR STAFF AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS ON THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM 2015 TO 2021.
AND WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW WHEN SUBMITTING A PERMIT APPLICATION, MORE INFORMATION ON THE TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS WILL BE POSTED SOON ON THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION WEBSITE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE HERE, FOR MORE INFORMATION, GENERAL INFORMATION, YOU CAN EMAIL US AT THE INFO CCM@HOUSTONTX.GOV OR THE UPDATES ON THE C CCM PROJECT AT THE WWW.HOUSTONPERMITTINGCENTER.ORG CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION.
OR YOU CAN CONTACT MYSELF, BYRON KING, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL AT THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS WITH MY EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER, UH, THAT YOU SEE ON HERE.
THANK YOU MR. BUILDING OFFICIAL.
MR. KING, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
MR. BUTLER, UH, DIRECTOR FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO POINT IN A MOMENT TO SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'VE MENTIONED ABOUT MAYOR TURNER AND THE INITIATIVES THAT HE'S BEGUN.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A PRESENTATION THIS MORNING IN THE LEGACY ROOM.
BEFORE I MENTION THAT THOUGH, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE BEEN JOINED IN THE CHAMBER BY FOUR OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM CITY COUNCIL.
THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER CARLOS CISNEROS FROM DISTRICT H.
THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK FROM DISTRICT A, CURRENTLY HER CHIEF OF STAFF IS HERE.
MS. MIRANDA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL AS, UH, CHAIR TIFFANY THOMAS FROM THE WEST SIDE, DISTRICT F HERE IN THE CHAMBER.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE CHIEF OF STAFF, MS. MORENO, FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON
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FROM THE DISTRICT B ON, UH, THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF TOWN.UM, YOU ALL HAVE MENTIONED SOME OF THE INITIATIVES, LET IT NOT BE LOST ON TODAY'S GATHERING.
UH, THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN SEVERE DROUGHT RIGHT NOW, THAT IN FACT WE HAVE ENTERED STAGE TWO OF THE DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN.
AND IN SOME OF THESE EXTREME TIMES, YOU MENTIONED THE RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN, THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
SOME OF THESE THINGS I THINK NEED TO BE REGISTERED WITH US AS WE CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF SOME OF THE CODES, THE OVERLAYING OF SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS, UH, AND THE A SCE SEVEN, UM, PROGRAM THAT YOU MENTIONED TO, UM, OFFICIAL KING.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, I KNOW WE DO HAVE AS MANY AS 32 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY IN CHAMBERS.
WE DO WANT TO GET TO THEM AND I DO BELIEVE WE'RE, WE WILL HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS FROM A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, UM, MR. KING FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, UH, NOT CLARIFICATION, BUT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL THE QUESTIONS I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE ON BEHALF OF, UH, DIRECTOR HADDOCK AND DIRECTOR BUTLER, THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE HERE, THAT I HAVE PUT ALL THESE HOURS IN AND TO, IF THEY COULD STAND UP REAL QUICK, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
OFFICIAL KING, PLEASE, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM FROM THE PERMITTING CENTER.
STAND BACK UP FOR A SECOND HERE.
I THINK YOU'RE ABOUT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED, SO WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
THIS HAS BEEN A PROCESS THAT, UH, OUR MAYOR DEMANDED WOULD, UH, SEEK A HIGHER LEVEL THAN THAT WHICH WE ENGAGED LAST YEAR.
I THINK IT'S BEEN ELECTRIFYING, UH, TO USE A WORD THIS YEAR.
UH, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN EXCELLENT.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF WHAT SOME COULD CALL A LIGHT BULB MOMENT, BUT THIS IS MORE OF A, A VERY PROGRESSIVE LED UH, OFF THE GRID TYPE MOMENT.
WE'RE GONNA PLUG IT IN AND THINK ABOUT WAYS OF, UH, UH, GENERATING ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES HERE IN THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
WE WORK TOWARDS THE TRANSITION THAT SO MUCH SO MANY OF US ARE SPEAKING ABOUT.
UM, BEFORE, UH, WE GET TO PUBLIC COMMENT THOUGH, I WOULD LIKE TO SET THE TABLE HERE WITH COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, AND I'LL TURN TO MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN.
I WAS GONNA START WITH A, UH, A GAS STOVE JOKE ABOUT REGULATING, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO, UH, I REALLY WANNA CONGRATULATE YOU ALL ON, UH, BUILDING OFFICIAL.
YOU RECOGNIZE THE STAFF AND I KNEW THAT THIS WAS GONNA BE ONE OF THE MOST WELL-ATTENDED COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE AT THE CITY BECAUSE OF HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS AND THE HOURS THAT GO IN THE, INTO THIS CHAIR THAT YOUR COMMITTEE AND YOU HAVE SPENT TIME ON, BUT ALSO STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS HERE, UM, BEING REPRESENTED AND ENGAGED.
YOU TALKED ABOUT AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
UM, IF THIS DOES PASS COUNCIL, I MAY HAVE MISSED IT.
WHAT WOULD BE THE POTENTIAL EFFECTIVE DATE? SO WHAT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING WOULD BE THE FIRST BUSINESS DAY OF THE NEW YEAR.
AND, UM, I REALLY WANNA COMMEND THE EV READY, UH, THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS THAT AS WELL AS, UH, THE SEVEN DASH 22 RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THOSE ARE, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THOSE ARE.
I'D BE INTERESTED, AND IT CAN BE OFFLINE KNOWING, UM, AGAIN, WITH THE, UH, WATER FOUNTAINS THAT CAN ALSO HELP, UH, REDUCE WATER USAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I'D LOVE TO KNOW SOME MORE ABOUT WHAT IN TERMS OF, UH, WATER REDUCTION, UM, EFFORTS, WE, WATER CONSERVATION, I SHOULD SAY, EFFORTS, UM, ARE INCLUDED IN THIS.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE NOW IN A DROUGHT AND LEVEL TWO, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE MORE OF THAT.
UM, ONE QUESTION I HAD, I HAD BEEN SPEAKING WITH SOME, UH, ELECTRICAL WORKERS WHO HAD EXPLAINED TO ME THAT WITH THE INSTABILITY OF THE GRID, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXPERTS, SO IF I MESS SOMETHING UP, I KNOW Y'ALL WILL CALL ME OUT ON IT.
UM, BUT WITH THE INSTABILITY OF THE GRID, WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE SURGES.
AND WITH THAT, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF, FOR EXAMPLE, AC UNITS BEING FRIED RIGHT IN THE TECHNOLOGY.
IS THERE PROTECTION INCLUDED IN THESE REGULATIONS THAT HELPS HOMEOWNERS PROTECT AGAINST, UM, THE RISKS THAT ARE COMING WITH THOSE SURGES, THOSE ADDITIONAL COSTS ON THE BACK END AS IT RELATES TO, UM, ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR HOMES AND COMMERCIAL.
SO THAT'S ONE QUESTION RELATED TO SURGE PROTECTION.
UM, AND THEN WITH INSULATION AND COOLING, I KNOW Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT THE OVERLAY AND THE PROTECTION, UM, ON ROOFING FROM SEVERE STORMS, AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT ALSO INCLUDES, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ALL OF OUR ACS ARE BEING TURNED UP RIGHT IN OLDER HOMES, WE'RE GONNA LOSE A LOT OF THAT COOL AIR OR HEAT DURING A WINTER STORM.
[00:40:01]
ANYTHING REGARDING THOSE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL? UH, THERE, AND LASTLY, THIS HAS BEEN, UM, I WOULD SAY AN UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT BRINGING TOGETHER A LOT OF PEOPLE.THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS, A LOT OF COMPROMISES.
WERE THERE ANY AREAS WHERE THINGS JUST STALLED OUT AND WE COULDN'T GET PROGRESS OR WE LEFT OFF THE TABLE THAT WE HAD WANTED TO SEE IN THIS PACKAGE? I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS IN THERE, MR. UH, KING
I KNOW Y'ALL CAN GET BACK TO ME ON THE MORE DETAILED AND NUANCED ONES CORRECT.
I WAS GONNA TELL YOU ON THE FIRST THREE, YES, WE CAN GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT ONE, BUT AS FAR AS ANYTHING THAT WAS LEFT OUT, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
BASED ON THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT WERE, UH, PUT IN ON THIS, UH, EVERYONE THAT PRESENTED SOMETHING, UH, WAS THOROUGHLY VETTED.
SO I DO BELIEVE EVERYTHING WAS FABULOUS.
AND AGAIN, UM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR BUTLER BUILDING OFFICIAL KING, I KNOW WE HAVE OTHER, UH, LEADERSHIP OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING DIRECTOR HADDOCK.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS.
I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN IS THE ONLY COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE, I THINK TO THE POINT OF SUCCINCT, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
UH, THE MAIN PORTION OF THIS, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING.
WE DO WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
AS MENTIONED, WE HAVE 32 MEMBERS, AND FOR THAT REASON, ALL OF THOSE, UH, WHO ARE HERE, WHETHER IN PERSON IN THE CHAMBER OR ONLINE, WE WILL BE OFFERING TWO MINUTES FOR THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF THE LIST FOR EACH SPEAKER, UH, AS THE CHAIR, I MAY GRANT A FEW EXTRA SECONDS, BUT LET'S TRY TO KEEP IT SUCCINCT.
UH, GENTLEMEN, AGAIN, THANKS TO YOU, DIRECTOR HADDOCK TO YOUR WHOLE TEAM, UH, BOTH AT THE PERMITTING CENTER AND BEYOND AT PUBLIC WORKS.
AND WE WILL NOW TURN, UH, TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND STARTING OFF, I'LL ANNOUNCE BOTH THE NEXT SPEAKER AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWING SO WE CAN BE PREPARED TO HANDLE THIS IN DUE ORDER.
AND THIS IS A TEST OF OUR SYSTEM, BUT WE'LL BEGIN VIRTUALLY WITH DARREN REMAN.
UH, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TODAY? MR. REMAN, I, I BELIEVE THAT WE SEE YOU ONLINE.
I'M GONNA TURN TO MY TEAM, BUT IF YOU CAN JOIN US BY UNMUTING, THE FLOOR IS YOURS, DARREN REMAN, ARE YOU THERE? IF SO, PLEASE INDICATE BY SPEAKING OR STAR SIX WITH YOUR PHONE TO SPEAK.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS VIRTUALLY.
LET ME GO NEXT TO DAVID DAVIES, UM, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ROBERT JONES.
AND, UH, CONTACT US IF YOU CAN THROUGH THE CHANNELS, IF YOU ARE ONLINE, BUT WE ARE NOT HEARING FROM YOU, AND WE'RE GONNA WORK OUR BEST TO WORK THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGY.
I'M LOOKING FOR DAVID DAVIES HERE.
HONORABLE CHAIR, CO-CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE TTI COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS DAVID DAVIES, PRESIDENT OF AQUA GENERAL INC.
I REPRESENT THE TEXAS WATER QUALITY ASSOCIATION, A PROFESSIONAL TRADE GROUP OF WATER TREATMENT COMPANIES OPERATING IN HOUSTON AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS.
ON BEHALF OF TWQA, OUR AFFILIATE, THE NATIONAL WATER QUALITY ASSOCIATION AND 29 SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES, WE WANTED TO EXPRESS OUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR THE CCMC APPROVED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 6 0 3 0.2 OF THE 2021 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE REQUIRING COMMERCIAL WATER SOFTENERS TO BE PROTECTED BY A DOUBLE CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY BY SPECIFYING THE USE OF THESE DEVICES.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS IN LINE WITH STANDARD MODEL CODES AND NATIONAL CERTIFICATION STANDARDS AND ALLEVIATES UNDUE REGULATION ON HOUSEHOLDS.
ORDER TREATMENT AND SOFTENING SYSTEMS ARE PIVOTAL IN BENEFITING CITIZENS OF HOUSTON AND ITS ECONOMY.
WHETHER ENJOYING A FLAVORED BEVERAGE, AN ICE COLD BEER, USING HOT WATER, RECEIVING CRITICAL MEDICAL TREATMENTS, OR TAKING VITAL PHARMACEUTICALS, COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS HAVE BENEFITED FROM TREATED, FILTERED, OR SOFTENED WATER.
OUR INDUSTRY IS CRITICAL TO THE LIFE, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ECONOMY OF THIS GREAT CITY.
WE COMMEND MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER, THE STAFFS OF PUBLIC WORKS AND THE PERMITTING DEPARTMENT, AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS
[00:45:01]
INVOLVED FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION COMMITTEE.THIS INCLUSIVE PROCESS ALLOWED STAKEHOLDERS AND SUBJECT EXPERTS TO VOTE ON THE LATEST CONSTRUCTION CODE AMENDMENTS.
WE THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND DEDICATION.
WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS PROCESS AND ARE HAPPY TO OFFER OUR TIME AND EXPERTISE AS A RESOURCE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. DAVIES.
AND FOR THE TEXAS WATER QUALITY ASSOCIATION FOR BEING A PART OF OUR, UH, DISCUSSION LEADING UP TO THIS MOMENT.
UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM ROBERT JONES, WHO I BELIEVE IS IN CHAMBERS.
MR. JONES, IF YOU COULD COME FORWARD, JOIN US AT THE PODIUM, UH, YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY RANDY PLUMLEY.
UH, MR. JONES, I BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE TEXAS GULF COAST CHAPTER OF INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS.
THAT IS, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, UH, UH, BRING THE MIC TO YOU.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
UH, MY NAME IS ROBERT JONES AND I DO REPRESENT THE, UH, TEXAS GULF COAST CHAPTER OF INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS.
I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF WHAT WAS DONE WITH THE, UH, NOT ALLOWING EXEMPTIONS FOR CLASS TWO, CLASS THREE WIRING.
THE, UH, NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE IS AN INSTALLATION STANDARD, AND IT'S THE MOST WIDELY RECOGNIZED STANDARD IN, UH, IN THE WORLD.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE NEC REQUIREMENTS IS BY GOVERNMENT BODIES THAT ARE EXERCISING JURISDICTION OVER ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT, THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE IS MEANINGLESS.
THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES NOT HAVE AN ELECTRICAL INSPECTION DEPARTMENT.
IT DOES NOT INSPECT FOR, UH, COMPLIANCE OF THE NEC DURING CONSTRUCTION.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO PROTECT HOUSTONIANS FROM THE HAZARDS ARISING FROM THE USE OF ELECTRICITY.
DO NOT ALLOW EXEMPTIONS FROM CLASS TWO.
WIRING EXEMPTION FROM PERMITTING MEANS EXEMPTION FROM ENFORCEMENT OF THE NEC COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON COUNCIL MEMBER ALKALINE AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF IEC TEXAS GULF COAST, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. JONES.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU AND YOUR INVOLVEMENT, UH, WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, NEXT, WE, UH, WE BELIEVE AS A CHAIRMAN, SPEAKER, I BE YOUR PARDON? WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS FROM COUNCIL.
FIRST WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX.
UM, SO I'M INTRIGUED BY THIS CATEGORY TWO AND THREE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT YOU DON'T WANT EXEMPTED.
CAN YOU SORT OF FILL THAT IN A LITTLE BIT? WHAT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE, DO YOU THINK? OKAY.
IN THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, WE HAVE ARTICLES THAT, UH, SPELL OUT ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS TYPE OF WIRING.
RIGHT NOW IN THE, UH, 2020 NEC, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE UNDER RIGHT NOW, IT'S ARTICLE OF, UH, 7 25, 7 25 CONTAINED ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS, THIS TYPE OF WIRING.
OKAY, WELL, I'M NOT AN ELECTRICIAN AND I DON'T WANT TO GET THAT DEEP IN THE WEEDS, BUT, UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE 50 WATT, 50 UH, AMP, UH, WIRES THAT TAKE LESS THAN THAT.
UM, LIKE FOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS LIKE ALARM SYSTEMS AND WHATNOT.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE REQUIRE ELECTRICIAN TO INSTALL THOSE.
IS THAT CORRECT? NO, THOSE ARE EXEMPT FROM PERMITTING ANYTHING LESS THAN 50 VOLTS.
AND LESS THAN 50 WATTS IS EXEMPT FROM PERMITTING.
AND WHAT, WHAT THAT COULD BE IS LIKE A SIMPLE DOORBELL CIRCUIT.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA PERMIT A, A DOORBELL CIRCUIT AND NOBODY'S GONNA, DID I MISUNDERSTAND THAT? YOU YOU DIDN'T WANT THOSE EXEMPTED, OR YOU'RE OKAY WITH NO, WE'RE OKAY WITH, WITH LEAVING THAT EXEMPTION.
I THINK IN THE BEGINNING THAT, THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT, ELIMINATING THAT, THAT EXEMPTION AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE, UH, REVISIONS, IT
[00:50:01]
WAS OKAY TO LEAVE IT THERE.THE, THE REASON FOR THAT IS 50 VOLTS AND ABOVE IS CONSIDERED AN ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARD.
I DON'T LIKE GETTING SHOCKED AT ANY LEVEL.
BUT ANYWAY, I, YOU'VE ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
ONE OTHER, UH, QUESTION FROM COUNCIL.
THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX RAISED MY, UM, SAME QUESTION.
VERY GOOD, I THINK, BUT IF I CAN JUST DOVETAIL THAT.
SO WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF HAVING EXEMPTIONS ON CLASS TWO AND THREE? SO THAT MEANS WHAT, FOR YOUR INDUSTRY, YOU'RE SAYING NO, BECAUSE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE 50 WATT BASELINE IN THE SHOCK THRESHOLD, THE, THERE'S LOT OF REQUIREMENTS IN ARTICLE, UH, 7 25 FOR THIS TYPE OF WIRING.
ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IS ABOUT THE POWER SUPPLY BEING LISTED BY A TESTING LABORATORY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT, THAT IT IS LISTED, IT PERFORMS IN THE MANNER THAT IT WAS LISTED FOR.
SOMEBODY HAS TO ENFORCE THAT SOMEBODY HAS TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT THIS THING AND SEE THAT THE LISTINGS THERE.
IN THE 2023, WE ADDED ANOTHER REQUIREMENT THAT THESE POWER SUPPLIES HAVE TO BE LABELED.
YOU WOULD THINK THIS IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT'S GONNA SAY CLASS TWO POWER SUPPLY, BUT THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF POWER SUPPLY IT CAN BE USED.
ONE OF THEM IN THE MOST CONFUSING IS THE COMPUTER.
A LOT OF THESE CIRCUITS ARE GONNA ORIGINATE IN, UH, COMPUTER RACKS.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET A LABEL ON IT AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHERE THE CLASS TWO CIRCUITS STARTS.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE, UH, CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE IN THE 2023, WE STARTED SEPARATING THINGS TO MAKE THE CODE A LITTLE MORE USER FRIENDLY IN THE 2020.
ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS IN ARTICLE 7 25.
WE TOOK ALL THE CABLES OUT AND CREATED A NEW ARTICLE 7 22 THAT WAS FOR THE CABLES THEMSELVES.
'CAUSE WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS WHICH CABLES CAN BE USED AND WHICH APPLICATION.
THEN 7 24 WAS CREATED TO MOVE CLASS ONE CIRCUITS AWAY FROM CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE CABLES HAVE TO BE SEPARATED FROM, UM, OTHER POWER CIRCUITS.
YOU CAN'T MIX 'EM ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY OPERATE ON, ON, UH, LIMITED POWER.
UM, ON THAT, I JUST WANTED TO DOVETAIL COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX.
UH, YOUR EXPERTISE IS VERY HELPFUL HERE TODAY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, SAVED ME FROM CALLING THE BUILDING OFFICIAL UP, UH, FOR A LITTLE FURTHER CLARIFICATION.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE THANK YOU AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
BEFORE WE DO, THAT'LL BE RANDY PLUMLEY, BUT I BELIEVE THAT DARREN REMAN, OUR FIRST CALLED SPEAKER, IS NOW WITH US VIRTUALLY AND ONLINE.
MR. REMAN, CAN YOU, UH, UNMUTE? YES.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN? UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE THANK YOU CHAIRMAN ROBINSON, VICE CHAIRMAN ELKHORN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M DARREN RUBIN, AND I SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR CEDIA AND WAS A MEMBER OF TASK GROUP FOUR ON BEHALF OF CD, THE ASSOCIATION OF THE PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED SMART HOME AND OUR HOUSTON BASED MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR OUR TIME, FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION FOR THE CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE POWER LIMITED CIRCUITS EXEMPTION AND DISCUSSION WITHIN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ELECTRICAL CODE.
THE SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY IS MADE UP OF COMPANIES THAT DESIGN, INSTALL, MANUFACTURE, INTEGRATE AND AUTOMATE SMART HOME AND INTELLIGENT BUILDING PRODUCTS, SYSTEMS AND SERVICES.
INTEGRATORS ARE EXPERTS IN A WIDE RANGE OF, OF DISCIPLINES SUCH AS AUDIO, VIDEO, NETWORKING, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, LIGHTING, SYSTEM CONTROL, AND SURVEILLANCE AND SECURITY SYSTEMS. AS TECHNOLOGY HAS, HAS GROWN AND EVOLVED, SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS DEPEND ON POWER LIMITED CIRCUITS FOR SOLUTIONS IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT HOUSTON AS A KEY POINT, CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE PRODUCTS ARE LISTED ENSURING THEY CONFORM TO SAFETY REQUIREMENTS THAT ENSURE SAFETY FROM A FIRE INSTALLATION STANDPOINT AND PROVIDES PROTECTION FROM ELECTRICAL SHOCK.
[00:55:01]
CLASS 50 VOLT, 50 WATTS EXEMPTION DOES NOT PROPERLY ALIGN WITH THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, WHICH DEFINES CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE.INTEGRATORS ARE STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS IMPORTANT PROCESS AND DISCUSSION, AND THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S TECHNOLOGY NEEDS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, MANY OF WHICH BECAME FROM THE PANDEMIC.
LONG TERM, LONG TERM, A CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE POWER LIMITED CIRCUIT EXEMPTION WOULD NOT RESTRICT THE BUSINESSES OF HOUSTON BASED INTEGRATORS AND WOULD SUPPORT THE TECHNOLOGY WORK THEY DO SAFELY, SAFELY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
IT IS VITAL FOR CITY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO HAVE FORWARD LOOKING CODES AND LANGUAGE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF INTEGRATORS.
THE CURRENT AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS MUCH.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE FOR THE CUSTOM ELECTRIC ELECTRONIC DESIGN AND INSTALLATION ASSOCIATION.
YOUR COMMENTS AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESS ARE TRULY APPRECIATED.
UH, I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN IS IN THE QUEUE.
AND, AND THANK YOU, SIR FOR COMING TODAY AND FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION ON TASK GROUP FOUR.
THE CITY HAS PUT FORTH IN ITS, UH, IN ITS PRESENTATION TODAY.
I'D LIKE YOU TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE REASONS BY WHICH THIS, FOR, FOR WHICH THE CITY IS SAYING THE, THIS AMENDMENT WAS NOT APPROVED, ONE OF WHICH IS THE LOW VOLTAGE ISSUE CAN ONLY BE ADDRESSED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT? WELL, UH, CURRENT, CURRENTLY, THE, THE, THE STATE OF TEXAS DOES HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LOW VOL, UH, EXEMPTION FOR CLASS ONE, CLASS TWO, AND CLASS THREE, UM, EXEMPTION WORK.
SO, UM, AND I MEAN THIS WHILE THE, THE STATE, UM, HAS ADDRESSED THAT WITH EXEMPTION LANGUAGE.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE STATE DOES EXEMPT THE CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE SMART HOME ITEMS THAT YOU'VE LISTED THAT, THAT THAT IS CORRECT THERE.
THE, THE STATE CODE CURRENTLY HAS AN EXEMPTION IN THE OCCUPATIONAL CODE FOR THAT.
AND AS FAR AS FROM THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER TALKING ABOUT THE SHOCK EFFECT AND THE SAFETY, UM, IMPLICATIONS, I MEAN, WE SITTING AT THE HORSESHOE CERTAINLY WANT TO UPHOLD SAFETY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO CAN YOU, UH, POINT ME TO ANY, UH, EXAMPLES OF, OF WHERE THIS, THIS CLASS TWO, CLASS THREE WIRING OF THESE KIND OF SMART HOME INTEGRATOR TYPE THINGS HAVE CAUSED ANY KIND OF, UH, MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEMS. I CAN'T, AND THROUGH THE, THE CODE MODERNIZATION PROCESS, THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO, TO PROVIDE ANY EXAMPLES ON THEIR END AS WELL.
SO IT, THESE ARE LISTED, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SAFE AND THEY'RE SAFELY INSTALLED BY INTEGRATORS.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF LICENSING FOR INTEGRATORS? I MEAN, HOW DOES ONE BECOME AN INTEGRATOR AND HOW, HOW, IS IT JUST THROUGH TRAINING OR DO YOU TAKE TESTS OR WHAT'S THAT? SURE.
THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A VARIETY OF WAYS THROUGH, THROUGH, UM, COMMUNITY COLLEGE WHERE, YOU KNOW, CD IS ENTERING INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH TRAINING WITH THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE VERY SOON TO TRAIN IN THESE TECH TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY.
THERE'S CONSTANT CONT I THINK AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CONVERSATION IS THE CONSTANT CONTINUING EDUCATION TO STAY ABOVE, UH, STAY UPDATED.
BUT THE TECHNOLOGIES THERE, THERE ARE INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS TO BE TRAINED AND TO BE ABLE TO BE OF SERVICE TO YOUR CLIENTS AND CONSTITUENTS.
AND, UH, MR. REMAN, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE, FOR BEING A PART OF THE PROCESS, AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
I DO BELIEVE AS CALLED RANDY PLUMLEY.
WE DO NOT SEE ONLINE, UH, SPEAK NOW IF I'VE MISSED SOMETHING.
BUT NEXT SPEAKER WOULD BE MR. CYRUS REED, WHO'S WITH US VIRTUALLY FROM THE SIERRA CLUB, MR. REED TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHARLES PFEIFFER.
UM, CYRUS REED, LONE STAR CHAPTER, THE SIERRA CLUB.
UH, I DON'T LIVE IN HOUSTON, BUT I LIKE HOUSTON AND I DO PARTICIPATE IN A LOT OF MEETINGS AROUND THE STATE ON BUILDING CODES.
I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE MAYOR, UH, BUT ALSO THE BUILDING CODES AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UH, SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERS, EVERYONE WHO CREATED THIS PROCESS.
THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST PROCESS I'VE EVER SEEN IN ADOPTING BUILDING CODES.
YOU ALLOWED ANY ENTITY TO COME UP WITH AMENDMENTS TO CONSIDER THEM AND HAVE DIALOGUE AND ULTIMATELY CONSENSUS.
UM, AND SO I'M HERE VERY MUCH TO STRONGLY SUPPORT, UM, ALL OF THE CODE ADOPTIONS, UH, ESPECIALLY THE 21 ENERGY CODE, THE 21 PLUMBING CODE, AND ESPECIALLY THE, THE VERY IMPORTANT AMENDMENT, UM, ON A CSE 7, 20, 27, 22.
[01:00:03]
UM, YOU ALL KNOW THIS, BUT WE ARE FACING, UH, CLIMATE EXTREMES.UH, WE'RE SEEING A CONSERVATION NOTICE TODAY DUE TO THE HOT WEATHER.
WE'RE SEEING DROUGHT AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR BUILDINGS ARE MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT, MORE WATER EFFICIENT, MORE GAS EFFICIENT, AND ALSO ABLE TO BETTER WITHSTAND, UH, HIGH WINDS, HURRICANES, FLOODS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WITH THIS CODE, HOUSTON IS, IS BEING A REAL LEADER.
UM, ONE OF YOUR, UH, ONE OF YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK IT WAS COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CAYMAN, SORRY IF I'M PRONOUNCING THAT WRONG, ASKED ABOUT WATER.
UH, THE ADOPTION OF THE 23 PLUMBING CODE IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND THERE IS A LOCAL AMENDMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT NEW TOILETS ONLY USE 1.28 GALLONS, UH, OR ARE CONSIDERED EFFICIENT, UM, AS OPPOSED TO, UH, 1.6.
SO THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO SAVE MONEY.
WE WERE THE FOLKS ADVOCATING FOR BOTH THE SOLAR READY AND THE EV READY, UM, APPENDICES TO BE MANDATORY, NOT OPTIONAL, UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND IN THE SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE THAT THEY, THEY'RE BECOMING OPTIONAL.
THAT BEING SAID, I THINK IT WILL, UM, JUST LET ME LAST SENTENCE.
I'LL SAY ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO DO EV READY AND SOLAR READY, UH, BUILDINGS WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE.
AND, AND I DID SEND A LETTER INTO DIANA WITH SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.
THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. REED FOR BEING HERE, UH, WITH THE SIERRA CLUB, UM, FROM THE LONE STAR CHAPTER.
UH, APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND, UH, ATTENDING TODAY AND, AND THANK YOU FOR PAYING ATTENTION.
UH, NEXT WE'LL TURN TO MR. CHARLES PFEIFFER FROM THE INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.
UH, MR. PFEIFFER WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ARMANDO LOZANO.
UH, BUT MR. PFEIFFER, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
I VICE CHAIR MEMBERS AND STAFF.
MY NAME IS CHARLES PFEIFFER AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF IEC TEXAS GULF COAST.
AND I'M ALSO A PARTNER OF PFEIFFER AND UNLIMITED AND ELECTRICAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONTRACTOR.
WE'VE DONE MANY, MANY PROJECTS WITH THE CITY OVER THE YEARS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND FOR THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN AWARDED WITH YOU.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS THE LOW VOLTAGE POWER OVER ETHERNET PROPOSALS.
UH, THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE THE LATE 18 HUNDREDS AND HAS BEEN A MINIMUM STANDARD FOR CONTRACTORS TO FOLLOW.
PROVISIONS IN THE CODE ARE CONSIDERED NECESSARY FOR SAFETY.
THE CODE HAS BEEN ADOPTED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND REVISED EVERY THREE YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, TO REFLECT A NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND CHANGING RISKS FACED BY OWNERS, PUBLIC AGENCIES AND INSURERS.
IT'S PUT TOGETHER BY CONTRACTORS, EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS, UNION MEMBERS, POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES, TRADE ORGANIZATIONS, ENGINEERS, AND OTHER EXPERTS WITH THE GOAL OF SAFEGUARDING PERSONS AND PROPERTY.
SPECIFICALLY FOR THE INSTALLATION OF POWER OVER ETHERNET CABLING.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE CODE SECTIONS THAT ADDRESS INSTALLATION TECHNIQUES TO MANAGE CONDUIT, FIELD, CABLE BUNDLING AND SO ON.
THESE CODE SECTIONS ADDRESS DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SUCH AS TEMPERATURE LIMITATIONS, MOISTURE, MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS, ET CETERA.
THE POWER RATING OF POE HAS INCREASED SEVENFOLD FROM ITS INITIAL BIXIE STANDARD IN 2003 OF 13 WATTS.
CURRENT STANDARD ALLOWS FOR POWER SOURCING EQUIPMENT OF 90 WATTS.
AS SHOWN BY THE MULTIPLE REVISIONS OF BIXIE STANDARDS.
MANUFACTURERS WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE WAYS TO PROVIDE MORE FEATURES FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
COMMITTEE'S RESPONSE TO THIS SHOULD NOT BE TO LOWER ANY TECHNICAL STANDARDS.
RATHER, WE ASK THAT THE CITY MAINTAIN THE NEC IS THE MINIMUM STANDARD AND ENSURE THAT CITY INSPECTORS ARE ATTACHED TO ENFORCE THESE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, LOWERING STANDARDS WOULD INCREASE FIRE RISK, POTENTIALLY LIMIT THE INSURABILITY OF PROPERTIES, PUT EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC AND FIRST RESPONDERS AT RISK, AND TRANSFER THE COST FROM BUILDING OWNERS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN THE FORM OF ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME CONSIDERATION, MR. PFEIFFER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR STATEMENT FROM THE IEC, UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I BELIEVE NO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. ARMANDO LOZANO, UH, WHO I BELIEVE IS HERE WITH US IN CHAMBERS.
MR. LOZANO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BRADLEY.
UM, MR. LOZANO IS ALSO HERE REPRESENTING THE IEC.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AS I SAID, I REPRESENT IEC, I'M A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND, UH, MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS POE, UH, LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEM IS THAT, UH, THE VOLTAGE THAT THEY'RE USING EXCEEDS THE 50 VOLTS.
AND THAT NUMBER ONE THING IS VIOLATES THE OSHA STANDARDS.
AND BY DOING THAT, WE WOULDN'T BE COMPLIANT WITH OSHA.
[01:05:01]
HAVE, UM, NFPA SEVEN 70.THE CURRENT REQUIREMENT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS BASED ON 50 VOLTS, AND IT'S LINED UP WITH OSHA REQUIREMENTS, UH, NFPA 70 AND NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE.
SO THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN OPPOSING AND I'VE, I VOTED AGAINST THIS, UH, PROPOSAL FOR THOSE REASONS.
UM, SOMETHING ELSE THAT I, I WANTED TO, UH, SAY THAT, UH, THIS ISSUE NEED WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AT A NATIONAL LEVEL BECAUSE WE FOLLOWING AGAIN, UH, OSHA STANDARDS AND FPA THROUGH LICENSING.
I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE STATE.
THERE ARE CONTRACTORS OUT THERE, THERE, THERE ARE ONLY DOING INSTALLATION OF CEILING FANS AND THEY HAVE LICENSES.
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE LICENSE.
TD HOUSTON HAVE IN INSPECT INSPECTIONS ON, ON THOSE, UH, CONTRACTORS TOO.
BUT AGAIN, THOSE, UH, THE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS WILL HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED TO, UH, TDLR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. LOZANO.
WE HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE, UH, TO ASK YOU A QUESTION.
I BELIEVE THAT'S COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX.
UM, SO AGAIN, I'M GETTING CONFUSED HERE ABOUT THIS LOW VOLTAGE STUFF.
I MEAN, ON THE ONE HAND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A GREAT IDEA AND EVERYTHING, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE, THE AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO RATIFY HERE, OR, OR AT COUNSEL AT SOME POINT IS VIOLATES THE NEC MINIMUM STANDARD? YES, SIR.
AND, AND THAT, UM, BY DOING THIS, IT WOULD CAUSE SOME HARM, SOME IN SOME WAY.
CAN YOU GO IN MORE DETAIL? SURE.
FOR EXAMPLE, GIMME AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE A LOW VOLTAGE SORT OF APPLIANCE WOULD CREATE A HAZARD VISION BASED, BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS OF OSHA.
UH, 50 VOLTS OR 50 WATTS, EITHER, UH, VOLTS, DC VOLTS OR AC VOLTS ARE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS.
THAT'S WHY THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROTECTION.
BUT THAT'S, BUT, SO IF YOU HAVE A, A 40 VOLT, UH, SYSTEM, 40 50 VOLT, LESS THAN 50 VOLTS, I AGREE.
THEY COULD BE EXEMPT FROM PER, FROM PERMITTING, FROM INSPECT.
SO I DON'T THINK THIS AMENDMENT REALLY ADDRESSES BUTABLE, THE HIGHER VOLTAGE ONES.
I MEAN, THAT'S CLEARLY GOTTA BE REG REGULATED.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN TO DO THAT.
UH, THE, THE TWO AND THREE CATEGORY, UH, THE LOW VOLTAGE ONES, UH, WE'RE SUGGESTING IN THIS AMENDMENT THAT WE WON'T REQUIRE AN ELECTRICIAN TO ACTUALLY INSTALL THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE AMENDMENT? UM, OKAY.
LIKE A TECHNICIAN, SOMEBODY THAT'S A BURGLAR ALARM INSTALLER CAN GO DO THE WIRING ON THAT BURGLAR ALARM COUNCIL MEMBER, IF I MAY PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATION THERE, THERE'S A WAIVER RATHER THAN AN AMENDMENT.
AND I, I BELIEVE WHAT MR. LOZANO IS SAYING IS THAT BEYOND WHAT THE WAIVER COVERS BELOW THE 50, UM, VOL, UH, BELOW 50 VOLTS, THEY DON'T NEED AN AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACT.
AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES WEIGHING IN AS THAT'S AN OSHA CONCERN IN THIS CASE.
AND WE MAY CALL ON THE BUILDING OFFICIAL FOR SOME CLARIFICATION FOR IT.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT OF INQUIRY.
UH, BUT IT IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'VE PASSED.
'CAUSE WE'VE ACTUALLY NOT PASSED ANYTHING.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
BUT, SO YEAH, I'M, I'M PRETTY UNCLEAR ON, ON THE WAIVER VERSUS THE AMENDMENT AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
UH, MR. LOZANO, UH, AND HOLDING ON, UH, MR. KING FOR A MOMENT, IF YOU WOULD YIELD COUNCIL MEMBER FOR A SECOND.
WE HAVE, UH, VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN TO WEIGH IN.
AND, AND IF YOU CAN GO IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE OSHA REQUIREMENTS, UM, ON CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE.
I MEAN, I JUST HEARD ONE SPEAKER SAY THAT, UM, CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING WAS ALLOWED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
I HEAR THE CITY SAYING WE HAVE TO GET IT ALLOWED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND I HEAR YOU SAYING WE HAVE TO GO TO THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR OSHA.
WELL, MR. LOZANO, WHY DON'T WE, IF YOU COULD YIELD FOR ONE MOMENT, LET ME GET THE BUILDING OFFICIAL TO COME UP.
PERHAPS IF YOU COULD STEP BACK FROM THE MIC.
MR. KING, IF YOU COULD TRY TO CLARIFY THE SITUATION.
WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE GO WITH, UH, WHAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS IS WHAT, UH, THE STATE ALLOWS, WE FOLLOW THE STATE LAW.
UH, WHAT THEY, IN THE PROPOSAL, THAT WAS THE AMENDMENT
[01:10:01]
THAT WAS PRESENTED.IT WAS, UH, WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO WAS GO BELOW BASE LEVEL OF THE NEC, WHICH MEANS THAT, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT, UH, THE CHANGES THAT THEY WANTED.
WE'RE NOT SAYING HAVE IT HERE AT THE LOCAL, HAVE IT DONE AT THE STATE.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, MAYBE I'M JUST, THIS MORNING, I, I JUST HAVING A HARD TIME WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND THIS.
SO THE NEC CODE IS THE MINIMUM STANDARD AROUND THE COUNTRY, RIGHT? UH, REGARDING LOW VOLTAGE AND EVERYTHING, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND THE, SO CURRENTLY, UM, IF IT'S MORE THAN 50 VOLTS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN INSTALL IT.
IF IT'S LESS THAN 50 VOLTS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN NECESSARY TO INSTALL IT.
SO THE AMENDMENT THAT, THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN THIS, IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS HERE, HOW IS THAT CHANGING? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE CHANGING THERE? WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING.
WE'RE HAVING THE STATUS QUO, MEANING THAT THE AMENDMENT THAT WAS BROUGHT BEFORE, UH, THE CCMC WAS REJECTED TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.
SO AND SO WHEN IT WAS REJECTED, THAT WAS REJECTED.
THAT WAS REJECTED BECAUSE IT WOULD'VE TAKEN IT BELOW BASE CODE AND ALSO VIOLATED STATE LAW.
SO WE'RE NOT CONSIDERING THAT THEN? THAT IS CORRECT, SIR.
SO I'M WORRIED ABOUT NOTHING, EVIDENTLY.
YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT GOOD THINGS, AND IT'S IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION.
IT'S, IT'S BETTER THAN WE HAVE.
IT'S ALMOST, YOU COULD ALMOST THINK OF IT LIKE A DOUBLE NEGATIVE.
THE, THE IEC WAS LOOKING FOR SOME ADDED PROTECTION AND, UM, THAT WOULD'VE GONE BEYOND OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A MUNICIPALITY.
WELL, THE THING IS, UH, THE NEC, THEY ARE IN FOR THE UPCOMING COASTS.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT THAT AS WE SPEAK.
SO THERE IT IS, IT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION AND, UH, FOR THAT, BUT THAT WON'T BE TILL, I'M SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT THAT WON'T BE TILL THE NEXT CODE CHANGE.
I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, OFFICIAL KING, AND I BELIEVE, UH, THE VICE CHAIR WAS IN THE QUEUE, BUT I BELIEVE YOU JUST CHARACTERIZED WHERE WE ARE.
SO I THINK WITH THAT, AND MR. LOZANO, I BELIEVE WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR BEING HERE TODAY FOR YOUR STATEMENT FROM IEC, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND SEE IF MR. PLUMLEY, UH, MR. RANDY PLUMLEY IS ONLINE.
WE DO BELIEVE THAT HE HAS JOINED US VIRTUALLY.
MR. PLUMLEY, CAN YOU UNMUTE? YES.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOUR STATEMENT, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
COUNCIL AND STAFF MEMBERS, UH, JUST ON BEHALF OF SPEAR.
SO, I'M THE ENERGY CODE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR SPHERE.
I'D LIKE TO EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE THROUGH TASK FORCE GROUP THREE, UH, FOR INVOLVING US IN THE ENERGY CODE ADOPTION PROCESS.
UH, WE WERE IMMENSELY PLEASED TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED SUPPORT FOR THE 2021 IECC AND THE HOUSTON SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS.
I COMMEND THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THE BASE CODE AND FOR NOT DILUTING IT WITH LESS IMPACTFUL AMENDMENTS OR DELETIONS.
WE ARE PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGED TO SEE ELEMENTS OF THE ALREADY APPROVED 2024 IECC BEING INCORPORATED.
THIS PROGRESSIVE STEP FURTHER ENHANCES HOUSTON'S POTENTIAL TO BECOME THE FRONT RUNNER IN ESTABLISHING RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION CODES THAT ADDRESS ENERGY EFFICIENCY, WATER CONSERVATION, AND FLOOD RESILIENCE.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENT AND DEMOCRATIC NATURE OF THE ADOPTION PROCESS, AND WE ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT THESE NEW CODES WILL ENHANCE HOUSTON'S RESILIENCE, GENERATE COST SAVINGS FOR RESIDENTS THROUGH RE REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
UH, THANK YOU TO THE CITY STAFF AND STAKEHOLDERS FOR THEIR DEDICATED EFFORTS AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH.
UH, HOUSTON'S ENERGY CODE IS INDEED A BENCHMARK FOR OTHER CITIES TO FOLLOW.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE COMPLETION.
WE ARE, UH, HAVING THE PUBLIC HEARING TODAY.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO VOTE AT COUNCIL OR ANYTHING, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND BEING A PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING ON THE CALL TODAY.
UH, NOT ON THE VIDEO, BUT WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
UH, WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
THANK YOU TO THE NEXT SPEAKER TODAY, WHICH IS, UH, MR. BRADLEY ELLIOT, WHO'S HERE WITH BOMA, THE HOUSTON BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION.
AND, UH, AFTER MR. ELLIOT, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM JAKE BROER.
AND, UH, HE WILL BE WITH US VIRTUALLY, BUT BEFORE GETTING THERE, MR. ELLIOT FLOOR'S.
YOURS ALRIGHT, I NEED TO PRESS A BUTTON HERE, OR AM I GOOD? YOU'RE ON.
COUNCILMAN, IF YOU COULD SPEAK INTO THE MIC, JUST, UH, YEAH.
UH, MY NAME'S BRADLEY ELLIOTT.
I'M THE CEO OF THE HOUSTON BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION.
I, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT TODAY ABOUT, UH, OUR AMENDMENT PROCESS FOR THE DRINKING FOUNTAINS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ORIGINALLY A, UH, AMENDMENT EXCEPTION THAT ALLOWED FOR DRINKING FOUNTAINS TO BE REMOVED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
[01:15:01]
HAD CHANGED THAT IN THE LAST CODE REVIEW CYCLE.SO THIS TIME AROUND, WE DID SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT PROPOSAL, UH, JUST KIND OF SAYING THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE THAT LANGUAGE CHANGED BACK.
UM, OUR AMENDMENT AMENDMENT PROPOSAL WAS, UH, ESSENTIALLY REJECTED BY TASK FORCE GROUP ONE.
HOWEVER, WE WERE ABLE TO VERY QUICKLY, I THINK WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, GET IN FRONT OF THE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE.
UH, AND THEY BASICALLY SAT DOWN WITH US.
THEY SAID, WELL, WE AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON POTABLE WATER CHOICE.
WE GOT IN FRONT OF TASK FORCE GROUP ONE, AND THE FOLLOWING WEEK WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THEM OUR THOUGHTS.
UH, THEY WENT AHEAD AND MADE SOME ADDITIONAL EDITS TO IT, UH, WHICH WE AGREED WITH.
AND THEN, UH, A WEEK AFTER THAT, WE WERE IN FRONT OF TASK FORCE GROUP FOUR, WHICH IS THE MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING CODES.
AND, UH, THEY MADE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES AS WELL, WHICH WE AGREED WITH.
UM, ULTIMATELY, UH, ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T GET EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED, UH, I STILL THINK THAT DRINKING FOUNTAINS I DO, YOU NEED A DRINKING FOUNTAIN ON THE 10TH FLOOR OF, OF WELLS FARGO PLAZA.
THE TENANTS ALL HAVE PLUMBED IN WATER IN THEIR SPACES.
THE ONLY PEOPLE UP THERE ARE TENANTS AND GUEST TENANTS WHO HAVE WATER AVAILABLE IN THEIR SPACES, BUT NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
WE DID FIND A RESOLUTION WITH THE CITY AND, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD A SECTION WHICH ALLOWS, UH, TENANTS TO, AS LONG AS THERE IS A WATER FOUNTAIN WITHIN 500 FEET AND NOT MORE THAN A STORY ABOVE OR BELOW, THEN UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT A WATER FOUNTAIN IN.
WE ALSO HAD THE ABILITY TO SUBSTITUTE UP TO 50% OF DRINKING FOUNTAINS AND OCCUPANCIES WITH THREE OR MORE PEOPLE, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY VALUABLE.
UH, OVERALL, I'LL JUST SAY THAT OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN POSITIVE AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, UH, ALCORN, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, AND OBVIOUSLY THE STAFF, UH, HEATH AND BYRON AND THE WHOLE CREW.
THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. ELLIOT BOBMAN HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THIS, SO APPRECIATE YOUR WILLING TO WORK WITH US.
UM, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM JAKE BROER, WHO I BELIEVE IS ONLINE.
ARE YOU ABLE TO UNMUTE? UH, YES.
CHAIR, CHAIR ROBINSON, VICE CHAIR ELKHORN, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY MENTION THAT I'VE PUT INTO THE CHAT THAT THE, UH, THE CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE LIMITED ENERGY CIRCUITS, UH, EXEMPTION IS PRESENT IN STATE LAW.
UH, IT SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION ON THIS ISSUE, UH, BUT AS, AS WAS ANNOUNCED, I'M JAKE BROER.
I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF, OF, UM, ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR ESA, UH, ESA.
THE ELECTRONIC SECURITY ASSOCIATION IS THE LARGEST TRADE ASSOCIATION IN THE UNITED STATES REPRESENTING ELECTRONIC SECURITY AND LIFE SAFETY.
ESA MEMBER COMPANIES EMPLOY MORE THAN 500,000 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND SERVE MORE THAN 34 MILLION RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CLIENTS.
ON BEHALF OF OUR HOUSTON BASED MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO OPERATE WITHIN THE CITY, I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT A CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE POWER LIMITS CIRCUIT EXEMPTION WITHIN THE CITY CODE.
THERE ARE A FEW IMPORTANT REASONS FOR THIS.
OUR INTEGRATORS HAVE BEEN HANDLING POWER OVER ETHERNET WORK FOR DECADES AND DOING IT SAFELY NATIONWIDE.
LIMITING THE WORK OF INTEGRATORS TO THE 50 VOLTS.
50 WATTS EXEMPTION REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF QUALIFIED LABOR THAT CAN HANDLE POWER OVER ETHERNET PROJECTS.
ACCORDING TO THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE, IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR, HOUSTON CLOCKED IN AS THE SECOND FASTEST GROWING METRO AREA.
ADDITIONALLY, ACCORDING TO HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, A MAJORITY OF RENTERS ARE COST BURDEN IN THE CITY.
AND EVICTION EVICTIONS HAVE INCREASED.
THIS MEANS NEW CONSTRUCTION IS NEEDED, AND WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO REDUCE COSTS IN CURRENT HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL LOCATIONS.
ALLOWING OUR INTEGRATORS TO CONTINUE POWER OVER ETHERNET WORK GOES A LONG WAY TO HELPING ON THIS ISSUE.
TO LIMIT THAT WORK WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN A MASSIVE DELAY IN NEW CONSTRUCTION AND AN INCREASE IN RENT.
IF YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEN YOU'LL LOVE WHAT OUR INTEGRATORS CAN DO FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND IT TIES BACK TO THE SECOND POINT.
OUR OVER ETHERNET HAS BEEN A GAME CHANGER FOR MAKING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND THEREFORE GREENER.
HOWEVER, GREEN TECHNOLOGY HAS REMAINED OUTTA REACH FOR MANY.
SO LET'S NOT INCREASE THE COST OF THIS TECHNOLOGY BY LIMITING THAT LABOR POOL.
BY ALLOWING OUR INTEGRATORS TO FOLLOW THE NEC, WE ARE ABLE TO KEEP PRICES LOWER, RESULTING IN MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT PROJECTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION ON THIS ISSUE.
WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE Q FURY, AND IT'S OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER.
ALCORN, THANK YOU, UM, FOR COMING TODAY AND, AND GIVING US YOUR, UH, VIEWPOINT ON THIS.
SO AGAIN, I MEAN, AND, AND, AND KUDOS TO PUBLIC WORKS BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE, THIS IS JUST THE ISSUE.
EVERYBODY'S PRETTY HAPPY WITH THIS CODE AND THE WHOLE PROCESS, AND I DID NOT WANT THAT TO SLIP BY IT.
IT WAS A I COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON AND I WENT TO MANY A FRIDAY AFTERNOON MEETING, AND THE PROCESS WAS GOOD.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS FROM BOMA AND EVERYONE THAT'S COMPLIMENTED THE PROCESS, THE POWER OF OUR ETHERNET THING.
AS YOU KNOW, I WENT DOWN THIS RABBIT HOLE LAST GO ROUND, SO IT'S JUST INTERESTING TO ME, AND I WANNA MAKE
[01:20:01]
SURE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE NOT, WE ARE KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES.AND I'M CONFUSED BY THE BACK AND FORTH ON THE STATE REQUIREMENTS.
I MEAN, YOU'RE SAYING IT'S A ALREADY THIS CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING, WHICH IS MY UNDERSTANDING, CAN SOMETIMES GO OVER THE, OR WATTS AREN'T EVEN A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF IT.
OR, OR IT CAN GO OVER THAT WATTAGE, BUT IT'S SAFE.
I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT SMART HOME INTEGRATOR TECHNOLOGY, WHAT THE WATTAGE IS, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE STATE DOES ALLOW AN EXCEPTION FOR CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING THE CITY AND OTHERS ARE SAYING IT DOESN'T.
SO I GUESS I JUST NEED CLARIFICATION ON COUNCILMAN THE STATE.
WHERE IN THE STATE CODE IS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER? LET ME, LET ME TURN TO THE SPEAKER AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE BUILDING OFFICIAL HERE, UH, TO CLARIFY ANYTHING FROM THAT.
BUT MR. UH, MR. BROER, MAYBE YOU COULD, UH, RESPOND.
UH, OCCUPATION CODES CHAPTER 1305.
UH, I PUT IT IN THE CHAT, UH, UH, SECTION OR, UM, LINE 12, THE DESIGN, INSTALLATION, ERECTION AND REPAIR OR ALTERATION OF CLASS ONE, TWO CLASS OR CLASS ONE, CLASS TWO OR CLASS THREE, REMOTE CONTROL SIGNALING OR POWER LIMITED CIRCUITS, FIRE ALARM CIRCUITS, OPTICAL FIBER CABLES OR COMMUNICATION CIRCUITS, INCLUDING RACEWAYS AS DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE.
THAT LINE IS UNDER THE EXEMPTIONS LANGUAGE OF THAT OCCUPATIONS CODE.
AND, AND OUR BUILDING OFFICIAL, MR. KING, IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING OR RESPOND TO THAT.
I JUST WANNA STATE THAT THE STATE DOES NOT EXEMPT LOW VOLTAGE FROM A PERMIT PERMIT.
IT EXEMPTS CLASS TWO AND THREE FROM STATE ELECTRICAL LICENSE REQUIREMENTS, NOT FROM THE PERMIT OR THE NEC REQUIREMENTS.
SUBTLE POINTS OF CLARIFICATION THERE.
I APPRECIATE THAT MR. BROER, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM, UH, MR. ROB HICKS REPRESENTING THE SOCIETY OF FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERS.
AND MR. HICKS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BRAD KRAMER.
UH, MR. HICKS, WELCOME TO CITY HALL.
MADAM VICE CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M A LICENSED FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE SOCIETY OF FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERS, SFPE.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF CO-CHAIRING TASK FORCE GROUP ONE FOR THE BUILDING AND FIRE CODES AS PART OF THE CODE MODERNIZATION PROJECT.
WHILE IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME TO FIGURE OUT THE PACE OF THIS PROCESS, I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROCESS WAS SUCCESSFUL AND HOW WE WENT ABOUT REVIEWING THE CODES AS WELL AS EFFORTS TO INCLUDE AS MANY STAKEHOLDERS AS POSSIBLE.
THERE WERE MULTIPLE CHANCES FOR THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE INPUT, AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CODES AND SIMPLIFY SOME OF THE OUTDATED LANGUAGE.
ONE ITEM OF SIGNIFICANT NOTICE PRESENTED BY THE BUILDING OFFICIAL WAS THAT WE, THE REQUIREMENT FOR FIRE PROTECTION BREAK TANKS WITH THE COLLABORATION OF ENGINEERS, CONTRACTORS, BUILDING OWNERS, VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING BUILDING WATER AND FIRE, WE'VE COME UP WITH A SENSIBLE SOLUTION THAT ALLOWS BREAK TANKS TO BE ELIMINATED WHERE THE AVAILABLE WATER SUPPLY IS CAPABLE OF SUPPLYING FIRE PUMPS WITHOUT HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY.
FINALLY, I WANNA SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE WITH THE CODE AND MODERNIZATION PROJECT, AND I SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE CODES.
I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR CONTINUING THIS PROCESS FOR THE NEXT AND FUTURE ADDITIONS OF THE CODE AS IT PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE AND WORKABLE FRAMEWORK FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ENGAGED AND HEARD.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF TASKFORCE GROUP ONE FOR THE MANY HOURS PROVIDED TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT THEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. HICKS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, BUT WE DO NOW.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, JUST A JUST A QUICK THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND MUSIC TO OUR EARS AFTER THE 2015 CODE.
UM, TO SAY THAT THIS PROCESS WAS REALLY WELL DONE AND EVERYBODY GOT HEARD IT, IT MEANS A LOT BECAUSE THAT WAS REALLY OUR GOAL AND CERTAINLY THE GOAL OF PUBLIC WORKS TO, TO HAVE THIS GO, UM, JUST LIKE WHAT YOU SAID WITH A LOT OF PARTICIPATION AND, AND SUCH DIFFERENT FEEDBACK THAN WE GOT FROM THE, ON THE 2015 CODE.
SO, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
I'M GONNA GO A STEP FURTHER JUST BECAUSE THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL WHO I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, IN PRIVATE PRACTICE.
AND, UM, LIKE THE OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR TASK FORCE AND THOSE ASSEMBLED, THIS IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EXPERTISE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO I WANNA THANK MY FRIEND ROB, UH, FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS.
BUT EVERYONE ELSE IN THE CHAMBER, THIS IS IN ALL, UH, AUGUST GROUP OF, UH, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.
UM, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. BRAD KRAMER, UM, UNOFFICIALLY REPRESENTING THE C-E-D-I-A.
UM, MR. KRAMER, BEFORE YOU SPEAK, I THINK NEXT WILL BE MR. REMAN IBANEZ.
UH, BUT, UH, MR. KRAMER, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
[01:25:01]
I'M A SMALL BUSINESSMAN AND AN INTEGRATOR IN THIS EXACT LOW VOLTAGE BUSINESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, I'VE BEEN IN THE BUSINESS ABOUT 40 YEARS.UH, OUR, UH, VENDORS WE DEAL WITH REQUIRE TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION ON MANY PRODUCTS, AND WE HAVE OUR OWN IN-HOUSE CERTIFICATION.
BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE REASON I WAS BROUGHT INTO THIS, IF WE WERE TO SEND A CREW OUT TO MAYBE, UH, ADD A WIFI TO YOUR HOUSE, YOU PROBABLY HAVE WIFI EXTENDERS, FRAME TVS, ET CETERA.
UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL A PERMIT TO DO THAT.
UH, WE DO MAYBE, UH, 20 TO 30 JOBS A WEEK, UH, IN THAT.
AND SO WE DO POE SYSTEMS, THAT MIGHT BE 48 VOLTS, BUT THE, THE BASE SUPPLY MIGHT BE 300 VOLTS.
SO THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S DISTRIBUTED, EVERY LITTLE PIECE GETS FIVE BO FIVE BOLTS.
THIS ONE GETS, THIS ONE GETS FIVE WATTS, THIS ONE GETS 15 WATTS.
UH, EVEN A COMPUTER HAS 750 TO A THOUSAND WATTS.
UH, AND YOU CAN OUTPUT THAT INTO IT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL A PERMIT IF THIS WAS ALLOWED TO GO THROUGH WITHOUT THE EXEMPTION, AND THIS WOULD REQUIRE A HUGE EXPENSE TO OUR COMPANY.
WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN ON STAFF FULL-TIME, AND ALSO WE WOULD HAVE TO PASS THAT ON TO THE CONSUMERS FOR ANY KIND OF LOW VOLTAGE INSTALLATIONS.
SO, UH, THAT IS MY QUESTION, AND I, I THINK MR. KING DIDN'T QUITE CLARIFY THAT, UH, IF THAT'S GONNA BE THE CASE, MR. KRAMER, LET ME THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE BEFORE, AND IF WE CALL THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, UM, LET ME GO TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, WHO'S IN THE QUEUE.
AND SO YOU'RE DOING THIS, THIS NOW AND YOU'RE DOING THIS? YEAH, I, I DROVE OVER HERE FROM MY HOUSE, BUT I MEAN, YOUR COMPANY DOES THIS NOW? YEAH, WE DO IT RIGHT NOW.
BUT YOU'RE NOT PULLING PERMITS.
BUT THIS, WE ARE NOT, THIS IS OUR REQUIREMENT NOW YES.
TO PULL PERMITS, CORRECT? MM-HMM
IF IT'S OVER 50, SO YOU ARE SAYING, YEAH.
WELL, I DON'T DO STUFF OVER 50 VOLTS, BUT I DO STUFF OVER 50 WATTS.
SO, SO THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE TO R 50 WATTS VERSUS 50, SO OVER 50.
THE 50, THE 50 WATT THING DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE REALLY ANYMORE.
IT'S, IT'S AN OUTDATED THAT, YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY EARLIER.
THIS IS KIND OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH SOME OF THE SMART HOME STUFF AND WIFI MM-HMM
THE WATTAGE DOESN'T, BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE 500 WATTS, BUT YOU CAN SPLIT IT UP TO 50 DEVICES THAT ARE ONLY GETTING 10 WATTS EACH.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. KRAMER.
I BELIEVE THAT CLARIFIES YET ANOTHER POINT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR CHIMING IN.
UH, I KNOW OUR BUILDING OFFICIAL WAS, UH, BEING REFERRED TO THERE OFFLINE, BUT I THINK WE GOT IT.
NEXT WE'LL TURN TO MR. BANEZ, UH, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED VIRTUALLY BY MR. MIKE BERGER.
UH, MR. IBANEZ, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
I'M THE MEMBER, A MEMBER OF THE CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY AND THE CHAIR OF THE HOUSTON, UH, CLIMATE MOVEMENT, GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
I STAND UP IN, IN SUPPORT OF THE ADOPTION OF THE 21, UH, INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODES AND AMENDMENTS.
UH, LIKE I SAID, LAST MONTH, UM, THIS PROCESS WAS AMAZING AND, UH, EVERYBODY SHOULD BE COMMENDED.
UH, THE WORKING GROUPS I WAS IN PART OF, UH, THE, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENT WORKING GROUPS.
AND IT WAS A LOT, LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF HOURS.
THE ADOPTION OF THE BUILDING CODES IS MOST IMPACTFUL, UM, ACTION THAT THE CITY CAN DO TO INFLUENCE CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND IT, IT DOES FOLLOW THE ACTIONS LAID OUT IN THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THE RESILIENCY PLAN.
UM, I'VE HEARD, UM, IN THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL THAT, UH, WE WANNA BECOME THE ENERGY, UH, TRANSITION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
I CHALLENGE THE CITY TO, UM, DO THAT BY REDUCING THE TIME TO IMPLEMENT AND REVIEW THE 2024, UH, INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODES AND SUBSEQUENT THREE YEAR CHANGES WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED.
SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE WOULD BE THE INTERNET, THE, UM, ENERGY, UM, TRANSITION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
MR. BANEZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, I WONDER IF COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAS ANYTHING TO SAY TO THAT? I'M TEASING JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE, UH, REQUIRED A LITTLE EXTRA TIME LAST YEAR TO IMPLEMENT, BUT I THINK ALL HANDS ON DECK, APPRECIATE YOU FOR YOUR PART IN THE PROCESS.
UH, NEXT WE'LL TURN VIRTUALLY TO MR. MICHAEL BERG, OR MIKE, ARE YOU THERE? YES, I AM.
[01:30:01]
THIS WHOLE PROCESS.UM, I WAS THE CO-CHAIR OF, UH, GROUP TASK FORCE GROUP TWO, WHICH IS THE IRC AND, UH, POOLS.
AND, UH, I CAN SAY FROM EXPERIENCE, UH, THE FIRST MONTH WAS VERY ROUGH.
AND, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, BY FEBRUARY ONE, EVERYTHING WAS, UH, GOING GREAT.
SO, UH, AND THE PROCESS WORKED LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO.
IT WAS A GIVE AND TAKE WITH THE CITY OFFICIALS AND OTHER GROUPS.
AND, UH, WE HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, ARGUMENTS, BUT THEY WERE NICE ARGUMENTS ABOUT THINGS.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK WE CAME ACROSS WITH A GOOD PRODUCT.
UM,
AND CAN, UH, THE ENGINEERING FOLKS DO THIS WITH THE IDM MANUALS WOULD BE FANTASTIC TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF INPUT AND, UH, UH, COOPERATION AMONG, AMONG THE GROUPS.
AND, UH, SO FI FINALLY MY LAST POINT IS, UH, UH, WHILE EVERYTHING'S GREAT HERE, IMPLEMENTATION IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT.
I REALLY WANT, UH, UH, THE BILLING OFFICIALS TO, UH, GET TOGETHER AND TELL EVERYBODY WHAT WE NEED TO DO ON OUR PLANS AND WHAT'S GONNA WE LOOK FOR OUT IN INSPECTIONS TO MAKE THIS THING FINALLY FINISH IT OFF WITH, WITH A, WITH A BANG AS A, AS A VERY GOOD PROCESS.
SO, UH, AGAIN, KUDOS TO THE WHOLE TEAM AND THE WHOLE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO OR PART OF OUR GROUP AND THE OTHER GROUPS AND THOSE FRIDAY MEETINGS, YEAH, THEY WERE LONG, BUT AGAIN, WE GOT A LOT OF STUFF ACCOMPLISHED.
THANK YOU, MR. DISH BERGER AND, UH, FOR REPRESENTING THE GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.
IT'S A BIG GROUP, VERY IMPORTANT TO US, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
AND TODAY, UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM DOUGLAS BASSETT.
ALSO, WE BELIEVE ONLINE, VIRTUALLY WITH US, WITH COMCAST XFINITY HOME FOLLOWED, UH, FOLLOWING MR. BASSETT WILL BE CARMEN CAVESA, UH, WHO'S HERE IN CHAMBERS.
BUT MR. BASSETT, I BELIEVE YOU'RE ONLINE AND WE'RE READY TO TURN TO YOU.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AND COMPLIANCE FOR COMCAST XFINITY HOME.
WE SUPPORT THE ADOPTION OF THE NEC 2023 VERSION IN ITS FULL FORM AND ALIGNMENT WITH THE TEXAS OCCUPATION CODES 1305, TEXAS ELECTRICAL SAFETY AND LICENSING ACT.
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S SPECIFIC CHAPTER IN THERE, SECTION 13 0 5 0 0 3 REGARDING EXEMPTIONS, AND I WON'T READ YOU THE WHOLE CHAPTER AGAIN, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, PARAGRAPH 12 THAT EXPLAINS HOW THOSE THINGS ARE DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE.
WE EXPRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF ADOPTING THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE IN ITS FULL FORM BECAUSE ALL OF THE VOLTAGES, APPLICATIONS, METHODS OF WIRING AND APPLICATIONS ARE COVERED IN EVERY IMAGINABLE FORM WITH THE DIFFERENT ANNEXES AND CHAPTERS THAT EXPLAIN HOW THOSE THINGS ARE TO BE APPLIED.
THE DIRECTION THAT WE'VE BEEN OFFERED SHOULD THIS CODE BE PASSED IN ITS CURRENT FORM, AS MENTIONED BY OTHERS, IS TO ENGAGE AN ELECTRICIAN TO ACQUIRE THE PERMIT ON OUR BEHALF FOR CLASS ONE, TWO, AND THREE POWER LIMITED WORK CURRENTLY EXEMPTED TODAY, THIS DOES PLACE A FINANCIAL BURDEN FORCING COMPANIES TO EMPLOY AN ELECTRICIAN AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, AS REQUIRED UNDER 13 0 5, 1 59 B, WHICH REQUIRES THAT INDIVIDUAL TO BE A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATED AND ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY THAT THEIR LICENSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH.
MR. BASSETT, UH, FOR BEING HERE, UH, WITH COMCAST XFINITY HOME.
NEXT SPEAKER IN THE CHAMBER, MS. CARMEN CAVESA HERE IN THE CHAMBERS, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY JASON PATAR WITH, UH, CISCO.
BUT, UH, MS. CAVESA, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
MY NAME IS CARMEN KEA AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENT EQUITY AND RESILIENCE.
THIS IS A NONPROFIT OF 28 ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TOGETHER, UH, BRINGING AWARENESS BETWEEN THE POLLUTION, THE PLACE WE LIVE AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE PROCESS OF ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THAT IT HAD HAPPENED.
WE PARTICIPATE, UM, WE EDUCATE A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES, AND WE PARTICIPATE IN 2015 ADOPTION.
AND THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
WE WERE NOT ENGAGED IN THE WORKING GROUPS, BUT WE RELY ON SIERRA CLUBS TO EDUCATE US AND EDUCATE THE RESIDENTS ON HOW WE ARE AFFECTED BY THESE DECISIONS OF THE EXPERTS.
SO CURRENTLY WE ARE WORKING IN A HUNDRED TOFI PROGRAM, AND I KNOW EVEN THOUGH THIS IS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTIONS, WE ARE INTERESTED ON HOW SOME OF THESE MEASURES AND CODES CAN BE APPLIED TO RETROFITTING HOMES.
SO, UM, WE SUPPORT THE 2021 BUILDING CODE ADOPTION THAT WE
[01:35:01]
BELIEVE WILL BETTER PREPARE HOUSTON FOR THE CLIMATE CRISIS WE ARE ALREADY FACING.HOUSTON HAS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A LEADER ON NEW RESILIENT CONSTRUCTION THAT WILL ASSURE THE NEW BUILDINGS ARE ENERGY EFFICIENT, WATER EFFICIENT, AND FLOOD RESILIENCE.
BUILDING RESIDENTIAL TO THESE CODES WILL SAVE ENERGY AND WATER AND MAKE HOMES MORE RESILIENT TO FLOODS.
BUT AGAIN, I URGE YOU TO THINK AND CHALLENGE YOU TO HOW WE GONNA ADDRESS THIS FOR PREVIOUS CONSTRUCTIONS THAT THEY NEED A LOT UPGRADES.
UM, ADOPTION OF THE A SCE 7 20 22 WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
THIS SHOULD ALSO HELP HOUSTON TAKE ADVANTAGE, ADVANTAGE OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES BY SHOWING THE CITY NOT ONLY ADOPTED THE LATEST 2021 CODES, BUT ALSO THE 2020 DASH SEVEN DASH 22 ADOPTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. CAVESA, FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR PART.
SEER IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, ORGANIZATION, THE COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENT EQUITY AND RESILIENCE, AS YOU MENTIONED, REPRESENTING 28 ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND ALL THOSE WHO STAND BEHIND YOU FOR BEING A PART OF IT WITH WHAT MAYOR TURNER SAID AT THE PODIUM THIS MORNING WITH HIS SPECIAL, UH, PROGRAM, UH, INVOLVING EVOL OF HOUSTON AND THE ROUND ONE E MOBILITY MICROGRANTS INITIATIVE.
I WANNA MENTION THAT 'CAUSE IT'S CONSISTENT WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU PERSONALLY AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM, UH, JASON PATAR WITH, UH, CISCO, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY RICHARD SOAD.
I HOLD TWO DEGREES IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND VOLUNTEER MY TIME AS A PRINCIPAL VOTING MEMBER OF CODE PANEL 18 TO HELP WRITE THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE OR N EEC.
IN ADDITION, I HAVE SERVED ON STANDARDS COMMITTEES THAT HAVE DEALT EXTENSIVELY WITH THE ISSUE OF ELECTRICAL SAFETY AND THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK.
WE RESPECTFULLY URGE YOUR SUPPORT IN ADOPTING AMENDMENT TO FIX A PROBLEM NO ONE'S TALKED ABOUT YET.
THE CURRENT 50 VOLT, 50 WATT EXEMPTION IS ACTUALLY VERY UNSAFE.
THE LIST OF EXEMPT USES IN EXEMPTION NINE ALSO FREQUENTLY EXCEED THAT VOLTAGE AND WATTAGE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO COLLAPSE THOSE INTO A SINGLE SIMPLE AND SAFE CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE EXEMPTION BASED ON THE DEFINITIONS PROVIDED BY THE NEC.
THE PROPOSED EXEMPTION IS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE IN AUSTIN AND FORT WORTH FOR MANY YEARS.
THE CURRENT HOUSTON LIMITS ALLOW UNSAFE TECHNOLOGIES TO BE EXEMPTED IN CERTAIN CASES AND DENY EXEMPTION TO OTHER TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE A DECADES LONG ESTABLISHED RECORD OF SAFETY SUCH AS POE.
THIS FIX IS SIMPLY TO REFER TO THE NEC, WHERE THE LIMITS FOR SAFE CIRCUITS ARE VERY CLEARLY DEFINED BY THE CONSENSUS OF HUNDREDS OF EXPERTS BECAUSE OF THEIR INHERENTLY SAFE NATURE.
NEC CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE CIRCUITS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BY NON ELECTRICIANS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR DECADES WITHOUT ISSUE.
ONLY RECENTLY HAS THE GAP BETWEEN CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE CIRCUITS, AND THE HOUSTON 50 VOLT AND 50 WATT EXEMPTION BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THEN SELECTIVELY ENFORCED BY THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER.
ONE CASE OF THIS SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT RESULTED IN MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET OVERRUNS AND ULTIMATELY THE LOSS OF THE OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM HEADQUARTERS TO THE WOODLANDS.
THE PROPOSED EXEMPTION WOULD ALLOW THE SPECIALLY TRAINED TECHNICIANS WHO ARE NOT REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO HOLD A LICENSE TO CONTINUE TO INSTALL THESE CIRCUITS IN SYSTEMS IN HOUSTON.
FOLLOWING THE NC, WE ARE NOT ASKING TO CHANGE IN ANY WAY.
THE INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE SYSTEMS AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY ENDORSE THESE SYSTEMS ONLY BE INSTALLED ACCORDING TO THE LATEST UNALTERED UNREDUCED, NEC.
WE FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THE PERMITTING AND INSPECTION OF ALL LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS, WHICH THIS EXEMPTION DOES NOT PREVENT AS THESE CIRCUITS ARE ONLY A SMALL PART OF THESE SYSTEMS. THANK YOU.
UM, IF YOU'RE ABOUT TO FINISH YOUR STATEMENT, I'D LET YOU CONCLUDE.
YEAH, I'LL JUST CONCLUDE BY SAYING WE, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO KEEP HOUSTON FORWARD LOOKING AND NOT DRAG YOU BACKWARDS.
WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL IN Q STARTING WITH OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN.
THANK YOU MR. POTTER FOR, UH, ON THE, NOW I'M, NOW YOU NOW WE'RE THROWING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE STATE.
I THINK I'VE GOT THE DISTINCTION THERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEC OF WHICH YOU SIT ON THIS PANEL.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT AT THE NEC DOES ALLOW THIS CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING TO BE EXEMPT? SO THE NEC DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING.
IT IS MUTE ON WHO IS ALLOWED TO DO WHAT WORK.
THEY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THAT.
THAT IS LEFT TO THE LOCAL STATE.
AND, UH, THE MUNICIPALITY IN CERTAIN CASES, THE STATE OF TEXAS SAYS THAT THE WHOLE PORTION OF THE OCCUPATIONS CODE THAT NOT ONLY ESTABLISHES THE STATE LICENSE, BUT ALSO GRANTS TO HOUSTON THE ABILITY TO PERMIT, INSPECT, AND COLLECT BUILDING FEES.
THAT WHOLE SECTION OF THE ELECT OF THE TEXAS STATUTE, THE OCCUPATION CODE, IT SAYS CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE CIRCUITS DO
[01:40:01]
NOT APPLY.THIS WHOLE CHAPTER DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM.
SO IT DOESN'T SAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE.
WHAT'S IN THE TEXT IS THAT THERE IS NO LICENSE TO GET, NOW THERE IS ONE READING OF IT THAT WOULD ALLOW HOUSTON TO ESTABLISH A LICENSE.
WE PROPOSED THAT DURING THE TASK FORCE GROUP FOR PROCESS, AND WE WERE REFUSED.
WE INVITED THEM TO ISSUE PERMITS TO COME SATISFY WHAT WE ALL AGREE ON, WHICH IS INSPECTING THESE CIRCUITS IS GOOD FOR SAFETY.
IT'S NOT AS IMPORTANT FOR THESE CLASS TWO CIRCUITS, BUT IT'S GOOD.
AND WE HAVE ASKED THEM, PLEASE ISSUE THE PERMIT.
WE'LL PAY THE FREE, NO PROBLEM.
SO WE ARE INVITING THEM OUT TO VERIFY OUR SAFE PRACTICE.
AND, AND YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'RE, THAT THE, THERE'S SOME UNDER 50 VOLT, UH, INSTALLATIONS THAT ARE UNSAFE.
CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? YES.
SO 50 VOLTS IS TAKEN FROM PORTIONS OF THE NEC THAT DON'T APPLY TO INSTALLATION.
THEY APPLY TO GUARDING, AND THAT REFERS TO 50 VOLTS AC IN A DRY ENVIRONMENT.
THAT IS WHEN IT IS SAFE, THE CLASS TWO DEFINITIONS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, WHETHER IT'S A DRY OR A WET ENVIRONMENT, WHETHER THE CURRENT IS AC OR DC.
AND THOSE HAVE PROFOUNDLY DIFFERENT EFFECTS ON THE HUMAN BODY.
THE 50 WATTS, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
IT HAS NO BEARING ON SAFETY SCIENCE.
THE 50 VOLTS IS ABOUT AC IN A DRY ENVIRONMENT, BUT IF YOU PUT A 50 VOLT A A 49 VOLT AC SYSTEM NEAR A SWIMMING POOL, YOU COULD KILL SOMEONE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO I'M, I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS WHOLE ISSUE.
SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT THE, THE POES, I GUESS THEY'RE IN OTHER CITIES.
WE'RE DOING THIS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IT, IT'S ACTUALLY, THE GENTLEMAN OVER HERE WAS MISTAKEN.
IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL IEEE STANDARD THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
SO THESE POE ALREADY ARE AROUND AND THEY'RE SUCCESSFULLY DOING THAT.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS VISITING WITH ONE OF THE, UH, SPEAKERS THAT'S COMING UP LATER.
UH, AND WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, PART OF THE PROBLEM IS LIKE THE COVERINGS OF WIRES MATTER.
WHAT, WHAT MATERIALS COVERED THE WIRES.
AND IF YOU PUT 'EM IN AN AIR VENT SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S AIR, AND IF A FIRE HAPPENS, THEN THAT CAN TURN INTO CHLORINE GAS OR SOME OTHER POISON.
UH, AND SO IF, IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S NOT AN ELECTRICIAN, WHO HAS NO ELECTRICAL TRAINING, WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AND THEY'RE A CONTRACTOR FOR A DEVELOPER WHO BUILDS ONE OF THESE FACILITIES AND PUTS SOME OF THIS MATERIAL IN THEIR, THEIR, THEY MAY GO WITH THE CHEAPER COSTING WIRE, WHICH MAY NOT BE COVERED WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF MATERIAL.
AND EVENTUALLY AT SOME POINT, IT JUST LIKE THE SWIMMING POOL EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IT'S SAFE OTHERWISE, BUT IF IT'S IN A WET ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT ANOTHER PROBLEM.
SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND WHY, WHY WE SHOULDN'T REQUIRE ELECTRICAL PEOPLE TO BE AT LEAST SOMEWHERE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO INSPECT THOSE? SO I'M GONNA LEAD OFF BY SAYING, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT I INVITE EVERY INSPECTOR INTO EVERY BUILDING.
I DON'T, SEE, I'M NOT OPPOSED, YOU, YOU'RE PROBABLY A GOOD ELECTRICIAN AND YOU DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO DON'T, YOU KNOW? OF COURSE.
SO, AND FOR SOME PEOPLE, THAT'S A BUSINESS THAT IS A BUSINESS HINDRANCE.
SO I, I DON'T WANNA BELITTLE THAT, BUT YOU'RE REFERRING TO PLENUM RATED CABLE THAT'S ALLOWED TO BE RUN THROUGH AIR HANDLING CHANNELS.
UH, PLENUM RATED CABLE IS GENERALLY AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE INDUSTRY.
UH, CATEGORY CABLE THAT'S USED FOR POE IS READILY AVAILABLE AT EVERY SUPPLY HOUSE IN BOTH PLENUM AND OTHER JACKETS.
PVC JACKETS THAT, CAUSE THE PROBLEM YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE ACTUALLY FALLING OUT OF FAVOR FOR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF GOING AWAY.
AND FRANKLY, SOME PEOPLE JUST USE PLENUM CABLE THROUGHOUT JUST TO BE SAFE.
CAN YOU GUARANTEE THAT EVERY INSTALLATION DOESN'T USE THAT CABLE? MAYBE NOT, BUT YOU'RE ALSO EXEMPTING SOUND CABLE.
I AM, I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHETHER SOUND CABLE IS AVAILABLE IN PLENUM, UH, AND A LOT OF IT IS NOT PLENUM RATED.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IT'S OKAY IF IT CARRIES A SPEAKER SIGNAL, BUT AS SOON AS IT'S CONNECTED TO THAT WIFI ACCESS POINT RIGHT UP THERE, OR THAT SECURITY CAMERA, NOW IT'S DANGEROUS.
WELL, I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING.
JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WANNA SAY.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S THE POINT.
I, I THINK, I THINK THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WE HAVE IS WHAT I REFERRED TO WITH THE SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT.
SO POE, WE'RE NOT ASKING TO GO TO A THOUSAND VOLTS.
WE'RE NOT ASKING TO GO TO 3000 WATTS.
THE DIFFERENCE IS CLASS TWO IS DEFINED UP TO 60 VOLTS AND A HUNDRED WATTS.
AND THOSE SAFETY LIMITS ARE WIDELY ACCEPTED BY MANY INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, YOU'RE THE LAST ONE IN THE QUEUE IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW UP OR CONCLUDE YOUR STATEMENT.
I, I'M REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THIS, BUT I APPRECIATE IT.
WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING, BUT I'M STARTING TO GET IT A LITTLE.
[01:45:01]
FOR BEING HERE.AND, UH, WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND, UH, WE WILL CIRCULATE THAT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, FOR CISCO'S PART IN OUR SPACE.
AND, UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPLY US WITH LITERATURE, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO CIRCULATE THAT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, BEFORE THIS COMES, UH, TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY FOR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. RICHARD SAAD.
UM, UH, FOLLOWING HIM WE'LL BE MS. JENNIFER BARTA.
MR. SOD, WHAT YOURS? HERE'S YOUR THING.
I'M SPEAKING ELECTRICAL, I MEAN, NOT ELECTRICAL.
DOING PLUMBING AND AIR CONDITIONING.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN ROBINSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE GULF COAST CHAPTER OF THE HEATING, PLUMBING AND COOLING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS PHCC.
MY ORGANIZATION REPRESENTS OVER 60 COMPANIES, WHICH ARE OUR MEMBERS IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SHARE OUR SUPPORT FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE 2021 UNIFORM MECHANICAL CODE AND THE 2021 UNIVERSAL PLUMBING CODE.
I COMMEND THE CITY FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THOROUGH STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION UPDATE.
LET CITY COUNCIL LISTEN TO THE INDUSTRY AND ARE CONSIDERING THE UNIFORM CODES WHICH HAVE BEEN UTILIZED BY THE CITY FOR OVER FOUR DECADES.
HOUSTONIANS WILL SEE GREAT BENEFIT UNDER THESE UPDATED CONSTRUCTION CODES.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMENT, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU, MR. SO THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY AND REPRESENTING YOUR ORGANIZATION.
UH, NEXT TO THE PODIUM IS MS. JENNIFER BARTA, REPRESENTING THE TEXAS AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.
AND FOLLOWING MS. BARTA, WE'LL HEAR FROM CLYDE BRIAN.
MS. BARTA, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
MR. CHAIR, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER BARDEN AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TEXAS AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATION, UM, IN, EXCUSE ME, IN HOUSTON, AUSTIN, AND NORTH TEXAS.
WE REPRESENT OVER 300 CONTRACTOR MEMBERS, ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF NON-MEMBERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE PROVIDE LICENSING, CLASS, CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL TRAINING AND RESOURCES TO HVAC CONTRACTORS AND PLUMBERS ALONG WITH PUBLIC ED EDUCATION ON UTILIZING LICENSED CONTRACTORS IN THEIR AREA.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THE UPDATING OF THE CITY'S PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL CO CODES TO THE 2021 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE AND THE UNIFORM MECHANICAL CODE.
PREVIOUSLY, UM, TACA AND PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS ACA, HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE UNIFORM MECHANICAL CODE FOR OVER 50 PLUS YEARS AND FIND THAT THE UPDATE WILL BENEFIT HOUSTONIANS.
WE HAVE BEEN UTILIZING THE UMC IN OUR PRE-LICENSING COURSES AND CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR DECADES, AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ITS CONTINUED SUCCESS.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO COMMENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. BARTA, FOR BEING HERE.
THERE ARE NO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE, SO AGAIN, THANKS FOR BEING PART OF IT WITH, UH, TEXAS AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.
BRIAN IS NEXT, WHO'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MARK ROBERTS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL.
UH, BUT FOR NOW, CLYDE, MR. BRIAN.
THE FLOOR IS YOURS, CHAIRMAN? YES, SIR.
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO REPRESENT THE INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS TO I, UH, SERVE AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, I LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX.
I'M, I'M A LITTLE, I HAVE A LITTLE, UH, TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON HERE BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE A CONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRY COUNCIL, UH, THAT WAS EMPOWERED, UH, MANY YEARS AGO BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND WHAT WHAT THEY DO IS THEY LOOK AT ISSUES LIKE THIS, AND THEN THEY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO, TO THE COMMITTEES, AND THEY'VE REJECT, UH, THEY'VE REJECTED THIS AMENDMENT.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THE CODE MODERNIZATION TASK GROUP, NUMBER FOUR, WHICH COVERS MEP, HAS REJECTED THIS AMENDMENT FOUR TIMES.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN YOU'RE INSTALLING, NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, INSTALLING CABLING, UH, AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT VARIOUS ALARM SYSTEMS AND ALL THAT, BUT THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT LED LIGHTING.
THEY WANNA INSTALL LED LIGHTING IN THESE BUILDINGS.
NOW, IF YOU DO THAT WITHOUT, UH, A PERMIT, AND BY THE WAY, THE CITY LOSES MONEY WHEN YOU DON'T PERMIT STUFF, UH, AND EVEN YOUR OWN CHIEF ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR HAS REJECTED THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, AND I'LL READ YOU HIS STATEMENT HERE IN A MINUTE, BUT I, I JUST, I JUST FAILED TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU
[01:50:01]
HAVE ALL THESE GROUPS THAT YOU SEEK ADVICE FROM.AND NOW HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT IT AGAIN.
UH, IF YOU HAVE A, A, A CONTRACTOR THAT ISN'T KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT PLENUM CABLE, AND HE PUTS IT IN A CEILING AND YOU HAVE A FIRE IN THE BUILDING AND POISONOUS GAS IS EMITTED, UH, WHO'S GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE AT THAT POINT? AND IS THE CITY GONNA BE HELD LIABLE? UH, ARE WE GONNA OPEN OURSELVES UP FOR LAWSUITS? UH, IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, FOLKS.
MR. BRIAN, YOUR TIME'S EXPIRED.
I KNOW YOU SAID, UH, YOU HAD SOME MORE WORDS.
AND, UM, LET ME ASK YOU TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT WHILE I RECOGNIZE MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER MIKE KNOX.
UM, SO I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO FINISH YOUR COMMENTS AND ALSO, WE HAD A DISCUSSION IN THE HALLWAY A FEW MINUTES AGO, AND YOU'VE COVERED MOST OF IT HERE ALREADY.
SO THE BUILDERS ARE WANTING TO SAVE MONEY AND BE ABLE TO PUT LED LIGHTING OR WHATEVER IT IS THEY WANT TO DO IN THIS VOLTAGE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
THEY WANNA DO IT CHEAPLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT AND ACCEPT THAT.
UM, YOUR CONCERN IS THAT IF YOU AREN'T DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS. THAT'S EXACTLY.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO COMPLETE YOUR COMMENTS AND THEN TELL ME WHY IT IS.
THE, THE, UH, I GUESS THIS WAS A COMMITTEE THAT WAS USED IN, IN THE NUMBER, THE FOURTH COMMITTEE IN THIS GROUP, AND THEY REJECTED THIS FOUR TIMES AND THIS NOW COMING UP A FIFTH TIME, MAYBE ADDRESS WHY IT WAS REJECTED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHY IT KEEPS COMING BACK.
WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER, LIKE I SAID, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING OUT FOR THE IEC WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ON THE, ON THE WHY IT CAME BACK.
WE, WE, WE'LL, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'D LIKE TO SEE OUR, OUR BUILDERS GUYS A ABOUT THAT ISSUE.
I THINK THAT'S THE EASIEST ONE TO CLEAR UP.
I'M GONNA, AS I'M CHAIRING THIS, UM, I'M GONNA ASK THAT, UH, WE GET MR. BRYANT TO RESPOND FIRST, PLEASE.
WITH REGARD TO WHY IT KEEPS COMING UP, UH, WE, WE FELT LIKE THAT THIS IS, IS WE, WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE.
WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THE STATE CODE.
UH, THE CITIES ARE EMPOWERED TO DO INSPECTIONS.
THE STATE DOESN'T DO AN INSPECTIONS.
THERE'S NO NATIONAL INSPECTIONS.
AND, AND CITIES, IF THEY WANNA MAINTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THIS.
AND, AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE Y'ALL AWARE OF THAT.
THAT'S, AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S BEEN REJECTED FOUR TIMES MM-HMM
AND, AND THAT'S WHY THE CIC RECOMMENDED NOT TO, NOT TO APPROVE IT.
AND THIS IS YOUR CHIEF ELECTRICAL INSPECTION INSPECTOR WHO YOU HIRED POE PROPOSALS WOULD PROHIBIT THE CITY FROM ENFORCEMENT OF THE STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS AND THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE.
THAT'S FROM MERLE NEVILLE, CHIEF ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, I, I TAKE IT YOU WOULDN'T MIND HEARING FROM THE BUILDING OFFICIAL.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE BUILDING.
SO, UH, MAYBE I'M JUST GETTING CONFUSED.
SO THIS IS COME UP FOUR TIMES, BEEN REJECTED FOUR TIMES BY THE COMMITTEE THAT Y'ALL FORMED.
UH, IT'S COME BACK A FIFTH TIME.
SO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE? EVERYBODY ELSE SEEMS TO LIKE THE REST OF THIS CODE.
BUT THIS IS AN ISSUE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW SERIOUS OR NOT IT IS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS GOING ON? WELL, IT'S COME UP FOUR TIMES AND IT'S NOT BEING PRESENTED A FIFTH TIME BECAUSE IT WAS NOT BROUGHT, WELL, IT WASN'T APPROVED.
THE FOUR TIMES WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING.
WHAT WAS AGREED UPON WHEN THE COMMITTEE MET, WAS THAT THE PERMIT IS REQUIRED, WHICH IS NOT CHANGING, BUT THE LICENSING REQUIREMENT THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR NEEDS TO BE DONE AT A STATE LEVEL.
WE CANNOT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON CANNOT, UH, REQUIRE A LICENSE FOR THIS.
THE STATE TOOK THAT ABILITY AWAY FROM US.
OKAY, LET'S PAUSE THERE FOR JUST A MINUTE.
'CAUSE I BUILT A HOUSE A FEW YEARS BACK AND I HAD TO GET AN ARCHITECT, A LICENSED ARCHITECT IN TEXAS TO SIGN OFF ON OUR BUILDING DESIGN.
OR ON OUR ARCHITECTURAL PLANS.
THAT WAS A CITY PERMIT THAT I GOT TO BUILD THAT HOUSE, BUT I HAD TO HAVE THAT LICENSE.
THE, UH, THE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL AND, UH, THE HVAC AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
I HAD TO HIRE LICENSED INDIVIDUALS TO OVERSEE THE, YOU KNOW, PLACEMENT OF ALL THAT MATERIAL.
SO WHAT'S DIFFERENT BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY? WELL, IN A RESIDENCE, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE LICENSED ARCHITECT EXCEPT FOR THE FOUNDATION.
IF YOU'RE GONNA DO A SLAB AND WITHOUT GETTING TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS,
[01:55:01]
BUT YOU DO NEED A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN, AC AND PLUMBER TO DO THAT PARTICULAR WORK.THERE'S NO PLAN REVIEW FOR THE MEPS ON THAT.
GENTLEMEN, IF WE COULD PLEASE STAY FOCUSED ON THE 50, UH, AND I MEAN THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE QUESTION RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN THAT MAY WANT TO GET IN THE QUEUE.
IT LOOKS LIKE SHE'S JUST POPPED OUT.
UM, THIS IS THE ADVANCED CLASS, AND I THINK, UM, WE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE PROCESS.
YOU ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT WHY THIS CAME BACK THE FIFTH TIME.
I'D LIKE THE BUILDING OFFICIAL PERHAPS TO SPEAK TO THE PROCESS.
IT, YES, IT DID COME BEFORE FOUR TIMES AND IT WAS REJECTED.
UH, IT'S NOT COMING UP A FIFTH TIME.
IT'S JUST COMING UP FOR COMMENT.
SO JUST ATTACHED TO THE OVERALL PLAN, AND, AND IT'S GONNA BE PRESENTED BEFORE COUNSEL OVER THE OBJECTION OF THE COMMITTEE.
THE COMMITTEE IS A TASK FORCE, WHICH IS WHERE WE MAY NEED TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OUTSIDE OF THIS COMMITTEE.
I KNOW WHAT COMMITTEES ARE FOR, AND I, I'M JUST SAYING THAT YOU, YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT IT'S USUALLY DONE WELL, IT WAS VOTED ON AT THIS, THE LAST COMMITTEE, THE CMC WHERE IT WAS REJECTED MM-HMM
AND AT THIS POINT, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, WHAT THE COMMITTEE APPROVED FOR THE, FOR THIS ADOPTION.
NOW, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS I CAN GIVE YOU SOME CLARIFICATION AFTER THIS.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE WE SHOULD DO THIS AFTERWARDS.
UH, THANK YOU MR. BUILDING OFFICIAL.
AND, UM, UH, MR. BRIAN, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY AS WELL.
WITH THAT, THERE'S NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE SPEAKER'S LIST, SO LET'S KEEP IT GERMANE TO THE TOPIC AND FOCUSED.
UM, MR. ROBERTS, YOU WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ELLI RAMOS.
AND, UH, THE FLOOR IS YOURS NOW, AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE REPRESENTING THE ICC.
THANK YOU CHAIR ROBINSON AND, UH, VICE CHAIR ALCORN AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M THE SENIOR REGIONAL MANAGER OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL.
THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL IS AN AMERICAN NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, UH, WITH OVER 60,000 MEMBERS THAT DEVELOPS THE INTERNATIONAL CODES THAT ARE ADOPTED IN EVERY STATE, WHICH ARE THE CODES THAT YOU'RE ADOPTING IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, ON BEHALF OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL STAFF, OUR CEO, DOMINIC SIMS AND OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S SUCCESSFUL CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION PROJECT PROCESS AS A-C-C-M-C MEMBER, UH, AS A TASK GROUP MEMBER, AND AS A RESOURCE STAFF ON TECHNICAL MATTERS, UH, A RESOURCE TO YOUR STAFF ON TECHNICAL MATTERS THROUGHOUT YOUR CODE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WITH GREAT RESPECT TO YOUR PROCESS, WE SUPPORT HOUSTON'S ADOPTION OF THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL CODES.
UH, THE ADOPTIONS OF THE, THE ADOPTION OF THE 2021 I CODES WILL IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF HOUSTONIANS FROM NATIONAL DE HAZARDS AND OTHER RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
ADOPTING CURRENT MODEL CODES IS ONE OF THE BEST MITIGATION STRATEGIES FROM NATURAL HAZARDS, INCLUDING HURRICANES AND FLOODING.
UH, AGAIN, WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE AND COMMEND THE EXCELLENT WORK AND EFFORTS BY CITY STAFF UNDER THE DIRECTION OF DIRECTOR HADDOCK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR BUTLER, AND BUILD AN OFFICIAL KING.
UM, AND TO INCLUDE JENSEN HUGHES AND ASSOCIATES COUNCIL MEMBERS ALCORN AND RICHARDSON, UH, AS WELL AS THE STAKEHOLDER MEMBERS SERVING ON THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION COMMITTEE.
WE ENCOURAGE THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ADOPT THE 2021 I CODES.
UH, THE ADOPTION WILL IMPROVE CONSTRUCTION IN THE CITY AND EASY TRANSITION OF NEW MATERIALS AND METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, AND RECOGNIZE THE LATEST IN BUILDING SCIENCES.
UH, THIS WILL IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF SAFETY FOR CITIZENS OF ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST CITIES.
GO AHEAD WITH YOUR CONCLUDING REMARK.
THE CODE COUNCIL LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON THE NEXT CODE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE 2024 FAMILY OF I CODES.
AND, AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT PROCESS TO WORK IN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARK, MR. ROBERTS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND REPRESENTING THE ICC.
YOU'VE BEEN VERY FOCUSED AND INVOLVED.
UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM A RAMOS, UH, HERE SHE IS.
AND, UH, FOLLOWING MR. RAMOS WILL BE DON REBEL.
UH, MS. RAMOS, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
I'M A CLIMATE AMBASSADOR AND, UM, I'M A LIVING RESIDENT AND THE FRONTLINE OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS CRISIS.
UH, WE WANNA RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT ALEX MCGRAIN HAD DONE.
SALLY, CAN I ASK YOU TO GIVE, GIVE YOURSELF AN INCH OR SO BETWEEN YOU AND THE
[02:00:01]
MIC, IT'LL BE A LITTLE CLEARER.UM, I'M A MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN AND, UH, I'M HERE LEARNING EVERYTHING THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S A HIGH LEVEL EDUCATION.
BUT I'M LEARNING AS WELL BECAUSE, UM, I HAVE AN OLD HOME AND I WOULD LIKE TO RETROFIT MY HOME BECAUSE I WAS VERY DAMAGED BY HARVEY.
AND WE NEED ALSO ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING AS THE BUILDINGS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT THIS IN OUR OLD HOMES.
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO SUPPORT ADOPTION OF THE 2021 UPC UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE.
UM, BECAUSE IT'LL ALLOW HIGH INFANCY ON THE TOILETS THAT WILL USE LESS WATER.
YOU KNOW, EVERY DROP COUNTS, EVERY DROP OF WATER COUNTS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS CRISIS OF A CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO, UM, WE ARE, UM, I AM A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS.
WE ARE, UM, WE ALSO WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT 2021 UPC IS BETTER ALIGNED WITH THE OTHER IPC CODES, SUCH AS THE INSULATION STANDS FOR ENERGY CODE.
AND I WANNA APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL WORK THAT THE CITY WORK FOR WITH THE PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. RAMOS, FOR BEING HERE FOR YOUR STATEMENT TODAY AND COMING TO CITY, UH, HALL CHAMBERS AND TAKING YOUR TIME.
NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. DON RABBEL WITH THE SOUTH TEXAS CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, AND HE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY GILBERT SOLIS.
UH, MR. RABBEL FLOOR IS YOURS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UH, I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR, YOUR HARD WORK, UH, MR. CHAIR.
AND, UH, ALL THE HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN STAFF.
I REPRESENT THE, UH, SOUTHEAST TEXAS NATIONAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.
I'M CURRENTLY THE 2023 PRESIDENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COUNCIL, AND I HOLD A STATE OF TEXAS MASTER ELECTRICAL LICENSE.
I SERVE ON THE CODE OF STANDARDS, UH, STANDARDS COMMITTEES FOR THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, AND CURRENTLY ON PANELS, CODE PANELS, NEC 15 AND NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION AGENCY 99.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF LOCAL U LOCAL UNION SEVEN 16 IN HOUSTON, TEXAS AS WELL.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK, UH, AGAINST THE PROPOSAL FOR THE EXEMPTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAD MANY IN OUR FOUR TASK GROUP, OUR FOUR MEETINGS WE HAD, THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF, UH, THINGS THROWN OUT TO, TO DISCUSS.
ONE THING WE DIDN'T DIS WE, WE DID DO SOME DISCUSSION, NOT, NOT HERE TODAY.
BUT IN OUR, OUR MEETINGS, IT WAS OVER INSPECTIONS AND PERMITTING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DIDN'T WANNA HAVE TO GET THE OPPOSITION, DIDN'T WANNA HAVE TO PAY FOR A MASTER TO MASTER THEIR, THEIR, TO PULL PERMITS FOR THE PROJECTS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, FOR SOME REASON, THEY JUST WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT FOR THAT.
SO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF INSPECTIONS AND DEPARTMENTS FOR, IN INSPECTING ALL TYPES OF MP PROJECTS.
ONE WHICH INCLUDES ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AS WELL AS MANY, MANY OTHERS.
THE INSPECTIONS PROVIDED FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE INSTALLATION BY QUALIFIED COMPANIES.
AS OF NOW THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE TDLR, THE, UH, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATION OVERSEES ALL ELECTRICAL STANDARDS IN THE INDUSTRY.
THE STATE OF HOUSTON MUST ABIDE BY THEIR STANDARDS.
IF ANY EXEMPTIONS WERE TO BE MADE TO THE POE, THE STATE OF TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSE REGULATION WOULD HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION, TAKE IT TO TAKE IT TO THE STATE.
TAKING IT TO THE STATE QUALIFIED COMPANIES, WHICH INCLUDE INSTALLERS ARE TRAINED AND ARE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A MASTER LICENSE, UNDER A MASTER DIRECTION.
THE INSTALLATION WILL BE PERFORMED FOR APPLICATIONS AT 50 VOLTS AND ABOVE AS PER THE THANK YOU, MR. REBEL.
LET ME LET YOU FINISH YOUR STATEMENT, UM, BRIEFLY, IF YOU COULD.
UH, CITY OF HOUSTON INSPECTION DEPARTMENT ARE ALREADY INSPECTING CLASS TWO INSTALLATIONS, WHICH ARE INSTALLED BY ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AND CONTINUE TO DO SO.
QUALIFIED INSTALLERS MAKE SAFE INSTALLATION, UH, HONORABLE CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
LET'S, UH, UH, DON'T IGNORE ANY SAFETY CONCERNS 'CAUSE THE NATIONAL ENGINE CODE IS ALL ABOUT SAFETY.
AND, AND AGAIN, FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH TASK FORCE TASK GROUP FOUR AND, UM, THE CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE EXEMPTION ISSUE THAT WE'RE BRINGING UP.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR FOCUS ON THAT.
UH, NEXT WE'RE HERE FROM GILBERT SOLI, UH, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY WAYNE LORD.
MR. SOLIS, I BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE REPRESENTING THE IEZ.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MADAM, UH, VICE CHAIR ALCORN AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, I REPRESENT IEC, TEXAS GOLF COAST.
IN MY POSITION, I'M ELECT UH, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION.
UH, ME BEING A PAST ELECTRICAL
[02:05:01]
INSPECTOR WITH CITY HOUSTON AND RETIRED, UH, 19 YEARS, UH, WITH CITY HOUSTON.UH, THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIMES THAT, UH, WE, WE DID A LOT OF INSPECTIONS, BUT, UM, MY STATEMENT HERE IS WE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERTS TALK ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUES OF POES, UH, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART COVERED BY THE NEC IN ARTICLE 300.
I'M ON CODE PANEL 12 OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, WHICH IS THE CABLING, THE CABLING ITSELF BEING RUN, UH, MENTIONED EARLIER BY MR. CLYDE.
AND OTHER PERSONS THAT TALKED ABOUT THE CABLING.
AND IF THERE'S NOBODY THERE TO INSPECT THE CABLING, THERE WAS NUMEROUS TIMES THAT I WOULD OUT GO OUT THERE AND DO INSPECTIONS AND THERE WAS CABLING THAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE UP THERE.
IN THESE PLENUM RAISED CEILINGS THAT Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, A PLEN RAISED CEILING IS, WAS AIRS MOVING UP THERE.
AND THIS CABLE IS NOT PLENUM RATED.
IT'S TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND A FIRE.
IT CAN IGNITE AND THE FUMES CAN, CAN KILL PEOPLE FROM THE FUMES THEMSELVES AND ALSO THE LIGHTING FIXTURES.
A LOT OF THESE POES, THE LIGHTING FIXTURES THEY'RE HAVING ARE STALLING, ARE MADE OUT OF PLASTIC.
OKAY? THEY'RE NOT PLENUM RATED.
AND THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO A FIRE.
THERE'S A FIRE UP THERE IN A PLENUM RATED CEILING THAT CAN GET THE SMOKE GOING.
PEOPLE START INHALING THAT, 'CAUSE THE AIR CONDITIONER'S MOVING THIS AIR AROUND.
AS THIS CABLING IS BEING RUN, IT'S BEING, IT'S BEING BUNDLED AND BUNDLING CREATES HEAT, WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON.
AND THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU HAVE A, UH, UH, A PAIR OF EYES LOOKING AT IT, WHICH IS PART OF AN INSPECTION, THEY CAN CASH THOSE ISSUES.
AND ALSO THE LIGHT FIXTURES AND OUR NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE, UH, THE FIXTURE HAS TO BE SUPPORTED TO THAT CEILING WAS WITHOUT IT FALLING DOWN ON SOMEBODY AND WHO'S GONNA LOOK AT THAT STUFF.
ALRIGHT, MR. SOLIS, THA THANK YOU FOR YOUR POINT.
THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE AGAIN AND EXPRESSING YOUR CONCERN.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR POINT ON THE PUBLIC RECORD TODAY.
AND NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM WAYNE LORD.
UH, BUT, AND AFTER HIM WE'LL HEAR FROM EDWARD RODRIGUEZ FROM THE IEC UH, MR. LORD, TODAY, YOU'RE HERE REPRESENTING THE PLUMBER'S LOCAL UNION NUMBER 68.
AND, UH, WELCOME TO CITY HALL.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN ROBINSON ROBINSON.
OKAY, UH,
I'M THE BUSINESS MANAGER FOR PLUMBERS LOCAL 68 HERE IN HOUSTON.
I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE, UH, REPRESENTING 1800 OF OUR MEMBERS AND 93 CONTRACTORS THAT, UH, ARE HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME OF, UH, Y'ALLS PROCESS.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT'S GOT THE, UH, IT'S GOT THE BEST INTEREST OF THE, UH, THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AS THIS GOES THROUGH THE ADOPTION PROCESS.
UM, IT'S OUR FIRM BELIEF, THE ADOPTION OF THE 2021 UNIFORM MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING CODES WILL FACILITATE THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND PROMOTE THE CITY'S PROGRESSIVE IMAGE WHILE ENSURING THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE QUALITY OF WORK THEY COME TO EXPECT.
I SINCERELY WANT TO THANK EACH OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND MAYOR TURNER FOR YOUR TIRELESS EFFORTS AND SUPPORT DURING THE TEDIOUS AND SOMETIMES CONTENTIOUS ADOPTION PROCESS.
UH, DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE CONTINUED UTILIZATION OF THE UNIFORM, MECHANICAL, AND UNIFORM PLUMBING CODES, BOTH THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL.
VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT, MR. LORD.
I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THAT TEDIOUS PART.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE REALLY, THIS MOST FOLKS FIND THIS FASCINATING
EVERY GOOD PROCESS HAS A LITTLE TEDIUM TO IT,
THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO, UH, WITH THE PLUMBERS AND, UH, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INPUT.
UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. EDWARD RODRIGUEZ, UH, TO BE FOLLOWED BY CHAD JONES, WHO I BELIEVE WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
UH, BUT MR. RODRIGUEZ, I BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE IEC AND ALONG WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES.
WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH US TODAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN, MR. CHAIRMAN, MADAM VICE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M EMPLOYED WITH ENTERPRISE ELECTRICAL.
ENTERPRISE ELECTRICAL IS A MEMBER OF THE IEC INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS.
ON BEHALF OF THE IECI AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE MEMBERS OF THE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE REGARDING THE AMENDING, UH, EXEMPTING CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING FROM PERMITTING FROM PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
ALTHOUGH THE AMENDMENT WAS REJECTED, WE UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE IS STILL BEING DISCUSSED.
I SPEAK OF FAVOR IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING TO REJECT
[02:10:01]
THE ANY PROPOSED CHANGES FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.FIRST, THE TEXAS ELECTRICAL AND SAFETY LICENSING ACT, WHICH OFFICIALLY ADOPTS THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, DOES NOT EXEMPT CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING.
SECOND REASON IS THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT FAILS BELOW MINIMUM CODE REQUIREMENTS.
IN ADDITION TO BEING A SAFETY ISSUE, WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TASK FORCE GROUP, TASK FORCE GROUP FOUR, THE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE AND THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION COMMITTEE, AND CONTINUE TO REJECT ANY PROPOSED CHANGES THAT WOULD EXEMPT CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE WIRING FROM PERMITTING AND INSPECTIONS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN AND THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF THE IECI THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION ON THIS REQUEST.
MR. RODRIGUEZ, I ASSURE YOU WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INPUT TOO AND FOR YOUR BEING HERE TODAY IN YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR, I BELIEVE VIRTUALLY AND ONLINE WE HAVE MR. CHAD JONES WITH THE NECA.
UH, MR. JONES, ARE YOU THERE? UH, YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.
NSCA NATIONAL A SYSTEMS CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATION.
SO THANK YOU MR. CHAIR AND DISTINGUISHED COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I VOLUNTEER MY TIME AS A PRINCIPAL VOTING MEMBER ON CODE MAKING PANEL THREE UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF HOUSTON'S WONDERFUL ROBERT JONES, HELPING TO WRITE THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL CODE.
MY PANEL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFINITION OF SAFE CIRCUITS, TWO OF WHICH ARE THE CLASS TWO, CLASS THREE CIRCUIT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
I ALSO SERVED ON TASK GROUP FOUR, UH, TASK FORCE GROUP FOUR OF THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION PROJECT.
SO I HAD A WHOLE SCRIPT, I'M GOING OFF SCRIPT BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS HERE.
THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW IT'S BEEN REJECTED FOUR TIMES.
WHAT WAS CONVENIENTLY LEFT OUT THERE WAS THAT THE ONE CASE WHERE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND THE IC WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, WHICH, WHICH, WHICH WAS AN APPEAL HEARING WHERE THE CHAIRS OF TASK FORCE GROUP ONE, TWO, AND THREE GOT TO HEAR THE ISSUE.
UM, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE GO BACK TO TASK GROUP FOUR, TASK FORCE GROUP FOUR, WHERE THERE WERE ONLY TWO MEMBERS OF THE LIMITED ENERGY GROUP.
UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, IT GOT VOTED DOWN.
UM, AND I'LL ALSO POINT OUT EVERY TIME IT GOT VOTED DOWN, IT WASN'T TWO FOUR AND X MINUS TWO, WHATEVER X BEING THE WHOLE, UH, UH, MEMBERSHIP.
UM, WE DID HAVE SOME PEOPLE ON THE PANEL THAT WERE SYMPATHETIC TO US.
UM, UH, BUT IN LARGE WE WERE OUTNUMBERED BY, UH, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS AND IEC FOLKS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO APPROACH THE STATE'S LEGISLATOR TO ASKING THEM TO CREATE A NEW LICENSE.
SO THIS IS NOT A TIMELY SOLUTION GIVEN THE LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR.
AND OF COURSE, IT PRESENTS THE MONUMENTAL TASK, GIVEN THE CURRENT ANTI-REGULATORY STANCE OF YOUR, YOUR TEXAS STATE GOVERNMENT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'D PUSH THIS THROUGH.
THE PROPOSED CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE EXEMPTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT, PROHIBIT ELECTRICIANS FROM DOING WORK.
UH, INSTEAD IT OPENS THE MARKET TO COMPETITION.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING IS PEOPLE ATTEMPTING TO FORT THIS COMPETITION.
WE'VE HEARD ARGUMENTS BASED ON FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY AND DOUBT AROUND THESE SYSTEMS. WHAT WE HAVE NOT HEARD ARE REPORTS OF LOSS OF LIFE OR PROPERTY BECAUSE OF CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE CIRCUITS BEING INSTALLED BY UN UNLICENSED INDIVIDUALS.
DESPITE THIS BEING THE STATUS QUO OF HOUSTON, UH, IN HOUSTON FOR DECADES.
I'VE BEEN IN THAT IN THAT CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER BEFORE I POINTED ABOVE.
SO AS I'M STANDING, FACING THE COUNCIL ABOVE TO YOUR RIGHT, THERE'S AN ACCESS POINT INSTALLED UP.
FROM THE CEILING UP THERE, GUARANTEE.
I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, UH, AND FOR WORKING SO HARD ON THE, ON THE TASK FORCE.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM RITA ROBLES.
UH, MR. ROBLES, I BELIEVE IS WITH US HERE IN CHAMBERS, AND SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY CAMILLE BOYD, ALSO HERE WITH US.
MS. ROBLES, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD TO THE PODIUM.
WELCOME TO YOUR CITY HALL, AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
I WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY HERE THAT'S, UH, TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY TO COME OUT IN THIS SWELTERING HEAT.
I WANNA THANK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE AND THEIR STAFF FOR LISTENING TO ALL OF US ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
I, MY NAME IS RITA ROBLES AND I AM A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, BORN AND RAISED IN THE DENVER HARBOR COMMUNITY.
I AM PART OF THE DENVER HARBOR CIVIC CLUB.
I AM ALSO PART OF SEER COCOA NAC AND WEST STREET RECOVERY, WHICH ARE ALL NONPROFITS IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
NOW, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY BRIEFLY WAS THAT SEARS SUPPORTS THE ADOPTION OF THE 2021 IECC FOR MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS.
AS YOU KNOW, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S A, IT'S A LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S AN OLD NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE ADOPT THIS AND WE AGREE WITH IT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR OUR BUILDINGS AND OUR HOMES TO BE RETROFITTED.
WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE HOMES IN OUR AREA ARE VERY OUTDATED AND THEY NEED TO COME
[02:15:02]
UP A LITTLE BIT, JUST A LITTLE BIT SO THAT, UM, PEOPLE WOULD BE MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.THE 2021 IE CCC RESIDENTIAL CODE INCLUDES EXTRA ENERGY EFFICIENCY SAVINGS THAT WOULD BENEFIT HOUSTONIANS WHO ARE FACING INCREASING UTILITY COSTS.
YOU ALL KNOW THAT OUR ELECTRICITY BILLS ARE RUNNING OUT THE DOOR, UP THE ROOF INTO THE STRATOSPHERE.
AND THIS WOULD HELP EVERYONE IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND OF COURSE, ANYBODY ELSE IN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY.
BUT THIS WOULD HELP THEM SIGNIFICANTLY.
THIS WILL ALSO HELP HOUSTON APPLY FOR COMPETITIVE GRANTS FROM THE DOE OR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE IRA AND I-I-J-A-A HOME CAN POTENTIALLY USE 10% LESS ENERGY THAN THE SAME SIZE HOME BUILT INTO THE 2015 CODES.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, THIS WILL SAVE ENERGY, IMPROVE AIR QUALITY, AND SAVE MONEY.
AND, UH, YOU ARE A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
YOU'RE SAYING WHAT MAYOR TURNER WAS SAYING THIS MORNING, WE'VE GOTTA DO IT TO OUR RETROFIT HOUSES.
THE CODE APPLIES TO EXISTING BUILDINGS AS MUCH AS IT DO DOES TO NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO, FOR SEER FOR YOU, FOR YOUR COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND, UH, FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION TODAY.
NEXT, WE'LL HEAR FROM CAMILLE BOYD, UM, ALSO I BELIEVE WITH SEER.
AND SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MR. CHUCK WILSON VIRTUALLY.
AND, UH, UM, MS. BOYD, WELCOME TO CITY HALL.
HELLO, HELLO CITY COUNCIL AND TTL COMMITTEE.
I'M A COCOA BLOCK CAPTAIN, AND I'M WITH THE NAC.
I'M A HOUSTONIAN AND I LIVE IN THE EAST SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY, DISTRICT D AND I'M EXPERIENCED THE CLIMATE THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW WITH THE HEAT AND SEER BELIEVED THAT THE, THE SET OF COALS WILL MAKE, UH, HOUSTON, UH, HOMEOWNERS SAVE MORE MONEY AND ELECTRICITY AND, UH, BUILDINGS AND RESIDENT TO SAVE MORE ENERGY AND WATER.
SEARS SUPPORT THE ERA ENERGY RATINGS, ALTERNATING COMPLYING FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
I'M A SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNER MYSELF, AND I KIND OF BEEN LISTENING TO EVERYONE THAT'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT, MAYBE THEY BUILT A HOUSE, BUT WE HAD A ROOM ADDED ON AND WE HAD TO GET AN ENGINEER AND GET, UH, A BLUEPRINT AND GET A LOT OF PERMITS.
AND, UH, JUST RECENTLY, UH, I GUESS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH, UH, EVERYBODY TRYING TO, UH, SAVE ENERGY WITH ELECTRICITY.
I'VE BEEN GETTING NUMEROUS OF CALLS WITH SOLAR PANEL.
AND, UM, YOU GET SOME PHONE CALLS THAT'S ASKING YOU ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO PUT DOWN.
AND IT'S ALWAYS LIKE A CORN JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GET YOU TO CHANGE OVER.
BUT YOU HAVE TO FIRST CONSIDER THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A NEW ROOF.
YOU CAN'T PUT THESE PANELS ON, UH, A ROOF THAT NEED REPAIR.
UM, UH, THE BUILDINGS THAT COULD MEET 59 ERI WOULD COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE 2021 AND OVER TIME INCREASE TO A MORE ROBUST 55 ERI.
IT SHOULD BE ADDED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BUILDINGS THAT BUILDERS CHOOSE THIS PASS STILL MEET BASIC BUILDING REQUIREMENTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. BOYD, FOR YOUR COMMENTS TODAY FOR COMING WITH US AND TAKING YOUR TIME TO BE WITH US AT CITY HALL.
UH, NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM MR. CHUCK WILSON, WHO'S WITH US VIRTUALLY TO BE FOLLOWED BY ARTHUR ETTE.
CAN YOU, UH, CAN YOU BE HEARD? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME ALL RIGHT? YES, SIR.
GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AND, UH, I TRULY APPRECIATE BEING HERE.
I'M THE CEO OF THE NATIONAL SYSTEM CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.
UM, I'M ALSO THE CO-FOUNDER OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE PARTNER ALLIANCE FOR SAFER SCHOOLS, WHICH, UH, BOTH ARE NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
I'M HERE TODAY TO URGE YOU TO APPROVE THE CLASS TWO CLASS THREE EXEMPTION.
AND I WANT TO SHARE A DIFFERENT, UH, ANGLE OF, OF WHY, UM, IN OUR OPINION, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SCOPE OF WORK THING, IT'S A REGULATORY CAPTURE EFFORT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA SIGNIFICANTLY LIMIT THE ROLE OF A SYSTEM INTEGRATOR.
WE HAVE SO MANY MEMBERS IN HOUSTON THAT THIS WOULD SERIOUSLY IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO PERFORM THEIR WORK.
AND IT GOES WAY BEYOND THE POE
[02:20:01]
LIGHTING.LET ME GIVE YOU EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON IN HOUSTON.
DIGITAL HEALTHCARE AND TELEMEDICINE SENIOR LIVING.
THAT INCLUDES AI FOR SLIP AND FALL PREVENTION, SCHOOL SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW ALYSSA'S LAW THAT, UH, WAS JUST PASSED BY THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS.
SYSTEM INTEGRATORS DO THAT WORK.
UH, POE AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS THAT WE DEPLOY, THEY'RE ONE IN THE SAME.
SO THESE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS ONES THAT HELP NURSES AND TEACHERS BE SAFE IN THE PROFESSION, THAT IT'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, REALLY AT RISK.
THE ENABLEMENT OF HYBRID WORKPLACES, UH, YOU KNOW, VIDEO CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGIES, IOT DEVICES, DIGITAL ENDPOINT CONNECTIVITY, THEY'RE, IT'S JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF WHAT WE DO.
WE ARE MISSION CRITICAL CONNECTIVITY PEOPLE.
THAT'S THE WORK OF AN INTEGRATOR.
IT'S REALLY NOT THE WORK OF AN ELECTRICIAN AT ALL.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T EMPLOY ELECTRICIANS TO DO CYBERSECURITY AND ALL THE IT SKILL SETS THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE HAVE THESE MAJOR, UM, LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH KEY MANUFACTURING PARTNERS WHO REQUIRE US TO BE TRAINED ON THIS PROPERLY.
THOSE, THIS, THIS, UM, NON-EXEMPT, THIS, THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU'RE CREATING WOULD DISRUPT ALL OF THAT.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BRING IN PEOPLE WITH ALL THIS RETRAINING.
IT WOULD JUST BE VERY, VERY DISRUPTIVE.
SO, UM, THIS REGULATION, IN MY OPINION, WILL SIGNIFICANTLY LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF IMPLEMENTATIONS THAT WE DO IN HOUSTON.
AND IT'S REALLY GONNA HOLD BACK INNOVATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I THINK.
SO, SO PLEASE GIVE A CONSIDERATION TO, TO, UH, PROVIDE THIS EXEMPTION.
MR. WILSON, IF YOU'D HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
WE HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT FROM, UH, VICE CHAIR ALCORN FOR YOU.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, MR. WILSON.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF, IF THIS EXEMPTION ISN'T GRANTED, THERE'LL BE THIS, ALL THIS DISRUPTION, BUT THERE'S, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE REQUIREMENT NOW.
I MEAN, THE REQUIREMENT NOW IS THAT YOU GET A MASTER ELECTRICIAN AND YOU GET PULL THE PERMIT AND EVERYTHING.
SO IS THERE A MASSIVE DISRUPTION NOW, OR ARE PEOPLE JUST DOING THIS WORK WITHOUT GETTING THE PERMITS? I MEAN, THAT'S MY CONFUSION.
NO, WE'RE JUST, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE EXEMPTION.
YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS A GREAT EXEMPTION.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
EVERY, EVERY PLACE WE GO, WE'RE EXEMPTED WITH CLASS ONE, CLASS TWO, CLASS THREE, UH, CIRCUITS AND STUFF.
AND SO WE JUST WANT TO KEEP THAT IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE PERMITTING THING IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE, IN MY OPINION, COUNCIL MEMBER.
WELL, I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE THAT RESTRICTION NOW IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT'S NOT ANYTHING, WHAT, WHAT'S BEING DEBATED NOW IS WHETHER WE SHOULD CHANGE THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE THAT RESTRICTION NOW.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST, IT'S, THAT'S JUST MY CONFUSION AND DON'T, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU MR. WILSON FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, NEXT WE WILL HEAR FROM, UH, ARTHUR SARRE, UH, WHO'S WITH US IN CHAMBERS AND, UH, UH, TO BE FOLLOWED BY JOSHUA HOL, UM, WHO I BELIEVE IS JOINING US IN PERSON AS WELL.
BUT MR. SARRET, YOU'RE AT THE, AT THE PODIUM.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT I'VE LISTENED TO ALL THIS, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 46 YEARS AND I'VE BEEN A MASTER ELECTRICIAN FOR A LONG TIME, I'M CONFUSED TOO.
LET, LET'S TALK ABOUT ONE, THE TWO AND THREE CIRCUITS, RIGHT? WHAT WERE THEY, WHY WERE THEY EXEMPT? OKAY.
I AM A, UH, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE TDLR.
AND I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WRITES THE EXAMS FOR 12 YEARS.
THOSE WERE CONTROLLED CIRCUITS.
OH, THEY'RE WONDERFUL LIGHTING CIRCUITS.
THE TRADE, IT WAS, NOW IT'S LIGHTING, BUT IT WAS CONTROLS NURSING OR WHATEVER YOUR THERMOSTAT AT HOME OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING SIMPLE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON EITHER NOW, BUT I DO KNOW THIS, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE SOME SORT OF CHECKS AND BALANCES, IT'S JUST NOT CISCO OR THESE OTHER WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO GOOD WORK.
IT'S GONNA BE ANYBODY THAT'S GOING TO DO THIS POE STUFF.
I THINK YOU NEED CHECKS AND BALANCES.
THE STATE ISN'T GONNA, OF COURSE, THE STATE HAS EXEMPTION.
IT'S FROM DAY ONE, THEY PUT IT IN THERE.
UH, BUT THAT WAS FOR CONTROLLED CIRCUITS.
NOBODY SAW POE COMING BACK IN 2004 AND 2003.
OKAY, SO NOW IT'S, IT'S A BIG DEAL.
BUT WHATEVER THE CITY ASKING YOU TO, YOU KNOW, FOR Y'ALL JUST TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT JOE BLOW DOESN'T DO SOME CRAZY THING, LIKE HOW DO YOU KNOW HE ISN'T GONNA PUT A POE? HE COULD RUN DOWN AND GET ANY KINDA LIGHTED AND STICK IT UP THERE AND, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE FROM WHATEVER NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER IT'S RIVER OAKS, WHATEVER, WANT CHEAPER INSTALLATION, RIGHT? SO, WELL, YEAH, YOU MIGHT BE GO AND DO A
[02:25:01]
GREAT JOB, BUT I FOUND THIS GUY DOWN IN THE HOME DEPOT PARKING LOT AND I'LL LET HIM DO MY POE.UM, MR. HOLLOW, JOSHUA HOLLOW, UH, FROM YAMO WELCOME AND WE'LL, AND YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY MR. JOHN MATA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, ALMOST EVENING, CHAIRMAN ROBINSON AND MEMBERS.
I'M REPRESENTING THE GULF COAST CHAPTER OF IMO.
UH, I WANTED TO SHARE MY SUPPORT FOR THE CITY'S UPDATES, BOTH THE UMC AND THE UPC 21 EDITION.
UH, THESE PREMIER CODES OF SUPPORT HAVE SUPPORTED THE UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.
AND LIKE ALL OF YOU, THAT'S LONGER THAN I'VE BEEN ALIVE.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO COMMEND THE CCMC COMMITTEE'S, HARD WORK, UH, AND AS A CO-CHAIR OF TASK FORCE GROUP FOUR, UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE BACKEND WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE, UH, IS VERY TIME CONSUMING AND THOROUGH.
AND I'M PROUD TO HAVE SERVED AND BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, IS DOING IT RIGHT.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS FOR YOU AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR INVOLVEMENT.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORT.
AND YOUR COLLEAGUE, I BELIEVE ALSO FROM YMO, IS MR. JOHN MATA.
MR. MATA, IF YOU'D, UH, APPROACH THE PODIUM.
YOU ARE OUR FINAL SPEAKER TODAY, MR. MATA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN ROBINSON, VICE CHAIR ALCORN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND THEIR STAFF.
I'M A LIFELONG HOUSTONIAN, A LICENSED PLUMBER AND SENIOR DIRECTOR OF FIELD SERVICES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL OFFICIALS, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE ATMO.
I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT FOR UPDATING THE CITY'S PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL CODES TO THE 2021 ADDITIONS OF THE UNIFORM, PLUMBING AND UNIFORM MECHANICAL CODE.
THE UPC AND UMC HAVE BEEN PROTECTING THE CITY FOR OVER 40 YEARS, AND THE INDUSTRY SUPPORTS THEIR CONTINUED ADOPTIONS.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION UPDATE, THE THOROUGH STAKEHOLDER PROCESS WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND PROFESSIONALS, DEMONSTRATED TRUE PARTNERSHIP AND FURTHER ILLUSTRATED YOUR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON THE CONSTRUCTION CODE MODERNIZATION COMMITTEE, THE CCMC.
OVER THE PAST FIVE MONTHS, I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING MY TIME FOR NOT ONLY THE CCM MEETINGS, BUT ALSO TASK GROUP FOUR, FOUR MEETINGS, WHICH FOCUS ON THE MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING CODES.
I'M HONORED TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS PROCESS AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL'S ADOPTION OF AN UPDATED EDITION OF THE UPC AND UMC.
THESE UPDATED PLUMBING AND MECHANICAL CODES WILL OFFER GREAT BENEFITS TO HOUSTONIANS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE UPC, THE NEW WATER DEMAND CALCULATOR, A NEW TOOL THAT DETERMINES PROPER PIPE SIZING BASED ON TODAY'S LOWER FLOW RATES AND MODERN CONSTRUCTION.
NOT ONLY DOES THIS TOOL GENERATE SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION COST SAVINGS, BUT IT ALSO REDUCES CARBON FOOTPRINT OF THE STRUCTURE IN TERMS OF UPDATED PIPE SIZE REQUIREMENTS.
COST SAVINGS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HOME CAN BE AS HIGH AS 5,000 FOR A SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND EASILY EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR MULTI-FAMILY, UH, BUILDING.
NO OTHER MODEL PLUMBING CODE CONTAINS THIS CALCULATOR.
INSTEAD, THEY RELY ON NEARLY A HUNDRED YEAR OLD METHODS OF SIZE PLUMBING SYSTEMS. NOW, ATMO STANDS READY TO ASSIST CITY STAFF AND STAKEHOLDERS WITH TRAINING ON HOW TO BEST UTILIZE THIS NEW TOOL.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMENTS TO THE COMMITTEE.
I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THERE ARE NO COUNCIL MEMBERS IN QUEUE, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, YOURSELF AND WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION FOR BEING A PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND ON BEHALF OF, UH, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, UM, LET ME SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY IN CHAMBERS FOR BEING ONLINE WITH US VIRTUALLY.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO ARE HERE IN PERSON.
CERTAINLY CHAIR ALCORN FOR BEING HERE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAC FOR BEING HERE WITHOUT ASKING A QUESTION, I THINK ALMOST ALL DAY AND LISTENING VERY CAREFULLY.
AND OF COURSE FOR YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KNOX, COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS IS HERE.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL.
I SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR ABOUT IT THIS MORNING, AND THAT'S LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE IN OCTOBER.
SO AGAIN, FOR EVERYONE WHO IS HERE AND ONLINE, THESE PRESENTATIONS, THESE COMMENTS WILL BE A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD AND PLACED ON, UH, THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND FOR ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO SEE THAT, LOOK FOR TTI AT THE WWW.HOUSTONTX.GOV/COUNCIL/COMMITTEES/TTI HTML ANNOUNCE, UH, HERE IS THAT THE TTI MEETING WILL MEET NEXT ON
[02:30:01]
SEPTEMBER 7TH, UH, JUST AFTER LABOR DAY.THAT'S THURSDAY AT 10:00 AM FOR OUR REGULAR CALLED MEETING.
AND WITH THAT AND NO FURTHER ADO, WE ARE ADJOURNED.