Building Code Review Board

Agenda Village of Arlington Heights Building Code Review Board Hanson Room 33 S. Arlington Heights Road Arlington Heights, IL May 11, 2022 6:00 PM I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Approval of November 8, 2021 Minutes IV. REPORTS V. OLD BUSINESS VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Removal of Varied Amendments to the Municipal Codes VII. OTHER BUSINESS VIII.ADJOURNMENT Persons with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services, such as an American Sign Language interpreter or written materials in accessible formats, should contact Rosangela Maldonado, at 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005, rmaldonado@vah.com or (847)368- 5791.  Building Code Review Board 5/11/2022 Item: Approval of November 8, 2021 Minutes Department: Building & Life Safety ATTACHMENTS: Description Type November 8, 2021 Minutes Minutes  DRAFT BUILDING CODE REVIEW BOARD MINUTES OF A MEETING BEFORE THE VILLAGE OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS BUILDING CODE REVIEW BOARD November 8, 2021 MEMBERS PRESENT: ADMINISTRATION PRESENT: Tom Hutchinson, Chair Jorge Torres, Director of Building & Life Safety Carl Baldassarra Mike Boyle, Permits Supervisor Richard Bondarowicz Patty LeVee, Recording Secretary Scott Smith Trustee Tinaglia SUBJECT: Reinstatement of Roof Permit Requirement There being a quorum present, the meeting was called to order at 6:30pm. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MR. BONDAROWICZ MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE JANUARY 21, 2020 MINUTES OF THE BCRB. SECONDED BY MR. SMITH, THE MOTION PASSED. AYES: Mr. Bondarowicz, Mr. Hutchinson, Mr. Smith, Trustee Tinaglia ABSTAIN: Mr. Baldassarra (absent from January 21, 2020 Meeting) NEW BUSINESS Reinstate Roof Permit Requirement Chairman Hutchinson opened the meeting to discussion to reinstate the roof permit requirement. Mr. Torres provided some history of roof permits. The base codes, the IBC and IRC does require a building permit for any type of roofing for residential or commercial. When the Building Codes were updated in 2019-2020, that was one item that was decided to be removed from the base code. Mr. Torres explained he is asking the Board to reconsider reinstatement of the roof permit requirement for both commercial and residential. With understanding of the reasoning of why the permit was removed, due to the fact our Inspectors do not go on top of the roof and do inspections. While true and for the safety of the Inspectors we plan to keep it that way. Mr. Torres expressed that he and staff feel that the contractor, as State licensed roofers, should be held accountable for their own actions. Once we issue the building permit, residential or commercial, to the State licensed roofer, we will hold them accountable that they certify that they installed the roof per manufacturer specifications and also by the Building Code. This creates two very important points – first, and most important is that we will have a record on file on who did the roof. This helps if property sells or the homeowner has any issues; we will have information of the actual permit and the certification of installation of the roof. Second, is that we want to make sure the contactors are honest contractors, they are legit contractors that are State approved for roofing, it is a State Statute. If you are not doing your own house, a State roofer has to do the roofing. If a homeowner wants to act as their own roofer, they may, and we will have them sign off of on documentation stating they are acting their own general contractor and also sign that the roof will be installed from manufacture specification and by the Building Code. The applicant, or homeowner, would have to show proof that he actually lives there, such as a driver’s license that has the same address where they are installing the roof. Mr. Torres explained the fees would be strictly flat fee. For residential the flat fee would be $75.00. For Commercial, we are looking at $125.00 plus a plan review of $70.00. This is large commercial, tear off, multi-family, industrial types of roofing. The intent to keep it simple and painless, not relating to construction value, a flat fee. We will consider this as an over the counter permit and not delay a project. Mr. Boyle noted residential over the counter permit is literally issued back across if it is asphalt roof shingle replacement. Mr. Torres added, it is immediately as long as they have proof of the State roofing license. For Commercial, it will take 2-3 days as there is review of items that may be required. There will be guidelines on that. Mr. Torres concluded this is important for these reasonings and is requesting the reinstatement of the roofing permit. He noted that also, with FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), when purchasing property, people ask when was the roof done and ask for the permit information. We respond that currently we do not require a roofing permit and therefore do not have that information. This change will benefit the residents of Arlington Heights. Mr. Baldassarra asked about the releasing of information to anyone who requests a roofing permit to any particular property. Mr. Torres responded yes, through Freedom of Information Act, noting there are redactions of personal information. Mr. Baldassarra commented on the memo from Jorge, noting page 2, “if poor workmanship was later found”. He stated that this is not the job of the Village. Mr. Torres agreed, and stated is was part of the reasoning why they removed roofs from the permitting process, however, no, we do not check workmanship. We do, however, provide information to appropriate agencies if they need to follow through on who did the work, do they have certifications etc. 2 Mr. Baldassarra suggested, on the following paragraph, to change Driver License to Illinois issued identification or other approved documentation. Mr. Torres agreed. Mr. Baldassarra inquired about charges of permits from other Villages. Mr. Torres stated it’s pretty typical. Some charge percentages but we are trying to stay away from percentages, we are not here to make money of the roofing permits, we are offering a service. Being we are not inspecting it, it’s a minimum fee. Chairman Hutchinson asked if there was a reason why it is not a walk out permit for anything other than asphalt, for example cedar, metal or rubber roofing. Mr. Torres stated, residential is over the counter immediately. Commercial involves other things that need to be looked at, such as guards, tear offs, if rubber, how will it be done. We may have conditions, there could be other items to look at, like insulation and are they opening up the envelope to the roof. Chairman Hutchinson inquired, that no matter what, if it is residential, they can walk out with their permit that day? Mr. Torres responded, 99% of the time. Trustee Tinaglia asked Mr. Torres if he knew of other municipalities that do not have permits for roofing? Mr. Bondarowicz stated that this was highly unusual that this move was made. He discussed even suggesting the roofing contractor purchase a license with the Village, if it is not required yet, it is not a bad idea. Charge a fee and have the legitimacy of the contractor. Many communities also require a bond, similar to the State bond. It is another layer of protection. There are stories around town where older people have been very severely taken advantage of by contractors stating they were “roofers” and they were not. Mr. Torres responded this would be taken into consideration. Trustee Tinaglia stated that the short answer is that the Village on an island the past year or so by being one of the only ones that do not have a permit for roofing. This is a step back into the right direction. Plumbers, electricians, HVAC are licensed. Mr. Torres said we do license them; however, we do not ask for a bond, it is something we can look into to add more of a security measure. Trustee Tinaglia asked will they be licensed roofers. Mr. Torres responded that they will be State licensed and we will register them also as being licensed with the Village once a year. He will look into the bond situation further. Mr. Baldassarra asked who the bond is intended to protect. Mr. Torres stated, it is a performance bond and it protects the homeowner and the Village also. Mr. Bondarowicz commented about the requirements of an insurance certificate as done in Glenview. It would name the Village as an additional insured. It is a very simple layer of protection that adds to the legitimacy of the contractor. Mr. Torres added, it can actually be done over the phone. Chairman Hutchinson stated he believes this is at no cost. He has never been charged for that. He does not believe electrical contractors are licensed by Arlington Heights, in other towns they pay that fee. Perhaps about half of the surrounding towns do 3 require a bond and a Certificate of Insurance, Arlington Heights is not one of those. Mr. Torres said he will definitely that a look at this. There was brief discussion regarding mid-way inspections. Mr. Bondarowicz said this is a very bad idea. The Village opens themselves up a liability. What if the inspector does not show up in time, when did he show up and it rained, water gets in. Mr. Torres agreed and said we do not want to be involved in that, this could delay a project roof covering and the weather could turn on that same day, and here the contractor is waiting for inspection to cover the roof. However, we will require that certification letter stating the work was done per manufacture specification and our Building Codes. Chairman Hutchinson summarized that there will be no inspection other than for commercial situations. For residential, there is no inspection, they need to send the letter certifying that they did the work according to manufacture and building codes. Mr. Torres added, also for commercial. For commercial we will not require an inspection, if there is another trade involved, we might not. It depends what the drawings show. If insulation removal and they open the envelope, that is a different arena. Mr. Bondarowicz commented that we might want to confer with legal as to the letter stating the roof was completed per manufacturers specification. That would be a can of worms, because the manufacturers guideline for a shingle roof to be installed states that you would have an equalized air ventilation system on a structure, which does not exist virtually anywhere. If someone states the roof was installed according to manufacturers specifications and guidelines, the fine print on every manufacturer’s warranty states, for instance, “a fully balanced ventilation system”. It is almost impossible to do. Mr. Torres added that he is also aware that the manufacturer’s specification is nationally for the entire Country and it is by region. Our region is different installation and different climate. Mr. Bondarowicz suggested to state this as, per the stated specifications in the agreement with the owner or something similar. Trustee Tinaglia suggested words like manufacturer’s standards, compliance etc. Mr. Torres stated that it is in the Code, the IBC and IRC does state per manufacturer’s specification. He will discuss this with legal. Mr. Smith asked what we would do if someone applies for a license to confirm that they are qualified to do roofing work. Mr. Torres responded that we would ask for the State Roofing License. If they show us the State Roofing License and complete another license application for us, and provide an ID, we will give them the license overnight/or immediately, the State License Roofing Certificate is the most important. If the homeowner acts as the contractor, there will be a form stating as such and we will have that on file. If something goes wrong down the line, we have the information and they showed us their State ID that they are the homeowner who lived in that house. Mr. Bondarowicz clarified that what Arlington Heights was doing is that anybody could put a roof on. The word on the street was, if you want to do roofs, go to Arlington Heights, you do not need 4 a State license. To get a State license you need a particular type of insurance, with a particular code to get that insurance. Mr. Smith asked, what do we do independently to confirm when we issue an Arlington Heights license. Mr. Torres replied, we check the State license to make sure it is active and current. Just giving us the license goes a long way. Mr. Bondarowicz stated that the State license is issued for a two-year period. Trustee Tinaglia asked about the timing of reinstating. Mr. Torres stated that if approved by the Village Board, this could start at the beginning of the year or by February to give time to educate people by promoting, marketing and social media and get the word out that the roofing permit will be required. He estimates 60 days at most, after Village Board approval. Mr. Bondarowicz motioned that the Village of Arlington Heights reinstate the requirement of a permit for roof work on residential and commercial structures in Arlington Heights, as presented by the Board. Seconded by Mr. Baldassarra, all were in favor. Discussion Mr. Torres commented on one of his goals as Director is more community engagement. There are quarterly stakeholder meetings, done virtually, that they will be invited to via an email with the agenda. The next meeting is December 8, at 9:00am. It is a dialog conversation with professional designers and contractors on how we are doing as a Village in the Building Department. This helps to know the Director better and know what the Village process in terms of Building. Trustee Tinaglia added that he attends these meetings and finds them valuable. Mr. Torres is connecting with different teams out in the work force on both sides of the fence. With no further business, Chairman Hutchinson motioned to adjourn. Seconded by Mr. Tinaglia, all were in favor. The meeting adjourned at 6:58 pm 5  Building Code Review Board 5/11/2022 Item: Removal of Varied Amendments to the Municipal Codes Department: Building & Life Safety Ch 23 Sec 202, IRC 803.2.2.1 - Allowable Thickness. Ch 23 Sec 302 IBC 3002.4 - Elevator car to accommodate ambulance stretcher. Ch 27 Sec 102 IFC 905.12 Existing Buildings. ATTACHMENTS: Description Type Ch 23 Sec 202 IRC 803.2.2.1 Exhibits Ch 23 Sec 302 IBC 3002.4 Exhibits Ch 27 Sec 102 IFC 905.12 Exhibits  BUILDING REGULATIONS Newly constructed walls which will contain plumbing drain, waste, and/ or vent lines that are installed horizontally through the wall studs, shall be built with a minimum stud size of 2x6. Add footnote e. to the table title. R602. 10 Wall bracing. Delete the existing language and replace with: Primary buildings and accessory buildings that shelter automobiles shall be braced using the continuously sheathed wood structural panel method ( CS-WSP) listed in Table R602. 10.4 in accordance with this Section or shall be designed by a State of Illinois licensed Structural Engineer. Other buildings shall be braced in accordance with this Section or, when applicable, Section R602. 12. Table R602. 10.4 Bracing Methods. Replace 3/8” with 1/2” for the minimum thickness of bracing method continuously sheathed wood structural panel. R801. 3 Roof drainage. Delete the following text: In areas where expansive or collapsible soils are known to exist, R801. 3 Roof drainage. Insert the following after the word dwellings: and accessory structures with a single roof plane that exceeds 100 square feet R802. 3 Ridge. Replace 1 (inch) with 2. R803. 2.2.1 Allowable Thickness. Wood structural panels used as roof sheathing for new construction and/ or new additions of primary buildings and/ or accessory buildings that shelter automobiles shall be a minimum of 5/8” thick. Delete Chapter 11 in its entirety. Add this subsection: M1602. 3 Return air inlets. Unless approved by the Building Official in writing, non-central return air inlets shall be installed both high and low in each room where return inlets are installed. Except as noted in a. below, delete Chapter 25 in its entirety. a. Section P2503. 7 shall remain in effect only as referenced by Section P2904. 8.1, list item number 8. Except as noted in a. below, delete Chapter 26 in its entirety. a. Section P2603. 5 shall remain in effect only as referenced by Section P2904. 2.3, but subsection 2603.5.1 is deleted. Delete Chapter 27 in its entirety. Delete Chapter 28 in its entirety. Except as noted in a. below, delete Chapter 29 in its entirety. a. Section P2904 shall remain in effect. Delete Chapter 30 in its entirety. 23-10 REVISED 03/01/20  ARLINGTON HEIGHTS MUNICIPAL CODE Exception: Sheds and similar types of buildings 100 square feet or less shall not be required to have a foundation. 2308. 7.3 Ceiling joist and rafter framing. Change the following: 1(-inch) to 2, and 25 to 51. 1907. 1 General. Modify this Section by replacing ‘ 3 ½ inches’ ( 89mm) with ‘ 4 inches ( 102 mm)’. 2303. 1.5 Wood structural panels. Add the following to the end of the section: The minimum size wood structural panel used in primary buildings and accessory buildings that shelter automobiles shall be 1/2 inch for floors and 5/8 inch for roofs. 2308. 6.2 Braced wall panels. Modify this Section by adding to the end: Braced wall panel methods for primary buildings and accessory buildings that shelter automobiles shall be limited to methods WSP and PFH listed in Table 2308.6.3(1). 3001. 2 Emergency elevator communication systems for the deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired. Delete this Section in its entirety. 3002. 4 Elevator car to accommodate ambulance stretcher. Where elevators are installed, at least one elevator and one elevator per bank shall be provided for Fire Department and ambulance service access to all floors. Such elevator car shall be a minimum interior dimension size of 60 inch by 85 inch and arranged to allow for a stretcher in its horizontal position to enter the elevator. Every elevator meeting these criteria shall be identified by the international symbol for emergency medical services ( star of life). The symbols shall be a minimum 3 inch (76mm) by 3 inch (76mm) and placed inside on both sides of the hoistway door frame. Exception: The Fire Official may approve alternate interior dimensions that allow for a stretcher in its horizontal position to enter the elevator. 3005. 1 Access. Modify this Section by adding the following language to the end: These areas shall not be allowed as the sole passageway to access other areas of the building. 3005. 4 Machine rooms, control rooms, machinery spaces, and control spaces. Modify this Section by deleting Exception 2. Add the following section: 3009. 1 Certificate of operation. The operation of all equipment governed by the provisions of this chapter and hereafter installed, relocated, and/ or altered shall be unlawful by persons other than the licensed installer until such equipment has been inspected and a certificate of operation has been issued by the Village of Arlington Heights. Add the following section: 3009. 2 Posting of certificate of operation. The owner or lessee shall post the current certificate of operation or a copy of it in a conspicuous place inside the conveyance. Section 3201. 4 Drainage. Modify this Section by adding the following language after the word surface’: 23-19 REVISED 03/01/20  ARLINGTON HEIGHTS MUNICIPAL CODE 903.2.10 Group S-2. An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided throughout all buildings with a Group S-2 fire area. 903.2.11.1 Stories without openings. Delete this Section and subsections in their entirety. Add the following section: 903.2.13 Group B. An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided throughout buildings with a Group B fire area. 903.3.5 Water supplies. Modify this Section by deleting the words ‘ and the International Plumbing Code’, and replacing them with ‘ the Village of Arlington Heights, and the State of Illinois Plumbing Code.’ 903.4.3 Floor control valves. Delete ‘ in high-rise buildings’. 905.4 Location of Class I standpipe hose connections. Add the following text after the word connections’: with a 2-1/2inch x 1-1/2 inch reducer and cap and chain’ 905.5 Location of Class II standpipes hose connections. Add the following text after the word ‘ connections’: with a 2-1/2inch x 1-1/2 inch reducer and cap and chain’ 905. 12 Existing Buildings. Add the following at the end: Elimination of fire hoses from an existing Class III standpipe system is permitted only if all of the following conditions are met: 1. The building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 903.1.1 or 903.1.2 ofthe IFC. 2. Provide a 1-1/2" brass cap with chain. 3. Provide a 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" reducer with a 1-1/2" brass cap with a chain on the 2-1/2" fire hose valve. A permit, including review and approval by the Fire Chief, must be obtained for each building 4. A letter from the building insurance carrier is provided to the Fire Official which states that they are aware of the removal of the hoses. A permit, including review and approval by the Fire Chief, must be obtained for each building where the fire hoses are to be removed. A final inspection by the Village will be conducted upon completion of the removal. 907.2 Where required-new buildings and structures. Modify this Section by adding the following language after the first paragraph: All new fire alarm systems shall be capable of sending a wireless signal and shall be monitored by Northwest Central Dispatch. Once accepted, fire alarm system shall not be placed out of service unless approved by the Village. Landlords shall be responsible for tenant systems where leases have ended and/ or the tenant is otherwise not maintaining the fire alarm system including the connection to Northwest Central Dispatch. 27-5 REVISED 03/01/20