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Coppell commission recommends 2024 International Codes to council; staff highlights EV charging and elevator changes
Summary
On April 3 the Building and Standards Commission voted unanimously to recommend that City Council adopt the 2024 International Codes with staff amendments; staff emphasized one new fire‑code amendment on EV charging emergency shutoffs and outlined other notable changes including occupiable‑roof elevator requirements and fence exemptions.
The Coppell Building and Standards Commission unanimously recommended on April 3 that City Council adopt the 2024 International Code cycle with staff’s proposed amendments, after a staff presentation and discussion of key changes.
Chief Building Official Steven Schubert and other staff summarized a code‑comparison package and said the city proposes 29 amendments to the fire code for the 2024 cycle; only one of those amendments is new and concerns the location and labeling of an emergency power shutoff for electric vehicle charging stations so first responders can access a disconnect. Staff said the Council of Governments (COG) has forwarded a similar recommendation to the International Code Council for the 2027 cycle and that the text may evolve.
Staff also discussed several other notable provisions and local drafting choices: a requirement for elevators when a structure has an occupiable roof four stories above grade; consolidation of contractor registration language into a new construction chapter; changes to exterior wall rating rules that affect distances between commercial structures on the same property; and a new 2024 provision that exempts certain fences in the international residential code where no swimming pool or spa exists. Staff emphasized they plan to provide the commission documents earlier in the cycle going forward to allow more time for review.
Commissioners raised technical and policy questions during the work session and regular session. Topics included where EV‑charger emergency shutoffs should be located and who should have access; whether residential electrical shutoffs differ from commercial requirements; the potential cost implications for businesses when occupancy changes; and local sound‑attenuation rules that remain in force for areas near flight paths. Staff clarified that some items reflect COG recommendations, some are adopted directly from the model code, and some local amendments are retained where cities have historically added language.
A motion to recommend approval of the 2024 International Codes to City Council, with exhibits A through K entered into the record, carried unanimously. Staff admitted the presentation from the earlier work session into the record and said it will forward the package to council with the commission’s recommendation. If council approves the adoption, the city will move to implement the updated code cycle and any local amendments following the administrative steps required by municipal ordinance.
