Board members say consolidation reduced technical expertise; discussion to seek commission review

At a meeting of the City of Lawrence Building Code Board of Appeals, members questioned the 2021 consolidation that merged multiple trade-specific boards into a single board and discussed preparing a recommendation to the city manager and city commission to revisit that decision. Board members said the consolidation reduced the number of trade-specific experts (engineers, contractors and code officials) on advisory panels reviewing technical code material. Adrian — a board member who has worked on technical code matters — said he would lead an effort to gather support and produce a formal recommendation from the board. Adrian told members, “I certainly will lead that effort,” and later said he planned to reach out to designers and home builders for sign-off. Members described how previous trade boards had multiple members with direct trade experience — for example, two engineers and multiple contractors on an earlier electrical board — and said that technical breadth helped during lengthy code review cycles. Laura Blanchard, who said she served on the mechanical board for years, said the city has struggled at times to recruit volunteers and suggested a narrower recombination (for example grouping mechanical, electrical and plumbing as MEP) might balance expertise and volunteer availability. Staff said the board may make an official vote and forward a letter to the city manager’s office and city commission if the members support that path. Board chair and staff encouraged members to gather support among board members, prepare a draft, and use a formal vote to send any recommendation to city leadership.