Franklin County adopts 2021 International Codes, exempts small towers under 40 feet from permitting

The Franklin County Commission approved adoption of the 2021 International Codes, including local amendments, and clarified how the county will treat communication towers under the revised code.

The vote, taken during the commission’s regular meeting, adopted the proposed 2021 International Codes and accompanying local amendments. A county building department staff member told commissioners that small towers under 40 feet would be exempted from permitting while larger towers would remain subject to permits. "Those small towers under 40 foot, we were gonna exempt them from any permitting," the building department staff member said. On large towers, the staff member said, "Still be permitted."

The change was presented as part of a broader update to bring county standards in line with the 2021 code set. The building staff also noted other code updates — including changes affecting septic systems — that align the county manual more closely with the standard codebook.

Commissioners did not raise objections during the discussion and moved to approve the commission order adopting the 2021 International Codes and amendments. The motion carried unanimously.

County staff said the revised codebook will be easier to use for people working in building and permitting because definitions and organization more closely follow the standard code format.

What this means for residents and applicants: small communications structures under 40 feet will no longer require a county permit under the adopted local amendment; larger towers will continue to go through the county permitting process. The commission did not attach additional conditions or implementation dates in the discussion record available at the meeting.

The county indicated staff will prepare the final code materials and public-facing documents to reflect the changes discussed at the meeting.