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La Vergne leaders consider expanding fire-code permits, propose limits on commercial burning
Summary
City staff presented a first reading of an ordinance to amend the municipal fire code to require permits for various fire-related construction activities and to restrict commercial open burning; discussion focused on enforcement, public-safety rationale, and the list of permitable work.
La Vergne — City staff presented a first reading June 26 of an ordinance (2025‑16) to amend Title 7, Chapter 2 of the La Vergne municipal code to add construction-permit requirements tied to the fire code and to limit commercial open burning inside city limits.
Curtis, speaking for the fire department, told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen the amendment would close gaps where certain hazardous changes to fire‑safety systems — for example, replacement or substantial alteration of fire pumps, alarm systems, automatic fire-extinguishing systems, high‑capacity battery banks, and large fuel or chemical tanks — can currently be installed without an inspection or permit under the city's existing code adoption. Curtis said adding permit requirements would allow plan review, earlier inspections and enforcement, and would protect firefighters and occupants by catching major changes before they are put into operation.
The ordinance, presented as a first reading, also would strike language allowing larger commercial burning and retain allowances for small recreational bonfires as defined in the fire code (meeting discussion described a 5‑foot diameter by 4‑foot height bonfire standard). Curtis said commercial contractors have sometimes planned to burn construction debris and later been required to stop and switch to chipping or hauling after complaints, creating unplanned costs and public-safety risks in a denser city.
Board members asked for clarification on examples and enforcement. Curtis and other staff described typical enforcement options in the municipal code: when an unpermitted installation is found, the city may stop work and require corrective action; fines and fee schedules must be set by the board and local ordinance to take effect; repeated or serious violations could be handled through municipal court and legal channels. Staff said annual inspections already identify some unpermitted work, and the proposed permit regime would reduce the need to retrofit compliance after the fact.
Curtis read a nonexclusive list of permitable items that staff plans to require plan review and permitting for, including automatic fire-extinguishing systems, battery systems, fire pumps, emergency responder radio coverage improvements, fire alarm systems, storage of flammable or combustible liquids and tanks, hazardous materials, standpipes, motor-vehicle repair rooms and booths, gates/barricades, and high‑pile storage that can alter exit visibility or fire access.
Staff emphasized the change is intended to address hazards that are more likely to threaten life safety or complicate emergency response, rather than to regulate minor alterations. Curtis said the city did not adopt these fire-code permit sections earlier because the department prioritized building emergency-response capability after the department formed in 2014 and only now has staffing and capacity to manage added plan review and inspections.
What happens next: the ordinance was introduced for first reading and discussed; no formal vote to adopt was recorded at the June 26 workshop. Staff said the proposal already includes the burning changes and that further ordinance language and fee schedules will return to the board for adoption.
