Palos Park reports adoption of 2021 ICC codes, electrical and life-safety updates

Palos Park on June 9 presented the village’s newly adopted building- and safety-code updates and planning-calendar changes. Commissioner Wade said the village adopted the 2021 International Code Council (ICC) building, existing building, residential, fuel-gas and mechanical codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) and the 2015 NFPA 101 life-safety code; she said the new codes went into effect on June 1, 2025.

Why it matters: the updated codes establish standards for construction, alteration, repair, maintenance and demolition in Palos Park and affect permit requirements, inspections and project costs for homeowners, contractors and developers.

The building department reported it processed 37 permits from May 7 to June 3, generating $8,369 in permit fees and bringing the fiscal‑year‑to‑date total to $19,175.05. Wade also announced that, to avoid a scheduling conflict with the council’s June 19 event, the regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting on June 19 is canceled and instead the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a joint meeting on Wednesday, June 18 at 6 p.m. in council chambers; the public was invited to attend the code‑update discussion.

Commissioner Wade said the village’s consultant, Camiro’s, provided a draft of the proposed development code earlier in the year and that recent public meetings were intended to gather direction for revisions to be used in the formal adoption process.

The report was informational; no ordinance or board action to adopt codes was recorded at the June 9 meeting because the council had approved related updates at an earlier meeting, Wade said. For more information, the building department directed residents to the village website or the department’s office for code and permit details.

The board also reminded residents of upcoming recreation and public‑safety events and the rescheduled joint planning meeting on June 18.