Council debates fire-prevention and electrical ordinance changes; asks staff for more data before public hearing

South Burlington city staff presented proposed updates to the city's Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance and the Electrical Installations Ordinance at the April 22 council meeting; councilors asked for more information and did not send either ordinance immediately to public hearing.

Chris Corbin, deputy fire chief, and John Christman, the incoming fire marshal, outlined six proposed changes to the fire ordinance: extend local jurisdiction to single-family homes (new construction and renovations/additions above $5,000), formalize alarm-system and key-lockbox requirements (including a transition to electronic "e-keys" with a retrofit deadline of December 1, 2026), add requirements covering electric-vehicle charging near unprotected buildings, require protective measures for energy-storage systems (battery walls) and clarify formatting and procedural language. Corbin said, "We're simply bringing to light that there are some hazards that need to be considered," as staff explained the safety rationale for the proposals.

Staff described the EV-charging language as treating an "exposure" as 50 feet from an unprotected occupancy; in…