Council asks ad hoc committee to finish review of 2024 ICC building codes within a year

City staff told the Copperas Cove City Council on Jan. 7 that the International Code Review Ad Hoc Committee has reviewed part of the 2024 International Code Council building code set and that council should provide direction on schedule and next steps.

Bobby Lewis, development services director, reported that the ad hoc committee began reviewing the 2024 codebooks in September 2024 after completing portions of the 2020/2021 cycle. Staff said the committee has held 13 meetings since January 2024 but that nearly half of those meetings lacked a quorum. The committee has completed review of several chapters of the 2024 International Residential Code but still has a large portion to review across the eight‑book code set; staff estimated that continuing at the current pace could take multiple years.

Council members asked whether the council could set a timeline. One council member suggested six months, and others said that would likely be too aggressive; the prevailing direction from council was to give the committee at least one year to complete reviews and recommendations. Council also reminded staff that the committee is expected to select a chair to control meeting flow so detailed issues do not repeatedly delay progress.

Why it matters: Lewis told the council the city’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) building-code classifications dropped several grades from the 2017 survey to the 2022 survey for both residential and commercial property. Adopting more current ICC codes can improve the city’s ISO rating, which can affect insurance costs for property owners. Lewis recommended council provide direction to the ad hoc committee; council asked staff to set a one‑year target and return with any necessary adjustments.

Next steps: staff will convey the one‑year timeline to the International Code Review Ad Hoc Committee, confirm the committee chair and report back to council on progress and any recommended code amendments.