Clear Creek staff recommend adopting 2024 code cycle, wildfire‑resiliency rules and broader sprinkler requirements
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Summary
Staff asked the Board to update the county building code to the 2024 ICC/WUI code in response to a new state wildfire‑resiliency requirement; presentation included restoring residential sprinkler language and adding electrical plan review authority.
Clear Creek County building department staff recommended the board update local codes to align with the latest state wildfire‑resiliency directive and the 2024 International Code Council (ICC) series, telling commissioners on Oct. 21 that Colorado Senate Bill language and a state resiliency board timeline require local adoption by mid‑2026.
The presentation by the building department summarized the proposed changes: adopt the 2024 ICC series to avoid conflicting partial adoptions, remove the county wildfire appendix now superseded by the Wildland‑Urban Interface (WUI) code, restore residential automatic sprinkler requirements for new residences built off non‑maintained county roads (the department estimated sprinkler systems add roughly $3 per square foot), and fold the International Fire Code into the county code package rather than keeping it as a separate resolution.
Staff said the electrical provisions of the IRC would be reintroduced to allow local plan reviews where needed; following discussions with the state Division of Professions and Occupations staff, the department expects to coordinate inspections for electrical work while retaining plan‑review authority for county‑level compliance and energy‑efficiency standards. Building staff said Clear Creek is largely designated moderate‑to‑high wildfire hazard across most of the county, which is driving the WUI adoption.
Why it matters: county staff said the state requires local jurisdictions to adopt a minimum wildfire resiliency code and to be in compliance by June 1, 2026. The county attorney’s office and fire‑district partners (Clear Creek Fire Authority and Evergreen Fire Protection District) participated in code drafting, staff said.
Commissioners discussed process and timing rather than content: staff recommended bringing the revised text back after the new assistant county attorney (onboard Nov. 24) reviews the redlines; the attorney’s office asked for time to incorporate legal feedback before the county advertises an ordinance first reading. Commissioners flagged the administrative process for public advertisement (if redlines change materially, re‑advertising may be required) and agreed another work session or an action session could follow the attorney review. Commissioner disclosures about family connections to sprinkler businesses were made on the record.
Ending: Staff will incorporate additional legal and fire‑authority input and return with a recommended timeline. The board did not vote to adopt changes at the meeting and asked staff to present updated redlines after the new assistant county attorney and local fire partners review the materials.
