Council approves state building/fire code adoptions and funds Town Park Plaza furnishings

Corte Madera — The Town Council approved a package of code adoptions and a plaza refurbishment authorization during the meeting.

Ordinances: The council adopted Ordinance No. 1048 to amend Title 15 of the Corte Madera Municipal Code by adopting the 2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24) with local amendments and the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code. The measure passed on second reading by unanimous roll call (5-0).

The council also adopted Ordinance No. 1049, repealing and reenacting Chapter 15.02 to adopt the 2024 California Fire Code and the 2024 International Fire Code with local findings, and Ordinance No. 1050, to adopt the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code based on the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Both ordinances passed unanimously (5-0) on second readings after introductory hearings earlier in October. Fire and code staff told the council these adoptions are part of the normal three-year code update cycle; the local energy-code amendments will take effect after California Energy Commission approval and the ordinances generally take effect on January 1, 2026.

Town Park Plaza furnishings: The council authorized staff to proceed with refinishing donor-funded concrete tables, purchasing new ADA-compliant tables and chairs (including a long “community” table) and rearranging the plaza layout, approving a maximum appropriation of $32,670 for the project. Staff said the total includes approximately $7,200 for refinishing and $20,000–$22,500 for new furniture plus minor site and staff costs. The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the proposal and recommended additions including signage that the plaza is public, ADA routing verification, and coordination with the Corte Madera Community Foundation and Cafe Verde (the café that operates in the plaza). Council authorized the expenditure by a unanimous roll call vote (5-0).

What the code adoptions mean: Staff said the state-published 2025 code updates reflect routine adoption of model codes and state amendments; adoption allows the town to enforce the updated building, fire and WUI requirements locally. Energy-code amendments are subject to additional review by the California Energy Commission and may take longer to come into force.

Practical details on the plaza project: Staff and the mayor described the project as a way to increase flexible seating and community gathering capacity. The plan would refinish six donor-funded concrete tables, relocate them to the plaza perimeter, and add several movable ADA-compliant tables and a long community table (one bench on one side and chairs on the other). Staff said refinishing would be done in place with protective barriers and that the physical work would take about five days to limit disruption. The Parks & Rec commission and community commenters asked staff to confirm clearances and ADA routes before final purchases; council directed staff to finalize layout and ADA verification and proceed within the approved budget.

Ending: The adopted ordinances update the town's technical regulations in line with the state's triennial cycle; the plaza authorization is a capital project using funds within the town's FY 25/26 capital allocation. Council members and community members said they expect follow-up work on final furniture selection, an ADA site plan and signage clarifying the plaza is public.