Scotts Valley council introduces 2024–25 California building codes, including new wildfire rules; measure advances unanimously

The Scotts Valley City Council unanimously moved to introduce an ordinance to adopt the 2024–25 California Building Standards, including the newly consolidated California Wildland Urban Interface Code (CWUIC), the council agreed at its regular meeting.

Nelson Alfaro, the city’s building official, told the council that “the mandatory effective date of the 2025 building standards is 01/01/2026,” and that the package brings updates across administrative, residential, electrical, plumbing, energy and wildland-interface standards published under the California Building Standards Commission.

The ordinance introduced—number 102.18—would amend Title 15, Chapter 15.04 of the Scotts Valley Municipal Code to adopt the state-published 2024–25 building standards and repeal an older local code section. The motion to introduce the ordinance passed unanimously; the item was advanced as the council’s first reading and will return for a future adoption vote.

Why it matters: The 2024–25 cycle consolidates wildfire-related requirements into the CWUIC and establishes statewide minimums for new construction located within state responsibility areas and very high fire hazard severity zones. Alfaro said the CWUIC “provides, among other requirements, initial resistant construction standards, defensible spaces mandates, material listing and testing compliance,” and that those provisions will apply to new structures, additions and certain exterior alterations in high-risk areas.

Council members asked staff how the new rules will affect homeowners and local planning. Councilmember Clark asked whether maps would be available showing where the new rules apply; Alfaro said the fire commission created a new map and the city is not generating its own separate map. On applicability, Alfaro said the code’s new construction and alteration requirements will be enforced for projects requiring permits, and he told the council that, as stated in the presentation, some provisions reference buildings constructed after February 2010.

Several council members and staff stressed that the new rules primarily apply to new building permits rather than routine maintenance. Alfaro reiterated that “if you’re just maintaining your home … you don’t have to do anything,” while additions or newly permitted work in mapped high-hazard areas will need to meet the updated standards.

Councilmembers and the public also flagged related insurance and implementation concerns. Vice Mayor (name on file) noted ongoing city coordination with the fire department’s inspection work; Vice Mayor and other councilmembers described a recent public workshop the city hosted with the state insurance commissioner and Assemblymember [name not specified in transcript] to inform homeowners about insurance and fire-safety topics. A resident, Alex Titus of Cove Lane, urged the council to adopt hardening measures, saying, “Anything to give us an upper hand for the next fire is a win for this community.”

The council also discussed practical challenges such as how defensible-space rules might interact with local heritage-tree protections and landscaping plans. Alfaro acknowledged the complexity and said staff would need to “learn our way through that” and work through case-by-case issues such as topography, tree types and existing landscaping.

Alfaro also summarized recent statewide legislation affecting local building rules. He said Assembly Bill 130 establishes “a statewide moratorium on adoptions or amendments of the building standards for residential units” from Oct. 1, 2025 through “June” (end date not specified in the meeting transcript), and that the law limits local jurisdictions from enacting residential requirements more restrictive than the state code during that period while preserving emergency and certain other narrow exceptions.

Next steps: Staff will return with the ordinance for final adoption at a future council meeting and is expected to coordinate outreach with the fire department and other partners. The council was also notified that the Town Center Environmental Impact Report was published for a 45-day public review and that the Planning Commission will hear public comments on the EIR on Nov. 20; that item was noted during the city manager’s report, separate from the building-code ordinance.

Votes at a glance: The council approved the consent agenda unanimously (items not specified in the public transcript) and approved introduction of Ordinance No. 102.18 to adopt the 2024–25 California Building Standards and CWUIC by unanimous vote (motion passed; vote recorded as unanimous with one councilmember listed absent at roll call).