Galt council adopts 2025 building-code updates over one dissent

The Galt City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2025-10 on Oct. 21, 2025, repealing and replacing Chapter 15.04 of the Galt Municipal Code to incorporate the 2025 editions of the California Building Standards, after a required second reading and brief public hearing.

City staff said the ordinance makes local code changes solely to align municipal requirements with the updated statewide building standards. "There are no changes to this item from the first reading on October 7," city staff member (building official) said as the council opened the required public hearing.

The ordinance drew a single, substantive objection from Councilmember John Reid, who spoke during the hearing. "I disagree with all of the new changes that they're making. The state is moving toward where everything is electric. However, the state is not in a position to provide us with or the companies are there to provide us with electricity that we need," Reid said, describing a concern about the pace of statewide electrification.

After closing the public hearing, Vice Mayor Sandhu moved to adopt the ordinance. The council voted 4-1, with Vice Mayor Sandhu, Councilmember Grama, Councilmember Rodriguez and Mayor Farmer voting yes and Councilmember Reid voting no. The motion passed; the council recorded the adoption at the meeting.

The staff report noted there were no changes since the ordinance's first reading on Oct. 7 and that the second reading is required by law before local adoption of statewide building standards. The ordinance package and the staff report were available in the council agenda packet for public review. The transcript did not specify an effective date for the ordinance.

No public speakers addressed the ordinance during the hearing.