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La Palma council introduces 2025 building and fire codes, sets Nov. 4 adoption date
Summary
City staff presented the state’s 2025 model building and fire codes and the council unanimously introduced local ordinances and findings and set Nov. 4, 2025 as the adoption meeting; staff proposed one local administrative fee amendment and carried over prior local amendments.
The City Council of the City of La Palma on Oct. 7 opened public hearings and introduced ordinances to adopt the state’s 2025 Building and Fire Codes, setting a Nov. 4, 2025 meeting to consider final adoption. Trang Nguyen, La Palma’s building official, told the council the state adopted the new model code in July 2025 and local jurisdictions have 180 days to act. Nguyen said the city is carrying forward most prior local amendments but is proposing a limited administrative amendment to set a penalty fee for illegal construction, recommending a penalty equal to double the inspection permit fee.
Tony Alamo, assistant fire marshal with the Orange County Fire Authority, described the 2025 Fire Code adoption process as parallel to the building code cycle. Alamo said most local fire code amendments would carry over and noted two technical revisions — one concerning lumber storage limits (not applicable to La Palma) and another removing references to valves located in pits or underground in how NFPA 24 is implemented. He recommended the council introduce a resolution of findings for local amendments, introduce the ordinance repealing the current code and adopt the 2025 fire code at the November meeting.
Council members asked staff to clarify the proposed penalty structure for illegal construction. Nguyen confirmed the recommended local penalty follows a common local standard — double the permit inspection fee — and clarified that the fee referenced is the inspection portion of the permit, not plan-check or other separate fees. The council voted unanimously to introduce the resolutions and ordinances and to schedule final adoption for Nov. 4, 2025 (Councilmembers Debbie Baker, Jenna Keogh Conklin and Vikesh Patel and Mayor Waldman voting aye; Mayor Pro Tem Nitesh Patel absent).
Why it matters: adopting the state model codes on the local level keeps La Palma in compliance with the state’s adoption timeline and preserves local technical amendments. The administrative penalty discussion signals the city’s intent to address unpermitted work through a locally authorized penalty rather than creating broader technical changes.
Next steps: final ordinance and resolution adoption is scheduled for the Nov. 4, 2025 council meeting; after signatures the city clerk will file the documents with the California Building Standards Commission as required.
