Chief building official Greg Tate and city staff presented a package to update Creve Coeur's building code to the 2021 International Code Council model codes while keeping the 2015 energy chapter in place.

Tate told the council the city needs to "keep up with the times" and improve its insurance/ISO rating by adopting newer codes, but he and staff urged retaining the 2015 energy chapter because the 2021/2024 energy standards have become "technically and economically" more challenging for homeowners and contractors. "The 21 IECC has intensified so aggressively," Tate said, adding that measures such as stricter fenestration U-factors, expanded blower-door testing and higher R-value requirements would sharply raise compliance costs for many homeowners.

Staff described several other proposed code changes: clarifying demolition permit requirements so commercial demolition does not require a separate dumpster permit, aligning residential permit expiration with commercial permit rules (one-year validity with extension authority), raising the frost-protection threshold for foundations from 100 to 200 square feet to avoid requiring expensive frost-protected foundations for modest sheds, and adopting the International Existing Building Code to provide flexibility for older structures.

Tate explained the practical impacts of the energy-code decision: higher U-factor and R-value requirements in the 2021 code could require thicker wall assemblies (he cited an example where R-30 exterior walls would effectively require 12-inch studs). He noted some later code drafts pulled extreme attic requirements back (from R-60 toward R-49) but said the staff recommendation is to defer full adoption of the newer energy chapter until later code cycles.

Council members asked how the changes would affect pools, apartment complexes, window replacements and additions. Tate said the city would continue to enforce county or semi-public rules where applicable, that routine window swaps would generally not trigger the higher code if no structural work is done, and that new permits received after the effective date would follow the adopted codes while existing permits would be grandfathered.

Staff said they expect to present a first reading at the council's next meeting (two weeks hence) and noted the state-required 90-day public review and comment period in the city clerk's office before final adoption. The city indicated any formal ordinance would follow that hold and a public hearing process.