Commission approves building- and fire-code changes for storm-shelter rules, refers lead-notification ordinance to committee

On Oct. 27 the Shelby County Board of Commissioners approved amendments to the local building and fire codes that alter storm-shelter requirements for educational buildings and referred an advanced-notice lead-hazard plumbing notification ordinance back to committee for additional review.

Items 33 and 34 amend the 2021 Memphis and Shelby County building codes to change mandatory storm-shelter requirements for educational occupancies into an option for certain smaller projects; staff explained mandatory shelters can be cost prohibitive for small, non-publicly funded school projects and that larger projects can still include shelters. Item 35, an amendment to the 2021 Shelby County Fire Prevention Code, passed separately. Commissioners debated the trade-offs, with some citing recent school projects that used shelters effectively and others citing cost and equity concerns for smaller developers.

Separately, Item 32 (a third-reading ordinance to add advance-notice requirements to Shelby County code chapters 42 and 6 for plumbing work involving possible lead service-line disturbance) was presented with a summary and referred to the Nov. 12 committee meeting after the sponsor asked for additional legal review and stakeholder engagement.

Votes: items 33 and 34 passed together (8 ayes, 1 no, 1 abstain); item 35 passed (10 ayes); Item 32 was referred to committee without a substantive vote on the ordinance itself.

Next steps: Item 32 will return to hospital & health committee on Nov. 12 with advocates, legal and staff to refine language. Departments will continue outreach about storm-shelter options and code-implementation guidance.