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Altoona council adopts updated building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, contractor licensing and housing codes
Summary
Altoona City Council unanimously approved a package of ordinance updates replacing multiple chapters of the city code to align with state-adopted construction standards and the 2024 International Fire Code, officials said. The changes aim to boost safety and the city's Building Code Effectiveness grade.
Altoona — The Altoona City Council on Dec. 1 unanimously adopted a set of ordinances replacing several chapters of the Code of Ordinances to update construction, safety and licensing standards across the city.
Community Development Director John Shaw told the council that the updates to Chapters 155 (Building Codes), 156 (Mechanical and Gas), 157 (Plumbing), 158 (Electrical), 160 (Contractor Licensing) and 162 (Housing Codes) would "enable Altoona to remain consistent with other metro cities, increase safety in construction and be in compliance with State of Iowa adopted electrical, mechanical, and plumbing codes." Each ordinance passed on recorded roll-call tallies of 4-0.
In a separate but related action, Fire Marshal John Kraemer said the city proposes adopting the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) with several local amendments, explaining the changes keep certain 2018 local amendments, remove provisions now incorporated in the 2024 IFC and update section numbering and titles. Kraemer also noted the fireworks ordinance was amended to reflect the new state law "on the dates and times in which class 1 and class 2 fireworks can be discharged in the city and to reflect the types of inspections firework displays and consumer fireworks tents/retail sites will undergo." The fire-code ordinance was approved 4-0.
Why it matters: City officials said harmonizing local codes with state-adopted standards improves construction safety and helps Altoona’s Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule, a metric used by insurance and safety evaluators.
What the council did: For each chapter replacement (155, 156, 157, 158, 160 and 162) the council conducted the required readings and votes and authorized publication where applicable. The votes were recorded as unanimous among the four members present.
Next steps: The ordinances will be published as required by law and implemented according to the effective dates stated in each ordinance. The council did not receive public comment on the hearings held for the code changes.
Sources: Community Development Director John Shaw; Fire Marshal John Kraemer; City of Altoona Council roll-call records.
