Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Building Codes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Los Altos council unanimously adopts 2025 building code updates, including local energy amendments
Summary
The Los Altos City Council unanimously approved a repeal and replacement of Title 12 to adopt the 2025 California Building Codes with local energy-code amendments and related reach-code provisions, following public comment from local electrification and climate advocates.
The Los Altos City Council voted unanimously to adopt a new Title 12 to the municipal code, incorporating the 2025 California Building Codes with local amendments, including changes to the energy code intended to support building electrification.
Council Member Weinberg moved to repeal the existing Title 12 and waive a second reading; Council Member Lang seconded. The council then adopted a second ordinance adding a new Title 12 that lists chapters to incorporate the 2025 codes and local amendments. Both motions passed on 5–0 votes with Council Members Lang, Meadows, Weinberg, Vice Mayor Fleger and Mayor Daly recorded as voting yes.
The measures move Los Altos toward what residents and regional advocates described in public comment as a pragmatic electrification pathway. Bruce Carney, founder of Carbon‑Free Silicon Valley, thanked the council for prior reach-code work and for the present measures. David Kaine, with the Electrification Collaboration, called the changes “pragmatic, prudent, modest in scope, but impactful,” and cited potential home-value and consumer-cost benefits referenced in the council packet materials. Dasha Leeds, the Sierra Club conservation coordinator, and Cheryl Weeden of 350 Silicon Valley also urged adoption, citing efficiency and public‑health benefits.
Connie Miller, a local realtor, voiced support for many elements but warned against relying on worst‑case assumptions about costs for whole‑house electrification, saying some retrofit steps are straightforward and lower-cost.
City staff told the council the adoption is a second reading of the code package and that the action is categorically exempt from CEQA. The ordinances repeal the current Title 12 and add a new Title 12 with chapters adopting the 2025 California Building Codes with locally adopted amendments.
The council’s actions establish the updated building-code framework for permitting and inspection consistent with the new state codes and the city’s chosen local amendments. The council did not specify additional follow-up at the meeting; implementation details and the effective dates will follow normal municipal procedures and code publication.
