Cañon City committee weighs 2024 building-code update as state energy rules loom

Cañon City’s General Government Committee considered whether to update local building codes to the 2024 International Codes during its Jan. 8 meeting, with staff warning that state energy rules and insurance implications warrant further study.

Building Official Kathy Olsh told the committee the city could follow a schedule that reviews code provisions Jan.–June 2025, holds public and contractor meetings May–Sept, works with the City Attorney on an ordinance in September–October, and aims for Council adoption in October–November so a new code could take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. "The effective date of the 2024 code adoption would not be till January 1st of 2026," Olsh said.

Olsh and the City Attorney flagged a key statutory driver: House Bill 22‑1362 will require local energy codes to meet minimum performance standards after July 1, 2026. Olsh said adopting the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) before that date would avoid having to adopt the Colorado Energy Board’s code until the city next updates its codes. The City Attorney summarized local authority: "There is no statutory mandate to update your codes; your staff is advocating an update for reasons such as the ISO rating," but he added that timing affects what state standards could later apply.

Staff outlined technical changes in the 2024 energy code that could affect construction and costs: a 10‑point energy‑credit point system for residential buildings, higher wall R‑values, new U‑factor and glazing requirements, provisions for on‑site energy storage systems, and a "solar‑ready" and "EV‑ready" requirement that in many cases requires conduit, pre‑wiring and panel capacity. Olsh said contractors will generally need to prewire homes "so that electricians will have to have everything ready for somebody to install solar right away." She clarified the municipality's sprinkler amendment will likely be retained so single‑family homes and duplexes remain exempt from a single‑family sprinkler mandate unless they are three‑unit buildings or larger.

Several council members voiced concerns about cost and insurance impacts. Council Member Worthington pressed staff for a financial comparison, saying, "I want to see the dollars and cents involved" of insurance differences under older codes versus the 2024 codes before endorsing the update. Council members and attendees said recent insurance premium increases in the region have raised skepticism about whether code changes will lower homeowner costs.

Members emphasized coordination with neighboring jurisdictions. Olsh said she has discussed the issue with the county and the fire district and that those bodies intend to move toward the 2024 codes alongside the city. Resident Jay Clinker, who identified himself from the Hogback, urged careful fact‑finding and public engagement: "I'm kind of the devil in the details," he said, and asked the city to analyze what the changes would mean for older homes and long‑time residents.

Rather than voting on code adoption, the committee directed staff to commission a home‑rule legal analysis from the City Attorney to clarify what local amendments are permissible under state law, to produce an insurance/ISO cost comparison for a typical local home, and to continue contractor and public outreach over the coming months. The committee adjourned without taking a final vote.

The next procedural step is for staff to provide the home‑rule analysis and cost comparison to Council; a formal adoption decision would come later in 2025 if the city chooses to proceed.