Bloomfield council sets public hearing on 2024 building codes after debate over costs and enforcement

Bloomfield City Council voted to set a public hearing to consider adopting the 2024 International Building Code and International Residential Code, an action staff said could improve the town’s competitiveness for a BRICK grant by up to 30 points. The hearing was scheduled for May 7, 2026 at 6 p.m., transitioning the matter from a resolution process to an ordinance process.

Council debate focused on enforcement burden and the cost to property owners. Several councilors and staff said they worry about who would administer and enforce the codes, and about inspection and engineering costs for older downtown buildings. One councilor cited examples of fees and travel expenses raised by nearby jurisdictions and warned that stringent adoption could deter property sales and small-business activity in the square.

Staff explained that adopting the codes could yield grant scoring benefits needed to pursue substation upgrades, but members said additional stakeholder outreach is required so building owners, contractors and preservation commissioners can weigh in. Council members asked staff to provide clearer details on how enforcement would be funded and administered before final adoption.

Why it matters: adopting modern building codes can affect grant eligibility and infrastructure funding but also imposes permitting and compliance costs on building owners. Councilors said the public should be informed and heard before the town commits to the regulatory change.

The public hearing will provide an opportunity for building owners, contractors, preservationists and residents to testify. The matter will return to council for deliberation after the hearing.