Council adopts updates allowing citations for repeat fire‑code violations

The council voted unanimously to amend Chapter 13 of the city code to clarify fire‑prevention enforcement and to authorize the fire marshal to issue citations for repeat violations.

Fire Chief Davis Farquhar (speaker 14) said the department completed 427 commercial life‑safety inspections in the last 12 months; 125 passed on the first inspection while about 275 required reinspections, and some locations required up to eight follow‑ups. "This is inspector that's on the clock that's going out and doing his job, and we just want our buildings to be safe for our customers," Farquhar told the council. He described an escalation policy: one free reinspection, then reinspection fees, and potential citations when repeat failures continue.

Council members asked about discretionary timeframes for corrections; Farquhar said inspectors look for "showing progress" — documentation of contractor engagement or communications — before escalating to fines. The ordinance passed on a unanimous voice vote; council flagged one minor wording change (moving "vegetable products" out of the same listing as hazardous fuels) to be corrected before final signing.