Building Code Council clears administrative items, moves several legislative‑mandated rule changes into CR102

The Washington State Building Code Council used its April 24 special session to complete administrative and legislative‑mandated tasks alongside technical energy‑code deliberations.

The meeting opened with roll call and approval of the agenda and March 20 minutes. Staff welcomed new members — including Morgan Tweed (accessibility specialist, representing individuals with disabilities) and Vikram Sami (architect representative) — and reminded newer members about the rulemaking schedule.

Personnel and committee business: The Council discussed an IVC TAG application for Tristan Karlstrom (Port Angeles). Staff and the TAG chair reported that a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s planning department was missing; after debate the Council (moved by Tom Handy) elected to take no action on the appointment, leaving the slot open pending documentation. The Executive Committee reported that an ex‑officio member from the sprinkler industry (Andy Leonto) was reinstated to full status.

Legislative rulemaking actions: The Council voted to move the temporary emergency‑shelter appendix (adapted from California Appendix P with Washington‑specific edits) and dwelling‑unit size reduction changes into CR102 for public review. Staff and committee chairs noted these items are legislative mandates requiring rulemaking and thanked the TAGs and workgroups for substantial technical work.

Cost‑benefit analysis and next steps: Staff presented preliminary cost‑benefit analyses (CBA) for the IBC/IRC/IFC packages in the CR102 record and asked members to provide editorial comments by May 1; staff targeted May 6 for final CR102 filing. Assistant Attorney General Derek Meierbachtol reminded members that public comment is the appropriate forum to raise legal and statutory concerns, but cautioned that substantial changes after filing can require additional rulemaking steps.

The meeting adjourned after the Council accepted the preliminary CBA materials as the working record and directed staff to continue refinements ahead of the CR102 filing.