Board Members Present: Lew Phillips, Celeste Fish, Steve Hughes, Dickie Heckler, Heather Muth, Laura Routh
Board Members Absent: Shannon Criss, Chris Cobb
Guest Attending: John Craft
Guest Presentation: Barry Walthall, Codes Enforcement Manager, Neighborhood Resources Division, City of Lawrence
Staff: Mollie Mangerich, WRR Operations Supervisor
Minutes from the previous meeting (May, 2004) were reviewed and approved without changes.
Barry Walthall, Codes Enforcement Manager was introduced and provided the board with background on the city’s efforts to revise building codes. He explained that the old Uniform Building Code is no longer being updated, and hence the City must choose between a 2003 International Building Code (IBC) or the National Fire Protection Assocation’s (NFPA) code. The City had formed a committee, which met from July2003 to Feb 2004 to review these two choices, and that group recommended that the IBC be adopted. Mollie Mangerich will provide RRCAB with a list of other cities whose codes were examined as part of this process.
The next steps are for the City to do a comprehensive technical review of the residential IBC and decide which parts they wish to adopt in part or whole. Step 2 will be for the commercial and trade specific (plumbing, mechanical, etc) codes to be reviewed. In any case, amendments will be made to the adopted code so that it will be appropriate and specific to the needs of the City of Lawrence. This is where the RRCAB comes in, and may be able to affect the code as it relates to energy conservation. Recommendations need to balance the benefit of changes/additions to the cost with the likely cost that builders and homeowners will have to bear.
There is an IBC specific to energy conservation (Energy IBC). The City is not prepared to take a position on this code at this time, but staff hopes to review it in the next few years (they are very busy now, just with the residential section of the code). The Energy IBC requires lots of specific design specs and if adopted by Lawrence, would require significant re-training of both city staff and the contractor community.
Questions for Barry Walthall:
Q. Can we cherry pick from the Energy IBC and recommend specific chunks be included in the code currently under development?
A. Yes, but the retraining issue will have to be addressed. The RRCAB should participate in the code review process at public meetings.
Q. Is there data showing energy savings/$ cost?
A. Barry is not aware of such studies but assumes they exist. Clearly, energy conservation can have a cost benefit but initial specifications under the code can increase the cost of building.
Q. Does the current code have energy conservation measures in it now?
A. Yes, but they are not as extensive as the Energy IBC. Note that the energy IBC is proscriptive and requires specific measures. The state of Kansas has adopted ASHRAE (sp?).
Q. Is the Energy IBC politically tenable, as a stand-alone code for the city of Lawrence?
A. Having someone from the National Association of Home Builders would help. Barry recommends the RRCAB invite Bobby Flory, Executive Director for Lawrence Home Building Association come to our meeting.
Q. What would staff requirement be if energy IBC were adopted?
A. It might increase needed inspections from 14 to 16 per new structure. That would be difficult under current staffing levels. New energy requirements would also require additional enforcement.
Q. What are some “low hanging fruit” options that the RRCAB can recommend be adopted as part of the City’s pending code changes?
A. Insulating and sealing all joints and ductwork; addressing seasonal energy efficiency ratings for HVAC systems; fighting infiltration by plugging gaps, attics with insulation, and insulating cellars on new construction.
Q. Did City survey committee look at energy IBC specifically?
A. No – it was not within the scope of that committee. The current technical review will NOT be looking at the Energy IBC at this time. The IBC can be adopted without the energy component.
Q. How can we promote energy conservation through the current code review process?
A. Go to the meetings; know specifically what you want, and advocate for it.
Q. Is there currently an energy specialist on staff with the city?
A. No. Barry Walthall would be the closet thing to one.
Q. How can we identify the 20% of items within the energy IBC that address 80% of energy usage?
A. TRAINING. We need to learn this stuff—a lot of it is new information. (LR requests copies of the Energy IBC for all RRCAB members). We can also look at what other cities have done, and learn from their mistakes.
Q. Has the city staff been directed by the Commissioners to review the Energy IBC?
A. Not at this time.
Mollie Mangerich recommends that RRCAB members become involved in the various trade group meetings. The schedule is available online and meetings are open to the public. Mollie will forward this schedule to RRBAC members. We need to learn how these groups work, and consider promoting either the whole Energy IBC or just the low hanging fruit. The recommendation now is that we do both, but go for the low hanging fruit first, and then, if tenable, push the entire thing.
Regarding Energy Conservation Subcommittee
Mollie Mangerich recommends that the RRCAB identify doable action items for this year, i.e.
1. Recommend “low hanging fruit” for code adoption prior to or by Spring 2005.
2. Focus effort on the 4th Annual Energy Fair (October 17, 2004)
3. Identify and prioritize goals and action items for 2005
Mollie suggests that RRCAB members communicate and brainstorm via email and outline in memo form our action items. This memo, once approved by the whole group, would be forwarded to the Public Works Division, City Managers Office and the City Commissioners.
Next meeting of the Energy Conservation Subcommittee: July 5, 4 pm, Mass. Street Deli.
Handouts updating RRCAB on staff activities were distributed and Laura provided the group with a presentation on Mercury.
Meeting adjourned 6:30 pm.