City of Lawrence
Neighborhood Resources Department
MEMORANDUM
TO: Chuck Soules, Director, Public Works
THRU: Debbie Van Saun, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Victor Torres, Director, Neighborhood Resources
DATE: February 23, 2005
RE: Response to memo dated December 8, 2004--
Recommended Energy Conservation Strategies for City of Lawrence, KS
The recommendations described in the December 8, 2004 memorandum provide a clear strategy for the adoption of the International Energy Conservation Code. A separate committee created to review the code will allow for appropriate input from interested individuals and may expedite the overall process when considering the codes under review by the trade boards at this time. However this code adoption will have at least two major impacts: added costs to new housing and additional work load on Neighborhood Resources code enforcement staff.
· A member of the Lawrence Home Builders Association and Building Code Board of Appeals indicated the requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code will add approximately $3500.00 to the cost of an entry level home.
· Adopting the International Energy Conservation Code will have a significant impact on the Neighborhood Resources Department Code Enforcement Division. This code adoption will affect the scope and volume of work involved in reviewing plans, performing inspections, and staff training. Additional inspection staff and resources for training will be necessary to meet the requirements of this code.
This memo will summarize the anticipated impact on work load and training issues for Neighborhood Resources staff.
Plan Review
The adoption of this code will increase demands on staff performing plan review. Based on average permit statistics for the last three years and estimating an additional 30 minutes of plan review time per dwelling unit or project, staff will spend approximately 1000 more hours annually of staff time in the plan review process, equating to a 1/2 time inspector position. The consequences of adding this increase in staff time to the plan review process without adding appropriate staffing will be a significant delay in the ability of staff to complete the plan review process, thus impacting the processing of building permits.
Inspections
The scope of required inspections will be expanded and the volume of inspections will increase because new inspection types will be required. In review of permit statistics described above, approximately 2000 additional inspections will be required annually if the energy code is adopted. With additional scope of inspection and increased volume, this will be approximately 1000 more hours of inspection time annually, or a 1/2 time inspector position.
Section 105.1 of the International Energy Conservation Code states that the jurisdiction shall establish the types of inspections to be performed. Additional inspection scope and/or increased volume will include but not be limited to:
· Add one insulation rough inspection. Check the building envelope for installation practices and a thermal resistance identification mark applied by the manufacturer to insulation. This inspection adds one trip minimum.
· Add one final insulation inspection. Check for attic, unfinished basement and crawl space installation. For blown or sprayed insulation the installer shall submit written certification of the initial and settled thickness, coverage area, and number of bags installed in the roof and ceiling.
· Building. Verify window and door values, envelope framing criteria.
· Electrical. Verify recessed lighting fixtures are sealed or gasketed to prevent air leakage into the unconditioned space and shall meet air leakage ratings. Commercial lighting and light reduction controls and tandem wiring requirements for light fixtures.
· Mechanical. Inspect for insulated duct and plenum; mechanical ventilation reduction or shutoffs; outdoor intakes and exhausts dampers; and balancing components.
· Plumbing. Water heater performance values. Hot water pipe insulation. Shower head flow rate. Swimming pool time clock for off-peak electric demand and pipe insulation.
The consequences of adding this increase in staff time to the inspection process without adding appropriate staffing will be a significant delay in the ability of staff to complete inspections, thus impacting the processing of building and occupancy permits.
Staff Training
Staff training will be another major factor in the enforcement of the energy code. Because of the emphasis on combination based inspections for residential projects, all construction inspectors have to be fully trained on all aspects of inspection of residential structures. For commercial projects they will have to be fully trained in their specialized disciplines and have enough cross training for staff to be able to effectively coordinate inspections of the various building systems and components, as well as cover for specialized staff on leave. All staff will also need to be fully trained to perform plan review. An estimate of required staff training time is 24 hours per employee. For six employees this equates to 144 hours of training time. Consequences for additional training can include an increase in budget devoted to this process as well as some impact to the availability of staff to perform routing plan review and inspections tasks.