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<br />4. Review and Consider the Statement of Exemption determination under <br />CEQA. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />The City last updated its Building and Fire Codes in 2013. New state codes <br />become effective on January 1, 2017 and are applicable to the City whether adopted <br />by the City or not. Therefore, it is important that these ordinances containing local <br />amendments necessary for Redwood City be adopted in a timely manner. <br /> <br />The Building and Fire Codes support one another, th erefore staff has brought both <br />codes together at the same time. The Board of Building Review met with staff on <br />October 13, 2016 to discuss the recommended changes to the building codes and <br />forwards its support for staff’s recommendations. <br /> <br />The City is adopting the state codes by reference, therefore it is necessary to notice <br />and hold a public hearing prior to the adoption. The notice of the public hearing will be <br />published once a week for a period of two successive weeks in a newspaper of general <br />circulation in Redwood City in accordance with California Government Code § 6066. <br />Copies of the state codes being adopted by reference will be kept on file in the Office of <br />the City Clerk open to public inspection. <br /> <br />State law also requires the City to make findings that some amendments or changes to <br />the state codes are necessary due to local climatic, geological and topographical <br />conditions. Amendments may also be made to administrative sections of the codes <br />without State review. These findings are in the resolution presented for Council <br />adoption. After the ordinances are adopted, they and the resolution must be <br />submitted to the state for review and approval. It is possible, if the findings are not <br />sufficient, for the state to reject the City’s amendments. <br /> <br />The California Codes, Uniform Codes and amendments are adopted to address various <br />code related issues. <br /> <br />ANALYSIS <br /> <br />Fire Code <br />The California Building Standards Commission, appointed by the Governor, based the <br />new code for this code adoption cycle on the 2015 edition of the International Fire Code. <br />There are no significant differences between the City’s current Fire Code and the <br />proposed ordinance adopting the 2016 state code with local amendments. <br /> <br />Building Code <br />New state Building, Residential, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Historical <br />Building, Existing Building, and Green Building Standards Codes go into effect on <br />6.4.B. - Page 2