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OCTOBER 30TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE UNIFIED BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION.UH, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TONIGHT IS THE SWEARING IN OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
SO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE NEW, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND AND RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
SAY, I IN CERTAIN I TYLER WILLIAMS, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM DO SOLEMNLY AFFIRM, AFFIRM THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF THE UNIFIED BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION THAT I WILLFULLY EXECUTE, EXECUTE THE, THAT'LL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE, OF THE OFFICE OF THE UNIFIED BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION OF THE UNIFIED BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF GARLAND.
AND WE'LL DO THE BEST OF, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, AND WE'LL DO TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND.
PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITU CONSTITUTION.
THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
SO HELP, HELP ME GOD, Y'ALL, WHEN Y'ALL LEAVE, IF YOU'LL JUST HAND THESE TO ME.
AND THEN THE, UH, SECOND ITEM THAT WE HAVE IN OUR AGENDA TONIGHT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD OCTOBER 30TH, 2019.
THE LAST MEETING OF THIS COMMISSION, UH, THERE IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE MINUTES.
IT IS IN THE FIRST LINE, IT SAYS THE BOARD'S ADJUSTMENTS OF THE CITY OF GARLAND.
BUT THIS IS, IN FACT, THESE ARE THE MINUTES FOR THE UNIFIED, UH, BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION.
AND SO IF Y'ALL WILL TAKE A MINUTE TO READ THAT, UH, WE'LL NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE AND THEN A SECOND TO APPROVE AND THEN WE'LL VOTE.
AND EVERYBODY HAS A YES NO PANEL PADDLE.
EVERYBODY HAS WHAT? THIS PADDLE? NO PADDLE.
UM, IT WASN'T WORTH IT TO TEACH 'EM HOW TO USE IT TO KNOW THAT WE'RE ONLY GONNA DO IT ONCE OR TWICE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? YES.
I NEED TO KNOW WHO MADE THE, WHO MADE THE MOTION? WHO SECOND.
UH, MANY CASTRO MADE THE MOTION SECONDED BY TYLER WILLIAMS. A.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UNANIMOUS.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM, UH, ITEM THREE IS THE, ARE THE ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
THE FIRST OF WHICH IS THE ELECTION OF A COMMISSION CHAIR.
DO I HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO ACKNOWLEDGE A COMMISSION CHAIR? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.
I'LL NOMINATE OUR MAYOR'S, UM, APPOINTEE COMMITTEE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? I SECOND WHO SECONDED? JOHN CRITI.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? UNANIMOUS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IF YOU SO WISH YOU CAN ALSO APPOINT A SECOND VICE CHAIR, KINDA LIKE AM MAYOR PROTO.
UM, SO IN CASE YOU DON'T, CAN'T COME, SOMEBODY ELSE CAN RUN THE BOARD.
IF YOU, IF YOU CHOOSE, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO APPOINT SOMEONE, BUT I AM UNSURE OF WHO WOULD BE, UH, WILLING AND ABLE TO SERVE FOR THIS.
WELL, THEN IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING.
WOULD NEED TO PUT IT TO A VOTE MOTION AND SOMEONE WOULD SECOND THE MOTION.
UH, I WAS GONNA SAY, WHERE ARE THE NAMES OF EVERYBODY? I MEAN, I HEARD THE HAND, RIGHT? AH, BEAUTIFUL CHEAT SHEET.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THIS DECISION.
UH, THEN I WILL MAKE THE MOTION
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TO, UH, APPOINT SHIP GORDON.SO, WHO APPOINTED CHIP? WHO MADE THE MOTION? UH, CASTRO CHAIRMAN.
AND WHO MADE THE SECOND? TYLER.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE'LL HAVE A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALRIGHT, UNANIMOUS.
SO NOW I WILL TURN THE MEETING OVER TO OUR NEW CHAIRMAN.
ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT ITEM AGENDA IS GOING TO BE, YOU CAN JUST READ IT AS, AND THE NEXT ITEM FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION IS THREE B, CONSIDERATION OF THE ADOPTION OF THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING, EXISTING BUILDING, RESIDENTIAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, FUEL, GAS AND ENERGY CONSERVATION CODES, AND THE 2023 NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE.
AL RAYMOND, UH, DIRECTOR OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT, SER MANAGING DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UH, AS I WAS, UH, SPEAKING TO YOU EARLIER IN THE BACK, UM, THIS IS JUST OUR FIRST, UH, PRESENTATION TO THIS BODY OF THE CODES WE WANT TO ADOPT AND THE AMENDMENTS, OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FOR THE CODES.
THESE ARE OUR INITIAL, UH, THOUGHTS THAT YOU ALL RECEIVED IN YOUR PACKET, RIGHT? UH, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF A MINUTES.
IT'S OVER A HUNDRED SEATS, SO I KNOW NO ONE'S KIND OF GONE THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
UH, BUT THE POWERPOINT IS JUST KIND OF A CONDENSED VERSION OF WHAT'S IN YOUR PACKET.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO DIVE MORE DEEPLY INTO IT AND READ IT IN THE DIET, HELP YOURSELF.
UH, BECAUSE WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS, IS, UM, PRESENT TO YOU WHAT WE, OUR THOUGHTS AND, AND, AND, AND HOW, AND OUR APPROACH, RIGHT? AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO OUT IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, DARE DAY, EVEN IN DECEMBER, EVEN THOUGH THOSE ARE TWO SHORT MONTHS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND HAVE OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE DISTRICTS, RIGHT? GET THEIR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS, UH, IF APPLICABLE, MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND COME BACK TO THIS BODY, UH, WITH THOSE CHANGES.
AND AT THAT POINT, UH, WITH YOUR INPUT, WE WOULD ASK THEN FOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO MOVE ON TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND ULTIMATELY TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, YOU SEE HERE WHERE IT SAYS, UH, INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL 2024, UH, CODE ADOPTION DECEMBER, 2025.
THAT PROBABLY IS GONNA BE MORE LIKE JANUARY, 2026.
UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS IN GENERAL.
THIS IS, AGAIN, JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW.
UH, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE CODES ARE, ARE UPDATED EVERY THREE YEARS, UH, HERE IN GARLAND.
UH, AND, AND IT'S NOT JUST INDICATIVE TO GARLAND.
A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES DO THIS BECAUSE OF THE COST OF UPDATING.
THEY, THEY GO MAYBE SIX YEARS, OR TWO OR THREE CYCLES.
WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT 10 YEARS OUT, RIGHT? SO WE'VE MISSED THREE CODE CYCLES, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, OUR 20 20, 20 15 CODES WERE ADOPTED IN IN 2016.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, THE 2024 FIRE CODES ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS I SHARE IT WITH YOU ALL, EXCEPT FOR YOU, UH, THE GENTLEMAN ON THE END.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS SEPARATE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
THEY'RE NOT ON THE SAME PACE WITH US, EVEN THOUGH THEY REQUESTED THE, THAT WE DO THE 2024 CODES.
SO THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU SEPARATELY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT BECAUSE, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY NEED TO ADOPT THAT CODE, WHICH THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY THAT ONE CODE.
WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TO DO, UH, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO KEEP UP, UH, AN ISO RATING, INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE RATING.
AND THAT'S PREDICATED ON ADOPTING THAT CODE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THEY'RE GONNA BE REACHING OUT, AND YOU MAY BE BACK HERE SOMETIME IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
DEFINITELY IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, UH, DEALING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OVERSEES OR ADMINISTERS THE, THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN P SPA CODE.
THAT'S 2021 THAT WAS ADOPTED TWO YEARS AGO.
AND, AND I WAS TALKING TO THE DIRECTOR AND I, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, RATTLE HER CAGE OR ROCK THE BOAT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LE LEAVING THAT WHERE IT IS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE, UH, INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY CODE COMPLIANCE, UH, THAT TEAM HAS JOINED US.
SO WE'RE BRINGING THAT FORWARD TOGETHER WITH THIS, IN THIS OVERALL PROCESS.
AND OF COURSE, AS YOU SEE ALL OTHER CODES, ALL OTHER I CODES, I SHOULD SAY, ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE BUILDING INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT.
I, I KIND OF EXPLAINED TO YOU THE PUBLIC OUTREACH, UH, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WANNA DO, UH, KIND OF PRESENTING HERE FIRST, KIND OF OUR THOUGHTS, GET YOUR OPINIONS IF YOU HAVE SOME, AND ALLOW YOU TO DIGEST ALL OF THIS AND STILL REACH OUT TO US.
AND THEN, UH, I WANT TO, WE WANT TO GO ON THE ROAD IN NOVEMBER, MAYBE IN DECEMBER, BECAUSE THOSE ARE BOTH TOO SHORT MONTHS.
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UH, COME BACK WITH, COME BACK TO YOU WITH, UH, THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD OUT IN, IN, IN THE COMMUNITY, AND ULTIMATELY PUT FORTH YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE ON TO CITY COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL.THIS IS JUST SOME POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE ABOUT THE COMMISSION, WHICH I'M, I'M SURE YOU KNOW, NINE MEMBERS, UH, NO CITY CAN SIT ON THIS COMMISSION.
IT SAYS WITH THE FIRE AND, AND, AND, AND BUILDING CODES.
BUT REALLY ALL OF THE CODES, IF YOU ARE, BUT EVEN IF WE WERE TALKING TO ONE GENTLEMAN, THAT'S KIND OF A, A LAY PERSON, STILL VALUABLE INPUT, UH, AND YOUR POSITIONS ARE, ARE AT LARGE FOR, FOR TWO YEARS.
UH, ULTIMATELY YOU, THIS BODY HELPS US, UH, ENGAGE THE PUBLIC WITH THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND OF COURSE, YOU MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO MOVE THE, THE, THE CODES AND THE AMENDMENTS FORWARD.
OF COURSE, MOST OF, YOU'RE SWORN IN CONGRATULATIONS.
UH, AND I WANT TO GO BACK HERE TO SHOW, HEY, THERE'S A COUPLE OF PLUMBING CONTRACTORS.
WE KIND OF IN INTRODUCED OURSELF BACK, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND I, AND THAT'S GREAT, AN ARCHITECT ENGINEER.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE MOST VALUABLE PEOPLE ARE THE, THE LAY INDIVIDUALS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW.
SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL ASK QUESTIONS JUST, YOU KNOW, FROM THEIR GUT, LIKE, HEY, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? WHY ARE WE DOING THAT? SO IT JUST HELPS MAKE, I THINK, FOR A BALANCED GROUP.
NOW, UH, THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL HAS APPROXIMATELY, THEY PRODUCE 16 CODES, BUILDING CODES.
16, WE ONLY USE EIGHT, RIGHT? UH, MANY MUNICIPALITIES USE MANY, MANY, MANY MORE BECAUSE OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED, UH, GEOGRAPHICALLY IN THE UNITED STATES.
BUT WE USE, JUST SAY, THE, THE BUILDING CODE, UH, EXISTING BUILDING, RESIDENTIAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, FUEL AND GAS, AND ENERGY CONSERVATION.
PLUS, WE'RE GOING FROM THE 2014 INTERNATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE TO THE 2023, UH, NEC.
SO, UM, SO MY POINT IS, THERE'S NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN.
WE'RE JUST MOVING THREE, THREE CODE CYCLES AHEAD, ACTUALLY.
SO THE, UH, INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE, UH, AND I WANTED TO MAKE A POINT, I WANTED TO MAKE YOU ALL AWARE OF SOMETHING.
THERE IS NO, UM,
RIGHT? SO WHEN, WHEN YOU SEE, AND AS WE'LL SEE ON THE, THE NEXT PAGE HERE WHERE IT SAYS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS I AM SHOWING YOU THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM THE 2015 AMENDMENTS THAT, THAT ARE LOCAL TO OUR AREA, LOCALIZED OUR AREA, AND EVEN PROBABLY THIS REGION, NORTH TEXAS, TO WHAT WE PROPOSE IN THE 2024 AMENDMENTS, RIGHT? THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THE CODES THAT I'LL, I'LL POINT OUT.
THIS IS, HEY, THIS IS NEW TO THE CODE, BUT MOST OF THESE CHANGES ARE BASED ON 15 AMENDMENTS TO 24 AMENDMENTS, OKAY? AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, OF COURSE, YOU CAN STOP ME AND ASK.
SO, UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS KIND OF OUR CONVERSATION WITH, WITH WITH THIS BODY, UM, THE OLD, AND I'M JUST GONNA START OUT ALWAYS SAYING, HEY, THE 2015 CODES UNDER WORK EXEMPT FROM PERMIT RATCHETED EVERYTHING DOWN, VERY RESTRICTIVE, RIGHT? THE INTERNATIONAL CODES ARE VERY LIBERAL WITH WHAT CAN BE DONE WITHOUT A PERMIT, RIGHT? WE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, RATCHETED DOWN.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
SEE WHERE IT SAYS AT THE VERY FIRST ONE, THE, UH, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES.
UH, HERE I'M PROPOSING 120 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS ALLOWED IN IBC IN OUR AMENDMENTS IN 2015, THAT WAS 20 SQUARE FEET.
SO THAT'S JUST, WHAT ABOUT THE SIZE OF A DOG HOUSE OR SOMETHING? ANYTHING LARGER THAN THAT, YOU GOTTA GET A PERMIT.
SO IF YOU ARE IN A HOME DEPOT OR A LOWE'S AND YOU SEE A, A, A TOUGH SHED OR SOMETHING THAT'S 120 SQUARE FEET OR WHATEVER YOU WANT, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT ITEM,
I, TO ME, I THINK THAT'S BENEFICIAL.
IT, IT MAKES DEVELOPMENT MOVE A LOT FASTER, AND IT, IT, UH, IT HELPS US BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE SIZE OF OUR CITY, THE SIZE OF OUR STAFF, AND AS YOU HEAR ABOUT THE SIZE OF OUR BUDGET, WE HAVE LIMITED BANDWIDTH.
SO I HAVE TO TRUST THAT WE HAVE TO TRUST THE CITIZENS TO DO WHAT WE THINK IS RIGHT, RIGHT? AND OF COURSE, UH, IF SOMEONE GETS, I DON'T KNOW, 300 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEONE WHO'S GONNA DROP IT DOWN AND SAY, HEY, LOOK AT THIS GUY, AND THEN WE WILL REACT ACCORDINGLY.
BUT TO, TO RATCHET IT DOWN TO, TO CONTROL IT SO TIGHT, I, I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE
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OVER THE TOP.AND I THINK, UH, OUR OPERATION WORKS A LITTLE MORE EFFECTIVELY IF WE JUST KIND OF ADOPT IT, OR AS I SAY IN THE FIRST LINE, JUST REVERT TO THE BASE CODE.
BECAUSE THE CODE, AND LET ME JUST GO BACK HERE, WHICH I, IT, IT SAYS TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM BUILDING REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDING SYSTEMS AIMING TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE.
AND THAT'S IT, RIGHT? THE CODE ITSELF IS MINIMUM STANDARDS.
SO TO RATCHET DOWN TO BE MORE RESTRICTIVE, IT IS, IT IS A LITTLE OVER THE TOP.
SO THAT'S ONE OF ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE WANNA DO.
AND, AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID THE SAME THING FOR ELECTRICAL, UH, MECHANICAL PLUMBING, WHEREAS THE 15 JUST DIDN'T ALLOW ANYTHING.
BUT HERE, HEY, UH, MINIMUM, UH, MINOR REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE ALLOWED, PERIOD, RIGHT? AND AGAIN, SOMETHING GOES WRONG.
A NEIGHBOR'S ALWAYS GONNA CALL AND GO, HEY, LOOK AT THIS GUY.
HE IS DOING SOMETHING CRAZY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND SO WE RESPOND TO THERE, TO RATCHET IT DOWN, PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON US, AND WE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH.
AND IF WE HAVE A CODE THAT WE REALLY CAN'T SUPPORT, IT MAKES US LOOK INEFFICIENT AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ORGANIZED, SO TO SPEAK.
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR APPROACH.
AGAIN, I'M, THESE ARE CHANGES FROM THE 2015 AMENDMENTS TO THE 24 AMENDMENTS
UH, BUT IT'S NOT BUILDING CODE.
SO I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE PULL THESE THINGS OUT AS FAST AS SURVEYS.
YOU KNOW, UH, STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLANT, COME ON, MAN.
WE EVEN HAVE SOMETHING THERE ABOUT WORK HOURS.
IT'S JUST, AND IT'S JUST VOLUMES OF SHEETS OF PAPER, OF INFORMATION.
IT JUST DOESN'T BELONG IN THE BUILDING CODE.
IT BELONGS IN SOME SORT OF SOP.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING HERE.
AND THEN YOU SEE THERE, THE, THE BOTTOM SECTION 9 0 1 0.7, THIS WAS HUGE, AND I, THOSE OF YOU IN THE ARCHITECT WOULD KNOW THIS, RIGHT? FOR WHATEVER REASON IN 2015 AND MAYBE YEARS BEYOND, THE CITY OF GARLAND ELIMINATED, AND, AND, UH, AND I HAVE TO SAY CITY OF GARLAND MORE BECAUSE OF THE FIRE MARSHAL ELIMINATED FIRE AREA FIRE SEPARATION AREAS.
WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT, UH, HE ELIMINATED FIREWALLS, UH, FIRE BARRIERS, FIRE PARTITIONS, WHICH MEANS THAT AS A CODE IN, IN SECTION NINE SAYS, OH YEAH, IF YOUR FIRE IS THIS, YOU'LL NEED THE SPRINKLER.
BUT IF YOU ELIMINATE THE FIRE AREAS, THERE IS NO FIRE AREA.
THAT MEANS THE ENTIRE PLATE HAS TO BE WET.
AND THAT IS JUST COST PROHIBITIVE FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO WANT TO FIT INTO A LOT OF OUR OLDER BUILDING.
HEY, I JUST WANNA OPEN A HEAD SHOP, OR I JUST WANNA BE A OPEN A CAFE OR WHATEVER, AND THEY'LL HAVE TO SPRINKLE INTO OUR APRON.
BUT EVEN ON TOP OF THAT, A LOT OF OUR OLDER BUILDINGS DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO JUST TO SAY, OH, YOU JUST GOTTA MAKE IT WET.
BUT WELL, THE, THE, THE DEVELOPER OR THE, THE INDIVIDUAL, AND I'M SAYING NOT THE DEVELOPER, BUT THE INDIVIDUAL AL ALSO HAS TO BEAR THE COST OF UPGRADING IF NEED BE.
AND I'M SURE IT WILL BE THE WATERLINE THAT SERVICES THAT TO MAKE SURE THE DOMESTIC IS OKAY.
AND OF COURSE, THE FIRE IS OKAY.
SO THAT'S SO COST PROHIBITIVE.
AND, AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET AROUND THAT IS TO ALLOW FIRE AREAS SO THAT I CAN CREATE MY LITTLE 2000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE OR 4,000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE, OR WHATEVER IT IS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I, WE ARE PROPOSING, I WORKED WITH THE FIRE CHIEF FOR THREE MONTHS OR SO, RIGHT? UH, AND HE FINALLY ACQUIESCED AND SAID, OKAY, IT MAKES SENSE.
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY YEARS AGO.
THEY SAID, HEY, LET'S TAKE THIS OUT.
AND I THINK THAT MAKES IT GREAT FOR US GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? US BEING THE CITY OF GARLAND GOING FORWARD.
NOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE CODE THE NEW THINGS IN THE 24 CODE.
A LOT OF, WE'VE DANCED WITH SOME OF THESE IN THE PAST, AND A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAD TO GET THROUGH THE BUILDING OFFICIAL WITH ALTERNATE METHODS OF COMPLIANCE OR SPECIAL REQUESTS, UH, THAT SHOW, HEY, LOOK, I STILL MEET THE INTENT OF THE CODE.
WELL, NOW THE CODES FINALLY ADDRESS THAT.
SAY, HEY, OKAY, WE KNOW SHIPPING CONTAINERS, SHIPPING, SHIPPING CONTAINERS ARE COMING ON STRONG, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS IT IN THE CODE.
AND NOW THERE'S AN APPENDIX IN THE CODE.
SAME THING FOR, UH, ESCAPE ROOMS OR PUZZLE ROOMS. ANOTHER THING OF THAT, THAT THE 24 CODE IS ADDED IS, UM, IT EXPANDED THE USE OF TYPE FOUR CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS HEAVY TIMBER.
AND IF YOU'VE, I, I KNOW IF YOU, YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF, SOME BEAUTIFUL PICTURES NOW, REALLY KIND OF HIGH RISE, HEAVY TIMBER STRUCTURES, AND IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE.
YOU KNOW, WOOD, NATURAL WOOD IN ITS NATURAL STATE IS VERY, VERY BEAUTIFUL.
SO THEY'VE, THEY'VE, UH, ALLOWED THOSE PROVISION, UH, PROVISIONS THAT GO FORWARD, AND THERE'S APPLICABLE WAYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT.
AND THEN FINALLY HERE, THERE, THERE ADDED SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR ROOFTOP CAN, AND OF COURSE, ILLUMINATION FOR EGRESS FOR HIGH RISE BUILDINGS, WHICH OF COURSE, IN GARLAND WE DON'T HAVE YET.
BUT SINCE OUR THING IS ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT, THAT MAY CHANGE HERE SHORTLY, HOPEFULLY
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PRAYERFULLY, NOW THEAND I HAVE TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU GARLAND, AND I'M SURE YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME.
THERE IS A, A TON OF OLD STOCK HERE IN GARLAND, RIGHT? AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT RESIDENTIAL HOMES, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, AND A LOT OF OUR COMMERCIAL STRIP CENTERS ARE VACANT OR, OR BUILDINGS JUST SITTING THERE, RIGHT? YET WE DIDN'T ADOPT THIS CODE IN 2015.
WE DIDN'T ADOPT IT, WHICH TO ME IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
WHY? BECAUSE THIS CODE FACILITATES ALL OF WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE SCOPE, AND THIS IS WHAT LIFE WAS BEFORE, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE EXISTING BUILDING CODE, THAT MEANS THAT THE ARCHITECT AND ENGINEERS HAD TO COMPLY WITH THE IBC, WHICH IS JUST CRAZY.
IT'S, IT ONLY CRAZY BECAUSE, HEY, IT'S AN EXISTING BUILDING AND EVERYONE KNOWS THE, THE GREENEST BUILDING IS THE ONE YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONSTRUCT, RIGHT? SO I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAW THAT, I GO, OH, GOSH, WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR DOWNTOWN IS JUST BUILDINGS FROM YES.
YEAR, RIGHT? SO IF, IF WE CAN HELP, UH, DEVELOPERS FACILITATE, REPURPOSE, REDEVELOP, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IT JUST MAKES IT EASIER AND IT MAKES THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS A LOT MORE SEAMLESS, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT SO COST PROHIBITIVE IF, IF YOU ARE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WANTING TO DO SOMETHING IN AN OLD BUILDING WITHOUT HAVING TO COMPLY WITH THE HEAVY HANDED IBC.
UH, AND SO THIS IS REALLY, UH, IT IS JUST TREMENDOUS, AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP FURTHER PUSH OUR REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT KIND OF IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO, UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE, AND I'M PROPOSING TO ADOPT BASE COAT WITHOUT AMENDMENTS, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UH, IF YOU'VE READ THE CODE AND YOU CAN GO THROUGH, UH, GO THROUGH THE PACKET I'VE GIVEN YOU, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST SUCH GOOD STUFF.
AND I THINK IT REALLY HELPS MOVE THE CITY FORWARD, THE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE, UH, AND MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW, AND PROBABLY THE ARCHITECT KNOW THAT, UH, I NEVER WOULD'VE THOUGHT IN MY TIME THAT THE IRC WOULD, WOULD SURPASS THE IBC.
IF YOU PUT THOSE TWO CODES TOGETHER, THE IIRC IS LIKE THIS, AND THE BUILDING CODE IS PROBABLY LIKE THIS, RIGHT? THE IBC, BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A FOCUS ON BUILDING, UM, YOU KNOW, HOMES CORRECTLY.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT IT'S NOT THE CODE, IT'S NOT THE ARCHITECTS OR ENGINEERS, IT'S THE, IT'S THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
IT'S THE CONTRACTORS BUILDING.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, UM, NOT WE, BUT A LOT OF TRADE SCHOOLS AND VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS AND THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE NO LONGER AROUND.
SO HOW DO YOU TRAIN, YOU KNOW, PLUMBERS AND ELECTRICIANS AND, AND, AND MECHANICAL, UH, MECHANICAL, UH, DISCIPLINES, AND EVERYONE JUST KIND OF LEARNS ON THE FLY.
SO, UH, SO WHAT THE IRC TRIES TO DO, OR I, UH, INTERNATIONAL CO COUNCILORS, THEY TRY TO PUT EVERYTHING, UH, EVERYTHING IN THE CODE, AND REALLY, THOSE PEOPLE DON'T READ THE CODE, RIGHT? SO, UH, IT, IT'S TRYING TO FIND A BALANCE.
AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT WE DID WITH OUR AMENDMENTS AND TRYING TO FIND A BALANCE, UM, UH, BETWEEN WHERE WE WERE IN 15 AND WHERE WE THINK WE NEED TO BE IN, IN 24.
AND AGAIN, UH, THE CHANGES FROM AMENDMENTS 15 TO 24, MUCH LIKE I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE, THE IRC BASE CODE ALLOWS A RESIDENTIAL HOME TO BRING IN A, A 200 SQUARE FOOT OR LESS BUILDING TOUGH SHED, OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER FROM WALMART, UH, SORRY, FROM HOME DEPOT OR LOWE'S, WITHOUT GETTING A PERMIT, RIGHT? IN THE 15.
NOW, IT JUST SAYS, HEY, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE OVER 20 SQUARE FEET, YOU GOTTA GO GET A PERMIT.
WHICH AGAIN, I THINK IS CRAZY.
NOT, NOT, YOU KNOW, CASTING DISPERSION ON THE PEOPLE WHO DEVELOPED IT BACK IN THE DAY, BUT GOING FORWARD, WHY WOULD WE DO THAT? RIGHT? WE'VE, I DON'T WANNA SAY WE HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT ALL DEVELOPMENT, BUT LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU CAN'T POLICE EVERYTHING WE HAVE TO TRUST.
WE PUT IT OUT AND HAVE TO TRUST PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND IF NOT, SOMEONE'S GONNA DROP A DIME, AND THEN WE HAVE A TEAM, OUR CODE COMPLIANCE TEAM, AND GO AND, UH, FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON, RIGHT? SO HERE, I RECOMMEND GOING TO THE BASE CODE, WHICH ALLOWS 200 SQUARE FEET, WHICH ALLOWS FENCES SEVEN FEET OR LESS TO WITHOUT A PERMIT, EXCEPT FOR IF YOU'RE ON A, A CORNER, RIGHT? SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THE VISIBILITY, UH, TRIANGLE SO THAT YOU CAN SEE FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS, RIGHT? SO THOSE THINGS TO ME ARE VERY SIMPLE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE, THE CODE, UH, ONLY REQUIRE THE, THE BUILDING CODE ONLY REQUIRES HEATING, RIGHT? IN RESIDENTIAL HOMES, UH, ONLY REQUIRES HEATING.
UH, THE IPC IN OUR CHAPTER 32 IN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR, UH, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE REQUIRES HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING.
AND SO I'M ADDING THIS IN TO ALIGN WITH THAT, BECAUSE I WANT TO ALIGN WITH THAT, EVEN THOUGH WE'LL SAY, WELL, WHO WOULD RENT A PROPERTY WITHOUT A A? BUT IN THESE DAYS, WITH PRICES SKYROCKETING,
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PEOPLE WILL DO ANYTHING THEY CAN FOR DOMICILE, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT'S, IT'S FUNCTIONAL, IT'S IT'S HABITABLE.AND SO THE, THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS I'M MAKING.
AND, AND FROM THE SOP STANDPOINTS, THERE WERE A LOT, THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS IN THE 2015 THAT I'M, I'M SAYING, HEY, WE SHOULD PULL OUT AND CREATE AN SOP FILE ONE, THERE WAS JUST A TON OF INFORMATION ABOUT CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION, UM, HOW HE REGISTERS HIS INSURANCE.
IT JUST SO MUCH STUFF, AND ALL OF IT IS GOOD.
IT JUST DOESN'T BELONG IN THE BUILDING CODE.
IT BELONGS IN SOME KIND OF OPERATIONAL MANUAL, RIGHT? AND THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO THE INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL CODE.
UH, AND I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE THREE CODE CYCLES BEHIND, RIGHT? AS YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD IT SAID BEFORE, THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME, RIGHT? WHEN, UH, HOW CAN I SAY THIS? IN 2001, WHEN THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BILL, THE AMERICA WAS ATTACKED IN, IN, IN THE TRADE CENTER BUILDINGS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THERE WAS A TON OF CHANGES IN THE BUILDING CODE, RIGHT? BUT FROM 15 TO WHERE WE'RE, NOTHING LIKE THAT HAS HAPPENED, RIGHT? SO THE CHANGES IN CODES ARE MARGINAL.
SOME ADJUSTMENTS LIKE, OH, WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON GREEN DEVELOPMENT, GREEN BUILDING, GREEN DESIGN, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WHY AM I SAYING THAT? BECAUSE THE 2015 AMENDMENTS, UH, THAT WERE DONE FOR MECHANICAL, UH, ARE FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, STILL FUNCTIONALLY USEFUL FOR HOW WE DO OUR BUSINESS HERE WITH THE 20 20 24 CODE.
SO ALL I'VE DONE IS, YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR PACKET, IS MAKE SURE THAT THE CHAPTERS AND THE SECTIONS AND THE VERSES ALIGN SO THAT IT IS, IT IS, UH, STILL COMPLIANT AND APP APPLICABLE.
HOWEVER, WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THOSE, UH, AMENDMENTS, UH, BECAUSE IT'S STILL VERY MUCH APPLICABLE, APPLICABLE HOW WE DO OUR, UH, PLAN REVIEWS AND OUR INSPECTIONS TODAY.
THE SAME THING FOR THE, THE PLUMBING CODE.
UH, UH, THERE'S NOT A, A TON OF CHANGE FROM, UH, 15 TO 24, UH, WITH OUR AMENDMENTS.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I THINK ARE JUST IN TREMENDOUS.
UH, AND THESE ARE CODE CHANGES FROM 24 TO 15, WHICH IS, UH, ALLOWANCES GIVEN FOR MULTI UUS TOILET FACILITIES, OR, YOU KNOW, THAT AS SAY, UNISEX, RIGHT? WHICH MEANS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU, YOU COUNT THE, THE, THE FIXTURES, THE TOILET FIXTURES BASED ON OCCUPANCY.
SO YOU CAN DOUBLE COUNT THE, THE MULTI-USER TOILET, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST FOR MEN, IT'S NOT JUST FOR WOMEN.
SO THAT MAKES IT EASIER FOR DESIGNERS AND DEVELOPERS TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT ONE IS JUST, UH, UM, ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCES ON THIS PLANET IS WATER.
SO IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A WAY TO, TO NOT USE POTABLE WATER TO DO STUFF, PERFECT, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHAT THIS DOES, RIGHT? IT, IT BASICALLY ALLOWS, AND, AND A LOT OF THEM MUNICIPALITIES I WORKED ON, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, OFF THE CHARTS WITH THIS, BUT IT JUST ALLOWS US TO RECAPTURE, UH, WATER, POTABLE WATER THAT HAS BEEN USED ARE WATER THAT FALLS FROM THE SKY AND THEN UTILIZE IT.
UH, AND BEFORE YOU, YOU KIND OF HAD, YOU KIND OF HAD TO DO ALTERNATE METHODS.
ENGINEERS WOULD HAVE TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHY THIS WORKS, WHATEVER.
NOW IT'S ACTUALLY IN, IN THE CODE, WHICH IS GREAT FOR EVERYONE, I THINK.
AND, AND AS WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE, AND, AND IF WE BELIEVE IN THE WHOLE GLOBAL WARMING THING, IT JUST HELPS WITH THE HELP, UH, MAINTAIN OUR PLANET GOING FORWARD.
THE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE, UH, THIS WAS ADOPTED ALSO IN 2015.
UH, AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT SAID THAT I REMOVED IS THIS, IT SAID IT ONLY APPLIES, THINK ABOUT THIS, THE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE AND 20 THINGS THAT THIS CODE ONLY APPLIES TO NON-RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS, RIGHT? IT SHOULD APPLY TO ANY EXISTING STRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF GARLAND, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, IT DOESN'T MATTER, RIGHT? SO, I, I REMOVED THAT IN THIS CODE, UH, AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO ADOPT THIS, THIS CODE AS BASE CODE, RIGHT? I'M MEETING NOW, UH, WITH MY, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE TEAM BECAUSE CODE COMPLIANCE BASICALLY RUNS THEIR DEPARTMENT OFF OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES IN CHAPTER 32, WHICH IS WHAT I CALL PARKING MAINTENANCE.
BUT I'M SURE THEY HAVE A NICE LONG NAME.
HOWEVER, UM, THOSE CODE OF ORDINANCES, LIKE I LOOKED AT THE 20, 20 15, UH, AMENDMENTS AND SAID, HEY, SOME OF THIS STUFF IS REALLY KIND OF WHACK CHAPTER 32 FOR, UH, MY CO COMPLIANCE TEAM IS FULL OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT, IN MY OPINION, ARE NOT NECESSARILY CODE COMPLIANCE OPERATIONS, RIGHT?
[00:30:01]
SO I'M MEETING WITH HIM TO GO THROUGH THAT.AND WHEN WE GO THROUGH THAT, WE, WHEN WE COME BACK TO THIS BODY IN NOVEMBER, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SPECIFICS, RIGHT? WHAT I TOOK OUT, BECAUSE, UH, I WANT TO ALIGN CHAPTER 32 WITH THE IPMC, UH, SO THAT THERE'S ONE KIND OF PLAYBOOK, IF YOU UNDERSTAND.
SO, UH, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING GREAT PROGRESS, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AND, AND, AND I HAVE SOME GREAT PEOPLE TO WORK WITH, UM, UH, THE INTERNATIONAL, UH, FUEL AND GAS CODE.
LIKE WITH THE MECHANICAL CODE, LIKE WITH THE PLUMBING CODE, A LOT OF THE 15, UH, UM, AMENDMENTS STILL APPLY THREE, UH, CODE CYCLES LATER.
UH, BECAUSE NOT MUCH CHANGE, RIGHT? THE MORE THEY CHANGE, THE MORE THEY SAY THE SAME.
UH, AND YOU'LL KNOW, YOU'LL SEE THAT IN YOUR PACKAGE, AND I, I MAKE, I WANNA MAKE THIS THE STATEMENT, UH, SOMEONE SAID IN THE BACK, HEY, CODES IS NOT SO SEXY OR WHATEVER, AND IT'S NOT, RIGHT? SO IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU'RE REVIEWING THIS AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ME, YOU CAN REACH OUT, REACH OUT TO SEAN, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO SAMANTHA, AND WE'LL TRY, IF WE DON'T KNOW, WE'LL FIND OUT AND GET BACK WITH YOU, RIGHT? UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU KIND OF HAVE A, A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GO, OH, WHATEVER, AND JUST VOTE WITH THE CROWD.
I WANT YOU TO KIND OF UNDER, IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION.
IT'S A LOT OF STUFF TO DIVE INTO, BUT I WANT YOU TO HAVE A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU'RE APPROVING AND WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF GOING AGAINST, OR COMMENTS YOU MAKE, AND, UH, AND YOU CAN DO THAT, RIGHT? UH, UM, I, THE AMENDMENTS IN 15 WERE VOLUMOUS, RIGHT? SO THE A HUNDRED PAGES OR SO BEFORE YOU IS WAY LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE, RIGHT? BUT EVEN THEN I REALIZED TO DIG INTO THAT, YOU REALLY HAVE TO HAVE INTESTINAL FORTITUDE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO IF YOU NEED, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU WANNA MEET FACE TO FACE OR WHATEVER, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US, BECAUSE OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND IT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE, WE WANNA TRY TO ANSWER IT.
UH, AND IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? AND SO THAT WHEN WE COME BACK, UH, WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KIND OF HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, UH, AND, AND, AND ADDRESS WHATEVER ISSUES YOU MAY HAVE HAD.
AND I THINK WE HAVE INTERNATIONAL, UH, ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE.
THE STATE, AS YOU KNOW, HAS ADOPTED THIS.
THE STATE HAS ADOPTED THE ENERGY, THE IECC, THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING POOL AND SPA CODE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE OTHER, UH, IN THE STATE, UH, ADOPTIONS THAT THIS IS OUR CODE.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO ABOVE, YOU CAN'T BE LESS STRINGENT, BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS BE MORE, RIGHT? SO WE ARE, WE'RE ADOPTING THIS, THIS CODE, AND, AND IN ESSENCE, IT ESTABLISHES MINIMUM ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR BOTH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
EARLY ON, UH, THERE, THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF LIKE, OH MY GOSH, BECAUSE THIS ENERGY CODE REALLY ADDED COST TO CONSTRUCTION, AS YOU KNOW.
BUT WHEN ALL THE CRYING WAS DONE, AND, YOU KNOW, THE WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH WHEN DONE CORRECTLY, RIGHT? CONTRACT, RES CHECK, WHATEVER, IT REALLY SAVES MONEY, RIGHT? WHEN DONE CORRECTLY.
IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, THOSE UNNECESSARY EVILS, BUT IT'S REALLY NEEDED AS WE GO FORWARD BECAUSE RESOURCES ARE, ARE VERY THIN, AND WE JUST NEED TO, UH, PROTECT IT AND MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, UH, AS I SAID, UH, NOTHING REALLY CHANGED WITH THIS CODE.
THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN 15 STILL COMPLY, STILL APPLY TO THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS WITH THE 2024 CODE, AS YOU'LL SEE THAT IN IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.
AND THEN THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE.
AND, AND I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO MAKE THIS POINT BECAUSE, AND I'M NOT SURE Y'ALL KNOW THIS, AND MAYBE AS A CONTRACT THAT YOU KNOW THIS, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IF YOU HOMESTEAD YOUR HOME IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND YOU HOMESTEAD YOUR HOME, YOU CAN DO, WHICH IS FRIGHTENING TO ME.
BUT YOU CAN DO AS A HOMEOWNER, ANYTHING, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, BUILDING, STRUCTURAL, YOU WANNA CALL IT RIGHT? IN, IN A WAY.
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, TEXAS IS KIND OF A PROPERTY RIGHTS STATES.
SO THE WAY YOU SAY, OKAY, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD, RIGHT? YOU STILL NEED TO GET A PERMIT FROM US, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO GET A, A, A REGISTERED CON, UH, CONTRACTOR.
YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF IF YOU HOMESTEAD, RIGHT? IN SOME MENIS MUNICIPALITIES, THEY SAY, THAT'S GREAT, BUT NOT FOR GAS APPLIANCES, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN THIS CITY, WHICH KIND OF LIKE, OH MY GOSH, RIGHT? BUT WHATEVER, LIKE I SAID TO YOU EARLIER, I CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE WHEN I WANT TO TRUST, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN I DON'T, I'M JUST GONNA TRUST 'EM.
THIS IS WHAT, WHAT IS ALLOWED OUR FAIL SAFE IS THAT WE REQUIRE THEM TO GET PERMITS.
RIGHT? NOW, AS YOU KNOW, HOW DO I SAY THIS, SAM? UH, PEOPLE
[00:35:01]
DON'T GET PERMITS, RIGHT? AND THERE'S USUALLY A FIRE OR SOMETHING BREAKS OR WHATEVER, OR A NEIGHBOR WILL CALL AND SAY, LOOK WHAT HE DID HERE, RIGHT? AND THEN, OF COURSE, UH, AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, UH, JUST INDICATIVE TO GARLAND.EVERYTHING HAPPENS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
WHY? BECAUSE WE'RE AT HOME LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT AT HOME.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S KIND OF THIS DELICATE BALANCING ACT, RIGHT? BUT, UH, WHAT I'M PROPOSING TO YOU IS THAT, HEY, UH, IT SAYS HERE, THIS CODE IS NOT INTENDED AS A DESIGN SPECIFICATION OR IN THIS STRUCTURAL MANUAL FOR UNTRAINED PERSONS.
AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF SOBERING, RIGHT? BUT AGAIN, I RECOMMEND WE JUST TRUST THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND, AND FOR MANY REASONS, BANDWIDTH, UH, RESOURCES, UH, AND, AND SHOULD THE CRAP HIT THE FAN, UH, SURELY SOMEONE WILL LET US KNOW.
AND, AND, AND WE WILL ADDRESS IT AT THAT POINT.
HOWEVER, WHAT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU IN THE 2023 CODE, WHICH I THINK IS GREAT.
NOW, THIS IS NOT THE AMENDMENTS.
THIS IS NEW THINGS IN THE CODE, WHICH I THINK ARE REALLY GREAT.
AND YOU NOTICE A, A LOT OF THINGS IN THE CODE ARE DEALING WITH GROUND FAULT AND, UH, SEARCH PROTECTION.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? UH, WHEREAS OUR PHONES, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS ELECTRONIC NOW, WE'RE DRAWING SO MUCH POWER.
I REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY, UH, A 3000 SQUARE FOOT HOME WOULD PROBABLY HAVE A-A-A-A-A METER OF 200 AMPS.
I GUARANTEE YOU THAT THAT WON'T WORK TODAY.
'CAUSE SOMETHING'S GONNA SNAP AND GO, HEY, WE NEED, WE NEED MORE POWER BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS RUN BY EVERY, EVERY, EVERYTHING IS SO ELECTRONIC NOW, AND IT JUST DRAWS POWER, WHICH MEANS THAT, AND THAT'S WHY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE THE LAST BULLET SAYS, HEY, SEARCH PROTECTION FOR, BECAUSE THE SEARCH PROTECTION WAS ONCE FOR, UH, REMODELS FOR, UH, EXISTING HOMES THAT I'M ADDING THIS ON.
SO YOU, YOUR SEARCH PROTECTION SO THAT THE NEW STUFF WON'T DRAW ON AND DESTROY THE OLD STUFF.
NOW, HEY, THERE'S SO MUCH POWER DRAWING ON THE HOT SIDE, WE GOTTA SEARCH, PROTECT EVERYTHING, RIGHT? SO, UH, I THINK THIS IS GREAT.
IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT'S ANOTHER SAFETY FEATURE, UH, THAT THE, UM, NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE DID, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY GREAT.
AND I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW SOMETHING HERE ABOUT HOW THE, THE, THE, THE, THE CODES WORK TOGETHER.
THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE IS A FIRE CODE.
THAT'S THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION, UH, ASSOCIATION.
IT'S A FIRE CODE, WHICH, UH, A, UH, A LOT OF THINGS, UH, A LOT OF THINGS ARE, ARE, UH, DEVELOPED, UH, BY NFPA, RIGHT? UH, AND IT, IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT NF NFPA HAS A TREMENDOUS WORKING RELATIONSHIP NOW WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL, RIGHT? SO TO ME, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE A LONG TIME AGO, EVERYONE WAS SEPARATE AND EQUAL.
AND, AND FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN GO TO SOME MUNICIPALITIES AND THEY STILL USE THE UBC PLUMBING AND UBC MECHANICAL, RIGHT? THAT'S FINE.
ATMO AND ALL THOSE THINGS, THAT'S FINE.
I, I DON'T HAVE ANY INKS ABOUT THAT.
IT IS JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, IN 2000, THEY, THEY TRIED TO GET EVERY, EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
AND, AND, AND MOST MUNICIPALITIES, IT'S LIKE THAT, UH, SOME MUNICIPALITIES STILL HOLD ON TO WHAT THEY WANT AND THOSE THINGS.
BUT ALL IN ALL, I THINK BOTH AGENCIES, UH, AND THESE ARE PREMIER AGENCIES AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, WORK TOGETHER AND, AND GIVE US GREAT, GREAT, UH, CODES AND PRODUCTS SO THAT WE CAN GO AND, AND DEVELOP AND BUILD SAFELY.
UH, I DIDN'T WANT TO BORE YOU AND, AND TAKE A LONG TIME.
SO, UH, UH, AS I SAID, I, I'M HERE TO AN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, I, I KNOW I'VE GIVEN YOU A LOT WITH THE PACKET.
UH, PLEASE ABSORB THAT, UH, UH, READ IT.
UH, I, I'M THINKING WE'LL COME BACK HERE BECAUSE I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT TWO SET UP IN NOVEMBER, UH, TWO, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN NOVEMBER.
I, AND TO MY MEETING, I'M COMBINING, UH, THERE ARE EIGHT DISTRICTS, AND I'M COMBINING TWO AT A TIME.
SO, UH, WE HAVE FOUR MEETINGS AND HIT, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO BIRDS AT ONE STONE, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, SO WE SHOULD BE BACK HERE IN, IN MID-NOVEMBER.
SO WITH COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY, IF, IF ANY, AND, AND YOU PROBABLY KNOW, AND NO ONE'S GONNA SAY ANYTHING, AND THAT'S RIGHT.
UH, BUT MY JOB IS TO AND JUST SHARE, RIGHT? SO IF THEY, THEY MAY HAVE QUESTIONS, WHAT WE NEED TO SHARE, UH, AND THAT'LL GIVE YOU TIME TO KIND OF GO THROUGH, UH, WHAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU.
BUT AS I SAID, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PACKET AND, AND WHAT YOU'VE SEEN HERE ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST IN GENERAL, HEY, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS.
PLEASE, UH, REACH OUT TO MYSELF OR, OR, OR SEAN OR SAMANTHA, AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO, TO, UH, ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS AND OR CONCERNS.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? UH, YEAH, I DO.
[00:40:01]
THE SMALL STRUCTURE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE THE MORGAN BUILDING OR WHATEVER, WHAT'S TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM BUILDING A LESS THAN QUALITY SMALL STRUCTURE NEXT TO SOMEONE'S PROPERTY THAT WOULD LOWER THE PROPERTY VALUE? SAY IF I BUILT IT AND IT WOULD LOWER HIS PROPERTY VALUE, WHAT OPTION DOES HE HAVE? SO, GREAT QUESTION.DID YOU, DID EVERYONE HEAR HIS QUESTION? UH, HE'S SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, 'CAUSE THE CODE'S GONNA ALLOW THIS CORRECT.
HOWEVER, WHERE YOU PLACE THAT STRUCTURE, IT, IT, WHERE YOU PLACE THAT STRUCTURE, UH, SETBACKS, I WAS GONNA SAY, IT'S, I WANNA SAY IT'S CONTROLLED BY US, BUT THE GDC, THE GARLAND DEVELOPMENT CODE SAYS WHERE YOU CAN, WHERE YOU CAN PLACE THAT STRUCTURE AND WHERE YOU CAN'T.
AND THE BUILDING CODE ALSO SAYS WHERE YOU CAN'T, SO YOU CAN'T PLACE IT WITHIN THREE FEET OF THE PROPERTY LINE, RIGHT? RESTRICTED SIDE YARD, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT MAKES IT, UH, THEN IF YOU, WITHIN THREE FEET, IT HAS TO BE FIRE RADI.
SO IT MEANS WHEN YOU DROP THIS THING OFF IN YOUR BACKYARD, YOU JUST HAVE TO END.
THE OTHER THING SERVES THIS, UM, HOW CAN I SAY IT? THE, YOU KNOW, UH, THE ASSUMPTION IS, AND THAT'S WHY I SAID WE HAVE TO TRUST OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT, UM, THERE IS THE FEAR THAT PEOPLE WILL GET THAT AND THEN TRY TO DO SOMETHING WITHIN, HEY, RENT IT OUT TO, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH HOMELESSNESS OR DO SOMETHING, HOW, DARE I SAY, ILLEGAL WITH IT, RIGHT? UH, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, GARLAND HAS SUCH A LIMITED BANDWIDTH.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO TRUST YOU TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
IF YOU, IF, IF THE GUY HAS HIS, HIS, UH, TOUGH SHED RIGHT? ON THE FITS LINE, OKAY? AND YOU CALL SOMEONE AND, AND WE COME TO ADDRESS IT, RIGHT? AND THE BE THE GOOD THING ABOUT THAT IS THAT, OH, OKAY, LET ME MOVE IT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE FOUNDATION, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, RIGHT? SO, UH, BUT KEEP IN MIND, AND I DIDN'T SAY THIS BEFORE, IF SOMEONE GETS A TOUGH SHED AND THEY WANT TO PUT LIGHT IT UP, RIGHT? WELL, THEY CERTAIN TO GET AN ELECTRICAL PERMIT, BUT WE, WE DARN SURE WOULDN'T LET THEM GET A PLUMBING PERMIT, RIGHT? BECAUSE NOW WE KNOW, OH, DUMP THIS IS MORE THAN JUST STORING YOUR LAWN MOWER LEAKS OR WHATEVER, AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, IF THEY WANTED TO BUILD AN ACCESSORY DWELLING STRUCTURE, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
BUT THE CODE, WHAT THE CODE, THE MINIMUM STANDARDS IS SAYING, HEY, LET SOMEONE PUT A TOUGH S**T IN THERE, RESIDENTIALS 200 SQUARE FEET OR LESS COMMERCIAL, 120 SQUARE FEET OR LESS, RIGHT? IT SHOULDN'T, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE AN IMPACT.
UH, AND THE ONLY IMPACT IT COULD HAVE IS WHERE IT'S PLACED.
AND SO THE GDC AND THE CODE ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL WHERE IT'S PLACED, BUT EVEN IF IT'S THREE FEET INSIDE, IT COULD STILL NEGA NEGATIVELY IMPACT SOMEONE ELSE'S.
IF I PUT, IF I PUT A LIEN TO LIKE, I MEAN, JUST A, A SHACK UP BESIDE THREE FEET AWAY FROM HIS PROPERTY, HE'S NOT GONNA LIKE THAT.
BUT, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S A FENCE THERE TOO, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, AND THE FENCES HERE IN GARLAND FENCES ARE LIKE SEVEN, I'M SORRY, EIGHT FEET OR SO.
BUT, BUT IT'S, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND EVERY EVERYONE'S OPINION IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT? BUT IT'S MEANT TO BE A BENIGN STRUCTURE, RIGHT? AS YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE LIFE WE LIVE, THE INTENT SOMETIMES IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT THE RESULTS, UH, PRODUCE, RIGHT? SO YES, IT'S MEANT TO, WHETHER IT'S 200 SQUARE FEET OR 120 SQUARE FEET, IT'S MEANT TO BE A BENIGN STRUCTURE.
AND WE TRY AND, AND, AND, AND FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, YOU KNOW, WE SAY, OKAY, UH, IF THEY PLACE IT ANYWHERE BACK THERE, IT'S OKAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALLOW 'EM TO PLACE IT ON EASEMENTS THAT MAY BE IN THE BACK.
DON'T ALLOW 'EM, PLACE IT ON ALLEYS BECAUSE THERE'S STILL, THE ALLEY IS A RIGHT OF WAY OF THE CITY.
SO IT STILL HAS A PROPERTY LINE SETBACK.
WE HAVE THOSE THINGS IN PLACE.
AND IF PEOPLE ARE STILL, AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE STILL LIKE, OH, THIS IS WHATEVER IT IS WHAT IT IS, RIGHT? AND THEN THAT, THAT GROUP WOULD GO TO, UM, THERE'S THE COMMISSION, UM, UM, IS IT THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS OR WOULD IT BE, UH, THE PROPERTY STANDARDS BOARD, RIGHT? SO THERE, THERE IS, THERE IS, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD THERE IS RECOURSE, RIGHT? IF SOMEONE WANTED TO TAKE IT THAT FAR.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S MEANT TO BE A BENIGN USE, RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULDN'T BRING THAT KIND OF IMPACT.
WELL, IT, I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT ARE YOU, TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE MAYBE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ARE, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S STILL GONNA EXIST A GENERAL DUTY TO BUILD A SAFE AND LEGAL STRUCTURE, EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT NEED TO OBTAIN A PERMIT FOR LESS THAN 200, UH, SQUARE FEET.
YOU STILL HAVE THE GENERAL DUTY TO PRODUCE A STRUCTURE THAT MEETS THE STANDARDS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER I LIKE IT OR NOT.
AND THAT'S WELL SAID, RIGHT? YOU SHOULD BE UP HERE, RIGHT,
[00:45:01]
JUST LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT AS WELL.AS A HOMEOWNER WHO JUST RECENTLY HAD TO PUT A SHED IN HIS BACKYARD AND COMPLY WITH THE CODE THAT MANDATED ME OBTAIN A PERMIT FOR 120 SQUARE FOOT SHED, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT ASK FOR A VARIANCE BECAUSE I HAD TO THEN COMPLY WITH THE WIND SPEED REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO I HAD TO FIND A SHED THAT HAD COMPLIED WITH AS CLOSE TO 115 MILE AN HOUR WIND RESISTANCE AS I COULD FROM MY BACKYARD AND PERSONALLY, RIGHT? AND I KNOW MY GROUP, THIS GUY, BUT I KNOW MY GROUP OVERSEES THAT, RIGHT? AND IN THEORY, YOU CAN SAY WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS, BUT TO ME, THAT IS JUST RIDICULOUS.
THAT'S HITTING A FLY WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER, RIGHT? I, YOU SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN YOUR RESIDENTIAL HOME, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO PUT IT AT 200 SQUARE FOOT TOUGH SHED, AND, AND, AND ROCK AND ROLL, PUT YOUR LAWNMOWER IN THERE, YOUR BRICKS, WHATEVER.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY THE MINIS WE'RE PROPOSING WILL ALLOW THAT, RIGHT? THERE MAY BE PEOPLE THAT WON'T LIKE IT.
IT'S, UH, YOU SET IT BACK, BUT IT'S NOT SET BACK FAR ENOUGH.
AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IN THEORY, WE DON'T REALLY SAY, HEY, YOU GOTTA PUT IT OVER HERE.
YOU CAN MOVE IT ANYWHERE IF YOU WANT TO KIND OF BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
BUT LIKE THIS GENTLEMAN SAID, IT'S STILL A LOT, WELL, MY PROPOSAL IS LET'S ALLOW IT, RIGHT? IT'S, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
AND THIS STATE IS A A, AS YOU KNOW, A PROPERTY RIGHTS STATE, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS AS BEST YOU CAN.
THERE'S SOME NEIGHBORS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY TOUGH, BUT, BUT YOU'RE DOING WHAT IS WITHIN YOUR RIGHTS TO DO.
AND, AND PERSONALLY, LIKE I WAS SAYING TO THIS GENTLEMAN, UH, IT'S A BENIGN, IT'S, I MEAN, THE THING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO A TOUGH S**T IS SUCH A BENIGN ELEMENT, SUCH A BENIGN USE.
SO, BUT I LIKE THE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE COME BACK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU BRING SUGGESTIONS OR SAY, LOOK, MY NEIGHBOR, WHATEVER, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES PICTURES ARE BETTER AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS, BUT KEEP IN MIND, UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S ONLY 20.
NOW SOME, IF YOU WANNA PUT A LARGE ONE THERE, YOU, YOU GOTTA GO GET A PERMIT, RIGHT? AND YOU COULD SAY, WELL, I, I, I DON'T WANNA DO THE, I DON'T WANNA DO THE BASE CODE, I WANNA KEEP IT AT 20, RIGHT? SO THAT'S STILL WITHIN YOUR REASON TO DO.
ALL I AM DOING IS JUST TRYING TO MAKE US, UH, TRYING TO MOVE US INTO THE 21ST CENTURY, BECAUSE IF GARLAND IS GONNA REDEVELOP, WE JUST HAVE BIGGER, BIGGER FOCUS, RIGHT? STRATEGICALLY LOOKING AT OTHER THINGS FOR THE FUTURE OF GARLAND, NOT TODAY, BUT MAYBE IN 2030 AND BEYOND.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO COMMENT YES, SIR, ON THIS.
SO, UH, TO YOUR POINT, STREAMLINING THIS PROCESS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT YOUR TEAM IS DOING, GOING OUT THERE, LOOKING FOR STUFF TO DO, UH, TO KIND OF, UH, HIT ON YOUR QUESTION TO KIND OF HIT ON YOUR QUESTION MORE REGARDING THE, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU, UH, JUST, UH, STREAMLINING THAT WHOLE PROCESS IS PRETTY IMPORTANT AS FAR AS GETTING THIS, UH, EFFICIENCY GOING FOR CODE COMPLIANCE, EFFICIENCY, GOING FOR BUILDING INSPECTIONS.
BUT WE DON'T WANNA OPEN A CAN OF WORMS TOO, YOU KNOW? AND I'VE GOT ONE MORE COMMENT TOO ABOUT THE FUEL GAS.
SO WE'RE, ARE WE GONNA ALLOW HOMEOWNERS TO, UH, I WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO SAY THAT, UH, AS FAR AS PROPERTY VALUES GO, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS BOARD OR THE CODE, RIGHT? UM, THAT'S MORE OF A PRIVATE THING.
THAT'D BE YOUR HOA, THAT'D BE YOUR, UH, I BELIEVE THERE IS A CODE, IT'S A CIVIL ACTION, RIGHT? THERE'S INS, MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP.
YOU'RE SAYING YOUR GUESS IS NOT CODE? NO, SIR.
HE'S REGARDING THE BUILDING STILL.
SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, RIGHT? UH, REMOVE KIND OF, I HATE TO USE THE TERM RED TAPE BECAUSE THAT'S EVERYONE USES WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BUT REMOVE THAT KIND OF BUREAUCRACY AND SAY, BECAUSE IT IS TRUE BUREAUCRACY, IF THIS GENTLEMAN HAS TO GET A PERMIT FOR SUCH A, IT'S JUST INSANE, RIGHT? AND I'M JUST TRYING TO YEAH, I AGREE WITH THAT.
GET US ON THE, GET US ON THE, YOU KNOW, STRAIGHT AND NARROW.
SO I THANK YOU FOR THOSE, THOSE COMMENTS.
WHAT ABOUT THE FUEL? SO THE, UH, ON THE FUEL GAS? YES SIR.
OR DOES THIS SAY THAT WE'RE ALLOWING HOMEOWNERS TO WORK ON THE FUEL GAS ON THEIR HOME, INSIDE THEIR HOME? DID EVERYONE HEAR HIS QUESTION? ARE WE ALLOWING, WE, I GUESS THE CITY OF GARLAND ALLOWING HOMEOWNERS TO WORK ON FUEL GAS IN THEIR HOME, AS I SAID EARLIER, IF A HOMEOWNER IS HOMESTEAD, HE OR SHE CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT ON THEIR HOME, HOWEVER, THEY STILL NEED TO COME TO THIS GENTLEMAN FOR A PERMIT.
NOW, IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A PERMIT, AND WE CAN DETER, WE DETERMINE THAT, HEY, THIS GOT A LADY, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND WE CAN SAY, HEY MA'AM,
[00:50:01]
WE SUGGEST THAT YOU GET A REGISTERED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR OR WHATEVER MECHANICAL, UH, TO DO THIS FOR YOU BECAUSE IN OUR OPINION IS THAT YOU'RE NOT SURE OF WHAT TO DO.RIGHT? AND THEN THAT, THAT'LL ALSO BE SUPPORTED BY THE DRAWINGS THAT THEY PROVIDE TO SAY, OH, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO THERE IS A SAFEGUARD, IF YOU WILL, BUT TO THAT END, YES, HOMEOWNERS CAN DO ELECTRICAL, HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE HOMESTEAD CAN DO ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, FUEL, I UNDER, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE TO GET PERMITS.
THEY HAVE LIKE, HAVE TO GET IT TESTED ABSOLUTELY.
AND INSPECTED WHY THEY HAVE TO GET PERMITS ON THEIR HOMES.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY? BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA BE THEIR HOME FOREVER.
YOU KNOW, I MAY BUY IT TOMORROW OR YOU MAY BUY IT, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR.
SO IN, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THE PERMIT SAYS, OH YEAH, EVERYTHING DONE HERE IS, IS UP TO THE CODE AT THE TIME, UH, THE RENOVATION OCCURRED.
UM, AND FORGIVE ME, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW SOME OF THE MAYBE SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY, BUT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, SO IS IF YOU SAY SOMETHING SHOULD BE IN AN SOP, DOES THAT REALLY MEAN IT SHOULD BE IN THE GARLAND CODE OF ORDINANCES, JUST NOT IN THE BUILDING SECTIONS OF IT? GREAT QUESTION AND GREAT QUESTION, SIR.
WHAT I MEANT IS
WHAT I MEANT IS, UH, THE CODES I JUST READ TO YOU, BUILDING, UH, YOU KNOW, EXISTING BUILDING, PLUMBING, MECHANICAL, THOSE ARE ALL BUILDING CODES.
THINGS LIKE ASBESTOS SURVEY, NOTIFYING TDLR BECAUSE OF AN ACCESSIBILITY, IF IT'S OVER 50 GRAND, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
THOSE ARE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE, RIGHT? THEY'RE JUST NOT PART OF THE CODE, IT'S NOT PART OF THE BUILDING CODES.
SO WHEN I SAY SOPS, I JUST MEANT IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE OR SOMETHING THAT SAYS, OH, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE OUR WORK HOURS.
OH, UH, WHAT'S THE, THERE WAS A, THERE'S THIS, A REAM OF STUFF IN THERE ABOUT, UH, OH, I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT IT JUST SHOULD BE POSTED SOMEWHERE.
IT'S NOT PART OF THE GARLAND CODE OF ORDINANCE, IS IT JUST, HEY, HERE'S THE, YOU KNOW, HERE'S HOW THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD WHEN YOU'RE DOING A COMMERCIAL BUILDING OR HERE HAS A RUBBER MEET THE ROAD WHEN YOU'RE DOING A RESIDENTIAL, IT JUST SHOULDN'T BE IN THE BUILDING CODE.
RIGHT? SO THAT, THAT'S ALL I MEANT.
SO MORE OF AN INTERNAL PROCEDURE OR POLICY THAN A EXACTLY.
SO IT'S SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE YOU AS A, THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE IS THAT, OH, THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO GET A PERMIT FOR WHAT I WANT TO DO.
UM, WHENEVER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FENCES, IT WAS ANYTHING LESS THAN, UH, SEVEN FEET.
AND NOW, WHENEVER I'VE GOTTEN A FENCE OR I'VE TALKED WITH OTHER PEOPLE TO GET A FENCE, THE QUESTION IS SIX OR EIGHT FOOT FENCE IS TYPICALLY, SO THAT'S WHY I'M JUST CURIOUS AS WHY SEVEN VERSUS EIGHT BACK IN THE DAY, I WANNA SAY 2008 ISH, UH, UP TO 2008, UH, THE, THE IBC SAID SIX FEET OR LESS.
SO, UH, I WANNA SAY WITH 12 MAYBE, AND I, I DON'T REMEMBER, 12 AND BEYOND, THEY SAID SEVEN FEET, RIGHT? WITHOUT, WITHOUT A PERMIT.
RIGHT? UH, AGAIN, LIKE, UH, LIKE I WAS SHARING WITH, WITH JAMES IS THAT, UM, THE CODE ALREADY ADDRESSED.
THE, THE ALL OF CODES ARE JUST MINIMUM STANDARDS.
AND SO IT MAKES YOU LOOK AT PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY WHEN THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT, WELL, WHAT THAT MAKING ME DO WHEN IT'S JUST MINIMUM STANDARDS, RIGHT? AND, UH, JUST THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR AND, AND WITH CODE, UH, CYCLE DEVELOPMENT, THEY SAY, HEY, GOD, WHY, LET'S, LET'S UP THIS TO SEVEN FEET.
SO RIGHT NOW FOR THE LAST, I WANNA SAY, I DON'T KNOW, SINCE 12 TO NOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S BEEN SEVEN FEET, RIGHT? AND SO EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN GARLAND, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE WALKING DOWN SIDEWALK, THERE'S THIS GIANT FENCES, WHICH I, I THINK ARE RIDICULOUS.
AND, AND EVENTUALLY WE'RE GONNA, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THIS GROUP, BUT WE'RE GONNA, UH, UPDATE OUR GDC IN, IN THE, IN 2026, BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS I THINK ARE JUST SO OLD FASHIONED, WE NEED TO UPDATE IT.
BECAUSE THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT, AND I MEAN THOSE OF YOU WHO BUILD COMMUNITY A FENCE BASICALLY SAYS, YOU KNOW, STATE OF HELL OUT, RIGHT? SO MM-HMM
HOW DO YOU DEVELOP AND, AND IT'S ON THE SIDEWALKS, HOW NEED DEVELOP A COMMUNITY WHEN YOU'RE BASICALLY KEEPING EVERYONE OUT, WHICH IS NOTHING WRONG.
LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THIS STATE IS A PERSONAL PROPERTY STATE, SO IT'S REALLY TOUGH TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE KIND OF SWEEPING CHANGES.
HOWEVER, IN THE CITY OF GARLAND, A LOT OF FENCES ARE EIGHT FEET, RIGHT? BUT IF, IF YOU HAVE A SEVEN FOOT OR LESS FENCE, YOU DON'T NEED A PERMIT.
AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THE ONLY TIME YOU DO NEED A PERMIT, WHETHER YOU'RE COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, IS IF THAT PROPERTY IS ON A CORNER, AN INTERSECTION, BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT VISIBILITY TRIANGLE AND MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE COMING AND, AND PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD, AS FAR AS THE SEVEN FEET, UH, YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT MATERIALS, SIX TO EIGHT FOOT, HOW THEY SELL THE STOCK.
UM, THAT'S REALLY MORE OF A MEANS AND METHODS.
OKAY? UH, THEY'D CUT THE EIGHT FOOT OR THEY'D TAKE THE GALVANIZED PIPE AND CHOP THAT.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A CODE QUESTION ABOUT, IT'S JUST HOW THE CONTRACTOR OR THE HOMEOWNER CHOOSES TO BUILD IT.
[00:55:01]
MEANS AND METHODS.UH, WILL YOU LET US KNOW WHENEVER YOU'RE COMING TO OUR, LIKE OUR DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE OH, ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, I REALIZED THAT THE LAST, UH, LIKE I SAID, I'VE ONLY BEEN, YES, TUESDAY WAS MY YEAR HERE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, NEXT WEEK THERE'S A VOTE FOR THE SCHOOL FOR THE TAX SWAP.
YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, RIGHT? A YEAR FROM NOW, AND MAYBE YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, I KNOW THAT'S NOT A SECRET.
WE'RE GONNA PUT UP THE SAME THING FOR A TAX SWAP FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND, YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? AND SO I WAS MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND I GO, HEY, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY ADVERS OF THIS GUY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GONNA GET OFF, OFF OF DEAD SITTER AND, AND GET SOME STUFF OUT THERE? AND HE SAID TO ME, YOU KNOW, GARLAND DOESN'T HAVE HIS, ITS OWN TV STATION.
I, I, BECAUSE I'M NOT, I'VE KEPT WAITING FOR ADS TO COME ON TV, BUT ALL OF THE ADS ARE FROM DALLAS.
AND THE ONLY TIME GARLAND IS ON THERE, IF THERE'S A MURDER OR A FIRE,
SO FOR US, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, REALLY WORK HARD TO PUT THE MESSAGE OUT, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU SAID, HEY, LET ME KNOW, AND I NORMALLY, I WOULD SAY, OH YEAH, WE'RE, WE'LL PUT AN AD ON THE TV, BUT WE DON'T DO THAT HERE, SO WE'LL PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, SINCE I, I KNOW YOU NOW WITH EMAILS, I'LL CERTAINLY LET YOU KNOW, BUT HOPEFULLY I'M GONNA ALSO ASK THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GET IT OUT TO THEIR CONSTITUENCY, HOWEVER THEY DO THAT.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT.
WE DON'T HAVE YOUR OWN TV STATION, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE, UH, WELL IN ADVANCE, GET, GET THE MESSAGE OUT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A GOOD TURNOUT.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA DO, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
NO ONE'S GONNA COME TO HEAR ABOUT THE CODES.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S, AND WE'RE COUCHING AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DISTRICT, UH, UH, UH, THE COMMUNITY TO MEET THE, THE NEW TEAM THAT'S GOING TO KIND OF BE IN THEIR DISTRICT.
AND THOSE TEAMS WILL BE LED BY A LEADER.
THEY, WE GONNA HIT 'EM WITH THE, THE CODE, UH, AFTER, AFTER EVERYONE HUGS AND KISSES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THE, GET THE MESSAGE OUT.
DO YOU NEED US TO SCHEDULE A CHRISTMAS BONFIRE SO WE CAN GET OUR 32ND PIECE ON THE NEWS? OR WE CAN PITCH IT AT THE SAME TIME?
YOU MIGHT ASK THE DISTRICT IF THEY'LL DO IT TO THEIRS.
AND I'VE ALREADY MET WITH, UH, CHINA AND I HAVE ALREADY MET WITH THEM.
AND, AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE, UH, TO YOUR POINT, THEY HAVE A WHOLE LITANY OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING TO DO, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN WE SCHEDULE THESE.
SO, UH, BUT THANKS, UH, AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU, AND, AND THEN I ASK YOU TOO, ONCE YOU FIND OUT, MAKE SURE YOU SEND IT TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AND CONSTITUENTS AS WELL.
UNLESS THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS, WE CLOSE THIS.
UH, WITH THAT HAVING BEEN DISCUSSED, UH, WE NOW MOVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING ITEM FOUR.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'D MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.
WHO SECONDED IT? ROBERT SHEPHERD.
UH, DO WE VOTE ON THAT? I DON'T THINK YOU MEET.
OKAY, JUDGE, THIS WAS JUST INFORMATION, RIGHT? SO IT'S, IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO YOU.
YOU CAN TAKE A VOTE, YOU CAN CALL FOR A VOTE OR YOU CAN JUST CALL IT AS AN ADJOURNMENT.
UH, WHERE'S MY GAVEL? WE ARE ADJOURNED.