Hazelwood City Council Finds Clarity on 2012 International Building Code

made progress on a topic that affects many aspects of the city at its work session Wednesday. The are a topic lately that many from homeowners, Hazelwood residents, home builders, and conservation organizations are concerned about.

City council has the task of deciding whether or that is still more up-to-date than the codes currently enforced in city limits.

"We need to upgrade to something new," said . "The 2012 codes are awful new and we don't know much about them, but I think the 2009 (codes) are a good choice."

Passage of updated code affects the cost to build homes, regulates the type of products used in home construction and the bottom line, which is how much the homeowner pays when purchasing a new home or renovating an older model.

The 2012 International Building Code is a 722 page book that in a way governs how houses and other dwellings are constructed. It is a model building code developed by the International Code Council, which began in 1997 and is revised every three years. Different versions have been adopted throughout most states. The codes address a lot of fire codes and other areas including:

• Building occupancy classifications
• Building heights and areas
• Interior finishes
• Foundation, wall, and roof construction
• Fire protection systems (sprinkler system requirements and design)
• Materials used in construction
• Elevators and escalators
• Already existing structures
• Means of egress (ability to exit the structure, primarily in the event of an emergency, such as a fire)

City council does not have to adopt the 2012 codes, but rather decide to keep its current system or accept parts of the 2009 codes. Hazelwood City Manager Edwin Carlstrom said he hopes to make a decision on a recommended plan for council sooner rather than later.

"I'm hoping we won't take the whole 90 days to review," he said. "Many of the builders that we have in the city are acclimated to the 2009 codes."

Employee Salaries

Council also discussed employee raises for the upcoming 2012-13 fiscal year.

The upcoming fiscal year budget calls for a 3 percent raise for employees. Council discussed one item, which is the fact the city clerk and manager are the only employees that won't benefit from the increase.

"I'm happy for 3 percent across the board," said .

In order for the discussed measure to be implemented, council would have to request an amendment to the pay increase bill at the next .

No action was taken on any measures discussed during the work session.

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