Public Hearings - Code Home Rule 3-2008

A public hearing was held today at 10:06 a.m. in the County Commissioners’ Hearing Room, County Government Center, Chestertown, Maryland on Code Home Rule Bill No. 3-2008, which is an Act to amend Chapter 73 (“Building Construction”) of the Code of Public Local Laws of Kent County to repeal and reenact certain sections of Chapter 73 to be in compliance with state law, to adopt the ICC International Building Code, the ICC International Residential Code, and the International Mechanical Code, and generally relating to Chapter 73 of the Code of Public Local Laws of Kent County

County Commissioners Roy Crow, Ronald Fithian, and William Pickrum, were in attendance as well as Susanne Hayman, County Administrator, Gail Owings, Director of Planning, Carla Gerber, Community Planner, approximately 3 interested persons and two members of the media.

Commissioner Crow read the Notice of Public Hearing into the record.

Correspondence dated December 27 was received from Elizabeth Morris, Chairman, Planning Commission, informing that at its December 26 meeting, the Planning Commission reviewed the International Building and Residential Codes along with the State of Maryland amendments, those exemptions adopted by other counties and those included in the current Kent County Building Codes. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend adoption of the International Building Code and the International Residential Code, 2006 Edition, with the Maryland Amendments. The Planning Commission also recommends that Kent County continue with the exemption from inspection for agricultural buildings, that the specific reference to swimming pools be deleted (thus swimming pools follow the IBC/IRC codes as written), that the exemption from mechanical inspections for single and two family dwellings be deleted, and that the remaining portions of the current Kent County code remain unchanged. The Planning Commission does not recommend requiring sprinklers in residential structures beyond that required by the code.

Mrs. Owings stated that there are not any major changes to the Codes. She stated that what was added provides clarification to what is and what is not a farm building. She stated that the towns also have to adopt the new Codes and some are already moving through the process of adoption.

This hearing was taped for reference and adjourned at 10:08 a.m.

Third reading of this proposed legislation will be held on June 3, 2008, the next legislative day.


THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF KENT COUNTY, MARYLAND


Janice F. Fletcher
Executive Assistant

Approved:

Roy W. Crow, President