International Code Council to host dialogue on existing building maintenance and inspections

The International Code Council will convene a virtual discussion on Existing Building Maintenance and Inspections from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. The goal of this discussion is to give building safety professionals an opportunity to share their views and provide feedback to the Code Council about what resources are needed.

The event will cover key takeaways from the in-person discussion held earlier this year in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the wake of the Surfside condominium collapse. It will include insights from building safety experts and conclude with a question-and-answer period.

Invited speakers include Judy Frydland, former city of Chicago Buildings Commissioner and attorney at law; Bill Sklar, Florida Bar Board certified in condominium planned and development law; JQ Yuan, executive director, National Institute of Building Sciences Multi-Hazard Mitigation and Building Seismic Safety Council; Ken Rosenfeld, director of state and local affairs, Building Owners and Managers Association International; Beth Culver, building official and assistant director for the Development Services Department, city of Austin; Elaine Garrett, assistant director of Austin Code Department, city of Austin; Kelsey Anne Parolini, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California; John Addario, director of the New York Department of State Division of Building Standards and Codes; and Brad Chesire, chair of the Structural Engineers Association of Texas’ Technical and Code Committee.

“After the Surfside collapse, the Code Council, along with our partners at the National Institute of Building Sciences and the Building Owners and Managers Association International, held discussions about existing buildings maintenance and inspections that were specific to Florida. It was very productive and now we’d like to have this dialogue on a national and global level,” said Sara Yerkes, senior vice president of government relations at the Code Council.

The Code Council plans to use the feedback received during this event to assist in the development of a resource that, together with the International Property Maintenance Code or as a standalone protocol, would provide a ready-made non-mandatory solution. Jurisdictions will be able to adapt the resources as necessary based on their geographic location, local climate and other risk factors.

“There is not a one-size-fits-all solution due to factors such as climate zones, wind and seismic activity that vary by location. Having this exchange of information will allow us to provide a resource to help communities ensure existing buildings are safe, in good repair and structurally sound,” explained Yerkes.

The Code Council expects to release a working document of the protocols in the spring of 2022. Those interested in attending the December 7 event should visit the registration page.

For more information about the dialogue and participation details, email Sara Yerkes.