Highlights from the ICC board winter 2021 meeting

Highlights from the International Code Council Board of Directors winter 2021 meeting

The International Code Council Board of Directors held its annual winter meeting and workshop from Dec. 9–12, 2021, at the Alisal Ranch in Solvang, California. Present at the meeting and workshop were Board President Cindy Davis, the board’s officers and directors, Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, and Code Council senior staff. During the board meeting on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, the board addressed a wide variety of matters, including the following notable items:

Diversity and inclusion statement

In furtherance of the Code Council’s continued effort to promote and foster an inclusive environment, the board approved the following guiding statement:

At the Code Council, we understand that cultivating a diverse and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change. We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, physical ability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, language, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.

Recognizing that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, we commit to advancing inclusion in all activities of the Code Council.

This statement can be viewed on the Who We Are page of the Code Council website.

2022–2024 budget

The board approved a standing motion from the Budget Committee to approve the 2022–2024 Code Council budget.

Code cycle with two Committee Action Hearings

The board approved a standing motion from the Board Committee on the Long-Term Code Development Process to revise the code development cycle to incorporate two committee action hearings for each code group. This change expands the current process from two independent one-year cycles to a single continuous three-year cycle. This change will not take effect until the code development cycle beginning in 2024 for the development of the 2027 International Codes. Please be on the lookout for a future Code Council communication that will include more details.

Proposed reinstatement of ethics Council policy

The board took under consideration the Board Committee on the Long-Term Code Development Process’s recommendation to reinstate Council Policy 37 – Ethics, as revised by the Industry Advisory Committee in 2010. The board tasked the Council Policy Review Committee with evaluating this proposed policy and with providing a future recommendation to the board on appropriate action.

Virtual meetings overview

The board was provided an overview of the last two years’ worth of virtual code development-related meetings and discussed lessons learned and future priorities.

2021 annual conference debrief and 2022 annual conference preview

The board held an informative session on the Code Council Annual Conference, which included a substantial debrief of the 2021 conference and a preview of the 2022 conference.

Anti-sexual harassment training

The board engaged in an interactive 90-minute anti-sexual harassment training.

Digital strategy update

The board participated in a digital strategy update from Code Council Chief Knowledge Officer Joan O’Neil, which highlighted the current progress and promising future of the Code Council’s digital strategy initiative.

Subsidiary board and committee appointments

The board approved appointments to vacancies on the International Accreditation Service (IAS) Board of Directors, the ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) Board of Managers, the Codes and Standards Council (CSC), the Fire Code Action Committee (FCAC), and the RESNET/ICC 1450 Remote Virtual Inspection for Energy and Water Performance in Buildings Standards Committee. Appointment letters to the appointees are forthcoming.

Sunsetting of Reference Standards Committee

At the request of the chair of the ICC Reference Standards Committee, the board approved sunsetting the Reference Standards Committee. This decision was made in light of changes to the code development process, Code Council staff having assumed the role as reviewers of proposed standards, and the original Reference Standards Committee completing its initial assigned task.

2022 Building Safety Month

The board was presented with, and discussed, the following 2022 Building Safety Month themes:

Week One (May 1–8): “Planning for a Safe & Sustainable Tomorrow”
Week Two (May 9–15): “Exploring Careers in Building Safety”
Week Three (May 16–22): “Understanding Disaster Mitigation”
Week Four (May 23–31): “Creating a Safe & Abundant Water Supply”

Lastly, on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, the board engaged in a strategic workshop that included a leadership presentation from retired United States Marine Corp. General Tony Zinni and an open strategic discussion.

The next in-person board meeting will take place in Rochester, New York, in conjunction with the Code Council’s 2022 Committee Action Hearings. Information on upcoming and previous board meetings can be found here.