ICC Board Denies IECC Voter Eligibility Challenges

Decision Affirms Appeals Board Findings

The International Code Council’s Board of Directors has denied three appeals challenging the eligibility of voters at the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2010 Final Action Hearings held in Charlotte, N.C. The Board’s decision affirmed the recommendation of the Appeals Board issued after its hearing on March 31. Appellants alleged violations had occurred at the Charlotte hearings regarding Code Council bylaws governing voter qualifications and Code Council policies governing acceptable funding for code hearing travel. The Code Council Board referenced the findings of the Appeals Board regarding the lack of a material violation of policies and procedures. The Board also referred to the work of the Code Development Review Ad Hoc Committee as providing a foundation for discussing revisions to existing policies and procedures governing voter eligibility.

Code Council Chief Executive Officer Richard P. Weiland praised the decision rejecting the appeals as “an affirmation that our process is sound, and a clear indication that the actions of our code hearings are credible and inclusive. We recognize that no process is perfect, and we will use the valuable feedback and experience from the appeals as part of our continuous improvement efforts.”

Weiland also said, “The importance of developing our codes in all areas, including energy conservation and green construction, will continue as we bring more codes into the building safety and sustainability toolkit. As a result, we are seeing new participants from an increasingly diverse pool of governmental officials. We welcome these new stakeholders, and are committed to making their experience with our code development process meaningful and rewarding. Our staff will continue its efforts to educate all participants on our process, and to assess the eligibility of voters in a timely fashion.”

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention and energy efficiency, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council. The International Codes also serve as the basis for construction of federal properties around the world, and as a reference for many nations outside the United States.