Fostering Collaboration on a Global Scale: The Code Council Welcomes Government Leaders from the Cayman Islands to the 2023 Annual Conference

On August 14-18, 2023, Michael Wich, Immediate Past President of the International Code Council Board of Directors, and Corey M. Roblee, Code Council Vice President of Government Relations & National Strategy, visited the Cayman Islands to meet with their government leaders.

During their visit, Wich and Roblee were given the opportunity to address the Central Planning Authority (CPA) in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, at the Government Center. At the meeting, members discussed the benefits and resources provided through the Code Council family of solutions and the Code Council’s expanding work across the Caribbean. The CPA was especially interested in hearing about the similar challenges Wich has experienced as a building official in a coastal area, specifically his hometown of New Orleans.

Wich and Roblee also met with the staff of the Cayman Islands Government Department of Planning, followed by a meeting with the Honorable Minister Jay Ebanks MP and his senior staff. Minister Ebanks is the elected head of the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure.

The group discussed the challenges facing Minister Ebanks’ constituents and how the Code Council could assist in helping them achieve safer, more sustainable and affordable housing for Caymanians. The Minister directed the Department of Planning to begin immediately reviewing the 2021 International Codes® (I-Codes) with the hope of adopting the codes by the year’s end.

The group also discussed the Ministry’s political challenges and ways the Code Council could help educate Caymanians on the benefit of adopting updated codes, especially through training.

The Department of Planning discussed their challenges with inconsistencies in plan review submissions and the amount of time staff committed to those reviews. Software solutions within ICC Community Development Solutions were introduced.

The Code Council’s 2023 Annual Conference

Much to the excitement of Annual Conference attendees, the Minister attended the Code Council’s Annual Business Meeting in St. Louis with his chief officer, the Director of Planning and a few other members of the ministry staff.

SEE RELATED: Highlights from the International Code Council’s 2023 Annual Conference and Expo

They attended educational seminars, conference events and were guests at the Major Jurisdiction Committee dinner, allowing them to exchange best practices with representatives from jurisdictions across the country.

The Code Council and the Cayman delegation also held a productive meeting with Wich, Dominic Sims, the Code Council’s CEO, and the Code Council’s senior management team members. At the meeting, members discussed issues previously brought up at the meetings in Grand Cayman and laid out a tentative schedule for their request for a proposal from the Code Council.

“During the conference, our delegation engaged in active discussions, shared our experiences with building codes, networked with international counterparts and gained valuable knowledge on the latest trends and best practices in the building industry,” said the Minister. “We reiterated our country’s commitment to maintaining high standards for safety, sustainability and innovation in construction and development. We also showed how the Cayman Islands’ efforts to align its building codes and regulations with international standards are enabling us to have a robust and resilient built environment.”

The Minister also expressed interest in the use of hydrogen and appreciated the expertise of Mark Fasel, Code Council Executive Director of PMG.

Read more about the Cayman Islands’ experience at the Code Council’s Annual Conference, here.