At the beginning of February, the ICC Steering Committee on Remote Participation gathered in Chicago for a day and a half of discussions about options for using technology to increase access and participation in the code development process. In response to Membership demand for greater access to ICC's process, Code Council Board of Directors President Bill Dupler appointed this diverse committee to guide the organization in determining how that best can be accomplished.

President Dupler and committee Chairman Wally Bailey opened the meeting by highlighting the need to maintain the integrity of the code development process. The existing process has an established reputation for fairness and openness which has enabled the development of sound model building codes and standards adopted by all 50 states and most jurisdictions around the country.

The Steering Committee leadership noted the importance of ICC Member interaction as a critical component of the process, and stressed that the best way to move forward is to explore a wide range of options. There was consensus among the Members of the committee that principles such as transparency, engagement, access, fairness, and openness are central to the effort. The group discussed the challenges and opportunities this initiative represents and agreed to meet in person or virtually each month for the first half of the year.

This overall effort will be successful only with broad input from ICC Members and stakeholders, and the steering committee affirmed its commitment to actively communicate its work with the Membership as the effort to enhance the Code Development Process moves forward. Also, to provide a clear conduit for Member input, President Dupler appointed Chairs of each of ICC's Membership Councils and the Codes and Standards Council to serve on the committee.

Background--In 2011, the Code Development Review Ad Hoc Committee (CDRAC) recommended to the ICC Board of Directors that the Code Council explore how it could use new and emerging technologies to increase Member and stakeholder participation in the code development process, further strengthen public confidence in the codes, and position the Code Council for the future of code development. ICC Board President Bill Dupler established a Steering Committee made of Board members, Code Officials and industry representatives to evaluate how best to accomplish this. Steering Committee members are: John Terry, ICC Board members Jeff Whitney and Tina Rakes, ICC Board Vice President Ron Piester, ICC Board member John Leyden, Jim Olk, committee Chairman and past ICC Board President Wally Bailey, past ICC Board member and CDRAC Chair Cindy Davis, ICC Board member Dwayne Garriss, Fulton Cochran, Michael A. Gardner, Ayla Erfigen, ICC Board President Bill Dupler, Lynn Underwood, ICC Board member Rob Drexler, and Steve Shapiro. ICC Chief Operating Officer Dominic Sims is the staff liaison.