2011: The Year in Perspective

The launch of the Year of the Member campaign, Membership Councils and the Codes & Standards Discussion Forum are among the highlights of 2011 that will contribute to the continuous improvement of ICC and its initiatives to best serve Members, Chapters and other customers.

“We have to constantly strive to get better, because we know each season will bring a host of challenges,” said ICC CEO Richard P. Weiland.

The weak housing and commercial real estate markets, along with constrained governmental budgets, created challenges for the ICC and its Members. Economic conditions continue to challenge the Code Council, but ICC remains focused on its Mission to provide the highest quality codes, standards, products and services. The organization has made timely, but well thought out tough decisions during a time when there were no easy answers.

“These choices allowed us to survive the toughest times in 70 years, and more importantly, it gave us the ability to once again make smart investments in the Council’s future that will best position us for the inevitable changes that will confront our industry in the years ahead,” Weiland said.

Here are some of ICC’s news highlights during 2011:

• In January, the Board of Directors’ Code Development Review Ad-Hoc Committee (CDRAC), charged with reviewing Member feedback regarding—and addressing critical issues impacting—the Code Council's current code development procedures, posted all four committee reports and a summary of CDRAC Recommendations online.

• In February, ICC announced the re-engineering of its Code Councils and expanded Code Action Committee structure. More than 600 individuals applied following calls for committee members under a newly developed Codes and Standards Committee.

• In March, the United States Green Building Council recognized the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) for their roles in a successful year for building energy efficiency and state and national codes. Also, ICC and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering announced the joint formation of the ICC Ad Hoc Committee on Healthcare to study code requirements for hospitals and ambulatory care facilities.

• In April, the ICC Board announced it would appoint the Governing Committees for the five new, discipline-specific Membership Councils (Building Officials; Fire Service; Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas; Sustainability; and Global), as well as consider CDRAC recommendations to strengthen ICC’s code development process. The Board adopted the CDRAC recommendations along with two additions during its May meeting.

• Weiland announced that persistent requests during two administrations paid off when President Obama declared May Building Safety Month. The Code Council presented the 2011 Raising the Profile Award to the Clark County, Washington, Building Safety Division and honored three legislators for supporting building safety.

• In June, ICC announced that more than 1,300 proposed changes to the IgCC and the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) were heard during Code Development Hearings in Dallas. The ICC Board approved changes to the code development processes for the IECC and International Residential Code, and appointed a new Codes and Standards Council representing stakeholders across several disciplines, as well as new discipline-specific Membership Councils.

• In July, the ICC participated in the in the Safer Alabama Summit along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Storm Shelter Association, architects and contractors, where safe rooms were encouraged during the state’s rebuilding process following devastating tornadoes. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Chief Building Official Alan Boswell reported, “There's some good coming from the bad, there's no doubt about that,” after an EF-4 tornado struck the city on April 27.

• In August, the ICC Board took action on the new Membership Council Charters and proposed bylaw amendments, and expanded the Code Action Committees to include all 15 of the International Codes.

• In September, Joplin, Missouri, continued the recovery process from a “granddaddy of them all” tornado. The Code Council hosted a meeting with key standards developing organizations to discuss how revisions to the ICC code development process will impact the standards developing community. The Code Action Committees met for the first time discuss logistics and procedures and activities for the 2012/2013 Code Cycle.

• In October, members of the new Codes & Standards Council reviewed 2012/2013 Code and Related Committee Applications and considered proposed emergency bylaw amendments presented by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board concerning the use of combustible gas to clean pipes during power plant construction.

• In November, at its Annual Conference in Phoenix, the Code Council honored several individuals for their contributions to the building safety industry.

• In December, The Code Council announced the nationwide expansion of a pilot program to prepare high school students for careers in code enforcement and the construction industry.
Looking ahead, Weiland said there is a lot of work to do in 2012 and beyond to help ICC’s Members perform their vital public service. “Your professional work will seldom show up on the front page, but you should take great pride in the work that you do,” he said. “The communities you serve rely on you.”