ICC Board Approves cdp ACCESS Steering Committee's Final Recommendations  
ICC Training & Education Program Reaccredited by IACET  
Pro Board Accredits ICC Fire Inspector Certifications  
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, Adopts 2012 I-Codes to Ensure Safe Growth  
   
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What's Coming Up in 2013
 
ICC Board Approves cdp ACCESS Steering Committee's
Final Recommendations for Online Code Development
During its winter meeting, the International Code Council Board of Directors approved the cdp ACCESS Steering Committee's final recommendations. The Board authorized staff to proceed with the initiative to increase participation in ICC's core function: Code Development.

"The discussions, debate and suggestions that accompanied the report of the Steering Committee provided the Board of Directors with the information needed to establish a prudent course of action," explained ICC Board President Ronald Piester. "There is still much to learn and the cdp ACCESS initiative is still evolving, but we are confident that ICC has established a sound plan to develop the governmental consensus Code Development Process of the future."

The cdp ACCESS Steering Committee's final recommendations outline several key elements for expanding participation in the ICC Code Development Process, including:

  • Online collaboration for stakeholders in the development of Code Change and Public Comment submittals as well as collaboration in preparation for participating at hearings.
  • Establishing a two-week period following the Committee Action Hearing for online voting on assembly motions by all ICC Members. Successful assembly motions will continue to result in an automatic public comment. Committee recommendations remain as the initial motion for the Public Comment Hearing.
  • Establishing a two-week period following the Public Comment Hearing for online voting by Governmental Members based on the actions that occurred on the Individual Consideration Agenda at the Public Comment Hearing. The online voting ballot will include the results from the Public Comment Hearing and access to video and other content of record from the hearing. The results will be added to the vote count from the Public Comment Hearing to determine the final disposition of the code change.
A flow chart has been created to illustrate the new process.

Testing of the online Governmental Consensus Vote will occur in October in Atlantic City at the 2013 Public Comment Hearings. After system and process adjustments the 2014 Cycle for the IgCC will be a binding Beta test for the entire cdp ACCESS process.

As outlined in the Steering Committee's reports, the required registration periods for in-person and online voting participants will be increased, and the new system will use state-of-the-art security technology to help preserve the integrity of ICC's governmental consensus Code Development Process. The in-person and online voting processes will maintain compliance with federal guidelines for consensus and accessibility.

The concept of online participation in ICC's Code Development Process dates back to 2001 where off-site voting on code changes was used by the three model code organizations that later consolidated to become the Code Council, according to William D. Dupler, Code Council Board Immediate Past President and current Chair of the cdp ACCESS Steering Committee.

"As code enforcement officials our job is safety in the built environment," Dupler said. "This inclusive action will benefit the citizens and jurisdictions we serve, especially those with limited resources to participate in the Code Council's governmental consensus Code Development Process. It's not just about having the funds to attend the hearings; it's also about having the time to do it."

Members and other Code Development Process stakeholders can email questions and comments to cdpACCESS@iccsafe.org along with their name and phone number for a timely response.
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ICC Training and Education Program Reaccredited
as Authorized Provider of IACET CEUs

Prestigious accreditation demonstrates commitment to high-quality lifelong learning.

The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) has awarded reaccreditation status to the International Code Council. IACET Authorized Providers are the only organizations approved to offer IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The accreditation period extends for five years and includes all programs offered or created during that time.

"We are pleased to be able to recognize ICC as a member of an elite group of organizations that offer excellent continuing education and training programs," stated Michael Todd Shinholster, President of IACET and Founder and Principal Consultant of Culture Bridge and a Lecturer of International Business at Kennesaw State University in Woodstock, Ga. Shinholster added, "ICC joins nearly 650 organizations around the globe that have had their programs vetted by third-party experts in continuing education to ensure the highest possible standards are met."

To achieve Authorized Provider accreditation, ICC completed a rigorous application process, including an on-site review by IACET, and successfully demonstrated adherence to the ANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard addressing the design, development, administration, and evaluation of its programs. ICC has pledged its continued compliance with the Standard and is now authorized to use the IACET name and Authorized Provider logo on promotional course material. In addition, ICC is now linked to the IACET website and is recognized as offering the highest quality continuing education and training programs.

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Pro Board Accredits ICC Fire Inspector Certifications

The National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) Committee on Accreditation has accredited the International Code Council Fire Inspector I and Fire Inspector II certifications. The Pro Board accredits organizations that use the National Fire Protection Association's professional qualification standards. Its purpose is to establish an internationally recognized means of acknowledging professional achievement in the fire service and related fields.

The benefits of Pro Board accreditation to ICC Certification holders include:

• Global recognition;
• Compliance with NFPA standards;
• Listing in Pro Board certification registry;
• Reciprocity with many Pro Board accredited organizations; and
• Credibility that ICC Fire Inspector I and II certifications are earned from an organization that has been accredited after meeting Pro Board's rigorous accreditation process.

A Pro Board-stamped certificate is available for candidates who pass the ICC Fire Inspector I or Fire Inspector II exam on or after Jan. 1, 2013. Applicants who earn the certification will be listed in the Pro Board certification registry. The Pro Board certification registry will not recognize certifications attained prior to Jan. 1.

The Pro Board accreditation process involves a detailed self-study document, a review by the Pro Board Committee on Accreditation (COA) for compliance with the accreditation criteria and a site visit by a team of COA members. The site visit includes an extensive review of the association's testing and certification processes.

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A Better Situation for Today,
Tomorrow and the Future


Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, adopts 2012 International Codes to ensure safe growth.


By Nick Reiher

Mt. Juliet may sound like a quiet, unassuming little community. But the mighty mite just outside of Nashville has more than doubled its population during the past 10 years, and businesses have followed suit, leading to Mt. Juliet being named among the Top Five Most Business Friendly Communities in Tennessee.

"We are the fastest-growing city in the state of Tennessee," said Dwayne Hicks, the city's Assistant Public Works Director. And there's more growth on the way.

Hicks said the city has 52 commercial projects going, as well as plans for 1,000 houses ranging from 1,400 to 8,000 square feet on a mixed-use development that also includes light industrial. There's even a gated community for seniors that's expected to have 1,500 to 2,000 homes.

Knowing they have even more growth just down the road, Mt. Juliet officials also knew they needed to maintain the safest built environment possible. So the city joined Amarillo, Texas, and the state of South Carolina as the first jurisdictions to adopt the new 2012 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC). The ISPSC is the only comprehensive code to upgrade pool and spa safety and meet the requirements of the Virginia Graeme Baker Act.

Hicks said many of those new homes are sure to have outdoor pools, both in-ground and above-ground. And some of the higher-end homes even may have indoor pools.

But that wasn't all, Hicks said. "We essentially needed all the codes the International Code Council had to offer," he said. "Especially the ones dealing with building."

So, Mt. Juliet also adopted the 2012 versions of the International Building, Residential, Fire, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Property Maintenance and Existing Building Codes, and the ICC Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities, which presents regulations based on outcome rather than prescription and encourages new design methods by allowing a broader parameter for meeting the intent of the International Codes.

Mt. Juliet also adopted ICC 300-2012: Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating, and Grandstands standard with comprehensive provisions for new and existing installations of bleacher seating.

Knowing the 2012 codes were coming, Hicks said city officials have been meeting with contractors and vendors for months to talk about all the changes that would be implemented under the new codes. "That allowed everyone to get ready; the vendors to use up the old stock," he added.

Leading the charge for this strong code process, along with Hicks, are Mayor Ed Hagerty, City Manager Kenny Martin and Chief Building Official Bennie McCoy. Hagerty is a former contractor, Hicks said, and shows 100 percent support for safe construction during meetings with contractors and vendors.

When he first started with the city as a police officer 23 years ago, Martin said, Mt. Juliet had two traffic lights and "lots and lots of metal-sided buildings with very little landscaping or creature features."

Although practical and appreciated, he said, "the buildings sometimes lacked appropriate safety, electrical, plumbing, material and ADA features, along with issues concerning environmental, storm water and even architectural, or appearance issues."

Focusing on codes and code enforcement since that time, he said, has made for a better community for citizens and visitors.

"As a result," Martin said, "We are better situated for today, tomorrow and the long-term future for not only business and residential growth, but long-term sustainability as well."

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