Cd'A OKs building codes

COEUR d'ALENE — The city of Coeur d’Alene distanced itself from a recent Kootenai County decision when it adopted the universal building codes after a public hearing at last week’s council meeting.

The council unanimously adopted the provisions, which included amendments to increase the snow load that a roof can hold and an amendment to enhance fire protection.

The brief city action was an about face from this month’s county decision to abandon implementation of the international building codes for structures built in the county. County commissioners voted 2-1 to reject the most recent version of the International Building Code for new residential and commercial construction.

The move drew both accolades and ridicule.

County Commissioner Marc Eberlein, who voted against adoption, called the codes a “protection racket for special interest groups,” and said not adopting the codes cuts bureaucracy.

“I can’t approve more bureaucracy,” Eberlein said. “Let people make their own decisions.”

Building codes don’t make homes safer, he said.

“Having a building permit also doesn’t provide you with an absolute safeguard,” Eberlein said at a commissioner meeting earlier this month.

But Commissioner Chris Fillios, a former real estate broker and the lone board member who opposed the move, said he saw no reason to not adopt the codes.

“To not adopt them leads us down a potentially dangerous path,” Fillios said.

It could expose homeowners to shoddy construction, lower property values and lead to lending issues, he said.

“If you do away with the codes, there will always be people who cut corners,” Fillios said.

The commission's move has drawn lively debate and subsequent meetings have led to amended opinions that include options for homeowners and builders.

The city with its Dec. 19 decision instead decided on a clear path forward.

Adopting the building codes was required by state law, deputy city administrator Sam Taylor said.

“This really is a truly very routine item,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the city could face repercussions from the state, including the attorney general’s office, if it chose to wave off the state-mandated codes.

“We are allowed to make local amendments to what they tell us to adopt,” Taylor said. “But we cannot wholesale ignore what the state wants us to adopt.”

No one gave public testimony at the Dec. 19 hearing in which the council accepted the latest building code provisions.

Council member Dan Gookin said his support for adopting the codes was simple.

“You know when you buy a house or a commercial business that it’s been inspected,” Gookin said. “You know you’re getting what you pay for.”

People who argue that building codes infringe on their private property rights, Gookin said, “... Think they should be able to do whatever they damn well want to with their property.”

He disagreed with the sentiment.

“Property rights, like all other rights, are not absolute,” he said.

When people buy a home in Coeur d’Alene, he said, he wants them to be assured it is safe to inhabit.

“You’re not going to have a surprise somewhere, because we take it seriously,” he said. “We need to protect first responders and homebuyers and citizens of Coeur d’Alene who expect us to be a city of excellence.”