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Jan. 24, 2001 By Janelle Holden New rules will govern city buildings and construction. On Tuesday, the Cortez City Council replaced the Uniform Building Code with the International Building Code, a combined code from three national building conferences. Wade Greene, the city building inspector, said that 46 people attended a Saturday seminar the city hosted to explain the code. No one spoke either for or against the code at the council meeting. "It’s nice that it’s getting all combined," said council member Jim Herrick. "Looks like it’s more readable." Greene said the IBC is easier to read and more user-friendly, and is the only updated code since the last version of the UBC was updated in 1997. In general, the IBC is not much different from the old code, except that the old code will no longer be updated, and the city needs a code that is updated every three years. The IBC also addresses such items as metal framing, trusses, and other small areas that weren’t addressed in 1997. "The biggest change is in energy efficiency, there are some upgrades in the code for insulation, but it comes in line with what contractors are using anyway," said Greene. The county is also considering adopting the IBC for its commercial buildings and paying Greene to do county inspections. The commissioners expressed an interest in adopting only a portion of the code, or amending the code before its adoption, at a commission meeting Jan. 14. "This code, or any code, is not going to rule the county," Greene told the commissioners. "It ultimately ends up with this body as to how it is administered." "The intent of a building code is trying to make the environment people work in as safe as we can," said Cortez Director of Public Works Bruce Smith. City Manager Hal Shepherd told the commissioners that the city would consider drafting a proposal for both county and city review. The city is also considering a sanitation-district request for the city to do its billing. The district now bills on a quarterly basis, and if the city and the district can agree on a price, sanitation bills would be combined with monthly city utility bills. In other business Tuesday, the council: • Approved on first reading an $8.6 million budget for the rec center, and the sale of bonds. A public hearing is set for Feb. 12. Chris Burkett, parks and recreation director, presented the new design of the rec center, and explained that the city would be staying strictly within its construction budget. The new design was done to save money and add building improvements, he said. • Approved several changes in city business construction. First, the council approved Jay Cruzan’s request for a conditional-use permit to move his cast-marble business to a building at 525 N. Broadway. The council also approved a new site-development plan for 810 N. Broadway, owned by Kevin Schneider, to change the main building to a feed store and another building north of that to electrical-equipment repair and storage. A 120-foot lattice tower in the industrial park was also approved. The tower will be fenced and landscaped, and will eventually be used to support PCS digital cellular-phone service for various service providers. Mesa Verde Motors was given approval to put in a new used-car dealership at 430 W. Main, and Francisca’s Fine Mexican Food Restaurant was given approval to put a waiting room and lounge in the gift shop that closed next to the restaurant. • Discussed candidates for a city economic-development position. The economic-development committee, formed after the Montezuma County Economic Development Council folded, is interviewing five candidates Thursday and Friday. Four are from the area and one is from Durango. In all, 19 applied for the position.
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Copyright © 2001 the Cortez
Journal. All rights reserved. |
