REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Action to Waive Second Reading and Adopt Ordinance No. 2079 amending Chapter 15.60 of the Santa Clara City Code ("Santa Clara Municipal Fire and Environmental Code") for the adoption of the 2025 California Fire Code.
Report
BACKGROUND
Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, also referred to as the California Building Standards Code, governs the design, construction, and regulation of buildings, facilities, and associated processes throughout California. The California Building Standards Commission updates the Building Standards Code on a triennial basis to improve safety, sustainability, resiliency, and incorporate new technologies, designs, and construction methods. Throughout each code adoption cycle, amendments to the fire code are developed through a lengthy public participation process. State Code Advisory Committees provide recommendations to the California Building Standards Commission on the various proposed amendments to the Building Standards. Following this process, the California Building Standards Commission adopted the 2025 California Building Standards Code and published it on July 1, 2025. The 2025 California Building Standards Code, including Part 9 (the California Fire Code), will take effect statewide on January 1, 2026.
Local jurisdictions may then adopt the California Building Standards Code to act as the governing Building Standards Code within their jurisdiction. The local adoption process allows for each jurisdiction to make modify to the Building Standards Code to address local concerns, based on findings that local climatic, geographical, or topographical conditions warrant the changes. Local modifications are commonly made to address local context and concerns that may not be applicable on a statewide level. At the October 7, 2025 Council meeting, proposed Ordinance No. 2079 was passed for the purpose of publication, along with adoption of a Resolution making the necessary find...
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