Code Council’s 2021 ICC Annual Conference and Public Comment Hearing schedules are shaping up

Schedules are being developed to produce a condensed 2021 ICC Annual Conference and Public Comment Hearings September 19-28 in Pittsburgh. This year’s event will take precautions to allow members, stakeholders and employees to gather safely. Some sessions will be offered virtually. More details are forthcoming. “After making the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event, we are very excited to safely host this year’s in-person conference and hearings,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “We will strictly follow the recommended precautions to ensure the health and safety of all our attendees. The 2021 event will offer training and networking opportunities for industry professionals looking to learn from top experts and discuss the latest innovations in building technology.” Read more here.

All Governmental Member Voting Representatives must be validated by August 21 to participate

This year marks the exciting start of a new code development cycle. All Governmental Member Voting Representatives must be validated this year. Governmental Member primary representatives must validate their voting representatives by August 21 in order to fully participate in the code development process. Validate credentials here. Also, the Code Council has issued the “2021 Report of the Committee Action Hearings on the 2021 Editions of the Group A International Codes.” The public comment deadline on the Group A code proposals is July 2. See it here.

BRIC is back – doubled! And Treasury issues final information on ARP (American Recovery Act) funds

The Biden Administration is doubling funding to $1 billion for state and local governments under BRIC (Building Resilient Communities and Infrastructure). Read the White House statement here. The BRIC program premiered in 2020 and was FEMA’s new $500 million mitigation grant program. It prioritizes the adoption and enforcement of hazard resistant building codes and makes funding available for adoption activities (including staff time and consultant costs), trainingcertificationselectronic permittingbuilding department accreditation, and online access to codes and standards. Brick and mortar mitigation projects are more competitive candidates for funding based on state adopted codes and local BCEGS scores. The latest for code officials on the American Rescue Plan (ARP) allocations comes from the U.S. Treasury Department, a guide which details what activities are eligible. See the ICC factsheet which summaries eligible activities and other program facets. Treasury has finalized allocations to all units of government here.

June 29 is the deadline to apply in the International Code Council’s 2021 Sponsored Scholarship cycle

Only ONE application is needed to apply by June 29 for any and all of the five scholarships in the 2021 ICC Sponsored Scholarship program, which include:

The 2021 Application Form and the Scholarship Recommendation Form for all five of the Sponsored Scholarships are available. The scholarships are funded by contributors and Code Council Chapters. Recipients are selected by a committee of volunteers.

Webinar on June 3 features roundtable event to commemorate High Performance Building Week

On Thursday morning, join High Performance Buildings Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Peter Welch (D VT) as well as chief executives from the High Performance Building Coalition for a roundtable discussion on efforts in Congress and the private sector to promote public health, address climate change and mitigate against natural hazards in the built environment. Those participating in the panel include:

  • Dominic Sims, CBO, CEO, International Code Council
  • Vicki Worden, President & CEO, Green Building Initiative
  • David Gans, Board President, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
  • Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E., FASHRAE, HBDP, LEED AP, President, ASHRAE
  • Panel moderator Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, President & CEO, National Institute of Building Science

Register and read more here about the webinar which starts 9 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, June 3.

Tutorial webinar series describes uses and answers questions about ICC Digital Premium Complete

The tutorial webinar series on using the Code Council’s Digital Premium Complete is available free to those interested in obtaining and using it. The webinars are stored on You Tube at ICCMEDIA, including the most recent webinar titled, “How to Narrow Down Search Results and Navigate Premium Content Offerings.” The other webinars are Advance Search (held April 14), Premium Complete Live Demo (held March 10), Organizing with My Notes (held February 17), Premium for Teams, (held January 13) and Discover Premium Complete, (held December 9). Read more here about Digital Premium Complete.

Department of Energy analysis finds significant energy and carbon improvements in 2021 IECC

Preliminary analysis released by the U.S. Department of Energy finds that the residential provisions of the 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are 9.38 percent more efficient than the 2018 edition and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8.66 percent. The International Code Council has developed the IECC for over three decades. With this new analysis, the IECC has seen a 40 percent improvement in energy savings starting from the 2006 edition. Read more here.

Code Council bolsters its energy efficiency subject matter team with three new professionals

Codes and standards play an important role in advancing energy efficiency and responding to a changing climate. To help implement and advance its resiliency, sustainability and energy strategy, three new specialized professionals — Kris Stenger, Jerica Stacey and Joseph Sollod — recently joined the Code Council team to provide advanced products and solutions related to energy efficiency. Read more here.

Energy code users to participate in the virtual 2021 National Energy Codes Conference July 20-22

Energy code users and participants of all types are expected to sign up for the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2021 National Energy Codes Conference to be held online July 20-22. That list includes building officials, builders, state energy offices, trade associations, energy efficiency organizations, architects, engineers, policymakers, manufacturers, utilities, code administrators, educators, researchers and the interested public who will participate in this virtual event. It will include pre-conference workshops, a webinar series and two full-day meetings. View recordings and presentations from the 2020 Fall Webinar Series by clicking here.  This year’s event followed by a series of topic-based seminars throughout the summer. Learn more here.

Discover how advance planning helps protect communities before, during and after natural disasters

Advance planning for devastating events helps communities increase their health and safety during a disaster, protects the local tax base, ensures continuity of essential services and supports a faster recovery in the aftermath of a disaster. 4LEAF Inc., a virtual webinar sponsor of Building Safety Month week four, debuted a video on why home-hardening and building safety is crucial to surviving during wildfire season. Watch now.