October 28, 2014
 
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  The CCLD Review is a quarterly publication of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Its purpose is to promote safe, healthy work and living environments in Minnesota and to inform construction and code professionals about the purpose, plans and progress of Construction Codes and Licensing Division. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
DLI monthly news

 

  
Minnesota Building Official  

When I last wrote, it was June and the construction season was in full swing, for both roads and buildings. Even though winter is around the corner, the good news is construction is still strong in many areas, keeping all of us quite busy. Hopefully, the pace will subside by the holidays so we all have time to slow down, catch up and prepare to administer the new codes. In this edition, I want to catch you up on where we are at in code adoption, review the new state delegation process and highlight other areas of interest.

 
 
 
Scott McLellan
Executive Director
Construction Codes and Licensing Division
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry 
 

New construction code info online

 
Check out our webpage dedicated to providing you the latest information about the new codes. There you will find fact sheets about each code, updates about effective dates, training opportunities, helpful resources about residential fire sprinklers and links to online code access.
  
Code adoption 

We have completed work on most of the codes slated for adoption in 2015. Those not complete are the International Building Code, Commercial Energy Code, and the State Fire Code. 


We plan to publish the Building Code and Commercial Energy Code for public comment in the State Register sometime in November. After the prescribed 30-day comment period for each, we will know whether there will be a public hearing and have a better idea when the codes may go into effect, the earliest being mid-February 2015. We anticipate receiving a draft rule and SONAR about the Minnesota Fire Code from the State Fire Marshal's Office in early November 2014. Then, DLI will perform its final compatibility and legal reviews. The Fire Code will likely be published for public comment in December or January. An effective date is unknown, yet it could range from sometime in March to May 2015, depending whether there is a public hearing.

 

Effective dates:  Jan. 24 and Feb. 14, 2015

Jan. 24, 2015, is the effective date for the Minnesota Residential Code, Minnesota Conservation Code, Minnesota Accessibility Code, Minnesota Mechanical and Fuel Gas Code, Minnesota Elevator Code amendments and Building Code Administration.

 

Feb. 14, 2015, is the effective date for the Residential Energy Code and update to chapter 1303 which includes the Radon Code.


Minnesota "I" Codes

ICC has partnered with AMBO and DLI to produce Minnesota-specific versions of the new Minnesota Codes. Check our new codes fact sheets for each and where to order.

 

Also, ICC is offering a 10 percent discount for AMBO members.

 

Availability

The Minnesota Conservation Code for Existing Buildings and the Minnesota Accessibility Code are now available from ICC and Minnesota's Bookstore. The Minnesota Residential Code and Minnesota Mechanical and Fuel Gas Code should be available in late November 2014.

 

Training and education

Our fall seminar series are in full swing. Check out our new codes website for all current educational opportunities.

  
Green Code

Big changes are coming in the way "green buildings" are designed and regulated across the county. An agreement has been reached by ICC, ASHRAE and the U.S. Green Building Council to promulgate a single Green Code that will meet the needs of all three organizations. In view of this development, DLI has decided to stop evaluating a Minnesota-specific version of the International Green Construction Code.

  
Delegation agreements

As many of you are aware, on Aug. 1, 2014, legislation took effect that changed the way our agency delegates public buildings and state-licensed facilities to local government. By November, CCLD staff will have discussed these changes with each of the building official chapters. We are committed to ensuring you understand the process and how to make application for an agreement should you choose. Please visit our delegation agreements webpage.

 

If you have questions, call Doug Nord, Regional Services Supervisor, at (651) 284-5838 or via email at [email protected].

  
Continuing education and course approvals

 

No prior course approval or course approval fee is necessary for presentations that are three hours or less in length that DLI prepares for building official chapters. The chapter needs to provide only the usual sponsor for the request.

 

If you would like to review or print some of the course content from one of our seminars, once we have completed the presentation, all of our courses will be posted online for public access.

 

CCLD has now streamlined the process for other state agencies who sponsor training that could qualify for license or certification credit. This is particularly helpful for training that is occasionally provided by the State Fire Marshal's Office.

 
How are we doing? 

As you can see on our website, CCLD is working hard to be more responsive to our customers. In the past three years, our staff has worked to reduce review wait times for building and plumbing plan review and increase those renewing licenses and obtaining electrical permits online.


 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, contact [email protected]