BUILDING AND FIRE BOARD OF APPEALS REGULAR CALLED MEETING REGULAR AGENDA Wednesday May 24, 2023 @ 1:30 PM- IN PERSON Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register, contact rick.arzola@austintexas.gov CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Ron Buys(R. Alter); Alan Schumann-Chair(Watson); Ben Abzug(Velasquez); Aubrey Brasfield-V Chair(Fuentes) A.J Juraska(Pool); Gary Wilks(Kelly); Jim Rumbo(Alter) AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES- Minutes from Regular Called Meeting from March 22, 2023 DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Safe Fencing Regulations update 3. 2023 Code Adoption process. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Rick Arzola at Development Services Department, Building Inspections, at (512) 974-2417, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711.
Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals Board Meeting Approved Minutes The Building and Fire Code Board of Appeals met in a Regular Called Meeting on March 24, 2023 Board Member, Schumann called the meeting to order at 1:56 p.m. Board Members in Attendance: Ashley Juraska, Alan Schumann, Ben Abzug, Ron Buys, Gary Wilks and Jim Rumbo Board Members Not in Attendance: Aubrey Brasfield Staff in Attendance: Rick Arzola (DSD), Tony Hernandez (DSD), Lisa Martinez (DSD) May 24, 2023 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes from the March 22, 2023, Regular Called meeting were approved as written. Board member Wilks made a motion to accept the minutes as written, board member Schumann second the motion. Motion pass 6-0 DISCUSSION: 2. Safe Fence Regulations- Development Services staff Tony Hernandez updated the board that staff attended the planning commission and received approval of the safe fence regulations with 3 significant changes. Those changes included (a) fences facing the street, a request to minimize the height to 60 inches (b) eliminate historical fences to comply with this requirement and (c) how the fences are measured by overall height. As for the changes that the Building and Fire board wanted, to include all fences, boards from the planning commission and Codes and Ordinances Joint committee (COJC) all wanted the change to include all fences as well. Highlights of the proposed amendments, Section 9-4-41 restriction on use of barbed wire will be deleted and implemented into section 25-2-899 (D), where the height will be measured by a solid fence that is constructed along a property line that may not exceed a height of 7ft, measure from the natural grade up, which was rejected by the planning commission and wants it revised to 6 foot, less inch slope and will be able to do a 7ft height. Proposed changes, a fence may not include spiked fences, vertical pickets above top horizontal backer rail, razor like wire, barbed wire, unless fence is enclosing an airport or other landing area for aircraft and any element that creates substantial risk of entrapment. This would apply to all fences for more than 50% that is determined by total linear distance of existing fence. Exemptions only to historic design and fences of 6ft in height and located in property that is non-residential use and other requirements include solid chain link with knuckle selvage and swimming pool barrier shall comply with chapter …
