CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Joseph Bowie (Vela); Robert Thornton-V Chair (Alter, R); Alex Ramirez (Kelly), Kyle Smith (Pool), Bobbi Joe Foster (Ellis) Bill Harris(Alter), Robert Butler(Watson), Stephen Cox (Madison) REGULAR CALLED MEETING MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING BOARD Tuesday January 23 @ 9:30 AM- IN PERSON PERMITTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER/ 1st FLOOR, CONF RM 1401-1402 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DR AUSTIN, TEXAS 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 Joseph Cooper(Fuentes), Ramon Perez(Velasquez), Mark Mapes(Qadri) 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. APPROVAL OF MINUTES- 1. Approve the Minutes from Regular Called Meeting from October 24, 2023 DISCUSSION 2 Uniform Plumbing and Uniform Mechanical Code Adoption 3 Appendix L-Water Heater requirements- Uniform Plumbing Code 4. Appendix M Water Saving Calculator- Uniform Plumbing Code FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 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. For more information of the Mechanical and Plumbing Board, please contact Rick Arzola at 512-974-2417
BOARD MEETING January 23, 2024 Mechanical and Plumbing Board Approved MINUTES The Mechanical and Plumbing Board convened in a Regular Called Meeting on January 23, 2024. The meeting took place at the Permitting Development Center at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive. Vice Chairman Thornton, called the Meeting to order at 9:36 a.m. Board Members in Attendance: Robert Thornton, Kyle Smith, Joe Cooper, Stephen Cox, Joe Bowie and Ramon Perez Absent members: Bobbi Jo Foster, Bill Harris Alex Ramires, Mark Mapes and Blaine Butler Staff Members in Attendance: Chad Watson (DSD), Charlie Ablanedo (DSD) and Tony Hernandez (DSD), Robert Stefani(AWU) GENERAL CITIZEN COMMUNICATION- There were no citizen communication that registered for this meeting APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1.The minutes from the October 24, 2023 meeting was approved as written. Board member Cooper made a motion to approve the minutes, board member Bowie second the motion. Motion passed 6-0. Board member Foster, Butler, Ramirez, Mapes and Harris were absent. DISCUSSION ITMES 3. Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical Code Adoption – Development Service staff Tony Hernandez presented to the board the 2024 UPC and UMC local amendments to note the changes that the workgroup and staff worked on for months. Board staff had pushbacks but agreed in plumbing code 1007.3 trap seals, indicating that was a problem with sewer and gas. Staff did note that they were not allowed to ban approved materials in lieu of HB 2439. Plumbing code 1503.10.1- laundry to landscape, board members requested for this to be flagged because of the effect of affordable housing. The board staff is requesting staff from Austin Water conservation group-water forward team to be at the next meeting for discussion. In the UMC, there were not much pushback, but board staff would like to see the re- write of mechanical code 310.8-Standard for Air condition condensate recovery systems for new development in which Austin Water Utility will provide in the end. From 2015 through 2021, Development staff has eliminated 44 pages of the local amendments to go back to publish code to better serve everyone when construction is taking place. 3. Appendix L-Water Heater requirements- Development Service staff noted that appendix L is a water conservation requirement. Not mandatory to use. All water conservation water heaters are existing in the International Energy Code (IECC) 4. Water Saving Calculator- Austin Water representatives noted that the water savings calculations are a pipe size diameter reduction allowances, which would …
