6h Building Codes resolution

Item No.      6h_reso 
Meeting Date: February 27, 2018 

RESOLUTION NO. 3745 
A RESOLUTION of the Port Commission of the Port of Seattle 
adopting the 2015 editions of the International Code Council,
Building, Mechanical, Fire Codes and Fuel Gas Code, the 2015
Edition of the Uniform Plumbing Code, and 2015 Washington
State Energy Code and the editorial changes made to the State
Building Code by the Washington State Legislature; repealing
certain sections of the Airport Building Code; adopting  new
sections of the Airport Building Code and repealing Resolution
3527, as Amended. 
WHEREAS, in Resolution 3527, as amended, the Port Commission adopted and 
amended Chapter 19.27 RCW, adopted Chapter 13.01, .06, .07, .08, and .09 of the City
of SeaTac Municipal Code, adopted Chapter 19.28 RCW, and adopted certain 2003
International Codes identified in RCW 19.27.031 to comprise the Airport Building Code; 
WHEREAS, in Resolution 3454, as amended, the Port Commission adopted,
amended, and repealed certain sections of Chapter 13.06 City of SeaTac Municipal Code
that it previously adopted in Resolution 3445 to be part of the Airport Building Code;
WHEREAS, during the 2003 Regular Session, the Washington State Legislature adopted
Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1734 that repealed the Uniform Building Code Standards,
amended Chapter 19.27 RCW, and adopted certain International Codes identified in
RCW 19.27.031; 
WHEREAS, the Port Commission wishes to the Airport Building Code to comply
with the current provisions of Washington State law by adopting the 2015 International
Codes as set forth in RCW 19.27.031 by the Washington State Legislature to comprise
the Airport Building Code along with certain other additions and amendments to

harmonize the code with the requirements for construction at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport; and 
WHEREAS, the Port Commission wishes to repeal, amend and adopt certain
other sections of the IBC and related codes so that the Airport Building Code will better
protect the public health, welfare and safety. 
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Port Commission of the Port of
Seattle that: 
Section 1. The Uniform Building Codes, as adopted and defined by Chap. 19.27 RCW and
adopted in Chapters 13.01, .06, .07, .08, and .09 of the City of SeaTac Code, and the
Airport Building Code adopted by Resolution 3527, as amended, are hereby repealed. 

Section 2. The 2015 amendments to Chap. 19.27 RCW, which adopted the International
Codes are hereby adopted as the Airport Building Code, including the 2015 International
Existing Building Code found in the IBC, the ICC/ANSI A117.1-09 Accessible and Usable
Buildings and Facilities, 2015 International Fire Code as modified by the latest Rules for
Airport Construction standard, the 2015 International Fuel and Gas Code, the 2014
NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code, and the 2015 International Code Council
Performance Code. 

Section 3. The 2015 International Codes adopted and defined by RCW 19.27.031
including the International Mechanical Code, International Residential Code,
Washington State Energy Code, NFPA 54 National Fuel Gas Code, Swimming Pool and

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Spa Code, and the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) are hereby adopted as part of the
Airport Building Code. 

Section 4. The 2015 International Building Code (IBC) and Appendix E are hereby
adopted as part of the Airport Building Code. 

Section 5. Section 101.2.1 IBC Appendices is amended to read as follows: 

Provisions in the appendices shall not apply unless specifically adopted. Appendix J of
the IBC is hereby adopted. 

Section 6. Delete section 101.4.6 of the IBC "Energy" as follows:

Section 7. Amend section 103.1 of the IBC "Creation of Enforcement Agency" to read as
follows: 
The Department of Building Safety or the Airport Building Department (ABD) is hereby
created and the official in charge thereof shall be known as the building official or code 
official or the ABD senior manager. 

Section 8. Amend Section 105.5 of the IBC "Expiration" to read as follows:
Every permit issued shall become invalid unless the work on the site authorized by such
permit is commenced within 540 days after its issuance, or if the work authorized on the 

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site by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 540 days after the time
the work is commenced. The building official is authorized to grant, in writing, one or
more extensions of time, for periods not more than 180 days each. The extension shall
be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated. 

Section 9. Amend section 109.2 of the IBC, "Schedule of Permit Fees" to read as follows:
On buildings, structures, electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems or alterations
requiring a permit, a fee for each permit shall be paid as required, in accordance with
the schedule as established by the applicable governing authority. See attached Permit
Fee Table 109.2. See attached Grade and Fill Permit Fee Table 109.3. 

Section 10. Amend Section 109.4 of the IBC "Work Commencing before Permit
Issuance" to read as follows:
Any person who commences any work on a building, structure, electrical, gas,
mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject
to a fee established by the building official that shall be in addition to the required
permit fees. A special investigation shall be made before a permit may be issued for
such work. An investigation fee shall be collected whether or not a permit is then or
subsequently issued. The investigation fee shall be equal to the amount of the permit
fee required by this Code. The minimum investigation fee shall be the same as the
minimum fee set forth above. Payment of the investigation fee does not authorize the
illegal work in any manner, nor does it exempt any person from compliance with all

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other provisions of this Code, nor does it establish any right to an Airport permit for
continued development of that project. If work done remains illegal for ninety (90) days
after service of the Stop Work Order, it shall be considered hazardous and abated per
IBC section 116. 

Section 11. Amend Section 109.6 of the IBC "Refunds" to read as follows:
The building official is authorized to establish a refund policy. The building official may
authorize the refunding of: one hundred percent (100%) of any fee erroneously paid or
collected; up to eighty percent (80%) of the permit fee paid when no work has been
done under a permit issued in accordance with this Code; and/or up to eighty percent
(80%) of the plan review fee paid when an application for a permit for which a plan
review fee has been paid is withdrawn or canceled before plan reviewing is done. If a
plan review has been performed, there shall be no refund of the plan review fee. If the
permit work has been performed and corresponding inspections completed, then a
refund shall be on a partial pro- rated basis. The building official shall not authorize
refunding of any fee paid except on written application/request filed by the original
permitee not later than one hundred and eighty (180) days after the date of fee
payment.
If the work is abandoned or suspended, before the work can be recommenced, a new
permit shall be first obtained to do so, and the fee therefore shall be one half (50%) the
amount required for a new permit for such work, provided no changes have been made
or will be made in the original plans and specifications for such work, nor a code cycle

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has occurred and provided further that such suspension or abandonment has not
exceeded one year. Otherwise, in order to renew action on a permit after expiration,
the permitee shall pay a new full permit fee with the latest adopted Airport fee
schedule. 

Section 12. Amend Section 110.5 of the IBC "Inspection Requests" to read as follows:
It shall be the duty of the holder of the building permit or their duly authorized agent to
notify the building official when work is ready for inspection. It shall be the duty of the
permit holder to provide access to and means for inspections of such work that are
required by this code. Reinspection fees may be assessed when the inspection record
card is not posted or otherwise available on the work site, the approved plans are not
readily available to the inspector, for failure to provide access on the date for which the
inspection is requested, or for deviating from the approved plans requiring the further
approval of the building official. This section is not to be interpreted as requiring
reinspection fees the first time a job is rejected for failure to comply with the
requirements of this code, rather it is intended to control the practice of calling for
inspections before the job is ready for such inspection or reinspection. A reinspection
fee may be assessed for each inspection or reinspection when such portion of work for
which inspection is called is not complete or when corrections called for are not made.
To obtain a reinspection, the applicant shall pay the reinspection fee in accordance with
Table 109.2. In instances where reinspection fees have been assessed, no additional
inspection of the work will be performed until the required fees have been paid. 

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Section 13. Amend Section 113.3 of the IBC "Qualifications" to read as follows:
The board of appeals shall consist of members who are qualified by experience and
training to pass on matters pertaining to building construction and are not employees of
the jurisdiction. As an alternate, at the discretion of the Port's Executive Director, an
independent 3rd party Hearing Examiner may be utilized. The Hearing Examiner shall
have no authority relative to interpretation of the administrative provisions of the
building code nor shall the Hearing Examiner be empowered to waive requirements of
the building codes. 

Section 14. Amend Appendix Section J103.2 of the IBC Exemptions to read as follows: A
grading permit shall not be required for the following: 
1. Grading in an isolated, self-contained area of 50 cubic yards or less, provided there is
no danger to the public and that such grading will not adversely affect adjoining
properties. 
2. Excavation for construction of a structure permitted under this code. 
3. Cemetery graves. 
4. Refuse disposal sites controlled by other regulations. 
5. Excavations for wells, or trenches for utilities. 
6. Mining, quarrying, excavating, processing or stockpiling rock, sand gravel, aggregate
or clay controlled by other regulations, provided such operations do not affect the
lateral support of, or significantly increase stresses in, soil on adjoining properties

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except for specific application to Airport construction. The building official shall have
the authority to issue permits for quarrying and mining operations for specific
application to airport construction, and removal of sand, gravel, rock and other natural
deposits, together with the necessary buildings, apparatus or appurtenances incident
thereto. This permit may authorize rock crushers, concrete batching plants and asphalt
batching plants and similar equipment in conjunction with such operations or allied
uses. The building official shall also have the authority to issue permits for the removal
of existing stockpiles of previously mined material for the reclamation of land. The
building official shall consider the effect of the proposed operation on the city road
system and any effect it may have on surface or groundwater drainage and flood
control, and shall make such recommendations as necessary to protect the public
interest in this regard. The building official shall also consider the effect of the proposed
operation on the current and future land use in the area affected by the proposed
operation and shall condition permits as necessary to protect the public interest in this
regard. Quarrying and mining permits are good for the life of any specific job but shall
be reviewed annually. Each permit site affected by the proposed operation shall be
restored to the current or future proposed land use in accordance with a Land
Restoration Study plan prepared per section J104.3. Such restoration shall be
completed within the term of the last permit issued before permanent abandonment of
the mining or quarrying operation. Prior to the exhaustion of materials or the
permanent abandonment of the quarrying or mining operation under a permit as
administered above, a Land Restoration Study plan shall be submitted by a professional

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civil engineer licensed in the State of Washington that shows how the property will be
restored to a useful condition. The Land Restoration Study plan may contain final
grades, final cut and fill slopes, tree plans, soil amendment plans, topsoil plans, drainage
plans, landscape plans, demolition of incidental buildings or some combination of the
previous scoping items. The building official may require bonds in such form and
amounts as may be deemed necessary to ensure that the work, if not completed in
accordance with the approved plans and specifications, will be corrected to eliminate
hazardous conditions. In lieu of a surety bond, the applicant may file a cash bond or
instrument of credit with the building official in an amount equal to that which would be
required in the surety bond. 
7. Exploratory excavations performed under the direction of a registered design
professional. 
Exemption from the permit requirements of this appendix shall not be deemed to grant
authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of
this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction. 

Section 15. Adopt a new subsection 117 of the IBC to read as follows: 
RCW 19.28 Electricians and Electrical Installations shall be adopted with the latest
edition of NFPA 70 commonly known as the National Electric Code administered by the
Department of Labor & Industries from the State of Washington. 
Section 16. Amend the schedule for building permit fees to read as depicted in Exhibit
"A" to this Resolution and is labeled "Table 109.2 Building Permit Fees." 

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Section 17. Amend the schedule for clearing and grading permit fees to read as
depicted in Exhibit "B" to this Resolution and is labeled "Clearing & Grading Permit
Fees." 

ADOPTED by the Port Commission of the Port of Seattle at a duly noticed 
meeting thereof, held this ____day of _______, 20___ and duly authenticated in open
session by the signatures of the Commissioners voting in favor thereof and the seal of
the Commission. 

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Port Commission 







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