A. IBC Section 101.1 Amended. Section 101.1 is hereby amended to read as follows:

101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the Building Code of the City of Monroe, hereinafter referred to as “IBC” or “this code.”

B. IBC Section 103.1 Repealed and Replaced. Section 103.1 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

The Building and Life Safety Office is hereby established and the official in charge thereof shall be known as the building official. The function of the division shall be the implementation, administration and enforcement of the provisions of this code.

C. IBC Section 105.2 Amended. Section 105.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:

Exemption from the permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code, the WUI code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction.

Building:

1. One-story detached accessory structures, provided that the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet. Accessory buildings must meet required zoning setbacks, be considered to be portable, and may not be constructed on permanent foundations such as poured-in-place concrete footings or poured-in-place concrete poles or posts.

2. Fences not over 6 feet high.

13. Fixtures, cases, racks, counters and partitions not over 5 feet 9 inches in height.

a. For fixtures/racks 6 feet or more in height, you are required to provide seismic connection details with your plan and permit application.

b. For fixtures/racks 8 feet or more in height, you are required to provide plans and calculations stamped by a Washington State Engineer with your permit application.

D. IBC Section 105.5 Amended. Section 105.5 is hereby amended to read as follows:

105.5 Expiration. Every building permit issued shall become null and void two years after the date of issuance. The building official is authorized to grant, in writing, a onetime 30 day extension when only the final inspection is remaining and all other work has been approved. The extension shall be requested in writing and justifiable cause demonstrated before the expiration.

E. IBC Section 109.2 Repealed and Replaced. Section 109.2 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

109.2 Schedule of permit fees. On buildings, structures, gas, mechanical, and plumbing systems or alterations requiring a permit, a fee for each permit shall be paid as required, in accordance with the periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council and Table 1-A and Table 103.4.2(A) thereto.

Plan Review Fees. When submitted documents are required, a plan review fee shall be paid at the time of submitting the submittal documents for plan review. Said plan review fee shall be 75 percent of the building permit fee as shown in Table 1-A of the Monroe Fees Resolution. The plan review fees specified in this section are separate from and in addition to the permit fees. When submittal documents are incomplete or changed so as to require additional plan review or when the project involves deferred submittal items, an additional plan review fee shall be charged at the rate shown in Table 1-A of the Monroe Fees Resolution.

F. IBC Section 109.3 Repealed and Replaced. Section 109.3 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

109.3 Building permit valuations. Permit valuations shall include the total value of the work, including materials and labor for which the permit is being issued, such as electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing equipment and permanent systems. The building official may use the latest edition of the Building Valuation Data Table published by ICC in determining the value. Final building permit valuation shall be set by the building official.

G. IBC Section 109.6 Repealed and Replaced. Section 109.6 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

109.6 Refunds. The building official may authorize the refund of fees paid upon filing of a written application by the original permittee not later than 180 days after the date of fee payment, as follows:

1. 100% of any fee erroneously paid or collected;

2. Up to 80% of the permit fee paid when no work has been done under a permit issued in accordance with the periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council; or

3. Up to 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 any plan review is performed.

4. The request for a refund must be in writing, prior to the expiration date of the 180 day plan review period, or within 180 days of permit issuance, and with justifiable cause.

H. IBC Section 110.3.12 Amended. Section 110.3.12 is hereby amended to read as follows:

110.3.12 Final inspection. The final inspection shall be made after all work required by the building permit is completed. Provided, any electrical permits associated with said work shall be finaled before requesting final inspection of any installation covered by the building permit.

I. IBC Section 111.2 Amended. Section 111.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:

111.2 Certificate issued. After the building official inspects the building or structure and does not find violations of the provisions of this code or other laws that are enforced by the department, the building official shall issue a certificate of occupancy that contains the following:

1. The permit number.

2. The address of the structure.

3. The name and address of the owner or the owner’s authorized agent.

4. A description of that portion of the structure for which the certificate is issued.

5. A statement that the described portion of the structure has been inspected for compliance with the requirements of this code.

6. The name of the building official.

7. The edition of the code under which the permit was issued.

8. The use and occupancy, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 3.

9. The type of construction as defined in Chapter 6.

10. The design occupant load.

11. Where an automatic sprinkler system is provided, whether the sprinkler system is required.

12. Any special stipulations and conditions of the building permit.

Exception: For developments that: (i) involve three or more attached dwelling units, (ii) involve or follow approval of a subdivision, a binding site plan, or site plan review for the development site, and (iii) contain a single vehicle route of ingress and egress into the development site, no certificate of occupancy for any attached dwelling unit shall be issued until all of the other dwelling units to which such unit is directly or indirectly attached have been physically completed.

J. IBC Section 111.3 Amended. Section 111.3 is hereby amended to read as follows:

The building official is authorized to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy before the completion of the entire work covered by the permit, provided that such portion or portions shall be occupied safely. The building official shall set a time period during which the temporary certificate of occupancy is valid. The fee for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy shall be as set by periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council.

Exception: For developments that: (i) involve three or more attached dwelling units, (ii) involve or follow approval of a subdivision, a binding site plan, or site plan review for the development site, and (iii) contain a single vehicle route of ingress and egress into the development site, no temporary certificate of occupancy for any attached dwelling unit shall be issued until all of the other dwelling units to which such unit is directly or indirectly attached have been physically completed.

K. IBC Section 113 Repealed and Replaced. Section 113 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

Section 113 – APPEALS.

113.1 Appeals. All appeals of orders, decisions, interpretations or determinations made by the building official relative to the application and interpretation of the IBC shall be to the City of Monroe Hearing Examiner in accordance with Chapter 2.34 and 22.84.080 MMC. The Hearing Examiner shall have no authority to waive requirements of this code.

113.2 Limitations on authority. An application for appeal shall be based on a claim that the true intent of this code or the rules legally adopted thereunder have been incorrectly interpreted, the provisions of this code do not fully apply or an equally good or better form of construction is proposed. The hearing examiner shall have no authority to waive requirements of this code.

L. IBC Section 114.2 Repealed and Replaced. Section 114.2 is hereby repealed and replaced to read as follows:

114.2 Notice of violation. Enforcement of violations of this code shall be in accordance with Chapter 1.04 of the Monroe Municipal Code. Signs, tags, or seals posted or affixed by the building official shall not be mutilated, destroyed, tampered with, or removed without authorization from the building official. The fine for the removal, mutilation, destruction of, or tampering with said notice, sign, tags, or seals shall be as set forth in the Monroe Municipal Code, Section 15.04.200.

M. IBC Section 114.3 Repealed. Section 114.3 is hereby repealed in its entirety.

N. IBC Section 114.4 Repealed. Section 114.4 is hereby repealed in its entirety.

O. IBC Section 115.2 Amended. Section 115.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:

115.2 Issuance. The stop work order shall be in writing and shall be given to the owner of the property involved, the owner’s authorized agent or the person performing the work. Upon issuance of a stop work order, the cited work shall immediately cease. The stop work order shall state the reason for the order and the conditions under which the cited work will be permitted to resume. There shall be a fee imposed for issuance of a Stop Work Order in the amount set by periodic fee resolution of the Monroe City Council.

P. IBC Section 115.5 Adopted. A new Section 115.5 is hereby adopted to read as follows:

115.5 Unauthorized tampering. Signs, tags, or seals posted or affixed by the building official shall not be mutilated, destroyed, tampered with, or removed without authorization from the building official. The fine for the removal, mutilation, destruction of, or tampering with said notice, sign, tags, or seals shall be as set forth in the Monroe Municipal Code, Section 15.04.200.

Q. IBC Section 502.1 Amended. Section 502.1 is hereby amended to read as follows:

[F] 502.1 Address identification. New and existing buildings shall be provided with approved address numbers or letters. The size of each character shall be as specified in Table 502.1. They shall be installed on a contrasting background and be plainly visible from the street or road fronting the property. When required by the code official, address numbers shall be provided in additional approved locations to facilitate emergency response. Where access is by means of a private road and the building address cannot be viewed from the public way, a monument, pole or other approved sign or means shall be used to identify the structure. Address numbers shall be maintained.

R. IBC Section [F] 903.2.13 Adopted. A new Section [F] 903.2.13 is hereby adopted to read as follows:

[F] 903.2.13 Other sprinkler requirements. In addition to the requirements of Section 903.2, approved automatic fire sprinkler systems shall be installed throughout all buildings and structures described in this Section 903.2.13. For the purposes of this code, fire walls, fire barriers, fire partitions and fire-resistance-rated horizontal assemblies do not constitute separate buildings.

1. In all new buildings and structures with an Occupancy Classification assigned under the IBC and with a gross floor area of five thousand or greater square feet, regardless of type or use.

Exceptions: Spaces or areas in telecommunications buildings used exclusively for telecommunications equipment, associated electrical power distribution equipment, batteries and standby engines, provided those spaces or areas are equipped throughout with an automatic fire alarm system and are separated from the remainder of the building by fire barriers consisting of not less than 1-hour fire-resistance-rated walls and 2-hour fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling assemblies.

2. In existing buildings with a gross floor area of ten thousand or greater square feet undergoing additions, repairs, reconstruction, or improvements exceeding sixty percent of the assessed value of such building or structure.

S. IBC Section [F] 903.3.7 Adopted. A new Section [F] 903.3.7 is hereby adopted to read as follows:

[F] 903.3.7 Fire department connections. Fire department connections shall be installed remote from the building in an approved location. Fire department connections shall be installed outside the collapse zone of the structure, and within 50 feet of a fire hydrant. The fire department connection shall be a 4" Storz connection with a 30-degree down angle installed in accordance with City of Monroe standards.

T. IBC Section [F] 903.3.9 Adopted. A new Section [F] 903.3.9 is hereby adopted to read as follows:

[F] 903.3.9 Fire Control Room. All multiple tenant buildings; buildings constructed speculatively (“spec”) as shells or warehouses, and all buildings in excess of 20,000 square feet which require fire sprinkler protection shall be constructed with a dedicated fire control room in accordance with Section 903.3.9.

[F] 903.3.9.1 Size and construction. The fire control room shall be adequately sized to allow 3 feet of clearance around the circumference of the sprinkler riser for inspection, testing, and maintenance. The construction of the fire control room shall consist of materials similar to adjacent areas, except that there shall be no requirements to provide fire resistive construction on the interior walls which form the fire control room.

[F] 903.3.9.2 Location. The fire control room shall be located adjacent to an outside wall of the building, and a dedicated outside entrance with a minimum 36" swinging door shall be provided.

[F] 903.3.9.3 Contents. The fire control room shall contain only the fire sprinkler riser(s), fire alarm control panel, fire pump(s), and other necessary fire protection appliances and communications equipment. No storage of combustible items is allowed inside the fire control room.

[F] 903.3.9.4 Signage. The outside door providing access to the fire control room shall bear a sign or placard with minimum 4" white lettering on a red background which reads: “FIRE CONTROL ROOM.”

U. IBC Section 1612.3 Amended. Section 1612.3 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1612.3 Basis for establishing the areas of special flood hazard. The special flood hazard areas identified by the Federal Insurance Administrator in a scientific and engineering report entitled “The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Snohomish County, WA, and Incorporated Areas” dated June 19, 2020, and any revisions thereto, with accompanying flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) dated June 19, 2020, and any revisions thereto, are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this chapter.

The FIS and the FIRM are on file at 806 West Main Street, Monroe, Washington, and shall be made available upon request.

The best available information for flood hazard area identification as outlined in MMC 14.01.120(B) shall be the basis for regulation until a new FIRM is issued that incorporates data utilized under MMC 14.01.120(B).

V. IBC Section 1704.2.1 Amended. Section 1704.2.1 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1704.2.1 Special Inspector Qualifications. Prior to the start of the construction, the approved agencies shall provide written documentation to the building official demonstrating that all special inspectors who will be working on projects in the city of Monroe are currently approved through the Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO) office. Special inspectors and testing agencies who are not certified through WABO will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the building official.

The registered design professional in responsible charge and engineers of record involved in the design of the project are permitted to act as an approved agency and their personnel are permitted to act as special inspectors for the work designed by them, provided they qualify as special inspectors and are approved by WABO or the building official based upon the totality of the relevant circumstances, including without limitation the nature, size and complexity of the project and the credentials and experience of the special inspector or testing agency at issue.