HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021/07/15 - ADMIN - Agenda Packets - Community Technology Advisory Commission - Regular Community technology advisory commission meeting
July 15, 2021
6 p.m.
If you need special accommodations or have questions about the meeting, contact Jacque Smith at jsmith@stlouispark.org
or 952.924.2632, or the administration department at 952.924.2525.
Community technology advisory commission
The St. Louis Park Community Technology Advisory Commission is meeting in person in the
community room on the first floor of St. Louis Park City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Blvd, Some
commission members may participate by electronic device or telephone rather than by being
personally present at the meeting place. Members of the public may attend the meeting in
person.
Agenda
1. Call to order – roll call
2. Approval of minutes – May 20, 2021
3. Smart cities initiative
a. June 14 council meeting recap
b. Committee check ins
4. Building readiness draft ordinance – review and discussion
5. Adjournment
Future meeting/event dates:
• October 7, 6 p.m.
• November 18, 6 p.m. – election of chair, vice-chair for 2022
Community technology advisory commission meeting
May 20, 2021
6 p.m.
Community technology advisory commission
Minutes
Members present: Mike Siegler, Cindy Hoffman, Kelly Heitz, Rolf Peterson, Bruce Browning
Members absent: Abe Levine
Staff present: John McHugh, Clint Pires, Jacque Smith
Guests: None
1. Call to order – roll call
Meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. Hoffman joined at 6:20 p.m.; McHugh joined at
6:30 p.m.
2. Approval of minutes – April 29, 2021
Browning moved, Pohlen seconded. All voted to approve the April 29, 2021, minutes as
written.
3. Smart cities initiative
Reporting for the environment committee, Peterson said he purchased a whole house
plug load monitoring system that connects to 16 circuits. He will continue to explore the
results. Siegler said this solution isn’t realistic for all residents, but if Peterson could
identify one action residents could take to reduce plug load that would be helpful.
Peterson agreed.
Reporting for the GIS committee, Heitz shared a presentation that can be used for the
city council joint study session meeting June 14. The demonstrated the affordable
housing units dashboard that has been developed by the city housing and GIS staff with
input from the GIS committee. Siegler suggested a diagram showing the sources of data
would be helpful so it’s clear the data hasn’t been manipulated or adjusted. Browning
said it was a nice start. Siegler said the inclusiveness of the project, with cooperation
between city staff and the CTAC, should be highlighted during the presentation to the
city council.
Reporting for the connected communities committee, Siegler said they are working on
building a stakeholder list in order to gather more data. Pohlen is collecting data and
creating a spreadsheet with information. They are focused on getting the best
information possible to result in the most focused data gathering. This is a work in
progress. Levine will be joining this committee as the environment committee is
disbanding.
Pires reviewed the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
(DEED) small city coronavirus block grant fund application he shared with Levine and
Siegler recently. Deadline to apply is June 1, 2021. While the application requires a plan
Community technology advisory commission meeting
May 20, 2021
and cost estimate for proposed projects, which we don’t currently, Pires suggested
applying anyway, as work had begun last fall on smart cities initiatives. The commission
supporting moving forward. Pires said he has some starter data available for the
application. He said the committee should tackle the application and contact him for
any further data that’s needed. Siegler said he’ll kick off the application process and will
involve Levine. Pohlen added that he thinks it’s important that a solid outcome is
identified in the application.
4. Meeting schedule for 2021
Smith shared with the commission that with the anticipated July 1 end of the peacetime
emergency for COVID-19, all city boards and commissions will be required to meet in
person starting in July to comply with state open meeting laws. Some medical
exceptions may apply; commission members with these concerns should contact Smith
privately. Smith said that indoor face coverings and physical distancing are no longer
required at city hall for those who are fully vaccinated, but that commission members
can continue those practices if they wish.
Smith reminded the commission that the bylaws require only four meetings per year
and asked if the commission would like to reduce its regular meetings from the monthly
schedule. Pohlen noted the importance of committee work has increased in the past
year, while the importance of regular commission meetings has decreased. The
commission agreed to meet every other month starting in July and to continue meeting
on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. The commission will not meet in June due to the
scheduled June 14 joint study session with city council. Smith said she’d reserve larger
rooms at city hall and send invites for July, September and November 2021.
On another topic, Pires mentioned the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program
and efforts to ensure residents were aware of the temporary discount program for
internet service and equipment. Smith shared the ways the city’s communication
division has shared the news. McHugh told the commission of an experience helping a
Menorah Plaza resident apply for the EBB program, which was a challenge since the
person didn’t have broadband. Siegler emphasized that this kind of assistance is very
important, beyond just providing the service itself. He asked Pohlen to add McHugh to
the stakeholder spreadsheet. Browning said he talked with the director of the St. Louis
Park Emergency Program, who said they are also spreading the word about the EBB
program.
5. New appointment to commission
Smith said that Konnor Slaats was appointed to the commission by the city council May
17. Slaats’s term starts May 31, 2021, and ends May 31, 2022; this appointment fills a
position that was vacant. Slaats is now included on all commission emails, meeting
invites and correspondence.
6. Adjournment
Browning moved, Peterson seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. All voted in
favor. Meeting adjourned at 7:03 p.m.
Community technology advisory commission meeting
May 20, 2021
______________________________________ ______________________________________
Jacque Smith, liaison Mike Siegler, vice chair
Meeting: Study session
Meeting date: July 26, 2021
Choose an item.: x
Executive summary
Title: Building readiness ordinances
Recommended action: None.
Policy consideration: Does council wish to continue pursuit of ordinances that require new or
significantly remodeled non‐residential buildings to include certain broadband Internet, parking
area safety, and 800 MHz public safety radio amplification facilities? Do the facilities and
requirements of the draft ordinances meet with council’s approval?
Summary: In May of 2015, council began consideration of broadband readiness for new
developments and significant redevelopments in St. Louis Park. That was part of a council
exercise in developing its 2015 – 2025 goals and priorities. While concepts for broadband
readiness were being developed, the scope of the effort grew to include general building
readiness by adding components on parking area safety, 800 MHz radio amplification, solid
waste, and EV charging stations. The last two items have been separately codified in recent
years, while the other three items remain.
The most recent report to council on this was June of 2018. At that time, council directed staff
to hold stakeholder meetings once draft ordinances were completed. Prior to the stakeholder
meeting, the Planning Commission, Telecommunications Advisory Commission (now the
Community Technology Advisory Commission), internal development review committee, and
department directors have reviewed the draft ordinance and provided their input. A
stakeholder input meeting, primarily with developers, was held on Thursday, April 29. Staff
from Police, Fire, Buildings & Energy, and Information Resources presented details of the
proposed ordinances, responded to questions, and recorded input. This report reflects results
of that meeting and next steps. More details on the ordinances can be found here on the city’s
website.
Financial or budget considerations: None.
Strategic priority consideration: Multiple.
Supporting documents: Draft building readiness ordinances
June 25, 2018 report to council
Prepared by: Clint Pires, Chief Information Officer
Approved by:
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
Discussion
Background: Over time, Council has been consistent in its desire to consider leading the way in
various aspects of community development. The efforts discussed here support that direction
in a variety of ways. Presented below is brief summary of the various proposed ordinances. The
final section of this report includes proposed ordinance changes or additions that provide
specifics.
These proposed ordinances actually touch on parts of multiple current council strategic priority
considerations and past discussions. The mechanism envisioned to realize the priorities and
goals is the city ordinance process, yet also driven at a higher level by council policy direction
on the climate action plan and racial equity, as will be discussed.
Broadband readiness
The goal of this ordinance is to ensure new and expanding commercial and multi‐family housing
buildings are ready for future high‐speed broadband services. Further, it is intended to facilitate
additional competition and choice for tenants of these facilities. It does this by requiring
conduit between subject buildings and the public right‐of‐way and internal cabling within the
building to all dwelling and working units.
As a way to pilot test viability of these requirements, staff has experimented with inclusion of
similar broadband related readiness requirements in several new private developments, via
negotiation instead of ordinance requirements. Those negotiations proved successful in
acceptance of those requirements in all cases where they were introduced. Example
developments include: West End (2008), Shoreham, DLC Residential, Marriott AC, Arlington
Row, 4900 Excelsior, Parkway 25, Elan, 10 West, and The Elmwood. Others are in process.
These requirements are being funded by building owners. There have been almost no questions
related to these requirements. In fact, anecdotal evidence from conversations with owners
suggests these requirements are very aligned with what is increasingly being demanded in the
market. This has been one of the hopes of all these building readiness requirements: that they
not create an onerous financial or other situation for developers, owners, and managers.
This proposed ordinance addresses the climate action plan in that greater availability and
competition in the broadband industry creates the opportunity for more people to work from
home, thereby reducing or shifting traffic volumes. Racial equity is served when this ordinance
is combined with incentives for willing providers to offer alternative high‐speed broadband
services. An example of this is Era on Excelsior, which installed a conduit to the public right‐of‐
way as part of its remodeling. Subsequently, a new provider started offering fiber‐to‐the‐home
service in 2017.
Parking ramp and garage safety
The goal of this ordinance is to provide an additional measure of safety in most new enclosed
or multi‐level parking garages built after January 1, 2022. This is accomplished though
establishing minimum lighting levels, required surveillance cameras, video recording, signage,
and emergency call stations. It also includes the opportunity for law enforcement to request
access to video recordings when warranted by an incident or investigation. Costs for this
Choose an item. meeting of July 26, 2021 (Item No. x) Page 3
Title: Building readiness ordinances
equipment are the responsibility of owners. That said, much like broadband readiness, the
market seems to be driving inclusion of these parking ramp and safety features already.
Public safety radio coverage
The goal of this ordinance is to provide adequate public safety radio coverage in buildings that
present a challenge due to structural features such as building material, basements, or other
obstacles. This would allow police and fire personnel to more clearly communicate with each
other and dispatch. This is accomplished through identifying existing buildings with a coverage
issue for the public safety 800 MHz system, then working with those building owners to install
amplification equipment to fill in the coverage gaps, at the owners’ cost. For new buildings, any
anticipated coverage issues would be addressed during the plan review process, and any
needed equipment would be installed and paid for by the owner. One of the major financial
impacts to building owners can be the cost of amplification equipment. The cost ranges
significantly and depends on many factors. Short term, staff would work with owners on costs.
In the longer term, one incentive staff is considering bringing to Council is a multi‐year
assessment program, much like exists for commercial sprinkler systems. However, it must be
noted that any such program depends on enabling legislation from the state. A second
incentive that other jurisdictions have used is to converge amplification equipment for 800 MHz
radio systems simultaneously with amplification for commercial cellular and wi‐fi services in
multi‐tenant structures. This can create added value in an economical fashion for owners and
tenants these services would benefit. Both of these incentives are also intended to ease the
cost burden for building owners.
Present conditions: On April 29, 2021, a public input meeting was held. Two people attended.
One was John Kohler, Vice President of Development & Construction at Paster Properties, and
the other was Sheldon Berg, Principal and CFO of DJR Architecture. In general, neither attendee
raised any major concerns with the proposed ordinances. They did raise questions about the:
ability to meet lighting standards with current technology
different lighting levels in various parts of parking facilities
interaction between lighting and cameras
variable and improving camera resolution
garage threshold definitions
building licensing
plan review process relative to requirements
Staff was able to address these questions. Staff in attendance included Chiefs Harcey and
Koering, Director of Building & Energy Brian Hoffman, Assistant Fire Chief Cary Smith, Associate
Planner Jacquelyn Kramer, and CIO Clint Pires.
As noted above, staff wanted to work with developers in a trial phase to test the viability
(including economic) of meeting these requirements. In none of the many cases was cost raised
as a factor for them. Other factors were not mentioned either. That said, these developments
did receive some form of assistance from the city (e.g., TIF, CUP). The proposed ordinance
would require all developments to meet these requirements. As a result, staff researched costs
to do so by engaging a contractor to provide estimates for some elements. Elements such as
Choose an item. meeting of July 26, 2021 (Item No. x) Page 4
Title: Building readiness ordinances
parking area lighting are already required in some form, and so are not included below. The
contractor was provided plans for the 2‐story Luxe development to use as an example.
Broadband cabling, external conduit, permits: $17,000
Parking area cameras: $28,000
Parking area emergency call stations: $36,000
Public safety radio amplification: can range up to $25,000, depending on the nature of the
structure and other factors (possibly less for the Luxe – Steve??)
In speaking with developers, several of these items are already installed as a matter of meeting
market demand, and thus any incremental cost appears to be minimal.
Next steps: Based on council’s support based on response to the June 2018 report, staff
reached out to stakeholders for the April 2021 meeting. Staff has also solicited feedback from
the Planning Commission and Community Technology Advisory Commission. Broadly speaking,
the most immediately impacted stakeholders include building owners and developers, as well
as tenants who benefit from enhancements provided for in the ordinances. The goal is to have
council consider and approve or reject each ordinance this year, and that those that are
approved take effect on January 1, 2022.
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
Draft Ordinances
Chapter 6
BUILDINGS AND BUILDING REGULATIONS*
ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL
Sec. 6‐1. Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings
ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Conduit means a conduit (e.g., HDPE) system capable of housing and protecting fiber
optic cable between a handhole and telecommunications point of presence. Conduit can be
installed via open trench, plowing, or directional drilling.
Future high‐speed broadband service means offering a minimum one gigabit connection
capable service, in addition to any service provided by the incumbent and dominant (largest
market share in St. Louis Park, Minnesota) cable television and wireline telephone providers.
Gigabit connection means a connection using a transmission technology based on the
Ethernet frame format and protocol used in local area networks (LANs), and which provides a
symmetrical (download and upload) data rate of 1 billion bits per second.
Handhole means a shallow form of manhole giving access to a top row of ducts in an
underground telecommunications system.
Telecommunications point of presence (POP) means the point at which two or more
different networks or communication devices build a connection with each other. POP mainly
refers to an access point, location or facility that connects to and helps other devices establish a
connection with the public telephone system, cable television system, and/or Internet.
Wiring closet means a wiring rack that connects outside lines with internal lines. It is
used to connect public or private lines coming into the building to internal networks and to
dwelling units and commercial units.
Commercial unit means any individually owned or rented tenant space in a building, or
portion of a building, subject to the requirements of the building and fire codes approved for an
occupancy use other than residential occupancy.
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
Article IX. Broadband Readiness
Sec. 6‐240 – Purpose.
The purpose of this section is to implement the City Council goal of making St. Louis Park a
technology connected community, and increase competition and consumer choice for
broadband services. This section requires new construction and substantially expanded
buildings to prepare for communication technology by requiring minimum improvements to
accommodate the technology as it becomes available.
Sec. 6‐241 – Applicable Buildings.
(a) New buildings.
(b) Existing buildings which expand the gross square footage of the building by more than
50 percent.
Sec. 6‐242 – Exempt Buildings.
(a) Accessory buildings.
(b) Single‐family dwellings.
(c) Two‐family dwellings.
Sec. 6‐243 – General Requirements.
(a) New buildings shall complete items 1 ‐ 3 below.
(1) Applicable buildings shall have dedicated copper twisted pair wire, fiber optic,
coaxial cable, or other wired installations capable of supporting at least gigabit
connections to each dwelling and commercial unit from each building’s
telecommunications point of presence to each internal wiring closet that may
exist.
(2) Each dwelling and commercial unit shall have a minimum of two (2) dedicated
copper twisted pair wire, fiber optic, coaxial cable, or other wired connections
from the unit to the telecommunications point of presence (often through a
wiring closet), each capable of supporting a minimum of one gigabit connection.
(3) For each building required to serve dwelling and commercial units as described
in this section, one 4‐inch (or larger) conduit, suitable and used exclusively to
accommodate one or more future high‐speed broadband services, shall be
installed underground starting in a 2‐foot by 3‐foot (or larger) handhole at a
point on the building property abutting public right‐of‐way, to a point in the
building’s telecommunications point of presence. Said 4‐inch (or larger) conduit
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
shall be capped on both ends so as to protect it until used to support a future
high‐speed broadband service.
Sec. 6‐244 – Testing and Certification Requirements.
In copper twisted pair wire, fiber optic, coaxial cable, or other wired installations, certification is
achieved through a thorough series of cabling tests in accordance with Telecommunications
Industry Association (TIA) or International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. A
copy of said industry standard cabling tests and certifications that meets the requirements of
Section 6‐243 is to be paid for and provided by the building permit holder to the City of St. Louis
Park before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Sec. 6‐245 – Effective Date.
All provisions of this Article shall be required for applicable buildings permitted for construction
on or after January 1, 2022.
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
Chapter 8
BUSINESSES AND LICENSES*
ARTICLE I. IN GENERAL
Sec. 8‐1. Definitions.
Enclosed parking facility means an enclosed building or structure, or part of a building or
structure, used for parking, storage or maintenance of motor vehicles.
Multilevel parking facility means a building or structure, or part thereof, in which a structural
level other than a slab on grade is used for parking, storage, or maintenance of motor vehicles.
Video Surveillance System means a continuous video surveillance system including cameras,
cabling, and digital video recording from all cameras.
Subdivision XI. Vehicle Parking Facilities
Sec. 8‐396. Licensed required.
All multilevel and enclosed parking facilities within the city must be licensed. A single license
may be issued for vehicle parking facilities that are both multilevel and enclosed, provided all
requirements for licensing and all fees under this subdivision are paid.
(Ord. No. 2181‐00, § 4(16‐312A.), 11‐6‐2000)
Sec. 8‐397. Exceptions.
Enclosed vehicle parking facilities less than 1,000 square feet are exempt from the licensing
requirements of this subdivision. This exemption does not apply to enclosed multilevel vehicle
parking facilities unless it is part of a single‐family residential dwelling.
(Ord. No. 2181‐00, § 4(16‐312B.), 11‐6‐2000)
Sec. 8‐398. Insurance.
Multilevel parking facility licensees must submit a certificate of insurance providing
comprehensive general liability insurance during the term of the license with the application for
such license, with insurance limits not less than those as shall be set from time to time by the
city and a schedule of such insurance limits are listed in appendix A to this Code.
(Ord. No. 2181‐00, § 4(16‐312C.), 11‐6‐2000)
Sec. 8‐399. Inspections.
(a) Enclosed parking facilities. The vehicle parking facility licensee must provide access to
enclosed parking facilities throughout the year as requested by the city to perform air
quality and ventilation equipment inspections, and to verify other requirements of this
section.
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
(b) Multilevel parking facilities. Multilevel parking facilities must be inspected annually by a
qualified civil or structural engineer who is registered and licensed by the state. The
engineer must provide evidence of experience in the field of structural or civil
engineering. The licensee must provide access to the facility as requested by the city to
verify compliance with the requirements of this section.
(c) Exception. Multilevel parking facilities less than five years old are exempt from the
engineer inspection and reporting requirements set forth in this section.
(Ord. No. 2181‐00, § 4(16‐312D.), 11‐6‐2000)
Sec. 8‐400. Engineering reports.
An applicant for a multilevel parking facility license must provide with the license application or
renewal license application a report signed by the engineer, which report shall provide the
following:
(1) A description of the inspection methods, testing and results.
(2) A description of the overall condition of the facility and any evidence of deterioration. If
any deterioration is identified, the engineer shall identify and specify in the report the
deterioration, recommended repairs and the timeframe in which such repairs must be
made.
(3) Certification of the structural integrity of the parking facility indicating whether the
structure is capable of supporting the loads for which it is being used.
(Ord. No. 2181‐00, § 4(16‐312E.), 11‐6‐2000)
Sec. 8‐401. Conditions of license.
(a) The engineer's recommendations as set forth in section 8‐400 will be included as a
condition of a vehicle parking facility license, and repairs must be corrected within the
time specified by the engineer.
(b) The owner of a vehicle parking facility shall not permit vehicles to use such vehicle
parking facility without a valid license for the facility.
(c) All ventilating facilities for enclosed vehicle parking facilities shall be kept in good repair
and shall meet the requirements of this Code. Carbon monoxide and other toxic gas
levels shall comply with applicable city and state regulations.
(Ord. No. 2181‐00, § 4(16‐312F.), 11‐6‐2000)
Sec. 8‐402. Denial, suspension or revocation of license.
If the engineer determines that the parking structure is incapable of supporting itself or the
imposed load from vehicles as set forth in section 8‐400(3), then the vehicle parking facility
license will be suspended, revoked or denied renewal until modifications have been made to
the structure and the engineer submits a follow‐up report indicating that all deficiencies have
been corrected.
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
(Ord. No. 2181‐00, § 4(16‐312G.), 11‐6‐2000)
Sec. 8‐403. Security requirements.
All enclosed parking facilities and multi‐level parking facilities permitted for construction on or
after January 1, 2022 shall meet the following requirements to enhance public safety and deter
crimes before issuance of a license.
(a) Lighting.
1. Fully enclosed parking garages shall have lighting fixtures provided and maintained
that provide a minimum average of 5.0 footcandles of illumination measured at 48”
above the floor throughout the entire parking area, stairways, and exits to avoid
dark or hidden areas and for the Video Surveillance System to effectively function at
all times.
2. Multi‐level parking structures shall have lighting fixtures provided and maintained
that comply with zoning code section 36‐361(l)(8).
(b) Video surveillance system.
1. Cameras shall be located to provide complete coverage of the entire parking facility.
Including entrances to stairs and elevators.
2. Cameras shall have sufficient resolution to capture license plates of vehicles entering
and exiting the facility.
3. Cameras shall be equipped to automatically compensate for changing light
conditions to maintain required resolution.
4. Images from the Video Surveillance System shall be recorded and retained for a
minimum of 72 hours. The Police Department may either request copies of the
recordings or obtain a search warrant or an administrative search warrant in order
to collect the recordings.
(c) Emergency Call Station. All licensed parking facilities shall have a minimum of one
Emergency Call Station installed in a visible location on every level of parking. The
Emergency Call Station must initiate a light and sound alarm, and provide
communication to a 24‐hour monitored location.
(d) Signage. All multilevel and enclosed parking facilities shall have clearly visible signage
near all structure entrances and exits stating that the facility is under video surveillance.
Secs. 8‐404‐‐8‐420. Reserved.
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
Chapter 14
FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION*
ARTICLE VII ‐ PUBLIC SAFETY 800 MHZ RADIO BUILDING COVERAGE
Sec. 14‐200. ‐ Adequate radio coverage.
Except as provided in section 14‐201, no person shall construct any building, construct
an addition to any building that increases the gross floor area of the building by more than 20
percent, change the occupancy classification of more than 50 percent of the floor area of any
building or cause the same to be done to a building, if such building fails to support adequate
radio coverage for the Minnesota Regional Radio Communications System, including but not
limited to firefighters and police officers. For the purposes of this article, parking garages,
parking ramps, stair shafts, elevators and stairwells are included in the definition of the term
"building." For purposes of this article, adequate radio coverage shall be an average received
field strength of no less than 93 dBm, or one percent BER, measured at 30 to 36 inches above
the floor over 90 percent of the area of each floor including the basement in the building and
other critical areas determined by the fire chief or the fire chief's designee such as fire
command centers, stairwells, elevators, high hazard areas, basements and parking garages and
ramps. Without an in‐building radio system, only the received signal level standard must be
achieved, as the talk‐out path is equivalent to the talk‐in path in this regional radio system.
Sec. 14‐201. ‐ Exempt buildings.
The requirements of section 14‐200 shall not apply to:
(1) Any single‐family or duplex dwelling unit or accessory building.
(2) Any building of less than 25,000 square feet in gross floor area.
(3) Any building constructed of wood frame; provided that such building does not
contain any metal construction or any below grade levels or below grade parking
areas.
Sec. 14‐202. ‐ Amplification systems allowed.
Buildings required by section 14‐200 to support adequate radio coverage which cannot
support the required level of radio coverage required by section 14‐200 shall be equipped with
approved bi‐directional 800 MHz signal enhancement systems as needed. If amplification is
used in the system, all required FCC authorizations must be obtained by the building owner
prior to the use of the system. If any part of the installed system or systems contains an
electrically powered component, the system shall be capable of operating on an independent
battery and/or generator system for a continuous period of at least 12 hours without external
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
power input. The battery system shall automatically charge in the presence of an external
power input.
Sec. 14‐203. ‐ Testing procedures.
The following testing procedures shall apply to each building or structure required by
section 14‐200 to support adequate radio coverage:
(a) Acceptance test procedure. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the
owner of the building shall arrange for testing conducted by individuals acceptable
to the fire chief to ensure the building conforms with the requirements of section
14‐200. Testing procedures shall conform to practices adopted and on‐file with the
building official.
(b) Annual tests. When an in‐building radio system is required to support the required
level of radio coverage, the owner of the building shall arrange for testing conducted
by individuals acceptable to the fire chief of all active components of the system,
including but not limited to amplifiers, power supplies and backup batteries, a
minimum of once every 12 months. Amplifiers shall be tested to ensure that the gain
is the same as it was upon initial installation and acceptance. Backup batteries and
power supplies shall be tested under load for a period of one hour to verify that they
will properly operate during an actual power outage. If within the one‐hour test
period, in the opinion of the testing technician, the battery exhibits symptoms of
failure, the test shall be extended for additional one‐hour periods until the testing
technician confirms the integrity of the battery. All other active components shall be
checked to determine that they are operating within the manufacturer's
specifications for the intended purpose. All deficiencies found shall be corrected and
testing repeated. All test results shall be submitted to the fire chief within 30 days of
the test date.
(c) Five‐year tests. When an in‐building radio system is required to support the required
level of radio coverage in addition to the annual test, the building owner shall
arrange for testing conducted by individuals acceptable to the fire chief to perform a
radio coverage test a minimum of once every five years to ensure that the radio
system continues to meet the requirements of the original acceptance test. A radio
test shall also be performed whenever there is a change in or to the building that
may have an impact on coverage. Examples of the types of changes that may change
radio coverage are interior remodeling that adds and/or changes partitions, removal
of windows, and the addition of metalized treatment to window surfaces. The
procedure described by practices adopted by the city shall be used for these tests.
All test results shall be submitted to the fire chief within 30 days of the test date.
(d) Field testing. Fire and police personnel, after providing reasonable notice to the
owner or the owner's representative, shall have the right to enter onto the property
to conduct testing to be certain that the required level of radio coverage is present.
Sec. 14‐204. – Effective Date.
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Title: Building readiness ordinances
All provisions of this Article shall be required for applicable buildings permitted for construction
on or after January 1, 2022 to enhance public safety.