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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06022005 BSC Minutes City of West University Place A Neighborhood City ® Recycled Paper Building & Standards Commission 3826 Amherst, In the Public Works Building, Located in the Public Works Conference Room, West University Place, Texas 77005 Meeting Minutes June 2, 2005 MEMBERS PRESENT: Bryant Slimp, Dr. Peter Benjamin, J. Denis Powers, Kevin McMahon MEMBERS ABSENT: David Flame, Brian Hoogendam, and Muddy McDaniel STAFF PRESENT: Neslihan Tesno, Josie Orosco GUEST PRESENT: Robert Riquelmy, Mike Vanderwater (Claunch & Miller), John Palmer, Virginia Louten, Nancy McDaniel [Call to Order] Bryant Slimp called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. 1. Notices, Rules, Etc. Bryant Slimp stated that the BSC board meets monthly and they discuss issues relating to building standards and safety. Bryant Slimp stated that Kevin McMahon would be the voting alternate for the meeting. Bryant Slimp introduced Josie Orosco; who has replaced Annette Arriaga who took a new position at the City of Piney Point. 2. Matters Relating to the Building Standing Commission Recommendation and Status Report. (A) Bryant Slimp asked for an update on the Chief Building Officials position. Nes Tesno stated that the City had two finalists; however, they did not accept the offer and the City is back to the beginning and is still looking. (B) Bryant Slimp stated he would give a quick update regarding the foundation amendment. Bryant Slimp stated the new foundation ordinance has been in affect since May 27, 2005 and there are still issues that need to be ironed out. These issues include various checklist and procedural means inside the Development Services office and how to collect insurance papers. Also under consideration are the type of checklists and requirements Development Services will require from the Professional Engineers to submit showing that they have checked various parts of the foundation. Nes Tesno stated that the department is still working on the checklists and that after the checklists that are generated, they would have to go through the City Attorney for review. Bryant Slimp stated that it would probably take the balance of June before those issues could be resolved and that business would be as usual until those matters could be resolved. 3800 University Boulevard 0 West University Place, Texas 77005-2899 0 713066804441 0 www.westu.org Building and Standards Commission Meeting Minutes June 2, 2005 Page 2 of 2 3. Meeting Minutes. J. Denis Powers made a motion to approve the minutes from the May 5, 2005 and the workshop minutes from the May 17, 2005 Building and Standards Commission meeting. Kevin McMahon seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slimp, Dr. Peter Benjamin, J. Denis Powers and Kevin McMahon. NOES: None. Motion passed. Meeting minutes approved. 4. Structural. Bryant Slimp stated that the BSC Board had a workshop meeting on May 17, 2005 and was very well attended by several professional engineers and individuals who were very involved with the structural side of home building. Bryant Slimp stated that the board members working on the structural committee took the foundation ordinance as a template, using it as bookends and started to try to fill in some of the middle parts with structural specific details. Bryant Slimp stated that Nes Tesno had a checklist of structural items and issues that needed to be considered before anything could be approved. The items that needed to be examined were discussed. There was a discussion of who was responsible for gathering the certifications from welders working on metal structural members. 5. Base Flood Elevations. Bryant Slimp asked that agenda item number five be moved ahead of agenda item number four, and then return to agenda item number four. Bryant Slimp stated that he would like for Mike Vanderwater, who works for Claunch and Miller, to discuss his recommendations to the BSC board of how far above the base flood elevation (BFE) that the city needs t to specify for the building of new houses and what geographical area is covered (e.g. the 100, or 500 year flood plane. or Poor Farm Ditch. Mike Vanderwater passed out the unadopted Tropical Storm Allison map from FEMA. Most communities that are in the Tropical Storm Allison flood area have adopted the FEMA ordinances. J. Denis Powers asked if it was LYDAR or from actual flood data and Mike Vanderwater stated that the basis for the map was LYDAR. Mike Vanderwater explained that there is a large enough area in the City of West University Place that is located within the 100 flood plain map that is of concern to the City. He continued to explain the map in detail. He would not recommend anything higher than one foot above the BFE. Mr. Vanderwater asked how much more of the City was available to be redeveloped. Nes Tesno stated there was still about a third available to be redeveloped. Mike Vanderwater's official recommendation would be to adopt a minimum of one foot above the BFE as the fine end of the Tropical Storm Allison report in the City's Flood Plain Prevention Ordinance. Mike Vanderwater stated that he could generate a report with suggested language to accomplish this recommendation. J. Denis Powers asked that if the City decided to build one foot above the Allison average level, and since West University has areas that have elevations of 48, 49 and 50 feet above sea level does that mean that you have to be 1 foot above the 48, 49, or 50 level. Mike Vanderwater stated that it could vary from area to area. Mike Vanderwater stated that the majority of the areas that are in the flood plain are very shallow relative to the flooding depth. Mike Vanderwater asked if we had regulations Building and Standards Commission Meeting Minutes June 2, 2005 Page 3 of 3 had regulations for fill on new construction. Nes Tesno stated that the City requires the contractors to have an engineered plan and that some fill is allowed. Fill could be added, but water cannot drain onto the neighbor's property; it has to drain to the street. Mike Vanderwater stated that just because someone is not located within the flood plain does not mean that they are not in risk of getting flooded. Most of the homes were flooded by sheet flow. Bryant Slimp asked if Mike Vanderwater could give Nes Tesno a memo stating what Claunch & Miller recommended so that the BSC could vote on it at the next BSC meeting, and pass the recommendation up to City Council. Robert Riquelmy stated that one of the issues that Claunch and Miller failed to address in the City of Bellaire was the past experience and future projections of subsidence at various sites within their city. He went on to state that subsidence should be considered in connection with setting the foundation heights. [Adjournment] Dr. Peter Benjamin made a motion to adjourn. J. Denis Powers seconded the motion. AYES: Bryant Slimp, Dr. Peter Benjamin, J. Denis Powers and Kevin McMahon. NOES: None. ABSTAIN: None. Meeting adjourned at 6:52 p.m. PASSED THIS DAY 2005 •J I Bryant Slimp, Chairma ff~~ ATTEST: d V~ Ms. Josie M. Orosco, Development Services Secretary