08-10-10 Public Safety CommitteeMinutes
Public Safety Committee Meeting
August 10, 2010
Elected Officials Present: Council Member D. J. Wilson, Committee
Chair
Council Member Adrienne Fraley-Monillas
Council Member Diane Buckshnis
Staff Present: ACOP Gerald Gannon
Fire Marshal John Westfall
PW Director Phil Williams
The meeting was called to order by Chair Wilson at 6:20 p.m.
A. Interlocal Agreement between the City of Edmonds and Edmonds
School District for football game security.
Assistant Chief Gannon discussed the Interlocal Agreement with the Edmonds
School District. He advised that Edmonds Police Department has provided
security at the Edmonds School District Stadium for football games for several
years. This service has been provided without an Interlocal Agreement, but with
a more informal annual contract. All past costs incurred by City have been
reimbursed by the School District. If approved, the Interlocal Agreement will
extend through August 31, 2013. The agreement covers the terms, services to
be provided, and responsibilities of off duty police officers providing football game
security. The Interlocal Agreement has been approved as to form by the City
Attorney.
Committee members DJ Wilson and Adrienne Fraley-Monillas approved the
Interlocal Agreement for the Council Consent Agenda.
Action: Forward to City Council Consent Agenda with a recommendation to
approve.
B. Residential fire sprinkler system (RFSS) stakeholder discussion.
RFSS stakeholders were invited to the meeting by Chair Wilson. Guests included
Snohomish FD#1 Deputy Fire Chief Steve Sherman; Master Builders Association
South Snohomish County Manager Jennifer Jerabek; Snohomish County-
Camano Association of Realtors Government Affairs Director Ryan Mclrvin; and
Edmonds Developer and resident Michael Echelbarger.
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August 10, 2010
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Introductions were made. Public Safety Chair Wilson introduced the discussion
and informed newcomers of efforts on this agenda item to date. The intent is for
all stakeholders - fire, builders, water purveyors, insurance industry, installers, et
al - to work together in finding an agreeable solution that balances the risks and
benefits of the public safety proposal for the installation of fire sprinkler systems
in dwellings.
Councilmember Wilson described the process for the RFSS agenda item as a
collaboration in a community mind that will be agreeable to all interests, or at
very least, not entirely objectionable to any stakeholder group. His goal is to
remove the emotions from stakeholders' positions for the sake of rational
discussion. He hopes that a rational discussion will not be reduced to a "saving
lives vs. saving jobs" stalemate.
Councilmember Fraley-Monillas distributed an email discussion from Mayor
Cooper dated 8/9/10.
Fire Marshal Westfall described the state of the 2009 International Residential
Code (IRC) regarding residential fire sprinklers in all new one-, two-family, and
townhouses. The State of Washington removed the requirements from IRC in an
amendment and packaged the requirements so that cities and counties could
independently discuss and approve them at local level.
The work in committee has brought us to three options for endorsement: 1) all
dwellings; 2) dwellings exceeding 3,000 square feet; and 3) dwellings exceeding
5,000 square feet. Remodels are not part of the ordinances.
Ms. Jerabek distributed literature from the Master Builders Association. She
explained that Master Builder members were opposed to the sprinkler ordinances
for a variety of reasons. Members do not like mandates to home construction,
smoke alarms were adequate to save lives by alerting residents to smoke from
fire, and the cost of the systems mean additional costs for homes. The customer
may not want the system; she prefers to allow the buyer option for installation of
RFSS.
Councilmember Fraley-Monillas suggested that residential sprinklers will provide
the next step in home safety beyond smoke alarms. Ms. Jerabek likened these to
seat belt and air bags in vehicles. Airbags remain optional equipment and options
can be purchased to improve safety performance.
Deputy Chief Sherman refuted points in the Master Builder literature. Fire
sprinklers will eliminate the threat of fire, while alarms, when working, still require
the occupant to be of sound mind and body to escape while the fire burns.
Firefighters are just putting on their gear at the station following an alarm
dispatch when a sprinkler in a house fire opens.
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Fire Marshal Westfall spoke to the costs of the installations in Edmonds, where
the City and Olympic View Water District provide water services. There was
discussion of costs for design, installation, permits, water meter and connection
cost. There is no backflow assembly required on "flow -through" fire sprinkler
systems because water continues to move and no threat of cross contamination
exists. In a flow -through design, water in the sprinkler system is same as
domestic water used for laundry, sinks, and toilets. Flow -through designs are
now allowed instead of traditional, static systems that are isolated from the
domestic water with a backflow device. Static design requires annual backflow
assembly maintenance, approximately $100 per month, according to Robinson
Plumbing, who installs sprinklers and performs this maintenance service.
Public Works collects service reports by mail notification from Water Quality. Fire
inspectors will not enter the premises except in emergency circumstances or with
warrant for probable cause of fire code violation.
Public Works Director Williams suggested that costs savings could be provided in
City water rates. General Facility Charges (GFC) are calculated by the size of
meter and anticipated rate of usage. A 5/8"-3/4" meter GFC is approx $900
where a 1" meter GFC is approx $2200. Because a residential sprinkler will not
be providing a greater rate of flow except in emergency, the Council could
exempt the upsized GFC when a meter increase is required due to fire sprinkler
design.
Mr. Echelbarger was president of Master Builders Association and an Edmonds
builder for 30 years. He believes sprinklers are to smoke alarms are what a 5-
point aircraft harness is to a seatbelt, and unnecessary.
Mr. Mclrvin commented upon Mayor Cooper's email regarding the statistics that
only six homes exceeding 5,000 square feet had been constructed since 2007.
He noted that 30 homes were constructed exceeding 3,000 square feet. He feels
that the present economy and development downturn underestimate the effect
during a good economy, where many more houses would be developed.
Councilmember Fraley-Monillas feels that a 5,000 s.f. starting threshold could be
further reduced as success at that level is shown. Ms. Jerabek and Mr.
Echelbarger both expressed concern over threshold "creep". Discussion
continued about limiting council revisits to sprinkler threshold reductions.
Chair Wilson asked the stakeholders if they could be agreeable to 5,000 s.f. if 1)
the ordinance limited the revisit period to the 2012 International Code cycle that
would be adopted in 2013, and 2) if the ordinance included the language
described by Director Williams, eliminating the GFC cost overage to fire-
sprinklered houses. Stakeholders agreed to return to their groups with the
proposal and return to next committee meeting.
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Action: Staff was directed to bring this item back to the September Public Safety
Committee meeting with options for proposed ordinance.
The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
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