Desk Item
PREPARED BY: JOEL PAULSON
Community Development Director
Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager Town Attorney Finance
C:\Users\slombardo\Downloads\Desk_Item.doc 11/1/2016 3:00 PM
MEETING DATE: 11/01/16
ITEM NO: 6
DESK ITEM
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: NOVEMBER 1, 2016
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: LAUREL PREVETTI, TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: TOWN CODE AMENDMENT A-16-001: INTRODUCE AN ORDINANCE
REPEALING AND REPLACING CHAPTER 6, BUILDING REGULATIONS,
AND CHAPTER 9, FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION, OF THE
TOWN OF LOS GATOS MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADOPTING THE NEW 2016
CALIFORNIA BUILDING AND FIRE CODES, AS AMENDED.
REMARKS:
Following distribution of the Addendum for this item staff received the following question from
a Council Member (staff’s response is provided in italic font):
Does staff have any comments regarding Mr. Koen’s suggestions for the proposed fire code?
GC 65302 (g) requires the Town to “review and updated as necessary” its Safety Element for
land classified as state responsibility areas and land classified as very high fire hazard severity
zones. This review shall consider the advice included in the Office of Planning and Research's
most recent publication of "Fire Hazard Planning, General Plan Technical Advice Series". Staff
believes many, if not all of the requirements, are already included in our current Safety Element
but will be “reviewing and updating as necessary” our Safety Element to make certain it is in
compliance with GC 65302(g).
In regard to revising the regulations to require a 100 foot defensible zone on all unimproved lots
in the VHFHSZ designated LRA, this is not state law and would not be part of the adoption of the
State Codes related to this agenda item. However, requirements on unimproved land can be
“reviewed and updated as necessary” for the Safety Element and also during our update of our
weed abatement ordinance.
PAGE 2
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: TOWN CODE AMENDMENT A-16-001
November 1, 2016
Attachments (previously received with November 1, 2016 Staff Report):
1. Ordinance adopting new Building and Fire Codes
2. Resolution making Findings for modifying California Codes
Attachment (previously received with the October 31, 2016 Addendum):
3. Public comments received between 11:01 a.m. October 27, 2016 and 11:00 a.m. October 31,
2016