Council will review city codes; some may be made stronger

The City Council will take a look at new municipal codes concerning building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical wiring, solar energy and other areas that are regulated by the state and sometimes enhanced locally. This will occur on Tues., Nov. 6 during a public hearing.

The state's new regulations go into effect in January. The city is allowed to make local amendments to ensure that the codes work for a particular area since conditions differ depending on climate, geology and topography, explained David Hueners, deputy director of the community development department.

The state-mandated code takes up about 3,000 pages of text. The city's local codes fill about 78 pages, he said.

Some of the local amendments include enhancements to roofing ratings, doorway reinforcement and public parking lot lighting.

Soil in Thousand Oaks also requires special codes for slab foundations.

The last time the codes were updated was in 2001, Hueners said.

- Nancy Needham