Thursday, June 29, 2017

Development Insight June 2017



Partnering with our community to build and maintain a safer San Antonio  |  June 2017


In This Issue



Quick Links







Development Services Department



Mike Shannon, PE, CBO
Director
210.207.8259


Development  & 
Business Services Center

Main Address:
1901 S. Alamo San Antonio, TX 78204

Office Hours: 
7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Monday - Friday

Mailing Address:
PO Box 839966
San Antonio, TX 78283







DSD will be closed in observance of 4th of July on Tuesday, July 4.

New 2018 Building Codes Are Coming Soon
The International Code Council (ICC) recently announced the new 2018 International Building Codes and book references will be available in September.

Like previous I-code adoptions, Development Services will work with our community partners to update the City's building-related, fire and property maintenance codes this year to ensure implementation spring 2018.  The following codes and amendments will go through the DSD adoption process:  
  •  2018 International Building Code, IBC
  •  2018 International Existing Building Code, IEBC
  •  2018 International Residential Code, IRC
  •  2018 International Fire Code, IFC
  •  2018 International Mechanical Code, IMC
  •  2018 International Plumbing Code, IPC
  •  2018 International Fuel Gas Code, IFGC
  •  2018 International Energy Conservation Code, IECC
  •  2017 National Electrical Code, NEC
  •  2018 International Property Maintenance Code, IPMC 
  • 2018 Chapter 10, Building-Related Codes
  • 2018 Chapter 11, International Fire Code with local amendments
  • 2018 San Antonio Property Maintenance Code

The adoption process includes public hearings and meetings with development and neighborhood stakeholder groups, and the Building-related and Fire Codes Appeals and Advisory Board (Construction Board) and Building Standards Board (BSB) code review subcommittees, ensuring community input. Upon completing the reviews, proposed amendments will be submitted to the Construction Board and BSB for their vote. Once approved, next steps include sharing the proposed changes with various City commissions and committees, and submitting the RFCA for all amended codes to City Council for adoption by late 2017 or early 2018.

Note that the 2017 NEC is now available. In line with the adoption process, DSD has started meeting with the Electrical Code Review Committee and the Construction Board to gather requirements and identify amended codes, preparing for a seamless implementation.

DSD will keep you informed on the 2018 I-code adoption as more information becomes available. 

Meet the Customer Advocate Team
At Development Services, the Customer Advocate Team (CAT) is part of the Plan Review Division and is comprised of three sections: the Call Center, Meet and Greet, and the Permit Counter. All three teams are dedicated to making sure our customers get the right information, in a timely manner, and walk away satisfied with the service they received.
 
 Responsible for a wide array of services, CAT works closely with most sections within DSD, including the Zoning, Fire, Inspections, Plan Review, Platting, and Addressing teams.

Call Center Team

The Call Center has a team of representatives available to answer your permit, inspection, and overall development questions. On any given day, the call center takes more than 600 calls and maintains a call abandonment rate of less than 3%.

The Meet and Greet is similar to a traffic control center. They are constantly directing customer flow, from immediate entrance at the One Stop to their required destination. Full of smiling faces and great attitudes, this team ensures you get to the place you need to go for resolution.

Permit Counter and Meet & Greet Team

The Permit Counter's primary responsibility is to help homeowners and licensed contractors attain their applicable permits. Every day, the counter serves approximately 200 customers with transactions ranging from License Registrations to Certificates of Occupancy. This dedicated group will help you with your project from start to finish.

The Customer Advocate Team is committed to serving the community as a top performing DSD workgroup. It is our goal to provide positive customer experiences, quick turnaround times, consistent delivery of services, and the highest-level of professionalism.


Free Training - Code Compliance for Fire Rated Duct
The Code Compliance for Fire Rated Duct -Symmetry and Continuity Compliance (3 PDHs) training is scheduled for June 29, 2017 at 8 a.m.  The three-hour course will take place at the Development Services Department, 1901 S. Alamo, 78204, in the Board Room on the first floor.

Joseph Hauf, Vice President Engineering Services, ConQuest Firespray, will train the class. Participants will learn the basics for proper application of fire-resistive rated duct and enclosure assemblies for compliance with the "symmetry testing" and "continuity" requirements of the IBC.

Please register for the class to ensure your name is on the attendance list.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Charlotte Barrett at charlotte.barrett@sanantonio.gov.

SABCA Summer Sessions Sizzled
SABCA
With close to 200 attendees over the two-day training period, the Summer 2017 San Antonio Building Codes Academy (SABCA) was once again a success.

DSD staff hosted the two training sessions on May 24 and June 20 at the Urban Ecology Center, Gathering Hall at Hardberger Park from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The all-day sessions focused on the 2015 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), and offered a basis for the correct use and application of the code.
 
This year's session had customers from several surrounding cities and various school districts, along with DSD and other city department staff. The instructors who led the IEBC course had a combined total of more than 70 years of construction and inspection experience, proving to be extremely beneficial for all training participants.

SABCA is a South/Central Texas regional training academy, sponsored by the City of San Antonio's Development Services Department, and was established with the goal of bringing high-quality educators and necessary building-related codes training to code officials, design professionals, builders, tradesmen and building owners and managers. 

Online Resources

The latest  Information Bulletins (IB) are provided below: 

Plan Review optional certifications by an architect or engineer are: 
  • Certification of IRC Compliance (excluding any structural) 
  • Certification for Foundation and Structural Framing (including any tall walls or lintels, but excluding wall bracing) 
  • Certification of Braced Wall Design 
  • Certification of Energy Conservation Design  
Inspection optional certifications include:  Foundation, Framing, Wall Bracing, Energy Conservation, Fire Blocking / Draft Stopping, Notching and Boring / Life Safety Plan.

For options not chosen, the City will perform Plan Review and/or Inspections as appropriate. 

Plan Review will continue to review for platting,  zoning, and tree preservation for residential applications.

For a complete list of resources, visit the following sites:  
 



Performance Measures - FY 2017

The complete Performance Measures report is available online.


Permit Activity

2017 EPA Region 6 Stormwater Conference hosted by SARA


For additional conference information, please click on the image or visit the Texas A&M University Kingsville website.

Other Department News
- Customer Comments, New Hires, Recognition and more

Here's what you said about us...

Arturo Elizondo, Sr. Sign Inspector, Field Services
 I have been to offices in many other cities with questions and applications for permits. Either they didn't really know the answers or it seamed as if they were trying to help me not obtain a permit. You have the best Development Services Department I have been to.

Andrew Espinoza, Development Services Manager, Plan Review
Mr. Espinoza's knowledge and helpfulness with answering my questions regarding the City permitting process for my unusual situation compelled me to write a few words of praise. At 5 p.m. on a Friday, Andrew not only answered my questions in a kind, unhurried manner, but went well beyond the call of duty by pulling up GIS overlay maps and making additional helpful suggestions. If all of your staff is like Andrew, you have one heck of a great organization!

Elwerd Weiderhold, Training Officer, Engineering and Tree Preservation, Land Development
Mr. Weiderhold was very prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable. Mr. Weiderhold also went above and beyond in clarifying what was required for our various approach/sidewalk/ramp deficiencies. Now we can move forward with repairs without undue cost caused by our misunderstanding of COSA requirements.

Mohammed Mohammed, Plans Examiner II, Plan Review
Mohammed was very prompt in responding to emails and phone calls during the permitting process and was more than happy to answer and resolve denial comments. Great customer service.

Rene Campos, Code Enforcement Officer, Field Services
Inspector Campos was prompt, courteous, knowledgeable and very helpful.

Valerie Huerta, Planner, Addressing, Land Development
Ms. Huerta was outstanding in her customer service. She exhibited the utmost professionalism as she guided me through the suite assignment process.

Certifications


Congratulations to our DSD employees who received the following certifications: 





New Hires






Promotions



Job Opportunities


Development Services is recruiting for the following positions.  To learn more, or apply online, visit the DSD jobs at the City of San Antonio Career Center.
 


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Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.

City of San Antonio, Development Services, 1901 S. Alamo, San Antonio, TX 78204




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