Published: April 24, 2007 11:09 am            

Time to move on local building code

It has happened. If you missed Monday’s Clinton Herald, “it” is the signature of Iowa Gov. Chet Culver on the bill that would place a building code in those cities with a population of more than 15,000 that do not already have a code in place.

With his signature, it means that Clinton will have to use the state building code if it does not put one in place by Jan. 1, 2008.

Note the phrase “if it does not put one in place.”

What it means is now is the time to get together to figure out a code that is right for Clinton.

That’s not been easy for Clinton: Previous attempts to implement a building code in Clinton have failed for more than 75 years. In 1941, the City Council appointed a building code committee, but no action was taken.

In 1946 and 1965, the Chamber of Commerce proposed a building code, but no action was taken by the city. During the 1995 general election, Clinton voters narrowly approved a fire code, but rejected building safety standards and electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes.

A building code was rejected by Clinton voters again in the summer of 2003.

If we are ever going to make this happen on a local level, the time is now.

Hopefully, a consensus by committee can be reached and voters will approve a code so there will be local ownership.

If not, not only will we be the one community in the state affected by the governor’s signature on this bill-turned-law, but we also will have the reputation that we couldn’t get the job done — one to protect the residents — without the state government stepping in.

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.

        

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