Ordinance to adopt changes to city building code altered to remove mandated sprinkler systems

QUINCY — An ordinance to adopt the 2018 series of the International Code Council model code for the city’s building code was amended by aldermen during Monday night’s meeting of the Quincy City Council.

Aldermen voted at the end of the meeting to remove mandated sprinkler systems from the ordinance, as well as mandated installation of sheetrock underneath the basement and mandated installation of a self-closing door from the garage to the house.

Matt Holtmeyer, who owns his own construction business, told aldermen during the public forum at the beginning of the meeting that housing costs have increased substantially in the past year and a half.

“The last thing we need to do is mandate sprinklers,” Holtmeyer said. “This is going to add to the cost and drive house (prices) up even higher. I’ve talked with a couple different plumbers, and they said they won’t install sprinklers. One, because they don’t have the manpower, and two, because their insurance won’t cover.

“There’s just not that much building going on in Quincy, and mandating sprinkler systems isn’t going to help.”

A resolution on Monday’s agenda for a waiver of city water connection and building permit fees for single and multi-family residential occupancies to offset the cost of installation of mandated fire sprinkler systems was tabled for two weeks by aldermen. 

Steve Salrin, deputy chief of operations with the Quincy Fire Department, wrote in a memo to aldermen that the estimated installation price of a sprinkler system is $2 per square foot. The price to install a sprinkler system in a 2,000-square-foot home would be $4,000. The water connection fee would be $1,500. The construction permit would be $926.

The incentives would be available through 2024. The Department of Planning and Development would be reimbursed with American Rescue Plan funds.

Holtmeyer said he believed the resolution was a good idea to persuade people to install sprinkler systems, but he didn’t want the systems to be mandated.

Alderman Mike Farha, R-4, asked if either a homeowner had asked for a sprinkler system or if a bank had ever requested a sprinkler system before approving a loan. Holtmeyer said no.

“So why should I or any entity of government know better than you and the people who are paying for the houses?” Farha said. “Can you answer that for me? Because I sure as hell don’t know. We have all these unfunded mandates. 

“My party is not supposed to be for unfunded mandates. We’re not supposed to be telling you what to do, especially when people have the opportunity to do this on their own. … I just think it’s a waste of time for government to be involved in this kind of stuff.”

Eric Entrup, R-1, thanked Holtmeyer and Caleb Janssen, who also spoke to aldermen about the sprinkler mandate.

“That’s pretty much exactly what I wanted to hear,” said Entrup, who operates his own drywall and painting company in Quincy. 

Entrup said after the meeting he had hoped to leave the decision to install a sprinkler system up to each homeowner because “it’s an expensive endeavor.” He also said Quincy doesn’t have many sprinkler contractors.

“Yes, safety is the main concern,” he said. “That’s the main driver behind the whole thing, but you still have to keep it somewhat reasonable.

“Everyone’s always going to be pushing more towards all these things, but it’s still an unfunded mandate, and it’s going to cost people a lot more money. Yeah, it would be make every house safer, but can we leave that up to the homeowner themselves to make that decision when they’re building their house with their builder?”

A second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for next week. Aldermen could vote on the ordinance on Nov. 28.