CC RESOLUTION 5475RESOLUTION NO. 5475
A RESOLUTION MAKING EXPRESS FINDINGS AND
DETERMINATIONS SUPPORTING CITY MODIFICATIONS
TO THE CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE
BECAUSE OF LOCAL CLIMATIC, GEOLOGICAL OR
TOPOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS.
The City Council of the city of El Segundo does resolve as follows:
SECTION 1. Findings. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. Certain building standards and other related model codes are adopted by the State
of California in the California Building Standards Code and become applicable
unless amended by the City pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 17958.
B. The City of El Segundo ("City") may adopt model codes by reference pursuant to
Government Code § 50022.2 et seq.
C. Health and Safety Code § 17958.5 authorizes the City Council to make reasonably
necessary changes or modifications to the state -adopted building codes, including
the California Building Standards Code, based on certain local conditions.
D. Pursuant to Health and Safety Code § 17958.7, it was in the public interest to adopt
the California Building Standards Code with the proposed changes
E. Health and Safety Code Section 17958.7 requires the City Council to make express
findings of the necessity for modifications to the building standards contained in the
California Building Standards Code, 2022 Edition.
F. On November 15, 2022, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1641 to adopt the
2022 edition of the California Building Code, including Part 9 of Title 24 of the
California Building Codes (the "Fire Code"), with certain appendices and
amendments, as justified via Resolution No. 5373.
G. The City Council seeks to enforce additional appendices and sections of the Fire
Code to maximize its regulatory capacity and ensure public health, safety, and
welfare. A local agency's adopting ordinance must identify specific California
Building Codes appendices to adopt and enforce them.
H. The City Council seeks to adopt this Resolution, pursuant to Health and Safety Code
§ 17958.7, to make the requisite findings in support of the accompanying Ordinance.
SECTION 2. Legislative Findings. The City further finds and declares as follows:
A. Pursuant to the requirements of Health and Safety Code § 17958.7, the City Council
expressly finds that the amendments and modifications to building standards
contained in the Fire Code are reasonably necessary due to the following local
climatic, geological or topographical conditions:
RESOLUTION NO. 5475
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1. Climatic Conditions: The City is located in an area climatically classified as "semi-
arid" and prone to hot and dry Santa Ana winds of high velocity. Moreover, due to
the and nature of the area, the weather during the windy period tends to be very
warm and dry. Furthermore, the City is a densely populated area having
buildings and structures constructed within a climate system capable of
producing major winds, fire and rain related disasters, including but not limited to
those caused by the Santa Ana winds and El Nino (or La Nina) subtropical -like
weather. Because of the described climatic conditions, the City and the
surrounding cities have historically suffered from occasional structural fires.
These have often been difficult to control due to the dry winds carrying sparks
and cinders to surrounding structures. These winds constitute a contributing
factor, which causes small fires originating in high -density development presently
being constructed in the City, which spread quickly and create the need for an
increased level of fire protection. This added protection, including, but not limited
to on -site protection, will supplement normal Fire Department response available
in new development, and provide immediate fire protection for life and safety of
multiple -occupancy occupants during fire occurrence.
2. Topographical Conditions: The City is a densely populated area having buildings
and structures constructed within relatively flat and hilly topography causing
structures close to develop heat island conditions due to urban development and
therefore needs to be incorporated into the code to assure that new buildings and
structures and additions or alterations to existing building or structures are
designed and constructed in accordance with the scope and objectives of the
California Codes. Traffic and circulation congested in urban areas often place
Fire Department response time to emergencies at risk. This condition makes the
need for enhanced on -site protection for property occupants necessary. The dry
weather conditions, combined with the relatively hilly topography of the City is
very hazardous to the surrounding highly populated areas regarding flame
spread is concerned. Because of the above -described topographic conditions,
the City and the surrounding cities have historically suffered from occasional
structural fires. These have often been difficult to control due to the dry winds
carrying sparks and cinders to surrounding structures.
3. Geological Conditions: The City is a densely populated area located in the
greater Los Angeles/Long Beach region having buildings constructed over and
near a vast array of fault systems capable of producing major earthquakes,
including but not limited to the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. During a major
earthquake, emergency resources would be extremely taxed, and the ability to
respond to such emergencies would be complicated. Local standards in excess
of statewide minimums will assist in reducing risks associated with earthquakes
and the consequent disruption of traffic flow. Due to the large number of tall
buildings in this region as well as the increased fire -life safety associated with
such a seismic failure, the proposed modification to have a higher minimum base
seismic shear consistent with previous editions of the building codes need to be
incorporated into the code to assure that new buildings and additions or
alterations to existing buildings are designed and constructed in accordance with
the scope and objectives of the International Codes.
RESOLUTION NO. 5475
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B. The City Council finds that the following table sets forth the 2022 California
Building Standards Code provisions constituting building standards that have
been modified pursuant to the accompanying adopting Ordinance, and the
associated local climatic, topographical, and/or geological conditions described in
Section 2(A) above:
2022 California Fire Code Section
added or amended:
Appendices B, C, O, BB, and CC
503 Added
510.3 Added
808.5 Added
1103.2 Added
Specific Finding — climatic,
topographical and/or
geological conditions
(Section 2(A)):
Administrative, Climatic,
Topographical, and
Geological
Climatic, Topographical
Climatic, Topographical
Climatic, Topographical
Climatic, Topographical
SECTION 3. Severability. If any part of this Resolution or its application is deemed
invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the City Council intends that such invalidity
will not affect the effectiveness of the remaining provisions or applications and, to this
end, the provisions of this Resolution are severable.
SECTION 4. Signature Authority. The Mayor, or presiding officer, is hereby authorized
to affix his signature to this Resolution signifying its adoption by the City Council of the
City of El Segundo, and the City Clerk, or her duly appointed deputy, is directed to attest
thereto.
SECTION 5. Effective Date. This Resolution will take effect upon adoption and remain
effective unless repealed or superseded.
SECTION 6. City Clerk Direction; Transmittal to State. The City Clerk will certify to the
passage and adoption of this Resolution, enter it in the City's book of original Resolutions,
and make a record of this action in the meeting's minutes. The City Clerk is directed to
transmit a certified copy of this Resolution to the California Building Standards
Commission.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 16th day of April, 2024.
Drew , Mla or
RESOLUTION NO. 5475
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ATTEST:
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS
CITY OF EL SEGUNDO )
I, Tracy Weaver, City Clerk of the City of El Segundo, California, do hereby certify that
the whole number of members of the City Council of said City is five, that the foregoing
Resolution No.5475 was duly passed and adopted by said City Council, approved and
signed by the Mayor of said City, and attested to by the City Clerk of said City, all at a
regular meeting of said Council held on the 16t" day of April 2024, and the same was so
passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES: Mayor Boyles, Mayor Pro Tern Pimentel, Council Member Pirsztuk,
Council Member Giroux, and Council Member Baldino
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
OVA4
- - La�
Tracy We r, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM.„
Mar .`Hen l'iey, City Attorney
RESOLUTION NO. 5475
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