HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Mechanical/ Plumbing Advisory Board - 03/19/2019 - SpecialSPECIAL MEETING
Mechanical/Plumbing Advisory Board
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 3:30pm
3rd Floor Training Room, Frost Bank Building
2406 Leopard, Corpus Christi, Texas
MINUTES
I. Call to Order: 3:36pm
II. Roll Call:
a. Members Present: Jared Merdes, Maverick Volesky (late), Mike Wanzer, Mike Dildy,
Stacy Gallagher, Benny Franklin, William Boeker
b. Members Absent: none
III. Discussion and possible action on inspection and testing of shower pan liners.
a. Building Official, Gene Delauro, provided board members with sections from the 2015
International Plumbing Code with Commentary and the 2015 International Residential
Code with Commentary, which was adopted by the City in May of 2016 and requires
shower pan testing.
b. Board members and staff discussed the timing of the testing of shower pans, either at
top-out or finish-out. James Pendleton, Chief Plumbing Inspector, stated that shower pan
tests can take place at any point after it is installed. It was discussed that performing the
test after finish-out could result in a failure that would require the whole shower be ripped
out and rebuilt; if the shower pan is installed too soon, it is susceptible to damage from
the other trades as they come through. It was discussed that testing after the tile is
installed won’t find damage to the shower pan in a 15-minute test, where testing
immediately after installation, the liner can be pulled back to observe any leaks.
c. Various installation timing, protection methods and at what stage(s) a shower pan
inspection should occur; no consensus was reached. The question was raised if the
shower pan is considered a plumbing fixture and the consensus was yes. The possibility
of limiting materials was discussed but abandoned on the argument that all approved
materials will work if installed correctly.
d. Mr. Delauro stated that there is no way to tell whether the accepting of a test letter is a
better or worse method than the City performing the inspection. Though there is no
licensing board for builders and general contractors, the letter could be used as evidence
that the pan liner was inspected and tested.
e. Members discussed the section of the codes that allow the Building Official to accept
shower pan test letters from an “approved agency,” and whether builders and contractors
qualify as approved agency. Mr. Delauro stated part of the reason the letters are
accepted is due to the amount of damage that can occur after a shower pan is installed
through finish-out.
i. Mike Wanzer moved that Mr. Delauro get an opinion from Assistant City
Attorney, Buck Brice, if builders and contractors can be considered an approved
agency for carrying out shower pan tests as listed in the 2015 International
Residential Code. Motion was seconded by Maverick Volesky. Motion passed
unanimously.
IV. Public Comments
a. Ms. Victoria Reyes presented the board with a packet of documents, containing
information from a Public Records Request regarding the inspections of a selection of her
neighbors’ homes as well as her own. She claimed the shower pans were not installed, or
installed incorrectly, or inspections were not performed and passed inspection despite
those shortcomings. She showed a comparison between different versions of building
and plumbing codes related to shower pans; she claims the 2009 code under which her
home was built, was violated because her shower pan was not inspected, and it was not
inspected after repairs were made. She pointed out that an investigation showed there
was no slope to her shower pan, which could have facilitated her leaking issues. Of the
Texas cities she called, she found only San Antonio accepted a shower pan letter, but
contractors are required to be insured, which is not the case in Corpus Christi; they
require proof of a permanent address, which Corpus Christi does not. She showed
photos of repairs made to her and her neighbor’s showers and the damaged shower
pans and poor workmanship. She asked that the board consider recommending to City
staff to no longer accept the letters and inspect the subfloor to ensure it is installed
correctly.
b. Ms. Melissa Vasquez expressed her concerns with builders signing shower pan test
letters and feels it should be performed by another party.
V. Items for next agenda:
a. Shower pan discussion
b. Contractor registration
VI. Adjourn: 5:47pm
______________________________
Jared Merdes
Chairperson