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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