Dreaming (and Realizing) the Impossible Dream

Or, How AGC of the Quad Cities mobilized five cities, two county governments, two states, and the Arsenal Island - with a combined population of more than 350,000 - to institute a uniform building code for the whole area.

First published September, 2003 in AGC’s Constructor Magazine

How likely is it that one federal government, two counties, and more than seven cities in two states would be able to adopt the same building code in the same times period? Not very!

Back in January 1999, the Wuaf Cities area hardly seemed likely to break that rule. With a combined population of more than 350,000, the Quad Cities consists of Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side; and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline on the Illinois side. At that time, some Quad Cities governments were using the ‘98 Uniform Building Code (UBC), some were on the ‘97 UBC, the ‘94 UBC, the ‘99 (National Electric Code) NEC, and some were using the ‘97 Uniform Fire Code (UFC), etc. Regardless of what code was being used, the variations from cit yo city were a nightmare for contractors or designers. Furthermore, there was no one source to consult to find what code applied for a given location. Each government controlled its own jurisdiction, but no one was in charge of the whole area - that level of authority didn’t exist!

Agreement on All Sides

AGC/Quad Cities (AGC/QC) operates under the charter granted to the Master Builders of Iowa by AGC of America. In an AGC/QC Board of Directors meeting on January 12, 1999, Mick Robertson of Robertson Builders, chairman of the Public Affairs Committee, asked what most board members thought was a rhetorical question: “Why can’t we have just one building code in the Quad Cities?” After much discussion, the board decided to ask the area’s building officials the same question, and to its surprise, seven officials enthusiastically embraced the concept of a Uniform Building Code (UBC) for the Quad Cities

The board assumed that the next step would be the hardest - convincing the politicians (mayors and city councils), the city administrators, managers, and code review boards. Newly appointed (At the time) Moline City Administrator Dale Iman arranged for George Roland of Estes Co. and Steve Tondi, AGC/QC president and CEO, to make the association’s case at a July 1999 luncheon before a group of mayors, city administrators, and managers. Again surprisingly, everyone present quickly agreed that the concept of code uniformity was worth working toward. The AGC/QC soon took steps toward that goal by hosting and facilitating regular meetings for the building inspectors.

Calling All Stakeholders…

In January 2000, to ensure success, AGC/QC added the following other key groups into the mix: the Eastern Iowa AIA and the Quad City Home Builders; a representative from the Illinois and Iowa Quad City Fire Marshals; a representative from the Bi-State Regional Commission; and a developer. Once all the bases were covered in the industry and across governmental lines, the group named itself the Quad City Uniform Code Committee (QCUCC) and formed “goals,” an “objective,” and “guiding principles” to stay on track.

Next, a QCUCC subcommittee created a matrix of all the codes (contacts and phone numbers as well) currently being used, which allowed side-by-side comparisons of all the code entities and thereby helped the group determine the size of the job before it. The matrix would also be a resource for designers and builders to find out in advance what code they would be using once the project location was determined. After the matrix was created the group wanted to post it on the Web, but because the AGC/QC had no website at the time, the chapter was challenged to create one, add the matrix, and keep it current.

Great Results and Unexpected Side Benefits

Then the real work began. The code officials formed (or revived) peer groups on both sides of the river. The Iowa Metropolitan Area Code Officials and the Illinois State Building Officials started holding regular joint meetings for the sole purpose of achieving a uniform code: reviewing new codes for potential adoptions; sharing resources; and reviewing responsibilities. They also worked on the larger task of consistency of code interpretation. According to the building officials, these meetings had the side benefits of a higher level of professionalism, an excellent peer network, and easy communication across all boundaries.

Before the first adoption of the new code, the AGC/QC and the Quad City Home Builders provided written and in-person testimony to the various city councils describing the code review process used (with help from the QCUCC) and the benefits of code uniformity. This activity gave the review process the credibility it needed for a smooth approval process in all council chambers.

The real accomplishment came when all of the major cities finally adopted the 2000 International Building Code (IBC) earlier this year. Currently, all of the cities are working as a group to adopt the 2003 IBC. Each side of the river is working from a different timetable, but all expect to succeed before the year is out, and all continue to communicate and coordinate their efforts.

Fighting the Good Fight

The QCUCC was invited to report on its success to the Illinois Building Commission, which has a similar mission to accomplish for the entire state of Illinois. On October 14, 2003, AGC/QC and the Eastern Iowa AIA intend to make a joint report to the Quad City construction industry and construction users on the QCUCC’s success.

A good part of the QCUCC’s success is no doubt owed to the fact that the group never let personal agendas (contractor, designer, political, etc.) obscure its objective. The QCUCC managed (by design) to maintain a high level of professionalism that kept us focused and avoided the “personality” issues that often sidetrack projects of merit. It has truly been a “win-win” experience for all participants! The QCUCC, IMABO, and ISBOA continue to meet every other month (or as needed) and intend to continue to do so until there is only one code for the entire country!

For more information: Contact Steve Tondi, AGC/QC president and CEO.