MARQUETTE — The Marquette City Commission will again consider implementing a national fire code that was postponed until December after local developers spoke out against it in June.

Commissioners this week unanimously agreed to hold a work session in September on the National Fire Prevention Association’s Fire Code 1, which is recommended by City Fire Chief Ian Davis. The code will then be on the agenda at a regular meeting soon after.

A public hearing was held in June, in which local developers voiced strong opposition to the code.

Local developer L.R. Swadley, president of the Home Builder’s Association of Michigan, and Mark Curran of Curran & Co., owner and operator of numerous rental units in Marquette, both said NFPA Fire Code 1 was more complicated than it appeared and would negatively impact development in the city.

Davis said that the code is standard and was already being enforced until it recently came to his attention the Marquette Fire Department had no authority to do so.

The commission in June voted 5-2 to postpone the decision for six months. Commissioner Mike Conley and Mayor Dave Campana opposed the postponement, backing Davis’s recommendation.

“At our last meeting this went back and forth, and we were left with a lot of unanswered questions,” Campana said Monday. “We really weren’t sure where we wanted to go on this.”

City Manager Mike Angeli said they could maintain the original postponement, schedule a work session, and/or put it on an upcoming agenda.

“Both myself and the fire department feel this is an important item, and putting it off until December is not in the best interest of the community, but certainly we understand the direction from the previous meeting,” Angeli said.

Commissioner Mike Conley joined the mayor and Conley this time advocating the commission vote on the issue as soon as possible.

Mayor Pro-Tem Tom Baldini asked if there were any developments being planned that would require the urgency.

Davis said he’s not aware of any but the issue also affects routine inspections of businesses, meaning the fire department has to “politely request” instead of require things pertaining to fire safety.

“So far, we haven’t had anyone refuse to do it,” Davis said. “But we are keeping track of those, and there is the potential that if people don’t want to do it, then they’re not going to have to do it because we don’t have any authority to require it anymore.”

He said NFPA Fire Code 1 relates to water supply and fire fighting access, as well as storage of hazardous and flammable materials, among other things.

During public comment, Fred Stonehouse, who is currently running for city commission, recommended the commission consider the issue as part of the city’s land development code overhaul, adding that there was zero information provided in commission materials.

“The public deserves an opportunity to look at that, to chew on it, and to provide their input to it,” Stonehouse said.

In response, Angeli noted that no background was provided because it was only being discussed, not decided.

Community Development Director Dennis Stachewicz also responded.

“On the Land Development Code Project, I just wanted to note that the fire codes will not be part of that review,” Stachewicz said. “That’s a separate specialty that our consultant will not be … assisting us with.”

Plourde said the ordinance should be brought back as soon as possible, and called for the commission to “get it done.”

“I think we would be remiss in a lot of different ways to wait until December,” Plourde said. “We’re asking our fire department to do something they really don’t have the authority to do and then … if something bad really does happen, we’re going to say well, ‘Whose fault is that?’ Well, to be honest it would be our fault, because we didn’t vote on the ordinance.”

Conley said it’s about safety for the community and the city’s firefighters, pointing out a business could choose to store propane tanks in a building without the code in place.

“A fire captain on the scene would probably hesitate to send his firefighters into that building if he knew there was propane tanks (that were) going to cook off,” Conley said.

He pointed out that Marquette Township has adopted a version of the code.

“So we aren’t really being crazy out-front and doing something that’s totally out there,” Conley said.

Commissioners Pete Frazier, Sarah Reynolds Sara Cambensy, and Mayor Pro-tem Baldini said they wanted more information.

“I think those of us that would prefer a work session certainly aren’t against safety, we just want to understand it better and make sure there aren’t other ways that we can combat some of this stuff,” Cambensy said.

Baldini said, “I’m not going to vote for something if I don’t know everything that’s in it.”

Mary Wardell can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. Her email address is mwardell@miningjournal.net.