Ordinance updates amending Chapter 15 of Part VII of the Tulare County Ordinance Code, pertaining to building regulations in Tulare County.
Summary
SCH Number
2025120389
Public Agency
Tulare County
Document Title
Ordinance updates amending Chapter 15 of Part VII of the Tulare County Ordinance Code, pertaining to building regulations in Tulare County.
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/10/2025
Document Description
The Resource Management Agency (RMA) and the Tulare County
Fire Department have comprehensively updated Chapter 15 of Part VII of the Tulare County Ordinance Code regarding building regulations based upon the 2024 International Code Editions prepared by the California Building Standards Commission, state statutes, and local conditions.
Chapter 15 of Part VII of the Tulare County Ordinance Code addresses building regulations in Tulare County. Through collaborative efforts by Tulare County Fire Department, County Counsel and RMA, Chapter 15 has been updated to reflect the new regulations in the California Building Standards Code. The references to the 2022 Building Standards Code have been replaced with language conforming
to the 2025 Building Standards Code, which goes into effect at the beginning of 2025.
This update will also include the new Article 33 Adoption of California Wildland Urban Interface Code, Title 24, Part 7; Significant increase to Section 320 Battery Storage: General Requirements & Entire Section additions; Section 1207 – Electrical Energy Storage Systems (ESS); Amendment for Sprinklered Mobile Homes and Premanufactured homes: Only those that have been manufactured after January 1, 2026, On private properties only, not applicable to mobile home parks; Appendix A-Employee Qualifications, of the California Building Codes; Appendix CJ- Emergency Housing and numerous text/verbiage changes throughout the codes as needed.
The amendment to the Ordinance Code is on file at the Clerk of the Board’s Office, the RMA and the Tulare County Fire Chief Office and is available for public review during normal business hours.
Contact Information
Name
Gary Mills
Agency Name
County of Tulare, Resource Management Agency
Job Title
Chief Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Jessica Wills
Agency Name
County of Tulare, Resource Management Agency
Job Title
Environmental Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Aaron R. Bock
Agency Name
County of Tulare Resource Management Agency
Job Title
Director of the Planning Department
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Cities
unincorporated area
Counties
Tulare
Regions
Unincorporated
Other Location Info
Throughout all the unincorporated areas of the County of Tulare, CA
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
Common Sense Exemption: CEQA guidelines 15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project is exempt from CEQA under the Common-Sense exemption.
Dated received for filing by County Clerk CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) sets forth the common sense exemption, which provides that CEQA only applies to projects which “have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment; where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.” As noted earlier, the amendments to Chapter15 of Part VII updates are necessary to reflect the new regulation in the 2022 California Building
Standards Code. Article 33 Adoption of California Wildland Urban Interface Code, Title 24, Part 7; Significant increase to Section 320 Battery Storage: General Requirements & Entire Section additions; Section 1207 – Electrical Energy Storage Systems (ESS); Amendment for Sprinklered Mobile Homes and Premanufactured homes: Only those that have been manufactured after January 1, 2026, on private properties only, not applicable to mobile home parks; and Appendix A-Employee Qualifications, of the California Building Codes; and Appendix CJ- Emergency Housing and numerous text/verbiage changes throughout the codes as needed on its face will not have a negative impact to the environment.
Therefore, due to limited changes in the building code, none of which would induce growth, and the fact that this is a benefit to the environment as the increased regulations will ensure that environmental impacts related to wildfires, solar battery fires, and burning mobile homes are all made less; and the additional requirements for certifications for building inspectors can only benefit the environment from additional administration of the building code; without more, it cannot be seen any impact or effect to the environment from these Building Code Changes. Hence, there are no special circumstances that exist that would create a reasonable possibility that approving the ordinance amendments would have a significant effect on the environment. Thus, adoption of the proposed ordinance
amendments is exempt from review under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
County Clerk
Tulare
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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