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The Livermore City Council is scheduled to hold two public hearings at Monday’s regular meeting regarding amendments and revisions to the city’s municipal code as well as its annual fire hazard abatement program.
Regarding the first public hearing about the municipal code, state law requires local jurisdictions to enforce the California state building standards in the construction and maintenance of all buildings and structures, according to a staff report prepared by Livermore chief building official Franc Moufarrej.
The standards — updated on a triennial basis — include provisions of the nationally recognized model building, fire, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes.
Livermore currently enforces the 2022 California building standards code, the staff report states.
Given the state’s recent publication of the 2025 version of the codes, the city must enforce these new codes with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026. Local amendments are permitted if they are at least equally restrictive as the state code and are determined to be “reasonably necessary” in order to meet local conditions such as climate, geology, topography and environment, according to the staff report.
Following the public hearing, the council is set to consider adopting an ordinance that revises the old codes as well as amends and adopts the new 2025 state standards.
Impacted municipal codes include those for building, property maintenance, fire, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, residential, swimming pool and spa, wildland urban interface and the green building standards.
Amendments are not proposed to the California residential code or other codes currently governing residential structures, according to the staff report.
During the second public hearing, the council is set to consider protests related to weed abatement conducted on two parcels in Livermore by the fire department.
The abatement work cost a total of $2,491.50, according to a staff report prepared by Livermore administrative assistant Shiffon Smith.
“As a result, a significant fire hazard in the city has been reduced,” the staff report states.
Prior to the city’s abatement work, noncompliant parcels were given a “notice of intent to abate hazardous vegetation” posted on the parcel and a certified letter was sent to the property owner, according to the report.
Staff recommends the council consider all protests, and if appropriate, adopt a resolution overruling protests, confirming the 2025 abatement assessments and directing staff to file a certified copy of the assessment report with the county auditor.
In effect, the cost of abating weeds for each property, including administrative costs, would become an assessment on the property and placed on the county tax roll.
The council is scheduled to begin their meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday (Oct. 13). The full agenda is available here.
