The Green Building Technical Advisory Group’s mission is to create building code amendments that incorporate green building technologies, practices, or standards into code format.

Green Building is defined as design and construction practices that integrate the following environmental elements:

• energy efficiency
• water conservation & stormwater management
• safe & healthy indoor air quality
• resource conservation & efficient use of materials
• smart site development

To enact this mission, the TAG will use the following guidelines to as they go forward through the code development process.

• Review other codes already developed or in use in other parts of the country
• Review and evaluate existing green building models
• Review and evaluate green building best practices currently in use
• Evaluate what trade skills are necessary to implement code standards
• Evaluate the availability of resources and materials necessary to implement standards
• Evaluate proposed changes for enforcement capability
• Evaluate the initial and lifecycle costs of proposed changes
• Evaluate proposed changes for compatibility with existing financial incentive programs

In addition, the TAG will ask the following four questions as proposals are reviewed and developed:

1. Can the earth replace what is taken?

2. Does the proposal poison the earth, air or water?

3. Does the proposal respect the bio-diversity of flora and fauna?

4. Are the choices made fair and equitable?

The Bureau of Development Services is pursuing the development and creation of a local building code amendment addressing more sustainable buildings.  If successful, the local amendment will augment the existing State building code requirements. 

Local amendments to the State building code must go through a three-stage review process:

1. Approval of the code language at the City Council level;
2. Approval of the code language by the State Building Codes Division; and
3. Ratification by the City Council after State approval has been received.

While BDS will review other codes and documents to assist in the code development process, there is not a preconceived idea of how the amendment will ultimately look.

In order to assist BDS with the creation of the amendment, BDS has appointed experts from a wide variety of construction related businesses in the form of a Technical Advisory Group or TAG.