Blosser signs contract, Fairmont City Council to update fire codes
May 14—FAIRMONT — Travis Blosser takes his rightful seat as city manager at Wednesday's upcoming Fairmont City Council meeting.
The City will swear in Blosser as city manager at the meeting. Blosser signed his official contract on Monday, May 13. The meeting date was moved to Wednesday due to Tuesday's primary election.
No pending business will be in front of Council for Wednesday's meeting. New items include authorizing a waiver releasing the City's right of first refusal ahead of the Fifth Street Gym's sale to the nonprofit group, Friends of Fifth Street.
According to the ordinance in the City's agenda packet, the City intends to decline exercising it's right of first refusal to purchase the gym. The City's right of first refusal comes from the 1974 deed between the Marion County Board of Education and the City of Fairmont.
The City also intends to update its fire codes to reflect recent changes in the state fire code.
"There were provisions added to set the threshold statewide as far as what is allowed and not allowed when it comes to outdoor tire storage," Fire Chief Brian Starn said. "It's pretty broad statewide. What our ordinance would do is basically adopting that code, however, narrow it down. Even though at the state level there's limitations on how big and what size, what we're saying is, within the confines of city limits we're still restricting the use of property for outside storage of tires."
The statewide code changes became effective May 1.
Starn said the City chose to narrow down the state's definitions out of a desire to prevent residents from misusing the more expansive version of the fire code to improperly store tires within city limits. The adoption of the ordinance will also allow the city to adopt and enforce the statewide legislation.
Starn said the updated code has other substantial changes to bring fire code in line with the definitions set out by the National Fire Protection Association. For example, one change is defining a high rise building as a 75 foot building from a 40 foot one. The code also has updated rules for new construction, maximum allowable space before needing sprinkler systems and other changes.
Starn said setting rules for outdoor tire storage was important from a safety standpoint.
"When you get that much combustible rubbers, hydrocarbons and things that burn really hot, there's a substantial fire hazard," Starn said. "Not only that, part of it is the health hazard due to you know the water and mosquitoes getting in there and breeding. Things of that nature."
Finally, the City also requested residents stop throwing cigarette butts and other litter into the flowerpots downtown through a Facebook post on its page.
"These pots aren't trashcans," the post reads. "There are trash receptacles all around downtown as it is. We appreciate all the support for the return of the flowerpots, now let's keep them nice!"
The meeting is scheduled to take place Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com
