Cole County plans to update its countywide building and electrical codes after staff recently hired Michael Rankin to serve as building inspector, county staff told commissioners at the Nov. 26 meeting.

Staff said the county has been operating under the 2000 building code and 2002 electrical code and proposes adopting the 2018 International Building Code and the 2017 National Electrical Code, with county-specific amendments where needed. The update process staff outlined would begin with forming a statutorily required building commission (citizen appointments plus one commissioner), hold two to three commission meetings to draft amendments, then schedule three public hearings in accordance with statutory notice requirements before final adoption.

Staff emphasized outreach to stakeholders such as the Home Builders Association and the Board of Realtors to review draft amendments and reduce unintended impacts on local builders. Commissioners discussed the statutory distinction between adopting a new code cycle and amending the existing code; staff said the county must follow the adoption process because the change is a full code-cycle adoption rather than a piecemeal amendment to the older cycle.

Commissioners asked practical questions — whether contractors will be disadvantaged, how long warranties and design expectations would take to normalize, and whether sidewalk or sprinkler provisions would be onerous in rural areas. Staff said many local contractors already build to newer city codes and that the goal is to align county rules where reasonable and to include accessible amendments to reflect county conditions.

Staff did not request formal action at the Nov. 26 meeting; instead, they sought feedback and said they will return to the commission with a proposed list of building-commission candidates and a timeline for public hearings and adoption in the first quarter of 2026.