A measure has just passed the House that would exempt small municipalities from the state’s new Uniform Building and Energy Code.
Designed to standardize building codes across the state and improve the energy efficiency and quality of new construction, the code took effect on Dec. 1 of last year. The law currently allows towns of fewer than 2,000 residents to choose not to enforce the code, but the new measure would exempt municipalities with fewer than 4,000 residents, according to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. Opponents of the bill say exempting some 400 communities defeats the purpose of a uniform code, while supporters say the costs and red tape the code presents are deterring smaller projects.
The bill faces additional votes in the Senate.
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