The Newark City Council introduced an ordinance on Sept. 25 to repeal and replace multiple chapters of Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) in order to adopt the 2025 California Building Standards Code with locally tailored amendments. The council set a public hearing for Oct. 23 to consider formal adoption.

Chief Building Official Matthew Farrell said the state’s triennial update to Title 24 requires local jurisdictions to adopt the new state standards, subject to locally justified modifications for climate, geography and other conditions. Farrell noted some constraints: state legislation and the Building Standards Commission limit the scope for local departures, particularly where state green building and energy codes now preempt certain local changes.

Farrell identified notable updates in the 2025 cycle, including a substantial increase—about 40 percent—in commercial EV charging requirements, which he said will push more EV infrastructure into larger shopping-center projects. He also discussed tension between code language that seeks to clarify inconsistencies and the potential for unintended loopholes, and described the role of the California Building Officials association in training and interpreting code changes.

Council members asked about whether state rules effectively prohibit new natural gas hookups for some building types. Farrell said retrofit rules were not adopted across the board; prescriptive compliance paths in the model energy code can discourage gas heating for new construction, while alternative compliance pathways (energy modeling) may still allow gas appliances depending on the project. The council unanimously approved the motion to set a public hearing on Oct. 23.

If adopted at the public hearing, the updated local ordinance would be effective for new permits starting Jan. 1, 2026, consistent with the state adoption timeline.