OC: Plumbing code talks snarl over housing types

The third time might have been the charm for attempts to revise Ocean City’s strict plumbing code, as the City Council finally found a change that a majority would support.

After a month-long recess, Planning and Zoning Director Bill Neville was back before the council and presented the new verbiage in an amendment to the plumbing code, even though it went against his and Chief Building Inspector Kevin Brown’s advice.

“Our primary recommendation is that it stays the same and it’s been time-tested and proven that the ordinance in effect is the best choice,” Neville told the council during Tuesday’s work session. “Our second recommendation is passing an ordinance with a set of changes.”

Originally, the council agreed to slightly alter the wording in the 2015 International Plumbing Code to allow property owners to make direct replacements without a permit. When it turned out that the exact opposite was enforced by the building staff, Councilman Wayne Hartman asked the council to revisit it back in September.

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