Alexandria City Council member Todd Jensen said the council's decision whether to repeal a section of city code that requires stricter installations of sprinkler systems than the state building code boils down to saving lives or saving contractors a few bucks.
The issue will have to boil a little longer. By a 4-1 vote Monday night, the council approved Virgil Batesole's request to table the issue to get more information from City Attorney Tom Jacobson about what the city can and can't do about state rules governing sprinkler systems.
It's the second straight meeting the issue has been tabled.
Alexandria approved a more stringent state ordinance, known as Chapter 1306, in 2004 to provide a higher level of fire safety. It was originally developed by fire chiefs who wanted to decrease fire losses. A total of 55 communities in the state have adopted it.
Not everyone is a fan of Chapter 1306, however. Some builders say it's too expensive and its regulations go too far.