CICHOUSTON

The Construction Industry Council first came into existence in 1957.

That year the City of Houston adopted a Building Code that had been 10 years in preparation and was basically the work of one city employee. The tremendous task had forced him to rely almost entirely upon information researched from then existing texts, and specification type standards from various bureaus.

The highest restrictive, specification type code that he presented was totally unacceptable to the entire construction industry and the professional community and would have been unworkable and unenforceable by the City.

As a result of meetings with community leaders, the city administration appointed an Advisory Committee to recommend a course of action. After considerable deliberation this committee chaired by Otis Massey and consisting of R. E. Chrone, Jack W. Knostman, Walter P. Moore, and Lewis J. Woodruff, and aided by the business and professional leaders of the industry recommended the adoption of the Uniform Building Code as published by the International Conference of Building Officials and the assembly of a task force of all industry and professional organizations to modify this code to fit the unique requirements of our locality and to prepare chapters covering those areas not addressed by the U.B.C.

This study task force, headed by Russell Nix as Chairman and consisting of 28 member associations, became the CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COUNCIL.

After years of hard work the new code was adopted and became law on March 10, 1963. The principle features of the code were:

1. The industry adopted a fee schedule
     designed to give the City of Houston a
     first class Building Department for
     Code Administration and enforcement
      that would be entirely funded by
      permit fees and license fees and
      would not require general taxation for
      its funding.

2. Three mechanical boards and a
     General Appeals Board, appointed by
      the Mayor and City Council, would
      assist in interpretations and disputes
      and recommend changes.

3.   The code was printed and circulated
       in loose leaf form so that revisions
       could be quickly and economically
       circulated.

At the meeting of the C.I.C. announcing and celebrating the passing of the Code into law, a motion was made by Chairman Russell Nix and unanimous passed by the member organization to make the C.I.C. a permanent organization.

The avowed purpose of the C.I.C., as later spelled out in it's October, 1968 Charter from the State of Texas is:

"Associating together of the various organizations of the construction industry to study and advise the Mayor and City Council of the City of Houston and any of its departments or committees in the area of codification or recodification of the City's requirements, ordinances, licenses, franchises, or other controls over the construction of buildings, dwellings, houses, and other structures above or below ground, in the corporate limits of the City of Houston or the jurisdiction of the City of Houston."

Since its inception the C.I.C. has provide without cost to the City of Houston or its taxpayers, literally millions of dollars worth of talent from within its member industry and professional organizations. Along with many other dynamic and progressive happenings that made the City of Houston the envy and inspiration of most of the nation, the C.I.C. has gain recognition and admiration from code and regulatory groups throughout the country.