Burnet City Council was dominated by a series of votes updating building codes Tuesday night.

“For our citizens it's going to improve the workmanship and construction of their homes and businesses. A safer healthier environment,” said Roy Fyffe, the city’s building official.

The new codes are authored by the International Code Council, and provide minimum safeguards for people at home, at school and in the workplace. They cover areas such as plumbing, mechanical, zoning and energy conservation.

“The 2009 codes were promulgated and adopted back in March 2008 and sent to print. They include the latest tech, the latest best management practices and the latest design components,” Fyffe said.

Fyffe traveled to Baltimore to help draft the Property Maintenance and Zoning codes. He said that Burnet use to have a “mix match” approach to the codes which are updated every three years, meaning some of the city’s codes had not been updated in nearly a decade.

“Burnet is moving into the 21st century. By updating the codes I don’t have to make a decision on a technology's feasibility. If the codes approve it then I’m good with it,” he said.

So with construction in Burnet set to become safer, greener and more technological, might that lead to a drop in insurance rates?

“I don’t know if the insurance agencies will get on the bandwagon and lower rates.You’d like to think they would go down,” Fyffe said, wryly.