(A) (1) There is hereby established a department of the city which shall be known as the Department of Buildings and which shall consist of a Building Commissioner and such assistants as may be provided for from time to time by the City Council.
(2) There is hereby created the office of Building Commissioner. This officer shall be appointed by the Mayor, by and with the consent of the City Council. His or her compensation shall be fixed by the City Council. He or she shall, before entering upon the duties of his or her office, enter into a bond in the sum of $2,000 conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of his or her office, with sureties to be approved by the City Council. The Building Commissioner shall be the head of the Department of Buildings and shall have the management and control of all matters and things pertaining to the Department. It shall be his or her duty to enforce all of the provisions of this chapter and all other ordinances relating to the erection, alteration, repair, removal or safety of buildings. He or she shall perform all duties required of him or her by the provisions of this chapter and other applicable ordinances and other duties required of him or her by the Mayor and City Council.
(B) (1) It shall be the duty of the Building Commissioner to enforce the provisions of this chapter and, for that purpose, he or she shall have the power of a police officer.
(2) The Building Commissioner shall check all applications, and all plans and specifications, for a building permit before the permit is issued.
(3) The Building Commissioner shall have the right of entry to any building or structure within the city, whether or not under construction, to perform any duty imposed upon him or her under this code.
(4) If construction in progress is found not to be in compliance with this chapter or any other ordinance of the city, the Building Commissioner is empowered to order the immediate stop of the work, and the work shall forthwith be stopped until adequate provisions for compliance are made. If, at completion, the construction is found to have been done not in compliance with these provisions, the Building Commissioner may refuse to issue a certificate of occupancy for any use of the building until compliance is reached.
(5) The Building Commissioner shall have the power to reject alternate materials or methods if they do not meet the standards established by this chapter, to inspect all of the buildings and structures within the city, shall have the power of judgment as to unsafe and hazardous buildings and structures, and shall have the authority to secure compliance with the provisions and purposes of this chapter.
(Prior Code, § 150.003) (Ord. 1837, passed 7-13-1959)