(a) General. The Building Official shall enforce provisions of the rules of the Board of Building Standards and of Chapters 3781 and 3791 of the Ohio Revised Code, relating to construction, arrangement, and the erection of buildings or parts thereof as defined in the rules of the Board in accordance with the certification except as follows:
(1) Fire. The Fire Marshal or Fire Chief shall enforce all provisions of the rules of the Board relating to fire prevention.
(2) Health. The Department of Health, or the Boards of Health, the Division of Industrial Compliance of the Department of Commerce, or the municipal Department of Building Inspection shall enforce such provisions relating to sanitary construction.
(3) Engineering. The Department of the City Engineer, in cities having such departments, has complete supervision and regulation of the entire sewerage and drainage system of the City, including the house drain and the house sewer and all laterals draining into the street sewers. The department shall have control and supervision of the installation and construction of all drains and sewers that become a part of the sewerage system of the City and shall issue all the necessary permits and licenses for the construction and installation of all house drains and house sewers and of all other lateral drains that empty into the main sewers. Such Department shall keep a permanent record of the installation and location of every drain and sewerage system of the City.
(4) No officer exempted. This section does not exempt any officer or department from the obligation of enforcing any provision of the rules of the Board.
(5) Interpretations. The Building Official shall have the authority to render interpretations of the Ohio Building Code and to adopt policies and procedures in order to clarify the application of its provisions. Such interpretations, policies and procedures shall be in compliance with the intent and purpose of this Code.
(b) Applications and Approvals. The Building Official shall receive applications, require the review of submitted construction documents and issue plan approvals for the erection, and alteration, demolition and moving of buildings and structures, inspect the premises for which such approvals have been issued and enforce compliance with the provisions of this Code.
(c) Notices and Orders. The Building Official shall issue all necessary notices or orders to ensure compliance with this Code. When the Building Official finds that work or equipment is contrary to approved plans therefor and the rules of the Board, the Building Official shall send a notice in writing to the owner of said building or the owner’s agent. The notice shall state where and in what respect the work or equipment does not conform to the approved plans for same and the rules of the Board, and specify a reasonable period of time in which to conform to said plans or the rules of the Board.
(d) Inspections. If the plans for the erection, construction, repair, alteration, relocating, or equipment of a building are subject to inspection by the Building Official, under Section 109 of the Ohio Building Code, the Building Official shall cause to be made such inspections, investigations, and determinations as are necessary to determine whether or not the work which has been performed and the installations which have been made are in conformity with the approved plans and to safety and sanitation, except special inspections required under Section 1704 of the Ohio Building Code.
(e) Identification. The Building Department personnel shall show, when requested, proper identification when entering structures or premises in the performance of duties under this Code.
(f) Right of Entry. The Building Official, or Building Official’s designee, is authorized to enter a structure or premises at reasonable times to inspect or to perform the duties imposed by this Code, provided that credentials are presented to the occupant and that entry is requested and obtained. Where permission to enter has not been obtained, is denied, or the Building Official has probable cause to believe that there exists in a structure or upon a premises a condition which is a serious hazard the Building Official shall have recourse to the remedies provided by law to secure entry.
(g) Department Records. The Building Official shall keep official records of applications received, certificate of plan approval issued, notices and orders issued, certificate of occupancy, and other such records required by the rules of the Board of Building Standards. Such information shall be retained in the official permanent record for each project. One set of approved construction documents shall be retained by the Building Official for a period of not less than one hundred eighty days from date of completion of the permitted work, or as required by document retention regulations.
(h) Liability. Liability of certified Building Department personnel for any tortuous act will be determined by Ohio courts to the applicable provisions of Chapter 2744 of the Ohio Revised Code.
(OBC 104)
Whoever violates any provision of this chapter or any Code adopted herein or fails to comply with any lawful order issued pursuant thereto is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree and shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisoned not more than six months or both. Each day during which noncompliance or a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. The Municipality may institute injunction proceedings in Common Pleas Court to abate the nuisance of failure to cease work after receipt of a stop work order as referred to in Section 1311.07.