(A) The administration of this article shall be the responsibility of the Building Inspector; he or she will work in close cooperation with the Fire Chief, the county’s Health Department and other officials and agencies; he or she may seek their written opinions concerning the conditions of dwellings or other buildings.
(B) (1) The Building Inspector is authorized to conduct surveys and make inspections in any area of the community to determine compliance with this article or other ordinance he or she is empowered to enforce.
(2) The Building Inspector shall investigate all complaints which have been submitted on the proper forms provided by the city, alleging or charging that a violation of this article exists and/or that a building or dwelling is unfit or unsafe for human habitation or other occupancy.
(3) For the purpose of making such surveys, inspections and investigations, the Building Inspector is hereby authorized, upon identification and statement of purpose, to enter, inspect, survey and investigate if an emergency exists or if requested by the owner or occupant, all buildings, dwellings, dwelling units and general premises. The owner or occupant of every building, dwelling, dwelling units and general premises, or the person in charge thereof, shall give the Building Inspector free access to such building, dwelling, dwelling unit or general premises for the purpose of such inspection, survey or investigation.
(C) The Building Inspector shall keep records of all complaints received, inspection reports, orders and complaints issued and of other actions taken. The records shall be available for public inspection. He or she shall prepare an annual report including statistics based on the records kept.
(D) (1) Whenever it is claimed that the true intent and meaning of this article has been wrongly interpreted or that the time allowed for compliance is unreasonable, the owner, his or her agent or the occupant, as the case may be, may file a notice of appeal from a decision or order of the Building Inspector. Such notice shall be in writing and filed with the city within ten days after the decision or order of the Building Inspector has been made.
(2) The Board, when so appealed to, may modify the decision or order of the Building Inspector. Its decision shall be final, subject, however, to such remedy as any aggrieved person may have at law or in equity. The Board’s decision shall be in writing, shall be filed in the office of the Building Inspector and a certified copy shall be given to the appellant.
(2005 Code, § 9-804)