(A) Building Inspector. The office of the Building Inspector, along with the Zoning Administrator is hereby established for which the City Council may appoint the employee or employees of the city as it may deem proper. It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector and Zoning Administrator to enforce this chapter through the proper legal channels.
(B) Compliance with regulations.
(1) Hereafter, no person shall erect, alter, wreck or move any building or part thereof without first securing a building permit therefore.
(2) No building permit shall be required for an alteration costing an amount as set by the City Council from time to time if no structural alteration of the building is involved.
(3) A building permit shall be obtained before any construction or alteration takes place.
(4) For persons beginning and/or completing construction or alteration before a building permit has been obtained, the activity shall be treated as a violation of this chapter as stated in §156.09.
(C) Building permits.
(1) Application for a building permit shall be made to the Building Inspector on blank forms to be furnished by the city. Each application for a permit to construct or alter a building shall be accompanied by a plan drawn to scale showing the dimensions of the lot to be built upon and the size and location of the building and use and accessory buildings and uses to be erected or constructed. Applications for any kind of building permit shall contain other information as may be deemed necessary for the proper enforcement of this chapter or any other. The fee for a building permit shall be determined by the City Council. The Building Inspector shall issue the building permit only after determining that the building plans, together with the application, comply with the terms of this chapter.
(2) Building permits approved and/or issued shall expire 12 months from the approval date on the permit if construction has not begun or has not been completed.
(D) Certificate of occupancy.
(1) Application. Certificate of occupancy shall be obtained before:
(a) Any vacant land is hereafter occupied or used, except for agricultural purposes;
(b) Any commercial or industrial building hereafter erected or structurally altered is occupied or used; and
(c) The commercial or industrial use of any building or land is altered.
(2) Procedure.
(a) Application for a certificate of occupancy shall be made to the Building Inspector as part of the application for a building permit as required in division (C) above before any building or land shall be used or occupied. This certificate shall be issued within ten days after a written request for the same has been made to the Building Inspector, after the erection or alteration of the building or part thereof has been completed in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. Pending the issuance of such a certificate, the Building Inspector may issue a temporary certificate of occupancy for a period of not exceeding six months during the completion of the erection or alteration of the building. The temporary certificate shall not be construed as in any way altering the respective rights, duties or obligations of the owners or of the city relating to the use or occupancy of the premises or any other matter except under restrictions and provisions as will adequately ensure the safety of the occupants.
(b) Every certificate of occupancy shall state that the building or proposed use of a building or land complies with all provisions of law and of this chapter. A record of all certificates of occupancy shall be kept on file in the office of the Building Inspector and copies shall be furnished on request to any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in the building or land affected. No fee shall be charged for a certificate of occupancy.
(c) No building permit for the erection or alteration of a building shall be issued before application has been made for a certificate of occupancy.
(d) A certificate of occupancy shall be issued for all lawful nonconforming uses of land or buildings created by adoption of this chapter, or in existence at the effective date of this chapter. Application for the certificate of occupancy for a nonconforming use shall be filed with the Building Inspector by the owner or lessee of the building or land occupied by the nonconforming use within one year of the effective date of this chapter. It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector to issue a certificate of occupancy for a lawful nonconforming use. Failure to apply for the certificate of occupancy for a nonconforming use, or refusal of the Building Inspector to issue a certificate of occupancy for the nonconforming use shall be a prima facie evidence that the nonconforming use was either illegal or did not lawfully exist at the effective date of this chapter.
(Ord. 266, passed 5- -2008)