(a) Organization. The board of building standards and building appeals is composed of five members, who shall be appointed for a term of five years each. Three members of the board shall be appointees of the mayor, and two members shall be appointees of council. Members of the board shall be ineligible to succeed themselves unless the member is completing a term for which he or she was appointed to fill a midterm vacancy. The appointing authority may remove any member for cause. The planning staff, housing and building staff, and person acting in the capacity of the city engineer shall furnish any technical advice and services as required by the board.
(b) Officers. The board shall elect its own chairperson and vice chairperson. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum to do business. The city's chief planning officer or his or her designee shall be the secretary to the board and shall be responsible for the preparation of the docket and the minutes for all board meetings and shall perform all other duties incident to the office of secretary. The secretary shall have no vote.
(c) Powers and Duties. The board of building standards and building appeals may:
(1) approve or disapprove materials, types of construction, appliances, devices and designs proposed for use under the building and property maintenance codes;
(2) make, amend and repeal rules and regulations for carrying into effect all provisions of the building and property maintenance codes, other than those relating to zoning;
(3) hear and decide appeals from and review upon motion of a member of the board any order, requirement, decision or determination of any administrative official or agency of the city relating to a matter regulated by the building and property maintenance codes, except that matters relating to zoning shall not come within the province or jurisdiction of the board. In taking any action, the board may vary or modify the application of any provision of the building and property maintenance codes, except those relating to zoning, when the enforcement would do manifest injustice, impose unnecessary hardship or be contrary to the intent and purpose of the codes or the public interest;
(4) review upon the motion of a member of the board any rule, regulation or decision of the board, but no review shall prejudice the rights of any person who has acted in good faith before the decision is reversed or modified;
(5) exercise with respect to any building situated in the city the same powers as are exercised by the board of building standards under the laws of the state, all as permitted by general law;
(6) formulate and submit to council changes in and amendments to the building and property maintenance codes that the board determines are desirable;
(7) establish rules and regulations for its own procedure not inconsistent with this section or any ordinances of the city;
(8) act as the architectural board of review of the city under all authority granted to that board by the ordinances of the city and general law; and
(9) perform other duties and functions as may be imposed upon the board by this charter or by council.