(a) Building Official. The Building Official is responsible for the enforcement of the rules of the Board and of Ohio R.C. Chapters 3781 and 3791 relating to the construction, arrangement, and the erection of buildings or parts thereof. All building officials shall conduct themselves in a professional, courteous, impartial, responsive, and cooperative manner. The Building Official shall render interpretations of this 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. Building Officials shall be responsible to assure that a system is in place to track and audit all projects, to assure that all Building Department personnel perform their duties in accordance with this section, and for the overall administration of a Building Department as follows:
(b) Applications and Plan Approvals. The Building Official shall receive applications, require or cause the submitted construction documents to be examined, ascertain by such examinations whether the construction indicated and described is in accordance with the requirements of this Ohio Building Code, and shall issue plan approvals for the construction, erection, alteration, demolition and moving of buildings and structures.
(c) Plan Examination by the Building Official. When the Building Department does not have in its full-time employ a certified master plans examiner, the certified Building Official shall examine construction documents to determine compliance with the rules of the Board if the registered design professional elects to submit construction documents that contain a written certification by the registered design professional indicating conformance with the requirements of the rules of the Board and Ohio R.C. Chapters 3781 and 3791.
(d) Orders. The Building Official shall issue all orders in accordance with Section 1301.06 to ensure compliance with the Ohio Building Code.
(e) Inspections.
(1) 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 108 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 construction documents.
(2) Special inspections are as required under Section 1704 of the Ohio Building Code.
(f) Department Records. The Building Official shall keep official records of applications received, certificate of plan approvals issued, notices and orders issued, certificates 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.
(g) Department Reports. The Building Official shall be responsible for the submission of reports and any requested special information to the Board of Building Standards as required in paragraph (F) of Rule 4101: 7-2-01 of the Administrative Code. Failure to submit these reports as required by rule or by special request or inquiry of the Board of Building Standards may be grounds for Board action as described in paragraph (F)(7) of Rule 4101:7-3-01 of the Administrative Code.
(h) Liability. Liability of certified Building Department personnel for any tortious act will be determined by Ohio courts to the applicable provisions of Ohio R.C. Chapter 2744.
(OBC 104)