(a) The City shall have in its employ an architect or professional engineer registered in the State of Ohio having at least five (5) years experience in building construction or design and who holds the State certification of Building Official. Said professional architect or engineer shall be designated by the Mayor and approved by City Council as the City's Chief Building Official, commonly referred to as CBO. The Chief Building Official shall report to the Mayor, through the Commissioner of Building Inspection and Director of the Department of Economic and Business Development. The Chief Building Official shall maintain his certification credentials, and that of the Division's, in an active and current status with the State of Ohio.
(b) The Chief Building Official shall be responsible for enforcing and administering the Ohio Building Code, the Residential Code of Ohio, and the associated mechanical and electrical codes currently adopted by the State of Ohio through the State's Board of Building Standards. He shall be generally informed on the quality and strength of building materials, on the prevailing methods of building construction, on good practice in fire prevention, on the accepted requirements for safe exit facilities and on the proper installation of plumbing, electrical, heating, refrigeration and other installations for the safety and welfare of the occupants, as specified by the State of Ohio Board of Building Standards. In all such matters of code compliance and code enforcement, the Chief Building Official shall be the City's final authority.
(c) The Chief Building Official shall devote his whole time to the duties of his office. He shall be capable of making necessary examinations and inspections of buildings in the course of construction or demolition, or shall direct the City's staff-based, State-certified inspectors to perform such inspections. He shall be responsible for maintaining a log to track the results of such inspections. He shall not have any interest whatever, directly or indirectly, in the sale or manufacture of any material, process or device entering into or used in or in connection with building construction.
(d) The Chief Building Official shall review, or direct the review of, all submitted applications and construction documents and shall issue permitted approvals and certificates of occupancy in compliance with procedures as prescribed by the State Board of Building Standards. He shall render opinions consistent with the compliance and enforcement of the provisions of the existing building, mechanical, electrical, and fire codes adopted by the State of Ohio and the Toledo Municipal Code.
(e) The Chief Building Official (CBO), in concert with the Commissioner of Building Inspection shall develop and render procedural documents which give greater clarity to building code related matters. However rulings which are distinctly building code related shall be delivered by the CBO.
(f) The Chief Building Official shall supervise the fire inspection staff in fire safety plan review and inspections involving pre-occupied new structures or existing structures which are being altered, improved, or remodeled and require building permits and a certificate of occupancy.
(g) The Chief Building Official shall be the City's Floodplain Administrator and shall implement and administer the City's floodplain management policies and procedures. He shall communicate with federal, state, and local agencies as the City's official representative in floodplain management matters. He shall execute all documents related to construction activities in special flood hazard areas. He shall maintain records of Letters of Map Amendments (LOMAs), Letters of Map Revisions (LOMRs), Floodplain Economic and Business Development permits, Community Acknowledgement forms, and other such federally mandated records and certificates associated with the City's involvement in floodplain management. He shall be responsible for the City's participation in the Community Rating System which establishes flood insurance rates for the community. The Chief Building Official shall be assisted by the Commissioner of Building Inspection in matters pertaining to floodplain management.
(h) In the temporary absence of the Chief Building Official (CBO), a person who holds the State certification of Building Official, and has been designated to the State's Board of Building Standards as an alternate, shall assume the CBO's responsibilities.
(Ord. 121-15. Passed 3-31-15.)