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Code Enforcement/Property Maint. in building Dept?

vegas paul

vegas paul

Silver Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2009
Messages
495
Location
Salina, KS
How many of you have combined departments, where code enforcement (nuisance abatement, property maintenance, minimum housing, etc.) is included with your responsibilities?

We are considering a reorganization where the code enforcement inspectors would be brought into our fold in order to combine some of the responsibilities, and give a potential career path for climbing the inspection ladder.

I've seen departments that have them completely separated, and others where they are combined... What say you?
 
Due mainly to recent budget constraints, departments including code enforcement, zoning, facilities maintenance, landscaping, and certain aspects of public works have been placed under the umbrella of my building department. The code enforcement officers in my department also carry at least one ICC certification / state license as an inspector / plans examiner and serve as backups to the full time inspectors. They are budgeted at 80% General Fund and 20% Special Revenue / Enterprise Fund.
 
Building Inspector/Plans Review/Code Enforcement all in one, Cheesy.

WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.
 
I am the entire department so, I do it all. I like it as an 'all-in-one' and would keep it this way even if I had more inspectors.

I have worked in another jurisdiction where it was two separate departments. I didn't like that, the lack of communication between departments drove me nuts.

Sue, party of one and liking it....................
 
I think Building inspection and plan review go hand and hand.

I think it makes a better Building Inspector/Plans reviewer because you know what the builders are missing in the field and can put it on the plans as a heads up and everyone wins.

Code enforcement in a small town is hard because of the all the dirty politics.
 
Here we are under the Development Service Depart. Development Services is divided into two Planning and Zoning and Building. Under the Building Department we have review, inspection and code enforcement.

As to if I find any code violations while in the field I am supposed to do the first steps (door tag, talking to owner, etc..) if it is a building code violation (building without permit, etc..) and turn it over to the code officers. They are to follow up that permits are obtained and work is completed within a reasonable time if not it turns into a court case.

IMHO I believe code enforcement should be under the Police Dept (for funding purposes) and report to the BO.
 
I've worked for three towns over the last 17 years. All three combined all duties under one Department - Building Code includes Property Maintenance (especially true pre-2003 when we switched to modified I-Codes). Zoning is a natural extension of the process, and modifies (to some extent) the process of review - would it really make sense to approve it from a Building Code perspective only to have it denied by a Zoning Official?
 
One stop shop here and pretty much everywhere I've worked. Here my inspectors are the code enforcement officers. We also do most of the Planning and Zoning as well as some public works kinda stuff.
 
Thanks for the responses. I am proposing consolidation of Code Enforcement and Building Services in order to better use the resources and personel that we have. Currently, the groups are separate, and have no communication or cross-training. Wish me luck...
 
In the past municipalities (25 years) I worked for as code enforcement and building inspection and it was under the same department. It really made life easier. we could cross train code enforcement to be inspectors and during the slow times I had inspectors doing code enforcement. It made the building inspectors appreciate their jobs more and it made the code enforcement officers appreciate getting away from code enforcement.

I remember praying for the first hard freeze and a high wind to knock down the grass so I wouldn't have to deal with high grass and weeds! And speaking of weeds....wait until you write up an elderly lady for having high grass and weeds and finding out that the weeds you wrote up are her prize winning flowers!!

Code enforcement is not a fun job and no one knows what you go through until you've been there done that!

In the city I work for now I only have building inspections. No planning, no code enforcement...just building inspections. Sometimes it feels like I am on a vacation!
 
Re Mule's comment on writing up weeds.

IIRC there was someone back in the mid-west that was cited into court for his "weeds". Turned out to be native grass that hadn't been seen in over 80-100 years in the area.
 
Bryan Holland said:
..... They are budgeted at 80% General Fund and 20% Special Revenue / Enterprise Fund.
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So, Bryan, can I assume your Building Inspection personnel are budgeted at 100% Enterprise Fund? And that the Enterprise Fund generates enough additional revenue to cover 20% of Property Maintenance? Or is it structured that way because the Code Enforcement folks have other, revenue-generating responsibilities that constitute roughly 20% of their workload? This seems to be one downside that I have observed to having the functions combined. It's hard to explain to the Council at budget time that, even though we generate revenue through permits, at least half of our department's time is spent in Code Enforcement, which is basically a General Fund activity in the same way that Police and Fire are.

Another 'synergy' I can see in combining departments is that in many cases, the same house that has tall grass and trash accumulation also has building deficiencies. The Code Enforcement person - if in a separate department - may only write the house for weeds, while ignoring the gaping hole in the roof or the hazardous electrical service or... If you have adopted the IPMC, look at all of the references to the IRC - that document is essentially an offshoot of the IRC, and requires a certain level of knowledge of that document.

I agree with John, too, as to his point with zoning. Many times zoning plays into a typical property maintenance issue, as well, with things such as outdoor storage of equipment, materials, and home occupations. It's best to have one, multi-disciplined person in the field to look at issues in their totality.
 
I agree with John, too, as to his point with zoning. Many times zoning plays into a typical property maintenance issue, as well, with things such as outdoor storage of equipment, materials, and home occupations. It's best to have one, multi-disciplined person in the field to look at issues in their totality.

As long as the law is the same for everyone and the muit-disciplined person is backed-up from above.
 
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VP if your all under general funding and not an enterprise fund I say go for it. If in the future you want an enterprise fund for the building dept you may not get enough funds for the code enforcement people hence saying they should be funded from the PD's budget.

As to training them that's a plus for both groups.
 
Our Time Sheets have a code for building dept (permit fees) and one for fire prevention (general fund) it is not complicated. It is just another line item in your budget no different than charging tires to vehicle maintinance or paper to office supplies.

Having the code enforcement and inspectors co-located creates a compatible working relationship that different levels of expertise can be drawn from.

VP I also belive you are on the right track to combine them.
 
Our Property Maintenance inspectors also do the big zoning issues if we are already there for a P. M. inspection or a complaint call. We look at grass/weeds, inoperable vehicles, dogs, recreational vehicles (boats/rv's), and discarded materials. Any other zoning issues get referred to the zoning inspectors. This saves the county from sending multiple inspectors and writing multiple notices etc. for one location. We have some P.M. only trained inspectors and some cross trained combination ones. This method works well for us.
 
Wow, long time ago; I sometimes think about Vegas Paul and wonder what is happening to him. I do miss him.

I'm in a new job and it looks like I'm getting "the give it to the new guy". Just a couple of months here as Building Inspector and have found that the Code Enforcement Officer is in the Fire Department, never seen this before. Anyway as I get time I'm looking to this. I've been assigned to do the dilapidated buildings and as I investigate I'm finding that throughout the state this falls under "code Enforcement".

Anyone have an update on what's happening to Vegas Paul?
 
I am getting pressure from the powers that be to start a "proactive" property maintenance code enforcement program. Up until now, it has been a complaint driven process unless there was an eminent threat to the safety of people. I recently did a "windshield survey" and noted close to 40 vacant, dilapidated, uninhabitable, or should be buildings. Between the IPMC and the Nuisance Code, there is going to be a lot of extra work for me and neighborhood services coming soon. I am not sure where to even start. Approaching the property owners and telling them they either need to renovate extensively or tear it down, isn't going to be easy. I see a lot of Notice and Orders in the future. Does anyone else out there have any experience with a start up program like this? Thanks in advance.
 
WOW, good luck with the start-up. It can be done, if the powers that be, support and back you up. If they don't, it'll be doomed from the start.
 
Coder said:
I am getting pressure from the powers that be to start a "proactive" property maintenance code enforcement program. Up until now, it has been a complaint driven process unless there was an eminent threat to the safety of people. I recently did a "windshield survey" and noted close to 40 vacant, dilapidated, uninhabitable, or should be buildings. Between the IPMC and the Nuisance Code, there is going to be a lot of extra work for me and neighborhood services coming soon. I am not sure where to even start. Approaching the property owners and telling them they either need to renovate extensively or tear it down, isn't going to be easy. I see a lot of Notice and Orders in the future. Does anyone else out there have any experience with a start up program like this? Thanks in advance.
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Priority???

Apartments if you have them

Businesses


Houses last or by complaint
 
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