Re: The difference
Texasbo and JD good posts above.
Brudgers,
As I stated in a previous post, when you drag the attorney or manager into it before you and I talk you are the one slowing down the process.
You must work in an area full of phantom codes and "my way or the highway" folks. I am glad I don't and feel sorry for you.
When you run into those guys that don't know the code and butt heads, take them to the Appeals Board. A public butt whipping will usually straighten that type out and makes them do better next time because its not fun to eat crow in front of an audiance. And if they don't get better the City is going to notice sooner or later.
Don't know about all other cities but we here we have to have you in front of the appeals board within 5 business days of you making the request. Fee to go there is $100.00, we found if you didn't make it cost a little bit the appeals board was overwhelmed all those "My way or the Highway" Design Professionals and building owners :lol: who were worried about money only and would gamble a little time to see if they could go around a requirement they didn't like.
I guess you can "fight" or "attack" any way you like, but there are more code officials out there that can be had for a little honey (calm discussion about the code) as opposed to vinegar (dragging the code official into meeting with the bosses) everytime you disagree.
Another thing, here in our little community, I attend as many of the design professionals group meetings, home builders meeting, etc. as I can so we know each other at permit time and both parties feel a line of communitcation is already open so we can talk out our differences. We also bring our appeals and trade boards together once a quarter, feed them a cup of coffee and a cookie, and open up the floor for discussions about inspections and permitting etc. they give us feed back, ask their questions, tell us what problems they have with the way we are doing business and we have discussions with them about what we are thinking as far as code updates, common mistakes we are finding during inspections and plan review, and things that we have found we are not doing the best or right and how we intend to fix them.
We try to give our folks (design professionals, builders, contractors etc.) ownership in the process. You probably won't believe after getting this process started how the plans improved that we were seeing, the percentage drop in violations at inspection time etc.
Maybe before you have to call the City Manager or the City Attorney to set up yet again another meeting to straighten out the dumb code official, you could call him up and suggest a meeting to fix the process. When we all pull together on the rope and pull in the same direction, we actually get some work done and "god forbid" even get along.
Again, if the process is broken where you are, fix it, become a part of the solution not a continuing part of the problem.
You may think what I said sounds a little childish, simple or naive but it has served me for almost 30 years now in the code official business and I still have all my hair, no ulcers, and actually have contractors and design professional greet me in public as a friend not as a leper.
Good lord, this post is as long as some of Rick A's
:shock: :roll:
:lol:
No offense meant Rick just couldn't resist.