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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA007 - Council Action Form dated June 8, 1999 ITEM # 33 DATE: June 8 1999 SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF POLICY GUIDELINES REGARDING INSPECTION AND PLAN REVIEW PROCEDURES. BACKGROUND: During the budget process the City Council approved an additional Building/Zoning Inspector position due to the large quantity of construction. This new position will allow staff to maintain the level of service which contractors and property owners have come to expect. In lieu of requesting additional positions, the staff suggested that minor adjustments to our policies and procedures could be made which would free up additional time from our existing staff_ Staff believes it is very important to become as efficient as possible before asking for additional staff. The Building Official discussed these suggested adjustments with the Home Builder's Board of Directors_ They reviewed the recommendations and sent a written response to each item_ Mayor Tedesco, the Building Official and the President of the Home Builders asked for input on three different occasions at the Home Builder's monthly meetings. (These meetings are attended by the general membership_) The response by the HBA Board was fantastic and they should be commended for their cooperation. They understand the need for guidelines to make the system efficient, but fair to all who use it_ They also made some recommendations that staff had not thought of. The following guidelines are being presented for the City Council's approval or response. 1. Hours for inspections will remain from 9:00 — 11.30 a-m. and 1=30—4:00 p.m_, but for concrete footings and walls and plumbing stub-ins we will extend our hours from 8.30 a-m. — 12.00 p.m- and 1-00 —4:15 p_m_ Monday - Friday. 2. Office hours will remain 7.30 a.m. — 5-00 p.m. Monday— Friday: Most inspectors leave between 4-30 p-m_ —4-45 p.m_ 3_ We wila create and distribute checklists for various types of inspections_ 4. We will create a simple newsletter to be distributed quarterly_ Important information will be sent out immediately as needed. We will continue to send at least one representative to each monthly Home Builder's meeting_ We will work with the HBA Board on adding relevant articles to their newsletter. 5. We will make every effort to meet a representative of the contractor at the site for each inspection to improve communication and quickly solve problems. 6. Rather than use voice mail, we will continue to personally take all calls to assist with better communication. 7. We will begin to include a checklist of required inspections for that particular job when the permit is sent out. & We will now require a half-day notice (4 hours) for required inspections_ We will always handle emergency inspections as needed. (However, poor planning does not constitute an emergency.) And we will get them completed sooner than 4 hours as we can. Currently, we only get between 15 minutes and two hours notice for the majority of inspection requests, which cause scheduling conflicts, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies_ 9_ We will continue to perform the initial inspection and one free reinspection. Additional inspections will now be an extra charge at the rate that is already approved in the Municipal Code. 10.A citation may be issued when people occupy a structure on a temporary certificate of occupancy, but the correction list is not completed by the required deadline. 11_Construction may not begin until a permit has been issued. However, partial permits for footings may be issued to expedite the job based on the inspection staffs workload. Currently, many permit applications are submitted for review simultaneous with the start of construction or sometimes even after the project has begun_ This may cause the contractor to have to remove non-compliant work which was later identified during the permit review process. Our goal for permit review will be 5 days for residential permit review and 15 days for commercial plan review. 12_ Framing inspections will occur after all subcontractors have completed rough-ins. Currently, the electrical contractors have been calling the inspection staff for framing and electrical inspections simultaneously, only to find the HVAC or plumbing rough-in is not complete causing unnecessary reinspections. The Home Builder's Association Board had comments in addition to the proposed policies_ For instance, the plan review fee should be omitted and permit fee increased. The plan ilding permit fee. The Uniform Building Code adopted review fee is 65 percent of the bu the fee for years as standard across the country. tf the plan review fee were dropped, the building permit fee would have to be raised to accommodate the lost revenue. We understand he HBA's concerns, but we believe the revenue is consistent with other jurisdictions_ We believe the appropriate time to reexamine this fee would be when we look at the entire fee structure. Building permit fees have not increased in Ames since the mid-eighties- Another comment was to have a builder representative meet with the inspection staff quarterly to discuss code issues. We believe this is an idea that can easily be implemented_ We will continue to work with the HBA on code issues as we have in the past. ALTERNATIVES: 1_ Approve the administrative guidelines regarding inspection and permit review procedures_ If passed, it is staffs intention to implement these new procedures effective July 1, 1999_ 2_ Do not approve the request by staff to modify its inspection and permit review procedures. 3. Direct staff to work further with the Home Builders Association to develop alternate inspection and permit review procedures. MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION: It is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt Alternative #1 and support the recommended changes in procedures regarding inspections and permit review_ With approval of this alternative the City staff will notify local contractors of these changes and of the July 1 implementation date. COUNCIL ACTION: