The office of Code Enforcement Officer is hereby established in and for the Village of Liberty, Sullivan County, New York, who shall be appointed by the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Liberty ("Village Board") for a term of up to one year, to serve at the pleasure of the Village Board at a compensation to be fixed and determined from time to time by the Village Board.
In the absence of the Code Enforcement Officer or in case of the Code Enforcement Officer's inability to act for any reason, the Village Board may designate a person to act on behalf of the Code Enforcement Officer and to exercise all the powers conferred upon the Code Enforcement Officer by this chapter and any other law, ordinance, code, rule or regulation.
The Village Board, with the approval of the Code Enforcement Officer, may appoint one or more code enforcement officers, as the need may appear, to act under the supervision and direction of the Code Enforcement Officer and to exercise any portion of the powers and duties of the Code Enforcement Officer as directed by him or her. The compensation of such code enforcement officer(s) shall be fixed by the Village Board.
A Code Enforcement Officer or an officer or employee of the Building Department shall not engage in any activity inconsistent with the Code Enforcement Officer's duties or with the interests of the Building Department, nor shall the Code Enforcement Officer, during the term of his or her employment, be engaged directly or indirectly in any building business or in the furnishing of labor, materials, supplies or appliances for, or the supervision of, the construction, alteration, demolition or maintenance of a building or the preparation of plans or specifications therefor within the Village of Liberty, except that this provision shall not prohibit any employee from engaging in any such activities in connection with the construction of a building or structure owned by the employee for the employee's own personal use and occupancy or for the use and occupancy of members of the employee's immediate family and not constructed for sale.
A. 
Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, ordinance, code, rule or regulation, or except as herein otherwise provided, the Code Enforcement Officer shall administer and enforce all of the provisions of laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations applicable to the plans, specifications or permits for the construction, alteration and repair of buildings and structures, and the installation and use of materials and equipment therein, and the location, use and occupancy thereof, including but not limited to the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code ("the Uniform Code").
B. 
The Code Enforcement Officer shall promulgate policies and procedures, subject to the approval of the Village Board, to secure the intent and purposes of this chapter and the proper enforcement of the Uniform Code and all laws, ordinances, rules, codes and regulations governing building plans, specifications, construction, alteration or repairs.
C. 
The Code Enforcement Officer shall receive applications, approve plans and specifications and issue permits for the erection and alteration of buildings or structures or parts thereof and shall examine the premises for which such applications have been received, plans approved or such permits have been issued for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Uniform Code and all laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations governing building construction or alterations.
D. 
The Code Enforcement Officer shall issue, in writing, all appropriate notices or orders to remove illegal or unsafe conditions, to require the necessary safeguards during construction and to ensure compliance during the entire course of construction with the requirements of the Uniform Code and such laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations, and such notices or orders may be served upon the property owner or the owner's agent personally or by sending by certified mail a copy of such order to the owner or the owner's agent at the address set forth in the application for a building permit and by posting the same upon a conspicuous portion of the premises to which the notice applies. The Code Enforcement Officer shall make all inspections which are necessary or proper for the carrying out of his or her duties, except that the Code Enforcement Officer may accept written reports of inspection from other employees of the Department of Buildings or from generally recognized and authoritative service and inspection bureaus or agencies, provided that the same are certified by a responsible official thereof.
E. 
Whenever the same may be appropriate to determine compliance with the provisions of the Uniform Code and all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations covering building construction or alteration, the Code Enforcement Officer may, in his or her discretion, accept and rely upon written reports of tests in the field by experienced professional persons or by accredited and authoritative testing laboratories or service and inspection bureaus or agencies.
F. 
The Code Enforcement Officer shall issue a certificate of occupancy, where appropriate, for a building constructed or altered in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Code and all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations covering building construction or alteration, which such certificate shall certify that the building conforms to the requirements of the Uniform Code and all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, rules and regulations covering building construction or alteration.
G. 
In addition thereto, the Code Enforcement Officer shall have all of the duties, powers and authorizations provided in or pursuant to § 381 of Article 18 of the Executive Law, as the same shall be from time to time amended.
A. 
The Code Enforcement Officer shall keep permanent official records of all transactions and activities conducted by him or her, including all applications received, plans approved, permits and certificates issued, fees charged and collected, inspection reports, all policies and procedures promulgated by him or her with the consent of the Village Board, and all notices and orders issued. All such records shall be public records open to public inspection during normal business hours.
B. 
The Code Enforcement Officer shall annually submit to the Village Board a written report and summary of all business conducted by the Department of Buildings, including approvals, permits and certificates issued, fees collected, orders and notices promulgated, inspections and tests made, and appeals or litigation pending or concluded.