[11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 8423[1]]
(a) 
The Department of Code Enforcement shall be responsible for the systematic enforcement of all City ordinances which deal with the health, safety, and welfare of the community including but not limited to the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC).
(b) 
The individual selected shall be a graduate of an accredited college or school with a degree in business administration, engineering, public administration, urban planning, safety inspection, general contracting, skilled labor, community development, organizational development, management, program administration, or similar field.
(c) 
In lieu of the above educational requirements, the individual selected shall have had at least five years of experience in code enforcement or in at least one of the fields set forth above, or similar field.
(d) 
The individual selected shall also have a foundation and experience using and working with technology.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Art. 153, Department of Code Enforcement, adopted 2-1-1973 by Ord. No. 6467, as amended, was repealed 11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 8422.
[11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 8423]
The areas of responsibility of the Department of Code Enforcement shall include housing, fire, sanitation, building, zoning, and other environmental code enforcement programs including but not limited to the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) and the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC).[1]
(a) 
The Building Inspector, his/her duties and functions as they now exist, shall be part of this Department and function under the direct supervision of the Director.
(b) 
The Health Inspector shall be (whether an employee or independent contractor) a part of this Department and he shall take his directions from and make his reports to the Director.
(c) 
Rental unit inspections shall be performed by personnel (whether an employee or independent contractor) assigned to this Department who shall take directions from and report to the Director.
(d) 
Occupancy inspections at the point of sale shall be performed by personnel (whether an employee or independent contractor) assigned to this Department who shall take directions from and report to the Director.
(e) 
Exterior residential and commercial building inspections shall be performed by personnel (whether an employee or independent contractor) assigned to this Department who shall take their directions from and report to the Director.
(f) 
Rodent-control duties shall be performed by personnel (whether an employee or independent contractor) assigned to this Department who shall take directions from and report to the Director.
(g) 
All planning and zoning activities including land development review shall be overseen by the Director of Code Enforcement.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
[11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 8423]
(a) 
The Director of the Department of Code Enforcement shall be responsible to enforce and administer all of the provisions of this article and of those other applicable codes and ordinances which establish the Department of Code Enforcement as their official administration and enforcement authority.
(b) 
The duties of the Code Enforcement Officers shall include the issuance of all necessary notices and orders to abate illegal and unsafe conditions to insure compliance with this article, and those other applicable codes and/or ordinances for the safety, health and general welfare of the public; the making of inspections to determine compliance with the applicable codes and ordinances; the undertaking of investigations, and other activities as may be required.
(c) 
A Code Enforcement Officer shall display proper credentials of their respective office for when inspecting any and all buildings and premises in the performance of duties under the applicable code and/or ordinance where requested.
(d) 
Whenever, in the opinion of the officer initiating an inspection under the applicable codes and/or ordinances, it is deemed necessary or desirable to have inspections by any other department, the Director shall make reasonable efforts to arrange for the coordination of such inspections so as to minimize the number of visits by representatives of the City and to confer with the other departments for the purpose of eliminating conflicting orders before any are issued. The assistance and cooperation of all other officials, including police and fire departments, shall be available to the Director to assist in the performance of these duties.
(e) 
Except in case of an emergency, the Code Enforcement Officers shall schedule a mutually convenient time agreed to with the property owner for discharging his/her duties to safeguard the safety, health and welfare of the public. Upon showing proper identification where requested, the Code Enforcement Officers are hereby authorized to enter and inspect between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. any structure or premises in the City to enforce the provisions of this article and of those other applicable codes and ordinances. Every occupant, owner or operator of a structure or premises or their agent or employee shall give access to any part of such structure or its premises at reasonable times for the purpose of making such inspection, maintenance, repairs, or alterations as are necessary to comply with the provisions of this Code.
(f) 
If any owner, operator, occupant or other person in charge of a structure refuses, impedes, inhibits, interferes with, restricts or obstructs entry and free access to the structure or premises under his control or to any part thereof, with respect to any authorized inspection, a Code Enforcement Officer, may upon showing that probable cause exists for the inspection, file a petition for and obtain an order directing compliance with the inspection requirements of this article from a court of competent jurisdiction. Any person who refuses to comply with such an order issued pursuant to this section shall be subject to such penalties as may be authorized by law for violation of a court order.
(g) 
The Director of the Department of Code Enforcement shall have such power as may be necessary in the interest of public safety, health and general welfare to interpret the intent of the applicable codes in specific cases where it clearly appears that by reason of special conditions, undue hardship would result from a literal application of any section of the applicable codes.
(h) 
The Director of Code Enforcement shall keep an accurate account of all fees collected; and such collected fees shall be deposited in the City treasury for appropriate distribution. For purposes of this article, the Director of the Department of Code Enforcement shall be considered a Code Enforcement Officer.
[11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 8423]
(a) 
An official record shall be kept of all business and operational activities of the Department of Code Enforcement and all such records shall be open to the public for inspection at all appropriate times, except that no individual, owner, operator, occupant or other person shall be subject to unwarranted invasion of privacy, and except that all evidence or information shall not be disclosed except as may be necessary in the judgment of the Code Enforcement Officer for the proper and effective administration and enforcement of the provisions of this article and shall not otherwise be made public without the consent of the owner, occupant, operator or other person in charge of the unit, structure or premises inspected. Such records shall be retained in the official records so long as the building or structure to which they relate remains in existence unless otherwise provided by other regulations.
(b) 
The Director of the Department of Code Enforcement shall submit to the City Administrator and Council a monthly written report of operations in the form and content as shall be prescribed by the City Administrator.