(a) 
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to commence the construction of any structure or the construction of any alterations or repairs to any existing structure within the town or to move or remove any structure from without the corporate limits of the town or to move or remove any structure within the corporate limits of the town without first having procured a permit authorizing such construction from the town secretary of the town.
(b) 
(1) 
Certain documents, copies of which are on file and are open for inspection by the public in the office of the town secretary and building official, being marked and designated as follows:
(A) 
International Building Code, 2018 edition;
(B) 
International Residential Code, 2018 edition;
(C) 
International Energy Conservation Code, 2015 edition;
(D) 
International Plumbing Code, 2018 edition;
(E) 
International Mechanical Code, 2018 edition;
(F) 
International Fuel Gas Code, 2018 edition;
(G) 
International Fire Code, 2018 edition;
(H) 
National Electrical Code, 2017 edition;
(I) 
International Residential Code 2018 edition, appendix G for swimming pools, spas and hot tubs;
(J) 
Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, 1997 edition;
are adopted as the codes of the town for regulating the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, demolition, conversion, occupancy, maintenance, equipment, use, height, area and maintenance of all buildings or structures in the town; providing for issuance of permits and collection of fees for such permits; and all the regulations, provisions, conditions and terms of such publications referenced in this subsection, all of which are on file in the office of the town secretary and building official, are referred to, adopted and made a part of this article as if fully set out in this article. All references in such codes to boards of appeal shall refer to the board of adjustment of the town. Certain amendments to each of the codes referred to herein are adopted as a part of said codes and shall be maintained, together with each code to which the amendments apply, in the office of the town secretary and building official.
(2) 
The provisions of the International Building Code, the International Residential Code, the International Energy Conservation Code, the International Plumbing Code, the International Mechanical Code, the International Fuel Gas Code, the International Fire Code, the National Electrical Code, the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, and all other construction and structural maintenance codes and regulations, all of which have previously been adopted by the town, together with all amendments and schedules thereto, shall be and are hereby made applicable to all properties, areas, territories and land within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the town in addition to the corporate and territorial limits of the town. The standards and regulations provided by such codes shall, within the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, include, but are not limited to, the regulation of the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, demolition, conversion, occupancy, equipment, use, and maintenance of all buildings or structures in the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, and provide for the inspection, the issuance of permits and the collection of fees for such permits. All such inspections and permits shall be in accordance with the town’s schedule of fees on file in the offices of the town secretary. Provided, further, that any and all ordinances providing for the issuance of certificates of occupancy shall be and are hereby made applicable to all properties and land within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the town in addition to the corporate and territorial limits of the town.
(c) 
The office of building inspector of the town is hereby created, and the official in charge shall be known as the building inspector of the town.
(1) 
The building inspector shall be appointed by the town council. His appointment shall continue during satisfactory service, and subject to the pleasure of the town council.
(2) 
During temporary absence or disability of the building inspector, the appointing authority shall designate an acting building inspector.
(3) 
The building inspector shall not have any interest whatever, directly or indirectly, with the sale or manufacture of any material, process or device entering into or used in or in connection with building, construction, alterations, removal or demolition within the town.
(4) 
The building inspector shall receive applications required by the construction codes of the town from the town secretary for review, to determine if the applications as filed, conform with the subdivision ordinance, the construction ordinances, and the zoning ordinance, and other ordinances affecting construction and building in the town. If the building inspector shall approve the application, he shall report his approval, in writing, to the town secretary. If he shall disapprove the application, he shall give his reasons for disapproval, in writing, to the town secretary.
(5) 
The building inspector shall examine the premises for which permits have been issued and shall make necessary inspections to see that the provisions of the law are complied with and that construction is prosecuted safely.
(6) 
The building inspector shall enforce all provisions of construction codes.
(7) 
The building inspector shall, when requested by proper authority, or when the public interest so requires, make investigations in connection with matters referred to in the codes, and render written reports on the same.
(8) 
To enforce compliance with law, to remove illegal or unsafe conditions, to secure the necessary safeguards during construction, or to require adequate exit facilities in building and structures, he shall issue such notices or orders as may be necessary.
(9) 
The building inspector, or his duly appointed assistants, shall make the inspections required under the provisions of the construction codes, provided the person who shall make plumbing inspections shall be licensed in accordance with the Plumbing License Law of 1947, and amendments thereto. The building inspector may accept reports of inspectors of recognized inspection services, after investigation of their qualifications and reliability. No certificates called for by any provision of the construction codes shall be issued on such reports unless the same are in writing and certified by a responsible officer of such service.
(10) 
The building inspector shall keep comprehensive records of applications, of permits issued, of certificates issued, of inspections made, of reports rendered, and of notices or orders issued.
(11) 
All such records shall be open to public inspection during office hours unless excepted from disclosure by law, but shall not be removed from the office of the building inspector without his written consent.
(12) 
The building inspector shall make written reports to the town council once each month, or more often if requested, including statements of certificates issued, and orders promulgated.
(13) 
The building inspector shall perform such other duties as the town council shall, from time to time, impose upon the office.
(d) 
Any person, firms or corporation desiring to construct any structure or to construct any alterations or repairs to any existing structure within the town or to move any structure from without the corporate limits of the town, or to move any structure within the corporate limits of the town, shall file an application requesting a building permit with the town secretary. Said application shall specify the location of the proposed construction, and shall contain a plot plan, detailed plans and specifications and an estimate of the cost of the contemplated construction.
Each applicant for a building permit shall, at the time of filing his application with the town secretary, pay to the town secretary a filing fee according to the current fee schedule adopted by the town.
(e) 
The town secretary, upon the filing of an application for a building permit, shall refer such application to the building inspector for review and recommendations. At such time as the building inspector shall give his approval of such application to the town secretary, in writing, the town secretary shall issue a building permit to the applicant. Issuance of permits for commercial or business construction shall be subject to review by the town council.
(f) 
The building permit issued by the town shall be posted in plain view at the site of the construction during the entire period of construction.
(g) 
Any person, firm or corporation who has been granted a building permit to construct any structure or to construct any additions to any existing structure within the town or to move any editions to or within the corporate limits of the town or to move any structure within the corporate limits of the town, pursuant to and under the terms of this article, shall prosecute such construction in strict conformity with the plans and specifications on file, and the permit issued hereunder. Upon being notified in writing of a failure to prosecute such construction in accordance with the plans and specifications and permit, any such person, firm or corporation shall have ten (10) days in which to make such structure or construction conform to the plans and specifications and building permit. Failure to make such corrections shall constitute a violation under the terms of this article.
(h) 
Any officer or employee charged with the enforcement of the construction codes, acting for the town in the discharge of his duties, shall not thereby render himself liable personally, and he is hereby relieved from all personal liability for any damage that may accrue to persons or property as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties. Any suit brought against any officer or employee because of such act performed by him in the enforcement of any provision of the construction codes shall be defended by the attorney for the town until the final termination of the proceedings.
(i) 
The building inspector, in the discharge of his official duties, and upon proper identification, and with the permission of the occupant, shall have the authority to enter any building, structure, or premises at any reasonable hour.
(j) 
Any person, firm or corporation aggrieved by any interpretation or by any decision or ruling of the building inspector, under the construction codes, shall have the right to make an appeal to the town council. Notice of appeal shall be in writing and filed within fifteen (15) days.
Within a period of fifteen (15) days from the filing of the appeal, the town council shall hear the appeal, together with the testimony of all parties concerned, and render a decision thereon within three (3) days thereafter. In hearing an appeal, the town council shall not have the power to waive or set aside the requirements of the construction codes, but shall have the power to interpret its provisions, and in case of alternate types of construction or materials, shall determine whether or not such alternate type of construction or material is in fact equal to the standards of the construction codes, considering adequacy, stability, strength, sanitation and safety to the public health and welfare. The action of the town council thereon shall be final.
(k) 
No building hereafter erected or structurally altered, or moved from without the corporate limits to within the corporate limits of the town or moved within the corporate limits of the town, shall be used, occupied or changed in use or tenancy, until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the town secretary, stating that the building or proposed use of the building or premises complies with the detailed statement and plan submitted to and approved by the building inspector, and all other regulations pertaining to construction in the town.
(l) 
No person, firm or corporation having a franchise in the town shall furnish light, power, water, sewer, gas and/or telephone service to any building hereafter erected or structurally altered, or moved from without the corporate limits to within the corporate limits of the town or moved within the corporate limits of the town, unless and until a building permit and certificate of occupancy have been issued by the town secretary.
(m) 
Section 106.2 of the Southern Standard Building Code, 1973 Revision, is amended by deleting therefrom the phrase: “to pay a license tax as provided in the general license ordinance, and.”
Section 107.1 of such code is hereby amended to read: “No permit shall be issued until the fees prescribed by this article have been paid.”
Section 107.4 of such code is hereby deleted in its entirety.
(n) 
The fire limits of the town are hereby designated and established to coincide with and include all of the areas zoned “Commercial-C” in the comprehensive zoning ordinance of the town or any amendments thereto.
(o) 
It is the intention of the town council that this article, and every provision thereof, shall be considered separable; and the invalidity of any section, clause, provision or part or portion of any section, clause or provision of this article shall not affect the validity of any other provision of this article.
(p) 
All ordinances, and parts of ordinances, in conflict with the provisions of this article are hereby repealed.
(q) 
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this article, or who shall fail to comply with any requirement of this article, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be fined in accordance with the general penalty provision found in section 1.01.009 of this code, and each and every day’s continuance of any violation of any provision of this article shall constitute and be deemed a separate offense. In case of any such violation of any of the terms or provisions of this article by any corporation or company, the officers and agents and person or persons actually performing the violation for such corporation or company shall be subject to the penalties herein provided.
(2002 Code, art. 3.100; Ordinance adopting Code; Ordinance 2007-0108-05 adopted 1/8/07; Ordinance 2011-0117-03 adopted 1/17/11; Ordinance 2012-1106-01 adopted 11/12/12; Ordinance 2023-10 adopted 8/21/2023)