Township of Bern, PA Code Enforcement

The Board of Supervisors of the Township hereby creates an office to be known as the "Township Code Office." The Township Code Office shall have the responsibility for administering the enforcement and inspection provisions of the Township Codes, the Land Use Codes, the Sewage Codes and any other law the enforcement of which is specifically delegated to the Township Code Office by the Board of Supervisors, and all codes, ordinances and regulations vesting such enforcement powers in the Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement Officer (the "jurisdictional laws"). There shall be appointed from time to time by resolution or motion of the Board of Supervisors a qualified individual or firm to serve as Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer and Sewage Enforcement Officer. A single individual or firm may, but need not, be appointed to fill any part or all of such offices. Where a firm is appointed to such office, any qualified member, associate or employee of such firm may fulfill the duties of the office. The individuals or firms so appointed shall exercise the powers and fulfill the duties of the Township Code Office based upon the following division of responsibility:

(1)

The Code Enforcement Officer shall enforce and administer the Township Codes;

(2)

The Zoning Officer shall enforce and administer the Land Use Codes; and

(3)

The Sewage Enforcement Officer shall enforce and administer the Sewage Codes.

The Township Code Office shall be responsible for the receipt of applications, the issuance of permits, notices, certificates and orders, the making of inspections to determine conformance with the jurisdictional laws, the keeping of records, supervision of administrative matters within the Township Code Office as assigned by the Board of Supervisors, the issuance of periodic reports to the Board of Supervisors, the recommendation of amendments, supplements and additions to the jurisdictional laws and other such activities as may, from time to time, be designated by the Board of Supervisors. The Code Enforcement Officer shall supervise such other deputies, employees, assistants and inspectors as shall be necessary for the administration and execution of the responsibilities of the Township Code Office as, from time to time, appointed, approved or authorized by the Board of Supervisors of the township.

§ 8-2 Official records.

An official record shall be kept of all business and activities of the Township Code Office and, to the extent required by law, all such records shall be open to the public for inspection at all appropriate times; provided, however, that the aforesaid shall not apply to any records of information which is not required by law to be made available to the public and provided, further, that the aforesaid shall not apply to any evidence or information obtained in the course of any inspection or investigation, which shall be considered privileged information and shall be kept confidential.

§ 8-3 Inspections.

In the discharge of their respective duties, each of the Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer or Sewage Enforcement Officer, or their respective deputies, assistants or authorized representatives, upon showing proper identification when requested, is hereby authorized to enter and inspect, at any reasonable hour, which shall be deemed to be between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. prevailing time, any building, structure or premises in the township for the purpose of enforcing the duties and responsibilities of the Township Code Office pertaining to any of the jurisdictional laws. The applicable officer (Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer, or Sewage Enforcement Officer or their deputies) and the owner, operator or occupant or other person in charge of any such building, structure or premises, subject to the provisions of the applicable jurisdictional laws, may agree to an inspection by appointment at a mutually convenient time.

§ 8-4 Construal of provisions.

Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to limit, supersede or otherwise interfere with the duties and responsibilities of the Police Department of the Township of Bern and the members of said Police Department as such duties and responsibilities may, from time to time, be provided by statute, ordinance, rule or regulation or otherwise provided by law.

§ 8-5 Grant of authority to Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer and Sewage Enforcement Officer.

The Code Enforcement Officer and the Sewage Enforcement Officer are hereby authorized and empowered to institute summary proceedings by citation, civil enforcement proceedings or any other proceeding as may be authorized by the applicable jurisdictional laws herein described or as otherwise may be authorized by law, and each shall also have the authority and power to request, obtain and serve search warrants and subpoenas as may be authorized by the applicable jurisdictional laws herein described or as otherwise may be authorized by law.

§ 8-6 Grant of authority to deputy officers.

Duly designated employees of the township's duly appointed engineering firm may be appointed by the Board of Supervisors of the township from time to time, by motion or resolution, to serve and act as Deputy Code Enforcement Officer, Deputy Zoning Officer and/or Deputy Sewage Enforcement Officer, each of which shall, in the absence or inability to act of the Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer and/or Sewage Enforcement Officer, be authorized and empowered to institute summary proceedings by citation, civil enforcement proceedings or any other proceeding as may be authorized by the applicable jurisdictional laws herein described or as otherwise may be authorized by law, and each shall also have the authority and power to request, obtain and serve search warrants and subpoenas as may be authorized by the applicable jurisdictional laws herein described or as otherwise may be authorized by law, and to otherwise exercise the full authority of the Township Code Office with respect to the matters entrusted to such deputies.