[Amended 12-18-1990 by Ord. No. 90-10]
The Bureau of Fire is hereby designated as the
Agency to administer and secure compliance with this chapter.
[Amended 12-18-1990 by Ord. No. 90-10]
The Agency shall be under the direction and
charge of the Fire Chief. As Chief Officer of said Agency, the Fire
Chief may designate the Fire Marshal as Chief Inspector and such assistants
and inspectors who have completed the code and code enforcement training
as may be required by law to carry out effectively the powers and
duties of the Agency.
[Amended 12-18-1990 by Ord. No. 90-10]
A.
The Agency shall be empowered to adopt rules and regulations
necessary for securing such compliance and for its own organization
and internal management, provided that such rules and regulations
shall not be in conflict with this chapter.
B.
It shall be the duty of the Chief Officer, through
his designate:
(1)
To make inspections of premises of all dwellings which
contain two or more apartments. This shall be done within four years
after enactment of this amendment, then at least once every two years
thereafter.
(2)
To cause an investigation of all complaints of alleged
housing violations or other unsafe or unsanitary conditions. All complaints
must be in writing, setting forth the alleged violation or other unsafe
or unsanitary conditions and shall be signed by the complainant with
his or her address. Such complaints shall be filed with or addressed
to the "Chief Officer, Housing Code Enforcement, Oneida City Fire
Department, City Hall, Oneida, New York".
(3)
To request the Chief Legal Officer of the City to
take appropriate legal action upon failure of the responsible party
to comply with any violation order within the time specified therein.
(4)
To cooperate with other municipal governmental and
private agencies engaged in the survey, study and improvement of housing
conditions.
[Amended 12-19-2000 by L.L. No. 6-2000]
Records shall be kept of all complaints received,
inspections made and violations found regarding premises regulated
by this chapter. Records shall be available for public inspection.
Upon request, the Agency shall make a search and issue a certificate
of its records, including violations upon the payment of a fee of
$0.25 per page.
Whenever a final order to remove a violation,
secure, vacate or demolish a building has not been complied with,
the Chief Officer of the Agency may proceed to cause the structure
to be demolished, repaired, altered, secured or vacated or to take
such other legal action as is necessary.
The expenses incurred by the City pursuant to the preceding section of this chapter shall be charged to and paid by the person responsible for said violation. The Chief Officer of the Enforcement Agency shall file with the Comptroller a statement of the items of expense and the date of execution of actions authorized by § 77-17. The Comptroller shall proceed to collect said sums owing the City, by direct action against the aforesaid person or persons or by adding the sums owing to the next City tax bill of said person or persons, the same to be a lien upon their real property until paid and collectible in the same manner as City taxes.
No officer, agent or employee of the City shall
be personally liable for any damage resulting from any official determination,
order or action required or permitted in the discharge of his duties
under this chapter. The City shall defend and indemnify the Chief
Officer of the Agency and the Fire Chief or other officer of their
departments or bureaus specifically designated and authorized by them
to make such official determination, order or action in the discharge
of their duties under this chapter, against any judgments or liability
that may arise as a result of any such official determination, order
or action made or taken by them in the discharge of their duties under
this chapter.
