[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Norwood 12-19-2006 by L.L. No. 1-2006. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building permits — See Ch. 63.
Unsafe buildings — See Ch. 66.
Flood damage prevention — See Ch. 85.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 136.
Subdivision of land — See Ch. 165.
Outdoor woodburning furnaces — See Ch. 197.
Zoning — See Ch. 200.
A. 
This chapter shall provide for administration and enforcement of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (Uniform Code) in the Village of Norwood. This chapter is enacted pursuant to § 10 of Article 2 of the Municipal Home Rule Law. Except as otherwise provided within this chapter, within New York State law, or within the Uniform Code, all premises, regardless of use, are subject to the provisions which follow.
B. 
The Village Board may, by resolution, authorize the Mayor to enter into a contract with other governments to carry out the terms of this chapter.
The Village Board may, by resolution, authorize the Mayor to enter into a contract with other governments to carry out the terms of this chapter.
A. 
The office of Code Enforcement Official is hereby created and shall be filled by an appointment of the Village Board. The Code Enforcement Official shall possess background and experience related to building construction or fire prevention and shall, within the time constraints prescribed by law, obtain such training as the State of New York shall require for code enforcement personnel.
B. 
In the absence of the Code Enforcement Official, or in the case of his or her inability to act for any reason, the Mayor shall have the power, with the consent of the Village Board, to designate a person to act on behalf of the Code Enforcement Official and to exercise all the powers conferred upon him or her by this chapter.
C. 
The Mayor, with the approval of the Village Board, may appoint one inspector or more, as the need may appear, to act under the supervision and direction of the Code Enforcement Official and to exercise any portion of the powers and duties of the Code Enforcement Official as directed by him or her.
D. 
The compensation for the Code Enforcement Official, acting Code Enforcement Official and inspectors shall be fixed and adjusted as needed by the Village Board.
E. 
The Code Enforcement Official shall administer and enforce all the provisions of the Uniform Code and the provisions of this chapter, including receiving building permit applications, reviewing plans and specifications, conducting inspections, issuing permits for the erection, alteration, relocation, addition, repair and/or demolition of buildings and structures, issuing certificates of occupancy, collecting fees as set forth by the Village Board and maintaining and filing all records necessary for the administration of the office to the satisfaction of the Village Board. The Code Enforcement Official is authorized to pursue administrative actions and, in consultation with the Village Attorney, legal action as necessary to abate conditions not in compliance with the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, this chapter, or other laws, rules or regulations of the Village of Norwood or of the State of New York.
A. 
Except as hereinafter provided, no person, firm, corporation, association or partnership shall commence the construction, enlargement, alteration, improvement, removal, relocation or demolition of any building or structure or any portion thereof, or install a solid-fuel-burning heating appliance, chimney or flue in any dwelling unit, without first having obtained a permit from the Code Enforcement Official.
B. 
No permit shall be required for necessary repairs which do not materially affect structural features.
A. 
The application for a building permit, and its accompanying documents, shall contain sufficient information to permit a determination that the intended work accords with the requirements of the Uniform Code.
B. 
The form of the permit and application therefor shall be prescribed by the Code Enforcement Official. The application shall be signed by the owner (or his or her authorized agent) of the building and shall contain at least the following:
(1) 
Full name and address of the owner and, if by a corporation, the name and addresses of the responsible officials;
(2) 
Identification and/or description of the land on which the work is to be done;
(3) 
Description of use or occupancy of the land and existing or proposed building;
(4) 
Description of the proposed work;
(5) 
Three sets of plans and specifications for the proposed work.
C. 
The Code Enforcement Official may waive the requirement of plans and specifications when the work to be done involves minor alterations or is otherwise unnecessary.
D. 
The applicant shall notify the Code Enforcement Official of any changes in the information contained in the application during the period for which the permit is in effect. A permit will be issued when the application has been determined to be complete and when the proposed work has been determined to conform to the requirements of the Uniform Code. The authority conferred by such permit may be limited by conditions, if any, contained therein. Amendments, if any, to the application or to the plans and specifications accompanying the same shall be filed with the Code Enforcement Official, and approval shall be received from the Code Enforcement Official prior to the commencement of such change of work.
A. 
Payment upon issuance of a permit is required.
B. 
A building permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall be prominently displayed on the property or premises to which it pertains.
C. 
A building permit issued pursuant to this chapter may be suspended or revoked if it is determined that the work to which it pertains is not proceeding in conformance with the Uniform Code or with any condition attached to such permit, or if there has been misrepresentation or falsification of a material fact in connection with the application for the permit.
D. 
A building permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire one year from the date of issuance or upon the issuance of a certificate of occupancy (other than a temporary certificate of occupancy), whichever occurs first. The permit may, upon written request, be renewed for successive one-year periods, provided that:
(1) 
The permit has not been revoked or suspended at the time the application for renewal is made; and
(2) 
The relevant information in the application is up-to-date.
A fee schedule shall be established, and changed as needed, by resolution of the Village Board. Such fees may be charged for the issuance of permits, certificates of occupancy, temporary certificates of occupancy, and for firesafety inspections.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 63, Building Permits, re: establishment of fees by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
A. 
No building erected subject to the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code shall be used or occupied, except to the extent authorized hereunder, until a certificate of occupancy has been issued. No building similarly enlarged, extended, or altered, or upon which work has been performed which requires the issuance of a building permit shall be occupied or used more than 30 days after the completion of the alteration or work unless a certificate of occupancy has been issued. No change shall be made in the nature of the occupancy of an existing building unless a certificate of occupancy authorizing the change has been issued. The owner or his agent shall make application for a certificate of occupancy.
B. 
A temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued if the building or structure or a designated portion of a building or structure is sufficiently complete that it may be put to the use for which it is intended. A temporary certificate of occupancy shall expire six months from the date of issuance or at an earlier date if so specified. A temporary certificate of occupancy may, at the discretion of the Code Enforcement Official and upon payment of an additional fee as specified for a temporary certificate of occupancy, be renewed. The Code Enforcement Official may place special conditions on temporary certificates of occupancy as necessary to ensure safety and to protect the interest of the Village.
A. 
Inspections during construction.
(1) 
Work for which a building permit has been issued hereunder shall be inspected for approval prior to enclosing or covering any portion thereof and upon completion of each stage of construction, including, but not limited to, building location, site preparation, excavation, foundation, framing, superstructure, electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning. It shall be the responsibility of the owner, applicant, or his or her agent to inform the inspector that the work is ready for inspection and to schedule such inspection.
(2) 
Work which requires special inspections during construction shall be the responsibility of the owner, applicant, or his or her agent to provide a list, at his or her expense. A statement of the special inspections, including a complete list of materials and work requiring such inspections, and a list of the individuals and approved agencies shall be provided to the Code Enforcement Official or his or her designee for the permit application file. The reports of such special inspections shall be provided to the Code Enforcement Official or his or her designee for the permanent record.
(3) 
If entrance to make an inspection is refused or cannot be obtained, the Village Board, after being notified by the inspector of the situation, may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for an order to make an inspection.
B. 
Fire prevention and property maintenance inspections.
(1) 
Multiple dwellings shall be inspected for the purpose of determining compliance with fire prevention and property maintenance requirements of the Uniform Code at least once in every 36 months. Inspections of such buildings shall include the common areas such as halls, foyers, staircases, etc., and vacant dwelling units. Where the tenants of occupied dwelling units allow, the inspection may include such units.
(2) 
Firesafety inspections of buildings or structures having areas of public assembly, defined as "all buildings or portions of buildings used for gathering together 50 or more persons for amusement, athletic, civic, dining, educational, entertainment, patriotic, political, recreational, religious, social, or similar purposes, the entire fire area of which they are a part, and the means of egress therefrom" shall be performed at least once in every 12 months.
(3) 
All other buildings, uses and occupancies (except one- or two-family dwellings) shall be inspected at least once in every 24 months.
(4) 
An inspection of a building or dwelling unit may also be performed at any other time upon:
(a) 
The request of the owner, authorized agent, or tenant;
(b) 
Receipt of a written statement alleging that conditions or activities failing to comply with the Uniform Code exists; or
(c) 
Other reasonable and reliable information that such a violation exists.
A. 
Upon determination that a violation of the Uniform Code or this chapter exists in, on, or about any building or premises, the Code Enforcement Official shall order in writing the remedying of the condition. Such order shall state the specific provision of the Uniform Code or this chapter which the particular condition violates and shall grant such time as may be reasonably necessary for achieving compliance before proceedings to compel compliance shall be instituted. Such order shall be served personally or by notification by certified mail.
B. 
In addition to those penalties prescribed by state law, any person, firm or corporation who or which violates any provision of the Uniform Code or any rule or regulation of this chapter, or the terms or conditions of any certificate of occupancy issued by the Code Enforcement Official, shall be liable to a civil penalty of not more than $250 for each day or part thereof during which such violation continues. The civil penalties provided by this subsection shall be recoverable in an action instituted in the name of the Village Board on its own initiative or at the request of the Code Enforcement Official.
C. 
Alternatively or in addition to an action to recover the civil penalties provided by Subsection B, the Village Board may institute any appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, restrain, enjoin, correct, or abate any violation of, or to enforce, any provision of the Uniform Code or the Village Code or the terms or conditions of any certificate of occupancy issued by the Code Enforcement Official.
Whenever the Code Enforcement Official has reason to believe that the work on any building or structure is being performed in violation of the provisions of the applicable building laws, ordinances, rules or regulations of the Village, or not in conformity with the provisions of an application, or in an unsafe and dangerous manner, he or she shall notify the owner of the property, or the owner's agent, to suspend all work and suspend all building activities until the stop-work order has been rescinded. Such order and notice shall be in writing, shall state the conditions under which the work may be resumed and may be served upon a person to whom it is directed either by delivering it personally to him or her, or by posting the same upon a conspicuous portion of the building where the work is being performed and sending a copy of the same to him or her by certified mail at the address set forth in the application for the building permit for the construction of such building.
A. 
The Code Enforcement Official 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 rules and regulations promulgated by him or her with the consent of the Village Board, and notices and orders issued. All such records shall be public records open for public inspection during normal business hours. All plans and records pertaining to buildings or structures, or appurtenances thereto, shall be retained for at least the minimum time period so required by state law and regulation.
B. 
The Code Enforcement Official shall annually submit to the Village Board a written report and summary of all business conducted by his or her office, including approvals, permits and certificates issued, fees collected, orders and notices promulgated, inspections and tests made, and appeals or litigation pending or concluded.