by Andrew Getty
It doesn’t matter where you live, whether it’s in New York State, Ohio, Florida, New Jersey, in a city or in the country, or in our case the Adirondacks, there is almost always a local Code Enforcement Office.
Duties are generally the same—the administration of state building, fire, property maintenance codes and the local land use zoning regulations.
Now this sounds pretty simple, right? In many cases it is.
Decks, small additions to a house, minor renovations, and new windows, adding a bathroom, building a dock or a new garage…
These are all examples of things that usually are pretty easy to review, determine compliance, issue a permit and then verify in the field that everything was done substantially as approved.
Attitudes are good and everybody’s happy.
It doesn’t matter where you live either; the process is generally the same.
Permits are required for almost any work in buildings.
Permits are required for the alteration, extension, removal of any plumbing, fire alarm system, electrical, mechanical, fire suppression system, any part of a septic system or any work which may alter or disturb the exit from any structure.
This applies to residential and commercial.
This not only a New York State standard, but a national standard… your local Town did not dream this stuff up.
Now let’s talk attitudes again. There is no doubt that a wide range of personalities with different attitudes can be found in various Code Enforcement Offices all around the country.
Code officers are people too. Just like any other business or profession, some people work well with others and handle all the pressure and stress quite well.
The pressure created in any type of office, Code Enforce-ment or otherwise, is usually directly related to work load, time, complexity of issues and the cooperative attitude of people you deal with.
Now let’s talk attitude here in the Town of Webb Code Office. Ouch!! That means looking in the mirror!!
We try to be helpful, courteous and professional with everyone.
Your personal experience with any code office will determine whether or not you agree with that statement.
The time of year (busy / slow season) plays a big role as well.
Right now is the busy time. Everyone wants to start their construction project asap.
Contractors are flat out dealing with customers, deliveries of materials, lining up sub-contractors, money issues…then they need to get that permit from the Code Office.
The permit applications that are fully complete, understandable, well prepared and have all the proper documents will get issued as quickly as possible…usually the first time it is reviewed.
Again, things went smooth and everybody’s happy.
To say the least, we are busy right now.
Currently, the Town of Webb Code Office has nearly 1,500 open permits in various stages of completion.
Many may actually be completed, but nobody called for a final inspection (hint-hint).
There are always few major projects as well.
There are hundreds of smaller projects like decks, docks, garages, sheds and small additions or renovations.
The actual number of active open permits is probably closer to 1,000, because so many people have not bothered to call the office to schedule that final inspection.
Also, both the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals have busy agendas as well, all which will lead to more building permits.
In the office waiting for review, are over sixty (30) new permit applications.
There are at least twenty (20) active enforcement cases, and several of those are in various states of litigation.
Every day the phones are ringing, or people coming in with dozens of questions or complaints.
Some are simple, others require extensive research.
Contractors are calling every day for inspections at various stages of construction.
We are busy.
So when anyone comes in to the Code Office and with an ugly attitude drops three incomplete applications on the counter (no address information, no plans, no surveys or plot plan) and says he has already started the work, and we need to go do the footing inspection
NOW because concrete is coming in half an hour… what should our attitude be?
Not everyone is happy now.
So we break schedule (someone else won’t be happy now), go to the site and what do we find?… We find a leach field also being replaced fifty (50) feet from the lake, no engineered plan, no permit, in violation and almost done!
Stop Work Order, Violation letters will be prepared which may include court appearance tickets.
Nobody will be happy, attitudes are sure to flare.
Help us help you. Work with us, we’ll work with you. Attitude, it’s all about the attitude.