The duties for the building inspector shall be as follows:

(a)   The building inspector is hereby authorized to enter upon premises for all such purposes to perform the duty imposed upon him or her, and may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for an order granting such entry in the event entry is denied. It shall be the duty of the building inspector to inspect all construction done in the city for which a permit is required.

(b)   The building inspector shall keep a record of inspections made by him or her and in connection therewith a record of his or her orders of all buildings being erected, altered, or repaired with regard to construction therein to see that all construction work conforms to the building regulation of the city. He or she shall have power to reject any construction if the same is not done in accordance with such regulations. The building inspector shall be authorized to enter upon premises for all such purposes to perform a duty imposed upon him or her. The owner of any building, the construction of which has been rejected by the building inspector and who may feel aggrieved respecting such order, may by agent or personally appeal to the board of appeals, as established by the International Building Code, 2018 Edition, to have such order reviewed and the decision of the board can be appealed to the governing body for review and the decision of the governing body shall be final when the matter shall have been heard by it.

(Code 1984; Code 2003, Ord. 881; Code 2022; Code 2024)

All inspection work required herein to be performed by any officer or employee of the city after the initial inspection or requested for other than normal business work hours, shall be charged at the rate set out in Chapter 17. All such inspection fees and charges shall be paid to the office of the city clerk and credited to the general operating fund of the city.

(Code 1984; Code 2003)

All contractors’ certificates shall be renewable annually on January 1. Renewal fees shall be paid to the city clerk.

(Ord. 686; Code 2003)

It shall be unlawful for any contractor to conduct business within the city, unless such contractor first provides documentation in the nature of proof of insurance showing that such contractor is covered with liability insurance in the minimum amount of $500,000 with the city named as an additional insured. All such documentation shall state that the city shall be given at least thirty (30) days advance written notice of any cancellation or material change in coverage of such insurance. If any person, firm, company, corporation or other entity shall conduct business within the city, without first procuring and maintaining insurance coverage in accordance with this section, such person, firm, corporation or other entity shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by fine and/or suspension or revocation of the contractor’s license and certificate.

(Ord. 713; Code 2003)

Any person engaging in or desiring to engage in the business of construction in the city shall before obtaining any permit or transacting any business, procure a license from the city. The fee for such license shall be as set out in the Chapter 17. The license shall be renewable annually on January 1. No license shall be transferred from one person to another. Fees shall be paid to the city clerk.

A contractor’s license may be issued to any person, firm, co-partnership or corporation. A separate license shall be issued for each place of business conducted.

(Ord. 395, Secs. 1:2, Code 1984; Code 2003)

(a)   A contractor’s license is not required by an individual for the city to issue a building permit for the individual to build, construct, alter, repair, or add to a residential house which is owned and occupied by the individual applying for the building permit. Only two (2) permits per year will be allowed under this exemption.

(b)   New residence - No contractor’s license is required to build a new residential home provided that the individual building the residential home will be the owner and occupant of the home after completion. This exception does not change the duty to procure all other applicable licenses, permits and inspections associated with modification to, or construction of, a residential structure. Exemptions from permit requirements of this Code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this Code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction.

(c)   Twelve (12) months must have elapsed from the date of completion of a new residential home as provided for in subsection (b) before an additional permit for building a new residential home, as provided for in subsection (b) will be issued to the same individual or such individual’s spouse. No permit will be issued pursuant to this subsection to family affiliated entities attempting to use this subsection to avoid the contractor’s license requirement to build homes for eventual resale.

(Ord. 75; Code 1984)

Any builder or property owner in any subdivision or recorded platted area having a minimum pad elevation within the city limits is hereby required to obtain a certificate from a licensed surveyor after basement walls or foundation are poured and prior to any further construction on said land. Such licensed surveyor shall certify that the lowest opening is at or above the minimum pad elevation designated for the particular lot or parcel of ground.

(Ord. 727, Code 2003)

The board of appeals is hereby authorized to cancel and recall, or suspend for a period not exceeding twelve (12) months, the certificate of any contractor and the license of any contractor for any one of the following reasons:

(a)   Abandonment of any contract without legal cause;

(b)   Diversion of funds or property received for the performance or completion of a specific contract, and their application or use of any other contract, obligation purpose, or the failure, neglect or refusal to use such funds or property for the performance of completion of such contract;

(c)   Misrepresentation of any material fact by the applicant in obtaining his or her certificate or license;

(d)   Failure without just cause to fully satisfy all claims for labor and/or materials used in the performance of any work for which he or she has been engaged and for which he or she has been paid;

(e)   Fraudulent use of his or her license to obtain permits for another;

(f)   Wantonness, recklessness, carelessness or negligence in providing reasonable safety measures for the protection of workers and/or the general public;

(g)   Unreasonable delay in the performance or the fulfilling of any contract;

(h)   Failure, neglect or refusal to comply with any lawful order of the building inspector;

(i)    Failure, neglect or refusal to comply with all the state, local and city laws relating to construction work or repair;

(j)    Loss of any other similar certificate within any other jurisdiction for any of the above described acts within such other jurisdiction.

(Code 1971, Sec. 4-320, Code 1984; Code 2003)

Should any contractor feel that his or her certificate has been wrongfully canceled and recalled, or suspended as provided in this article; or should any contractor feel that his or her license has been wrongfully canceled and recalled or suspended as provided in section 4-208, he or she may within ten (10) days from the date of such cancellation and recall or suspension appeal to the governing body by filing with the city clerk a written notice of appeal. The city clerk shall place the matter on the agenda of the governing body for the next regular meeting of the governing body. At the time of the next regular meeting of the governing body, the appellant shall be given the opportunity to state the reasons that such contractor believes that the action against his/her license was without merit. The governing body may in its discretion reverse, modify or amend, the existing cancellation and recall, or suspension. Should there be no appeal as provided herein the existing cancellation and recall, or suspension shall be final and not appealable.

(Code 1971, Sec.4-321; Code 2003)

(a)   It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, company, corporation or other entity to advertise as a contractor unless, at the time such advertisement occurs, such person, firm, company, corporation or other entity has a then valid contractor’s license.

(b)   Any advertisement by such person, firm, company, corporation or other entity to advertise as a contractor which is placed or published in any publication or other print medium which is circulated, displayed or distributed within the city, or which is placed upon vehicles or is broadcast by radio or television or any other means to persons within the city, shall include the full name of the licensed person, firm, company, corporation or other entity and the license number assigned by any office of any municipality having inspection control over any such person, firm, company, corporation or other entity.

(c)   As used herein, the words “advertise” or “advertisement” shall include, but not be limited to, a business card, contract bid proposal form, printed letterhead, or any other printed or written material designed to inform persons of the services offered by the advertising person, firm, company, corporation or other entity and meant to solicit business from such persons or any broadcast statement designed to inform persons of the services offered by the advertising person, firm, company, corporation or other entity and to solicit business from such persons. Such words are intended to include telephone directory display ads but not basic white and yellow page telephone listings.

(Ord. 713; Code 2003)

All fees, permits and licenses required by this article shall be paid to the city clerk and shall be credited to the general operating fund of the city.

(Code 1971, Sec. 4-323; Code 2003)

Any person who shall within the city engage in or work in violation of any provision of this article may be prosecuted as set forth in 4-112 of this Chapter.

(Code 1971, Sec. 4-324; Code 1984; Code 2003)