Indianapolis Office of Code Enforcement
I am in favor of stricter building code enforcement. Especially in Indianapolis, where typically only a sample of projects are reviewed. This new department will bring stability and standardization to the review process. Hopefully any problems related to sidewalks and accessibility (which are often brought up on the Indianapolis blogosphere) will be identified early in the design process and addressed.
The department will be staffed by "building code analysts" who will thoroughly review each project. Any problems will be flagged wherein the building designers must answer the questions raised. This falls under the police powers of government and public safety should improve from the efforts.
It is important for engineers to realize that our goal is life safety, and that working with building code enforcement is a necessary step in the process. It is not criticism, it is an independent review. My neighbor in the city government says designers "have no idea how much this will change things." I don't know whether to be frightened or excited, but I'm leaning towards excitement.
Council Approves Office of Code Enforcement
Office of Code Enforcement
The department will be staffed by "building code analysts" who will thoroughly review each project. Any problems will be flagged wherein the building designers must answer the questions raised. This falls under the police powers of government and public safety should improve from the efforts.
It is important for engineers to realize that our goal is life safety, and that working with building code enforcement is a necessary step in the process. It is not criticism, it is an independent review. My neighbor in the city government says designers "have no idea how much this will change things." I don't know whether to be frightened or excited, but I'm leaning towards excitement.
Council Approves Office of Code Enforcement
Office of Code Enforcement
On June 29, the City-County Council approved the city’s first Department of Code Enforcement.
The current acting Office of Code Enforcement, created by Executive Order in February 2009 to streamline the city’s licensing, permitting, inspection and abatement functions, will become a permanent city department effective January 1, 2010.
“This new agency has answered the call to step up enforcement actions and tackle issues that threaten public safety and the overall health of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Greg Ballard.
“Overgrown weeds, abandoned cars, abandoned properties, unsafe buildings and other property maintenance conditions attract crime, reduce property values and make communities less desirable. Focusing new resources on these issues will better equip us to keep our city clean, safe and vibrant and will do so using a self-funding model that will not burden taxpayers.”
The Council’s approval transfers the following code enforcement functions to the new department:“We have worked diligently over the past few months to streamline code enforcement processes that have been unnecessarily complicated and often outdated,” said Rick Powers, Director of the Office of Code Enforcement. “By consolidating code enforcement functions into one department and providing a one-stop shop, we are more accessible and able to provide better service to the public.”
- Licenses and permits
- Building, infrastructure
- and zoning inspections
- Property maintenance
- Unsafe buildings
- High weeds and grass
- Illegal dumping
- Forestry
- Towing
- Weights & Measures
With this new charge, the Office of Code Enforcement has been overhauling city enforcement initiatives through new, refocused measures, including:All citizen reports should be directed to the Mayor’s Action Center at 327-4MAC (327-4622). To learn more about the Office of Code Enforcement, visit www.indy.gov/oce.
- Cracking down on unlicensed and non-compliant businesses
- Combating high weeds and grass by cutting the abatement process time in half
- Intensifying the focus on nuisance abatement and property maintenance
- Addressing habitual violators through a new case management system and a partnership with city prosecutors to expedite priority cases
- Joining the Mayors’ vacant and abandoned properties initiatives
- Preparing the launch of mobile inspector offices to increase productivity
- Utilizing Six Sigma expertise to refine and improve processes to optimize efficiency and service
Labels: code, Indianapolis, policy
posted by Graeme at
7:30 AM
3 Comments:
The frightening part is that many people without professional degrees and a minimal amount training will be telling experienced, licensed professionals what they can and can't do, with absolutely NO liability for contributing to problems through the process, which we know as designers to be just a tiny bit complex.
Yeah, my first experience with a building code analyst was not good. They reviewed my plans according to the wrong code! I was shocked at the ineptitude, because the applicable code was clearly labeled on the drawings. But since it's the beginning of a new system I am giving them a second chance before I make a final opinion.
I think the position of building code analyst will only be successful under these conditions:
1) licensed engineers/architects only are allowed to force changes to plans. This ensures the analyst has adequate education/experience and will share liability for mistakes.
2) The burden of proof for wrongdoing must be on the building code analyst. It is way too easy for them to accuse designers of mistakes, because they do not have to provide evidence. They are judge, jury, and executioner. This gives them the ability to threaten fines against the owners, thus forcing an investment of time and effort by the design team to disprove the claims. There is an appeal process, but nobody in the design field wants to waste time on trivial issues.
None of this will ever come to pass, but it would be nice. I still don't understand why an architect or engineer has to be state licensed, but those requirements don't apply to government employees. I don't agree with it, and it's not logical. I think in some states (like California) a plan review must involve a licensed engineer.
The problems encountered in the review process are generally with plans drawn by property owners or general contractors. A surprising number of projects are submitted by non design professionals and it seems that the majority of code violations are found within those plans. I have a hard time believing that you had plans reviewed to the wrong code- the code analysts review to the current adopted code in the state of Indiana, not just the most current IBC. Meaning, if you submit a set of plans drawn to the 2009 IBC they will be reviewed to the 2006 IBC because that is what has been adopted in Indiana at this time. Code analysts cannot pick and chose which codes to enforce or review with. In terms of only having licensed design professionals review plans- in a perfect world that would be great, but the salary offered to code analysts is laughable, so those individuals are forced to work within the current system. They do get certifications with the ICC and are constantly attending educational conferences and classes through the ICC and APA. The burden of proof cannot be on the code analyst- it is and should be on the applicant as they are the ones proposing the project. Followup questions related to code issues are the responsibility of the design professional. It cannot work the other way around, although I appreciate your perspective. Sadly in addition to plans drawn by unlicensed applicants there are plenty of plans submitted by sub-par professionals who seem to be lazy. The new system is going to be educational for both the applicants and those on the other side conducting the review. I hope as an applicant, that I continue to get comfortable with this new system and that I see better construction in Indianapolis.
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