In many small towns one person can wear many hats. This is the case
with the Town Clerk by State Law. This is the case with the Code
Enforcement Officer for the Town of Candor by design and by necessity.
Perhaps a more appropriate title would be "Code Enforcement
Officer/Building Inspector/911 House Numbering Officer/Floodplain
Management Officer/Landlord Tenant Relations Officer/Buildings and
Grounds Maintenance Coordinator/Fill in Dog Control Officer." And throw
in Jack of All Trades Officer because pretty much if it needs to be
done at the Town Hall we look to the town code enforcement officer to help out, and he willingly does.
The job of Code Enforcement requires a knowledgable individual if the
office is to run efficiently and effectively. The person who holds the
position needs to know the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and
Building Code in addiiton to Candor Town Laws that are on the books.
They need to have a general knowledge of construction, but just as
important as their construction knowledge they need to have strong
people skills. It can take very large doses of tact to successfully
tell someone that a stop work order has just been put on their project
until they comply with building permit or other issues.
The CEO has the power and duty to receive, review, and approve or
dissapprove applications for Building Permits, Certificates of
Occupancy, Certificates of Compliance, Temporary Permits, and Operating
Permits. Jim is always willing to give suggestions if you need
direction with your plans. If applications are approved, the CEO will
conduct construction inspections as necessary prior to issuing a
Certificate of Occupancy or Compliance. During this process the CEO
will do all necessary inspections and has the power to issue Stop Work
Orders, to review and investigate complaints, and/or to pursue
administrative enforcement actions and proceedings.
To find the full detail of the duties and powers of the Code Enforcement Officer go to Uniform Fire Protection and Building Code Admin 2006 -2 in the Candor Laws section under Planning Board.
People may not always be happy with the situation, but generally if
they know that they are being treated fairly and equally they understand
the need for compliance. There are some that feel that because Candor
isn't zoned that they have no constraints on any projects they wish to
do. Even though we are not zoned, there are still State statutes that
must be followed and Town Laws that regulate specific types of
development. You will find many of the Town Laws listed in the Planning
Board section of this web site. If you have a specific question about a
project you have in mind, call the Code Enforcement Officer first
before starting the project.
In Law 2006 -2 listed above there are guidelines as to what type of
work requires a building permit and what is exempt. There is also
detail as to the inspections that will be done as work progresses on
your project. An explanation is given of a Stop Work Order. Attention
to this prior to commencement of a project could save you time and money
in the long run.
For NYS Building Codes, please visit the following sites:
Department of State
New York State Building Codes
Essential Information:
Before visiting the Code Enforcement Office, please be sure to review the documents listed below:
