HomeMy WebLinkAbout71.68 ORDINANCE NO. 71.68
AN ORDINANCE OF'l' THE CITY OF ·SARATOGA
ADDING ARTICLE~ 16-71 TO THE CITY CODE
CONCERNING OCCUPANCY INSPECTIONS
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The City Council of the City of Saratoga hereby ordains as follows:
SECTION h A new Article 16-71 is added to Chapter 16 of the City Code, to read
as follows:
"ARTICLE 16-71
OCCUPANCY INSPECTIONS
Sections:
16-71.010 Definitions
16-71.020 Requirement for inspection
16-71.030 Nature of inspection
16-71.040 Corrective action
16-71.050 Voluntary inspections
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S16-71.010 Definitioas
For the purposes of this Article, the following words and phrases shall have the
meanings respectively ascribed to them in this Section, unless the context or the
provision clearly requires otherwise:
(a) B~siness means any activity for which a business license is required under
Chapter 4, Article 4-05 of this Code, 'except a business conducted within a single
family dwelling as a home occupation.
(b) Change of ~ means any change in the character or use of a structure that
would place the building in a different division of the same grpup of occupancy under
the Uniform Building Code or in a different group of occupancies under said Code.
(e) Single family dwelliug means a detached dwelling unit, or a eondominium
or townhouse unit, which is separately owned and intended for occupancy by one
family. A site containing a single family dwelling as the main structure thereon and
second unit for which a permit has been issued pursuant to Article 15-56 of this Code,
shall be treated as a single family dwelling for purposes of this Article.
(d) Transfer of ownership, as applied to real property or a business, means any
conveyance, assignment, or other transfer, by any means, of more than fifty percent
of the equitable ownership interest in the real property or business.
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S16-~1.0~.0 Requirement for inspeetion
(a) An occupancy inspection pursuant to this Article shah be required prior to
the occurrence of any of the following events:
(1) Transfer of ownership of any real property, except a site having a
single family dwelling as the main structure thereon.
(2) Transfer of ownership of any business.
(3) Change of use of any structure.
(4) The original issuance of a new business license pursuant to Article 4-
05 of this Code, except a license to engage in a home occupation. No
inspection shah be required for the annual renewal of a previously
issued business license.
(b) No transfer of ownership shall be invalidated as a result of the failure to
arrange for a prior occupancy inspection, but such inspection may be initiated and
conducted by the City at any time after discovery by the building official that the
transfer has occurred. The obligation to take corrective action, as described in
Section 16-71.040 of this Article, shah be imposed upon the current owner of the real
property or business.
§16-VI.030 Nature of inspeetion
(a) Request for inspection. Occupancy inspections shall be conducted by the
building official, or his designated representative, upon a request and appointment
being made by the owner or occupant of the real property or the owner or operator of
the business. An inspection fee shall be charged, in such amount as established from
time to time by resolution of the City Council.
(b) Scope of inspection. Where an occupancy inspection is being made in
connection with the transfer of real property, the entire site to be transferred shah be
inspected. Where the occupancy inspection is being made in connection with the
establishment or transfer of a bushess or a change of use, the premises where such
business or use is conducted shall be inspected.
(c) Subject of inspection. The occupancy inspection shall be made for the
purpose of determining whether the real property or premises and the proposed use
thereof comply with the following:
(1) All applicable zoning regulations of the City;
(2) All applicable state and local building codes and regulations,
including, but not limited to, the uniform codes adopted in this
Chapter;
(3) All applicable federal, state and local statutes, ordinances, rules and
regulations pertaining to hazardous materials or hazardous wastes,
including, but not limited to, requirements for the establishment and
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maintenance of any business~ management or emergency response
plan.
(d) Inspection report. Within ten days after completion of the inspection, the
building official shall issue an inspection report to the person who originally requested
the inspection, or to the owner of the property if no prior request was made. The
report shah also be made available to any other person requesting a copy thereof. The
report shah include any directive issued by the building official for the performance of
corrective work described in Section 16-71.040 of this Article.
(e) Dtwation of inspection report. The inspection report shah be effective for
a period of eighteen months from the date of the report. If the intended transfer of
ownership or establishment of business or change of use is not accomplished within
such period of time, an updated report must be obtained from the building official.
(f) Relianee upon inspection report. The inspection report shall not constitute
and shah not be construed as a representation or warranty by the building official that
no violation of law exists except as may be stated in the report. Nothing contained in
the report shah prevent the City, or any other public agency, from enforcing any
statute, ordinance, rule or regulation if a violation thereof is later found to exist.
S16-71.040 Corrective aetion
(a) Upon a determination by the building official that a violation of any
statute, ordinance, rule or regulation described in Subsection 16-71.030(e) exists, the
building official may order such eorreetive work to be performed as he deems
necessary or appropriate to protect the health or safety of the occupants of the
structure and the general public.
(b) The corrective work shah be commenced and completed within such times
as specified by the building official. Unless authorized by the building official, no
business license may be issued or change or use established until the corrective work
has been completed to the satisfaction of the building official.
S16-71.050 Voluntary inspections
Any owner of a single-family dwelling, or the authorized agent of such owner,
may voluntarily request that an occupancy inspection of the property be conducted
pursuant to this Article. The inspection report shah have the same force and effect as
a report issued in connection with a mandatory inspection."
SECTION 2: If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this
Ordinance is for any reason held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or
unconstitutional, such decision shah not affect the validity of the remaining portions
of this Ordinance. The City Council of the City of Saratoga hereby declares that it
would have passed this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause and
phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that one or more sections, subsections,
sentences, clauses or phrases may be held invalid or unconstitutional.
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SECTION 3: This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty days after its
passage and adoption,
The above and foregoing Ordinance was regularly introduced and after the
waiting time required by law, was thereafter passed and adopted at a regular
meeting of the City Council of the City of Saratoga held on the 20th day of
September, 1989, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Anderson, ~byles, PetersOn, Stutzmen and Mayor Clevenger
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ATTEST:
CITY CL~RK "' published according to law. which has been
'Deputy City Clerk
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