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SECTION J -- COMMUNITY PLANNING, HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT
CODE COMPLIANCE SECTION
PROGRAM MISSION: The Code
Compliance Section safeguards public health, safety, and welfare by enforcing
State-mandated construction codes by inspecting buildings under construction.
Inspectors from
the Code Compliance Section perform inspections to assess compliance with
various model codes adopted by the Commonwealth of Virginia to achieve minimum
safety requirements. These model codes
include Building, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Electrical, Energy, Elevator,
Backwater Sanitation, as well as The One and Two-Family Dwelling Code. In addition to the model codes, the State
adopts amendments that must also be enforced, and includes material
standards. The Code Compliance Section
is responsible for monitoring the progress of new construction throughout the
County according to these codes and standards.
Often, aspects of construction cause conflict with meeting the strict
requirements of these codes and standards.
In these cases, the inspectors must evaluate alternative materials and
methods of construction. Staff also
investigates complaints of non-compliance and acts of illegal construction
projects, and assists the Community Code Enforcement Section with full code
inspections and blighted properties. Lastly, staff coordinates with the Zoning
Administration and the Department of Environmental Services on Final
Inspections and Certificate of Occupancy Inspections.
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Code Compliance
Section
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FY 2004
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FY 2005
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FY 2006
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% Change:
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Actual
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Adopted
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Proposed
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'05 to '06
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Personnel
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$1,611,000
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$1,850,741
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$1,927,651
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4%
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Non-Personnel
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157,860
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169,105
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182,352
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8%
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Total Expenditures
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1,768,860
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2,019,846
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2,110,003
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4%
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Fees
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1,768,860
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2,019,846
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2,110,003
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4%
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Grants
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-
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-
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-
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-
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Total Revenues
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$1,768,860
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$2,019,846
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$2,110,003
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4%
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Net Tax Support
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-
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-
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-
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-
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Authorized FTEs
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23.0
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24.0
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24.0
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Funded FTEs
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23.0
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24.0
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24.0
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SIGNIFICANT
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS:
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An increase in personnel costs ($76,910) reflects
normal salary and benefits adjustments.
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An increase in non-personnel costs ($13,247) reflects
increased costs for rental and maintenance of County vehicles assigned to the
Division ($11,545) and the reallocation of funds ($1,702) within the Division's
budget.
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Division-wide
revenues for FY 2004, FY 2005 and FY 2006 have been allocated to show full cost
recovery in the Code Compliance and Plan Review Sections, with the remaining
excess revenues allocated to the Permit Processing Section.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES:
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FY 2002 Actual
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FY 2003 Actual
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FY 2004 Actual
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FY 2005 Estimate
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FY 2006 Estimate
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FY 2006 Goal
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Mission Outcome Measures
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Percent of all inspections completed within 24
hours of request
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N/A
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75%
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82%
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85%
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85%
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90%
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Customer
Measures
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Percent of customers satisfied with the inspection
process
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N/A
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N/A
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N/A
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95%
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95%
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95%
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Inspections approved
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N/A
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N/A
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95%
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95%
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95%
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98%
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Workload Measures
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Total inspections conducted
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37,612
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40,193
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42,490
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43,000
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44,000
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44,000
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Inspections per inspector per
day
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11.4
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11.7
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11.9
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12.2
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12.5
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12.5
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FUTURE BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS:
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The amount of highrise construction activity and
residential renovation has increased the daily average number of inspections
from 180 per day to 200 in the forth quarter of FY 2004. Additional staff resources will be needed to
fulfill requests within the 24-hour goal.
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Mobile data entry terminals will enhance customer
service by enabling inspectors to obtain inspection and permit history, and
enter inspection results directly into the system while in the field. Funds for
hardware and software, as well as a means to connect to the permitting system
(i.e. wireless network) will need to be identified.
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Adoption of the 2003 Codes (which is scheduled for
adoption by the State in 2005) will require ongoing training for technical
staff charged with enforcing those Codes.
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The amount of illegal construction projects and
community complaints is on the rise.
Field Inspectors, with full daily schedules, are pulled from assignments
to investigate complaints on a daily basis.
Often these are complex and require more time then a regular site visit
or trades inspection. Additional staff
resources will be needed to create a Non-Compliance Investigations section to
help bring these projects into compliance with the State and County
construction codes as the County continues to grow.
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