§ 15-501. Certification process, requirements, forms and appeals.

(a)

Process. The chief executive officer or his/her designee shall create the process for certifying building inspectors, shall establish the requirements and application for becoming a certified building inspector, and shall administer the process. A nonrefundable administrative fee set by the board of commissioners shall be required to be submitted with all applications to be a certified building inspector. Persons who have successfully completed the certification process issued by the chief executive officer or his/her designee shall be designated as certified building inspectors authorized to perform the inspections required by this article.

(b)

Code compliance certificates and inspection reports. The chief executive officer or his/her designee is authorized to create the forms for code compliance certificates and inspection reports. At a minimum, inspection reports submitted to the county must contain the certified building inspector's signature and date of certification. A certified building inspector shall personally perform the inspections required by this article. The certified building inspector signing the inspection report and performing the inspection shall not be an employee of, otherwise related to, or affiliated in any way with any owner or occupant of the multifamily rental dwelling or multifamily rental dwelling unit being inspected. Failure to have a certified building inspector personally perform an inspection shall nullify any such code compliance certificate.

(c)

Certified building inspectors.

(1)

Minimum requirements. At a minimum, a certified building inspector shall be a licensed architect or engineer or shall hold one (1) of the following certifications from the International Code Council: property maintenance and housing inspector, housing rehabilitation inspector, building inspector, building plan examiner or commercial combination inspector.

(2)

Denial of certification. Upon receipt of a complete application to be a certified building inspector, the chief executive officer or his/her designee shall have forty-five (45) days to grant or deny the application. If denied, the chief executive officer or his/her designee shall notify the applicant in writing of the reason(s) for the denial at the address set forth on the application.

(3)

Revocation of certification. Upon a certified building inspector's conviction of a violation of subsection 15-503(c) of this article, or if a certified building inspector no longer meets the minimum requirements set forth in this article, the chief executive officer or his/her designee shall revoke the authority of that individual to act as a certified building inspector. The chief executive officer or his/her designee shall notify the individual in writing of the reason(s) for the revocation at the address set forth on the application to be a certified building inspector.

(4)

Appeals. Any applicant or certified building inspector who believes the provisions of this article have been applied in error may appeal in the following manner:

a.

A writing identifying the ground(s) for appeal must be filed with the executive assistant within thirty (30) days after the date of the decision for which review is sought.

b.

The executive assistant shall review the appeal and respond in writing within thirty (30) days by either affirming or reversing the decision for which review is sought.

c.

A decision of the executive assistant under this article may be appealed by application for writ of certiorari in the Superior Court of DeKalb County filed within thirty (30) days of the decision.

(Ord. No. 10-22, Pt. I, 12-14-10)