Development Services Review. Final Report. Zucker July 2016

Building Plan Review Performing quality plan reviews is an essential first step in ensuring that a project is constructed in compliance with the City’s adopted Codes. A failure to detect a significant code violation on the original plans can contribute to substantial delays and increased costs when that violation is discovered during the field inspection process. It is therefore appropriate that the staff performing the plan review function be qualified by knowledge and experience sufficient to provide expert plan reviews. Currently the City assigns plan review responsibilities to the Building Official and Building Inspector Supervisor for building plans and a part-time employee to perform Fire plan reviews. The City also has the ability to assign complex plan reviews to an outside consultant (CSG Consultants, Inc.), though few plans are sent out for review. With the implementation of the TRAKiT system, greater emphasis will be placed on the need to perform quality plan reviews within the established turnaround time standards. Having a variety of resources available to assign plan review tasks will significantly reduce the stress on existing resources. Based on the Building Official’s 30 years of experience and his possession of appropriate ICC Certifications, we have no reason to question the quality of the plan reviews that he is currently performing. Our focus is directed to the future. As discussed under the Organizational Issues section of this report, we strongly support the Assistant City Manager’s decision to hire a qualified Chief Plan Examiner in the coming fiscal year. By confirming that the selected candidate is properly certified to perform plan reviews and is afforded the opportunity to participate in continuing education, we are confident that the Building Division will prosper from such an addition. If it continues to be the City’s intent to utilize the services of the Building Inspector Supervisor to perform plan reviews, then suitable steps should be taken to encourage the employee to obtain certification as an ICC Certified Residential Plans Examiner. Language in the current job description for the Building Inspection Supervisor suggests that the position includes performing plan reviews but the Licenses and Certificates section of the job description does not state the need for a certification as a plans examiner. 33. Recommendation : Continued assignment of plan reviews to the Building Inspector Supervisor should be accompanied by a revision to the job description to reflect the need for ICC Certification as a Residential Plans Examiner. Based on the Building Division’s current inability to meet our recommended plan review turnaround times and next-day inspections, we recommend the Building Official take greater advantage of the availability of qualified outside consultant services (CSG) to perform plan reviews and inspections. Contracting for plan review services will afford the Building Official the much needed time to facilitate the implementation of the TRAKiT system and to implement the variety of

Morgan Hill, California

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Zucker Systems