City appoints Building Standards board

A new Building Standards Commission will take on the duty of dealing with code violators following last week’s meeting of the Clarendon City Council.

Recent action by the council saw the repeal of most city electric, plumbing, and other codes as well as requirements for permits for those activities. The city replaced those codes with a new Substandard Building Ordinance to deal with nuisance or dilapidated properties.

“The ordinance requires this new commissioner,” said City Administrator David Dockery. “It has to have three aldermen, and all Open Meetings rules will apply anytime they meet.”

The council appointed the following aldermen to the commission: Nathan Floyd, John Lockhart, and Doug Kidd. Serving with those members will be three ex officio commission members, including Code Compliance Officer Jim Braddock, Fire Chief Jeremy Powell, and Public Works Director John Molder.

Dockery says the new commission will review complaints under the new ordinance instead of the entire city council having to hear those complaints. The council will remain a part of the process as a point of final appeal, the administrator said.

The Building Standards Commission will not have regular meetings but will instead be convened when one of the ex-officio members brings a complaint forward or when a citizen has filed a complaint at City Hall that is then confirmed by one of the ex-officio members.

Aldermen also approved a new water and sewer tap fees. Those rates are detailed in a public notice in this week’s Enterprise.