MODEL # 98-9

CUSTOMER GUIDE TO BUILDING DEPARTMENT
CITY OF LEMARS, IA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Jurisdiction Statistics:

• Population: 10,000
• Size (square miles): 7
• Dollar Amount of Construction Per Year: $10 million
• % Construction:

• Commercial- 20%; Residential- 55%; Rehab- 25%

Regulatory Areas:

• Construction Codes
• Education & Certification

PROBLEM:

Permit Office Procedures - Inefficiencies

The average person had difficulty understanding, accessing, and using the building permit application process. Considerable time was spent answering repetitive customer questions.

SOLUTION:

Customer Manual

The City created a Building Department Manual containing vital regulatory information for permit office customers.

DESCRIPTION:

The Building Department Manual contains several of the more commonly encountered construction areas/projects, with the code requirements expected by the City of LeMars Building Department. Most of these requirements were developed by using the Uniform Building Code (UBC), state codes, and local codes in an effort to specify most closely local needs.

The breakdown and location of each section is clearly and conveniently listed in the Index on the second page of the submission. The first section, Organization and Enforcement on page 2, is taken almost directly from the UBC, and deals mostly with code administration. The remainder of the submission details different construction areas from site work to electrical and fire alarm work. There are also sections dedicated to Permit Fees, Accessibility, and Water Supply.

IMPLEMENTATION:

This program was adopted by administrative action of the City of LeMars.

EVALUATION BY STREAMLINING COMMITTEES:

Advantages

• Minimal required resources;
• Efficient method of addressing local concerns.

Drawbacks

• Limited transferability as its only drawback.

The Streamlining Committees designated this program as a streamlined model without modifications.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE IN CONSIDERING THE USE OF THIS MODEL, PLEASE CONTACT:

Robert Lang
Code Enforcement Official
City of LeMars
P.O. Box 1130
40 Central Avenue SE
LeMars, IA 51031
Phone: (712) 548-4963
FAX: (712) 548-4976
Email: citybob@frontiernet.net

Or NCSBCS STAFF:

Carolyn Fitch
National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards
505 Huntmar Park Drive, Suite 210
Herndon, VA 20170
Phone: (703) 437-0100
FAX: (703) 481-3596
Email: cfitch@ncsbcs.org