Certificate of occupancy

A. Required: A Certificate of Occupancy shall be obtained before: 1\. Any building hereafter erected or structurally altered is occupied or used; 2\. The use of any existing building is altered or changed; 3\. Buildings or structures are moved into the City. B. Application and Issuance: 1\. Application for a Certificate of Occupancy for a new building or for an existing building which will be structurally altered shall be made to the Building Official as part of the application for a building permit. 2\. Buildings or structures shall be classified as to occupancy status within ten (10) days following the erection or alteration of such building or part thereof has been completed and the property owner or contractor has requested a final inspection. Buildings and structures may be classified in one of three ways: a. Non-Occupiable: These are buildings or structures or portions thereof with incomplete life/safety and accessibility systems or which are not in compliance with applicable codes and ordinances. A Certificate of Occupancy shall not be issued for non-occupiable structures. The use of any structure for which a building permit is required shall be considered a violation of this Chapter unless a Certificate of Occupancy has been issued. b. Occupiable in Part: These are buildings or structures with complete life/safety and accessibility systems which are in compliance with applicable codes and ordinances, but which may have some unfinished elements required by State Building Code. The Building Official may issue a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for period not to exceed six (6) months during the completion of such building or structure. The temporary certificate shall not be construed as altering the respective rights, duties, or obligations of the owners or of the City relating to the use or occupancy of the premises or any other matter except under such restrictions and provisions as will adequately ensure the safety of the occupants. C. Occupiable: These are buildings or structures which are issued a Certificate of Occupancy because they are complete and are in compliance with the codes and ordinances for which the occupancy has been applied. These structures may or may not have a specific tenant, but may be issued a Certificate of Occupancy based on the occupancy type indicated at the time of application. (Ordinance 2021-02, adopted July 13, 2021) C. Content, Record, Fee: Every Certificate of Occupancy shall state that the building or the change of use of the building complies with all provisions of law and of this Chapter. A record of all Certificates of Occupancy shall be available for inspection by any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in the building. There shall be no fee charged for a Certificate of Occupancy. (Ordinance #3, adopted November 9, 2010)