A. 
There shall be established or designated by local law in the Village of Sleepy Hollow an agency to administer and secure compliance with the applicable housing standards. Such agency is hereinafter referred to as "the agency."
B. 
The agency shall be under the direction and charge of a chief officer who shall have as his representatives such assistants and inspectors as may be necessary to carry out effectively the powers and duties of the agency.
C. 
All personnel of the agency shall be qualified and appointed as prescribed by local law, and shall be furnished with appropriate official badges or identification cards.
D. 
All personnel of the agency shall be free from personal liability for acts done in good faith in the performance of their official duties.
E. 
The agency shall become part of the Sleepy Hollow Department of Architecture, Land Use Development, Buildings and Building Compliance.
[Amended 1-22-2013 by L.L. No. 1-2013]
F. 
The chief officer shall be the Superintendent of Buildings or the Building Inspector.
A. 
The agency shall be charged with the duty of administering the applicable housing standards and securing compliance therewith, and shall be empowered to adopt rules and regulations necessary for securing such compliance and for its own organization and internal management, provided that such rules and regulations shall not be in conflict with the applicable housing standards.
B. 
The agency shall be authorized to conduct surveys of housing in any area of the municipality to determine the condition of premises, extent of deterioration, lack of facilities, inadequate maintenance, unsafe and insanitary conditions, extent of overcrowding, land use and other relevant factors.
C. 
It shall be the duty of the chief officer:
(1) 
To cause periodic inspections to be made, not less than once every five years, of all premises within the scope of applicable housing standards.
(2) 
To cause an investigation of all complaints of alleged housing violations or other unsafe or insanitary conditions.
(3) 
To order in writing the remedying of all conditions found to exist in or on any premises in violation of provisions of the housing standards or of rules and regulations adopted by the agency, to state in the violation order a reasonable time limit for compliance therewith and, where necessary, to order the vacating of premises found unfit for human habitation.
(4) 
To request the chief legal officer of the municipality to take appropriate legal action in the name of the agency upon failure of the responsible party to comply with such violation order within the time specified therein.
(5) 
To cause a search of the agency's records of housing violations existing on any premises and to issue a certified statement thereof upon receipt of written request and payment of any fees required by local law or resolution.
(6) 
To study housing conditions in the municipality.
(7) 
To cooperate with other municipal, governmental and private agencies engaged in the study and improvement of housing conditions.
(8) 
To publish an annual report of housing conditions in the municipality, accomplishments of the agency and recommendations for the future.
D. 
Where violations of the housing standards exist and pose an immediate hazard or danger to the health, safety or welfare of building occupants or of the public, the chief officer may issue an order citing the violation and directing such action by such municipal agency as is necessary to remove or abate the immediate hazard or danger.
A. 
Inspectors shall be authorized and have the right, in the performance of their duties, to enter any premises during normal business hours and in emergencies whenever necessary to protect the public interest.
B. 
Owners, agents, operators and occupants shall be responsible for providing access to all parts of the premises within their control to authorized agency personnel acting in the performance of their duties.
The agency shall keep records of all complaints received, inspections made and violations found regarding premises regulated by the housing standards. Records shall be kept in a manner and form as prescribed by local law and shall be available for public inspection.
[Amended 7-15-1985 by L.L. No. 4-1985]
For any and every violation of the provisions of this code issued by the agency, the owner, agent, contractor or other person interested as lessee, tenant or otherwise in any building or premises where such violation has been committed or shall exist, and who refuses to abate said violation within the time limit stated thereon after written notice has been served upon him, either by mail or personal service, shall for each and every violation, and for each and every day that such violation continues, be subject to a fine not to exceed $250, and the collection thereof shall be prosecuted in the manner prescribed by law effective in the Village of Sleepy Hollow.