(See Chapter 4, Part 2 and Chapter 7, Part 1)
[Ord. 395, 6/16/2004]
1. 
Richland hereby elects to administer and enforce the provisions of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. §§ 7210.101-7210.1103, as amended from time to time and its regulations.
2. 
The Uniform Construction Code, contained in 34 Pa. Code, Chapters 401-405, as amended, from time to time, is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as the municipal building code of Richland.
3. 
Administration and enforcement of the Code within the Township shall be undertaken in any of the following ways as determined by the Board of Supervisors of this Township, from time to time, by resolution:
A. 
By the designation of an employee of the Township to serve as the municipal code official to act on behalf of the Township.
B. 
By the retention of one or more construction code officials or third-party agencies to act on behalf of the Township.
C. 
By agreement with one or more other municipalities for the joint administration and enforcement of this Act through an intermunicipal agreement.
D. 
By entering into a contract with another municipality for the administration and enforcement of this Act on behalf of the Township.
E. 
By entering into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for plan review, inspections and enforcement of structures other than one-family or two-family dwelling units and utility and miscellaneous use structures.
4. 
A Board of Appeals shall be established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the Township and in conformity with the requirements of the relevant provisions of the Code, as amended from time to time, and for the purposes set forth therein. If at any time enforcement and administration is undertaken jointly with one or more other municipalities, said Board of Appeals shall be established by joint action of the participating municipalities.
5. 
Miscellaneous.
A. 
In lieu of the International Plumbing Code, the Township of Richland adopts the Allegheny County Health Department Plumbing Code as its standard plumbing code as permitted by 35 P.S. § 7210.503(a).
B. 
Enforcement. The Township of Richland does hereby designate the Allegheny County Health Department, Plumbing Section, through its contractual relationship with the Township to be the duly certified and authorized plumbing inspection third party agency, meeting all of the statutory requirements set forth in the Uniform Construction Code Act, 35 P.S. § 7210.701, et seq., as amended.
6. 
Equal or Exceed Requirements.
A. 
All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by this Township on or before July 1, 1999, and which equal or exceed the requirements of the Code shall continue in full force and effect until such time as such provisions fail to equal or exceed the minimum requirements of the Code, as amended from time to time.
B. 
All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which are in effect as of the effective date of this Part and whose requirements are less than the minimum requirements of the Code are hereby amended to conform with the comparable provisions of the Code.
C. 
All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of the Township not governed by the Code shall remain in full force and effect.
7. 
Fees assessable by the Township for the administration and enforcement undertaken pursuant to this Part and the Code shall continue as previously established. Any charges or addition for fees and expenses related to the administration and enforcement of this Part and the Code shall be done by resolution. Any expenses, charges or fees levied by the Commonwealth or Allegheny County relative to the Code shall be passed on to applicants as part of the Township's fee.
8. 
This Part shall be effective as of July 1, 2004.
9. 
If any Section, Subsection, sentence, or clause of this Part is held, for any reason to be invalid, such decision or decisions shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Part.