[Amended 6-24-1997 by Ord. No. 844]
The Rice. Lake Inspection Department shall consist of building inspectors and such other employees as may be authorized by resolution of City Council.
A. 
General statement of duties. The Inspection Department shall perform skilled inspections and administrative work to ensure compliance with building, plumbing, housing, zoning, heating and electrical codes and do related work as required.
B. 
The Department has responsibility for the enforcement of all state laws and local regulations relating to the construction, occupancy and demolition of structures in the City of Rice Lake. The Department issues various permits and inspects completed projects and those in progress, both commercial and residential, to see that they are safely and legally constructed. In addition to ensuring compliance with building, housing, electrical and plumbing codes, this Department enforces zoning laws and various related ordinances for the City of Rice Lake and all state administrative codes adopted by the City of Rice Lake. The work is performed under the direction of the City Planner.
C. 
The Department shall be available to the general public to answer inquiries regarding inspections, zoning codes and state administrative codes. The Department shall investigate all complaints by the citizens regarding inspections, zoning codes and state administrative codes.
D. 
The employees of this Department shall perform any other duties as set forth in the job descriptions developed for this Department and approved by City Council.
E. 
Pursuant to the authority granted by Wisconsin Administrative Code Comm 14.01(11)(b)6.a., the City of Rice Lake does hereby authorize reducing the inspections required under Comm 14.01(11)(b)3 to at least once per calendar year, provided the interval between those inspections does not exceed 15 months.
[Added 12-23-2008 by Ord. No. 08-21]
The Barron County Health Officer/Director is also designated as the Health Officer for the City of Rice Lake and shall make or cause to be made all required health-related inspections. He shall enforce all provisions of Chapter 4 1, Officers and Employees, § 41-8 and Chapter 135, Health and Sanitation, § 135 1 of the City Code and W.S.A. chs. 250 through 255.
A. 
Referral or citations. Upon approval of the City Attorney, the Inspection Department shall issue municipal citations as deemed necessary to enforce city ordinances. It shall also refer to the District Attorney or State Attorney General violators of state laws or administrative codes as necessary to achieve compliance with such laws or codes.
B. 
Right of entry. The Department or its authorized deputies shall have the right and authority to enter into or upon any building or premises within the city at a reasonable hour for the purpose of carrying out the duties of this article. Failure to permit any inspector authorized to conduct inspections by this article shall constitute a violation of this subsection and shall be subject to the penalty provisions of Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-20.
C. 
Warrants for entry. The Inspection Department or its designee is empowered to invoke W.S.A. ss. 66.122 to 66.124.
A. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
A certificate issued by the Inspection Department when the building has met the minimum required conditions of state and local codes.
CONDITIONAL OCCUPANCY
Authorization for occupancy contingent on certain stipulated conditions being met and complied with by the building owner or occupant.
EXTENSIVE REMODELING
Any remodeling project which requires the owner or tenants to vacate the building.
FLJLL OCCUPANCY
Authorization for full and complete occupancy of a building with no limitations or restrictions.
OCCUPANCY PERMIT
Written authorization from the Inspection Department to occupy a building subject to stated conditions.
RESTRICTED OCCUPANCY
Authorization for occupancy for specific parts of a building only.
B. 
No new building or extensively remodeled existing building shall be occupied until such time as the building has been inspected and a permit which authorizes full or partial occupancy has been issued.
C. 
Occupancy can be permitted prior to the time that the building is in full compliance with the Municipal Code upon application by the owner for a conditional or restrictive occupancy permit. Conditional or restrictive occupancy permits will be issued, provided that any noncompliance does not constitute a hazard to life or safety of the building occupants. Any non-life-threatening or safety noncompliance shall be remedied before a permanent occupancy permit will be issued.
D. 
Conditional or restrictive occupancy permits may be issued for a period not to exceed 60 days and may be renewed for the same time period not more than twice. Occupancy will be ordered to be discontinued if compliance necessary for a permanent occupancy permit is not obtained within the term of the original or renewed conditional or restrictive permit.
E. 
When the building is found to be in compliance, the Department shall issue a permanent certificate of occupancy which shall be kept with the building's records.
F. 
Occupancy permits shall be conspicuously posted in the building and serve as notice upon building occupants of the restrictions or conditions of the pen-nit.
G. 
Revocation of any occupancy permit for cause requires that the Inspection Department notify the building owner or his representative. The notice shall contain information that the revocation is in effect and shall further contain the orders to vacate the buildine, and correct the noncomplying conditions.
H. 
The Inspection Department, upon the approval of the City Attorney, shall issue citations for violations of said orders or permits when it is found that the owner has failed to obey any lawful order of the Inspection Department. The prosecution of the citation shall be suspended for a period of 72 hours following service of the citation in order to permit the owner to invoke his rights under Chapter 4, Administrative Determinations Review, of the Code of the City of Rice Lake. If the owner fails to invoke Chapter 4 within the seventy-two-hour period, said appeal rights shall be forever waived.
I. 
The penalties for violation of this section shall be as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-23D of the Code.
[Amended 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 12-03]
A. 
The Department shall issue written orders for correction of a violation of state law, code or ordinance under its jurisdiction. Failure to comply with a lawful order of the Department shall constitute a violation of this article and shall be subject to the penalty provisions of Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-20.
B. 
Required inspections of buildings, structures, and premises shall be conducted at a minimum on an annual basis.
(1) 
Reinspections.
(a) 
If it becomes necessary to reinspect a premises due to violations noted in the annual inspection, the property owner shall be charged as follows:
Reinspection
Fee
First reinspection
$0
Second reinspection
$150
Third reinspection
$200
Fourth and every additional reinspection
$350
(b) 
The initial reinspection fee shall be itemized above, but shall be set annually by the Common Council during the budget setting process.
C. 
The reinspection fees shall constitute a special charge against the property inspected and shall be entered upon the tax roll as a charge against the property, and all proceedings in relation to the collection, return, and sale of the property for delinquent real estate taxes shall apply to the reinspection fee.
[Amended 3-29-2005 by Ord. No. 05-08; 4-10-2012 by Ord. No. 12-04]
A. 
All applicable Wisconsin Administrative Code sections and Wisconsin statute sections in effect on the date of adoption of this chapter, or as they may be amended or renumbered from time to time, are adopted by reference, enforced and incorporated into this chapter as if fully set forth herein.
B. 
The latest International Fire Code publications published on or before the effective date of this chapter, or as they may be amended or renumbered from time to time, are adopted by reference, enforced and incorporated into this chapter as if fully set forth herein.
C. 
The latest National Fire Protection Association codes and publications published on or before the effective date of this chapter, or as they may be amended or renumbered from time to time, are adopted by reference, enforced and incorporated into this chapter as if fully set forth herein.
D. 
Any violation of the incorporated provisions of any State of Wisconsin code, law, regulation, standard or any other requirement, as stated above, constitutes a violation of this chapter.
E. 
Copies of the above codes, statutes and publications are on file and shall be available for inspection during office hours in the City Clerk's office.