Inspector I chez City of Annapolis (MD), MD

Performs routine inspection work in enforcing compliance with City municipal codes, ordinances, and regulations in order to provide suitable rental housing for City residents and conducts related work as required.

(Note: The duties and responsibilities enumerated in this job description are for the purpose of determining a common set of minimum qualifications and salary level for all positions in this class. They are not intended to include all the job duties of all positions in the job classification. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.) 

Conduct technical inspection, enforcement work to ensure compliance of the City housing codes, ordinances; 

Collaborates with landlords, tenants and homeowners to encourage investment in the community and to reverse the deteriorating conditions within the communities; 

Conduct evaluative thinking and makes decisions regarding the methods, codes and nature of unusual cases requiring judgment and ingenuity under the general direction of the Inspector III who review work for accuracy and validity of conclusions and ensures follow-up;

Handle a substantial case load which ranges from performing individual inspections on single-family, multi-family dwelling units, rooming houses, bed & breakfast, inns and  hotels for lighting, ventilation, sanitation, fire prevention, egress, occupancy, aesthetic  appearance, maintenance and uses; 

Conduct Federal housing inspections following Federal criteria using the same procedures and follow-through as for City inspections; 

Handle complaint generated inspections; driving to locations on a daily basis; identifying code violations and those involving unsafe conditions, condemned, unsafe structures for fire and safety hazards; overgrowth, abandoned vehicles; explaining and interpreting codes, ordinances; 

Prepare reports, correspondence, issue civil citations, daily logs for supervisors, maintain records on all inspections conducted; prepare information for court cases; testify in court as an expert witness;

Provide advice and recommendations to community associations; discuss alternative methods to improve the conditions and appearance of the neighborhoods throughout the City of Annapolis;

Coordinate with State, Federal and County government agencies for code compliance; 

Work sensitively with different ethnically culturally and diverse population to ensure code compliance; regularly interact with diverse individuals and entities including private business owners; 

Convey information effectively, as well as the competence to independently resolve issues and/or disputes; 

Review municipal codes regularly and recommend revisions as necessary to keep up with changing technology; 

Look for tree protection fencing around trees on job sites; work  with the Forester to ensure when tree issues arise that they are addressed properly; make sure that trees aren’t being removed without proper permits; 

Look for construction sites that might be doing work without permits throughout the course of the day;

Perform other duties as required and assigned both in the field and the office.

Employees in this class may occasionally be required to serve as the on-call building inspector and respond to afterhours requests including structure fires, structures struck by vehicles, structures struck by trees and other emergencies.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of building construction materials and practices; 

Knowledge of City building codes and related ordinances; 

Knowledge of safety, health, and fire regulations and procedures;

Knowledge of federal, state, and municipal housing codes, laws, rules, and regulations.

Skill in reading and interpreting construction drawings and specifications accurately and comparing them with code requirements and construction in process; 

Ability to detect structural and other deficiencies and to recommend their corrections; 

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with building owners, contractors, craftsmen and others on inspectional and regulatory matters and even under adverse conditions; 

Ability to enforce applicable codes with firmness, tact and impartiality and issue citations when appropriate; 

Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; 

Ability to work outdoors under all types of weather conditions; 

Ability to work in a fast paced atmosphere; 

Ability to operate small office equipment, including copy machines or multi-line telephone systems; 

Ability to operate computers for data entry, word processing and/or accounting purposes; 

Ability to operate highly technical computer applications, such as GIS or CAD; Ability to operate and repair assigned equipment; 

Ability to guide implementation of new technology systems; 

Ability to guide implementation of capital improvement plans or programs; and 

Ability to guide implementation of major construction projects. 

Minimum Qualifications:

Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate and one (1) year of job-related housing inspection or construction experience or semiskilled trades experience and completion of a high school course or GED; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Special Qualifications:

Possession of a valid state driver’s license. 

Possession of an International Code Council (ICC) Certification as Property Maintenance and Housing Inspector or obtain the same within 12 months of employment.

Physical/Mental Demands: The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: 

Balancing ability: sufficient to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium. 

Climbing ability: sufficient to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. 

Crawling ability: sufficient to move about on hands and knees or hands and feet. Crouching ability: sufficient to bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine. 

Feeling ability: sufficient to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips. 

Dexterity ability: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand. 

Handling ability: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand.

Hearing ability: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound. 

Kneeling ability: sufficient to bend legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees. 

Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.

Reaching ability: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.

Speaking ability: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.

Standing ability: Particularly for sustained periods of time. 

Stooping ability: sufficient to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles. 

Visual ability: sufficient to observe violations of codes, to effectively operate standard office equipment; ability to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, drawings, etc.; to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, by both day and night.

Walking ability: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.

Work Environment:

The work environment entails some office work with minimal discomforts and inspections on construction sites, which may occur under any weather condition.

The employee is required to ensure work is performed in a safe and secure work environment that may periodically have unpredicted requirements or demands.