§ 14-65. Building department.

(a)

Established; enforcing officer; qualifications of enforcement personnel. There is hereby established a department to be called the building department and the person in charge shall be known as the building official. The board of commissioners shall establish the qualifications for the building official and other code enforcement personnel.

(b)

Restrictions on employees. An officer or employee connected with the department, except one whose only connection is as a member of the board established by section 14-71(a), shall not be financially interested in the furnishing of labor, material, or appliances for the construction, alteration, or maintenance of a building, structure, service, system, or in the making of plans or of specifications thereof, unless he is the owner of such. This officer or employee shall not engage in any other work, which is inconsistent with his duties or conflict with the interests of the department.

(c)

Records. The building official shall keep, or cause to be kept, a record of the business of the department. The records of the department shall be open to public inspection pursuant to the provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.

(d)

Liability. Any officer or employee, or member of the board of adjustments and appeals, charged with the enforcement of the construction codes, acting for the applicable governing authority in the discharge of his duties, shall not thereby render himself personally liable, and is hereby relieved from all personal liability, for any damage that may occur to persons or property as a result of any act required or permitted in the discharge of his duties. Any suit brought against any officer or employee or member because of such act performed by him in the enforcement of any provision of the construction codes shall be defended by the governing jurisdiction until the final termination of the proceedings.

(e)

Reports. The building official shall submit annually a report covering the work of the building department during the proceeding year. He may incorporate in such report a summary of the decisions of the board of adjustments and appeals during such year.

(f)

Job description. Copies of the job description are on file with the personnel office.

(Ord. No. 2000-10, § 2(1.4), 11-28-2000)