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Planning and Inspections — Plans Examiner <br />Request: To establish a permanent, full -time Plans Examiner position within the Planning and <br />Inspections Department, effective January 1, 2004, <br />Purpose: To perform plan examination work necessary to establish compliance with North <br />Carolina State Building Codes, including building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing. <br />Job Functions: <br />Review residential plans, commercial and industrial plans, tenant improvements, additions <br />and alterations to existing buildings to determine compliance with building, electrical, <br />mechanical and plumbing codes <br />Perform on -site field inspections <br />Provide guidance to developers, contractors, and citizens to ensure compliance with <br />application and code requirements. <br />Needs Addressed: <br />• The Insurance Service Office (ISO) provides recommendations for local Residential <br />Insurance ratings through measurement of resources and support made available and <br />applied to local building code enforcement, as well as the utilization of those resources, as <br />applicable to the mitigation of the natural hazards common to the jurisdiction being <br />measured. In order to participate in the ISO, residential plans review is required of the local <br />building division. <br />• In order to participate in the ISO ratings program, the Orange County Inspections Division <br />instituted procedures this spring for residential plans review. On average, 850 residential <br />plans (including new single family, additions, renovations and accessory buildings) will be <br />reviewed per year with an average time of .75 hours per review. <br />• In order to maintain an ISO rating of 5, the Inspections Division is required to perform plans <br />review on all residential permit applications. Staff was previously working under high levels <br />of inspections workload, and due to this new residential plan review requirement, it became <br />necessary to pull one inspector from the field to do plans review, This has put an even <br />greater strain on field inspections and on plans review. <br />• With the increase in commercial activity and the additional residential plans review, a full <br />time person is needed to handle this workload, When an inspector is on vacation, out sick <br />or in training classes, or when the number of inspections reach 60 (which occurs 57% of the <br />time), all plans review cease, because the designated plans reviewer must resume field <br />inspections in order to keep field inspections completed in a timely manner. <br />• Historically, building permit applications have been processed within 3 -4 days. With the <br />extra workload and current rate of development, building permit applications are now taking <br />up to 6 weeks for approval. <br />• Provide comprehensive plans review for residential projects <br />• Provide comprehensive plans review for commercial projects <br />• Provide lower ISO rating for the County, due to increased field staff and full -time plans <br />review staff which impacts insurance rates for County residents <br />