City staff explain building division, OpenGov permit/complaint rollout and housing inspection process

Planning Director Lee Nicholas and Code Enforcement Director Rob Feldwalt gave a detailed overview of the Building Division’s work, inspection cadence and enforcement tools, and projected improvements to online permitting and complaint intake.

Nicholas said the division uses an online permitting and inspection platform (OpenGov) and is digitizing legacy files to make project and complaint data easier to query. "We are probably the heaviest users of this [OpenGov]—almost all the workflow in the building division is through OpenGov," he said. He and Feldwalt said the city currently issues roughly 400 certificates of compliance (CFCs) annually; inspection frequency varies by occupancy type (dorms/fraternities annually; multi‑unit dwellings every three years; single/two‑family units every five years).

Feldwalt summarized enforcement authority: New York’s Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the state energy code provide standards for construction, while local chapter 210 (housing standards) and chapter 178 (exterior property maintenance) set habitability and exterior-minimum requirements. Common violations cited were missing or defective smoke/carbon-monoxide alarms, hazardous electrical extension cords, blocked ventilation and unsafe exterior stairs or railings.

Both directors said the OpenGov complaint form will be made easier to find on the city website and that staff expect to bring EPMO (exterior property maintenance ordinance) complaints into the online workflow before the fall—likely this summer—so complainants can track status. Feldwalt said inspectors generally aim to respond to complaints within two business days and to re‑inspect after owners have been given the notice period for correction. He noted constraints: inspections require access or owner/tenant consent for unit entry and many corrections require contractors or time to schedule repairs.