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Morgan Hill, California
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Zucker Systems
Building Plan Review
Performing quality plan reviews is an essential first step in ensuring that a project is
constructed in compliance with the City’s adopted Codes. A failure to detect a
significant code violation on the original plans can contribute to substantial delays and
increased costs when that violation is discovered during the field inspection process.
It is therefore appropriate that the staff performing the plan review function be
qualified by knowledge and experience sufficient to provide expert plan reviews.
Currently the City assigns plan review responsibilities to the Building Official and
Building Inspector Supervisor for building plans and a part-time employee to perform
Fire plan reviews. The City also has the ability to assign complex plan reviews to an
outside consultant (CSG Consultants, Inc.), though few plans are sent out for review.
With the implementation of the TRAKiT system, greater emphasis will be placed on
the need to perform quality plan reviews within the established turnaround time
standards. Having a variety of resources available to assign plan review tasks will
significantly reduce the stress on existing resources.
Based on the Building Official’s 30 years of experience and his possession of
appropriate ICC Certifications, we have no reason to question the quality of the plan
reviews that he is currently performing. Our focus is directed to the future. As
discussed under the Organizational Issues section of this report, we strongly support
the Assistant City Manager’s decision to hire a qualified Chief Plan Examiner in the
coming fiscal year. By confirming that the selected candidate is properly certified to
perform plan reviews and is afforded the opportunity to participate in continuing
education, we are confident that the Building Division will prosper from such an
addition. If it continues to be the City’s intent to utilize the services of the Building
Inspector Supervisor to perform plan reviews, then suitable steps should be taken to
encourage the employee to obtain certification as an ICC Certified Residential Plans
Examiner. Language in the current job description for the Building Inspection
Supervisor suggests that the position includes performing plan reviews but the
Licenses and Certificates section of the job description does not state the need for a
certification as a plans examiner.
33.
Recommendation
: Continued assignment of plan reviews to the Building
Inspector Supervisor should be accompanied by a revision to the job
description to reflect the need for ICC Certification as a Residential Plans
Examiner.
Based on the Building Division’s current inability to meet our recommended plan
review turnaround times and next-day inspections, we recommend the Building
Official take greater advantage of the availability of qualified outside consultant
services (CSG) to perform plan reviews and inspections. Contracting for plan review
services will afford the Building Official the much needed time to facilitate the
implementation of the TRAKiT system and to implement the variety of