South Zanesville holds first readings to pursue local enforcement of Ohio building codes

Council members in South Zanesville introduced two resolutions on Feb. 2 seeking to bring building-code enforcement under village authority and to contract with a certified regional office for plan review and inspections.

The council advanced Resolution 1138, a request for certification to enforce the Ohio State Building Codes within South Zanesville, and Resolution 1139, which would create a South Zanesville Building Department and authorize a request to the Ohio Board of Building Standards for certification as a sub-department of Washington County’s building department (doing business as the Southeast Ohio Building Department). Both items were moved forward as first readings only; neither was adopted at the meeting.

Rick Gossel, chief building official for the Southeast Ohio Building Department, told council his office provides plan review and inspection services for residential and non-residential work and that the service would be paid by applicants rather than by the village. “The service would be at no cost to the Village,” Gossel said, describing typical plan-review timelines (often under three weeks for commercial projects and within days for many residential permits) and generally next-day inspection turnaround.

Council members and Administrator Joe Miller raised liability concerns about village officials approving permits without inspections and discussed the public-safety and legal risks of uninspected residential construction. That exchange helped prompt the draft resolutions and council’s decision to proceed with first readings so more formal consideration can occur in subsequent meetings.

Next steps: the resolutions will return for further readings and formal votes at a future council meeting; council did not set adoption dates during the Feb. 2 session.