code enforcement officer

You want to build a garage, a new deck, or make an addition to your home. You line up the best contractor and plan to use only the best materials. Everything’s ready to roll, all you need is a building permit to get the project started.

That’s where Tom Perkins comes in. Perkins is code enforcement officer for the Town and Village of Caledonia. His job is to enforce the state fire prevention and building codes and the local zoning codes. The bottom line is, he’s the guy you must see if you want to make any structural changes to your property or if you want to build anything within the town and/or village.

Many residents do not understand what projects require a building permit, Perkins says. Putting in a swimming pool, a fence, a shed or a deck, all require a building permit. Even replacing a window or door could require a permit if the size is changed.

In most cases, property owners comply and do attain the proper permits before they begin work to their home. The biggest reason that people don’t get a permit, Perkins finds, is that they are trying to avoid the increased tax assessment that comes along with structural changes to your home or property. Then there are those people who simply did not know that a permit was required.

Whenever you tell people that they need a permit before they can make changes to their property, you need to use a great deal of diplomacy, Perkins admits.

In larger, suburban areas, a code enforcement officer could legally require a home owner to tear down an addition if it was constructed without a permit. When Perkins notices that work is being done to a home or building that has not applied for a permit, he stops and notifies the owner that he must attain the proper permit.

Most often, that is all that is necessary, says Perkins. Occassionally, though, a home owner will become aggitated. It is in those situations that a CEO must walk the fine line between diplomacy and firmness.

An application will be either granted or denied based on how it meets with the state and/or local codes. It is the local zoning codes that are the most difficult to apply, since much of it is interpretation, Perkins says. Still, the CEO must be arbitrary in his decision.

That can be difficult for small town and village CEO’s who often are friends with the permit applicant, may be even related.

If you are denied a permit, the process is not over. You can appeal the CEO’s decision through the village and/or town board of appeals, who can issue a variance for your proposed project.

For example, the recent publicized proposal for a feed and fertilizer facility on Rt. 5 west was denied a building permit because it did not meet the town’s zoning code for height. That action, in and of itself, will not stop the project from going through. The developer has applied for a height variance from the town zoning board of appeals.

Perkins, who is a fire and arson investigator for the Rochester Fire Department, says he spends about 20 hours a week on the job, inspecting properties and issuing permits.

In addition, he is the fire marshall for the village.

If you need information from the code enforcement officer (town or village), he can be reached at 538-4150, or at his home.