HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 51
CHAPTER V – BUILDING, LAND USE & REGULATIONS
ORDINANCE 51BUILDING ORDINANCE
Section 51.01: PERMITS REQUIRED. No person shall erect, alter, wreck, or move any
building or part thereof within the City of St. Joseph, without first securing a building permit.
The application for a building permit shall be accompanied by a plan showing the dimensions of
the lot to be built upon, including applicable setbacks, the size and location of the building upon
the lot and any accessory buildings to be erected, the use to which the intended building is to be
put, and the estimated cost thereof. If the proposed building complies with the Minnesota State
Building Code and the regulations adopted by the State of Minnesota, as well as all of the
ordinances of the City of St. Joseph, the City Building Inspector shall issue a permit therefore
conditioned upon the applicant’s compliance with all State laws and City ordinances. All
permits shall be co-signed by the City Clerk/Administrator and all additional permits necessary
shall be obtained at that time.
Building permits shall not be required if the work to be performed is limited to the
following: replacement of windows, repair or replacement of interior or exterior doors, shingling
or reshingling of a roof, siding or residing, interior remodeling not involving the removal or
relocation of an interior wall. A permit shall be obtained for the construction or reconstruction
of an Accessory Building as defined in Ordinance 52.4 Subd. 1.
Section 51.02: SEWER AND WATER HOOK UP. Every residential building
constructed or remodeled or placed upon any lots within the City of St. Joseph where sewer and
water mains are available in nearby streets shall be required to make water and sewer
installations in accordance with City regulations.
Section 51.03: PERMIT FEE. Each application shall be accompanied by a certified
check or cash to cover the building permit fees hereinafter provided, as well as the State
surcharge affixed by law. The Permit Fee shall be established and amended from time to time by
resolution of the City Council.
Section 51.04: BUILDING CODE. The Minnesota State Building Code, established
pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 16B.59 to 16B.75, including all of the amendments, rules and
regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the Minnesota
Commissioner of Administration, through the Building Codes and Standards Division is hereby
adopted by reference with the exception of optional chapters, unless specifically adopted by this
Ordinance. The Minnesota State Building Code, a copy of which is on file in the office of the
City Clerk/Administrator, is hereby incorporated in this Ordinance as if fully set out herein.
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CHAPTER V – BUILDING, LAND USE & REGULATIONS
Section 51.05: MAINTENANCE OF BUILDING SITE. With respect to any
construction, alterations, remodeling, or other work for which a permit is required hereunder, the
owner of the property which is the subject of the permit, as well as the principal and/or general
contractor performing the work, shall maintain the building site in a clean and neat condition,
shall gather all building debris, damaged materials, wrappings, boxes, and other debris, garbage
or liter created during construction, and store the same within a structure, dumpster, building, or
a fenced area as deemed appropriate by the building inspector to keep debris from blowing on to
adjacent properties, protect children from injury, and to reduce the unsightly appearance of the
property. All construction debris shall be removed from the construction site within 10 days of
completion of construction.
Section 51.06: BUILDING NUMBERS AND KEY BOXES.
Subd. 1.: Building Numbers. Building numbers are important in providing public safety
services as well as mail and other deliveries to the affected buildings.
a) Placement and Specifications. The owner, lessor or occupant of every industrial,
commercial or other building in the City shall have a proper building number on
the building either by affixing to the building the numbers in metal, glass, plastic
or any other durable material. The numbers shall not be less than four (4”) in
height in a contrasting color to the base. The numbers shall either be lighted or
made of some reflective material and so placed to be easily seen from the street.
b) Maintenance. The occupant of the primary structure shall be responsible for
keeping the address numbers in good repair and clear of snow, dirt, debris and
other obstructions.
c) Enforcement. The City may withhold all city licenses, applications, and permits
from owners or occupants of primary structures if the address is not placed or
maintained in conformance with this Ordinance.
d) Penalty. Any person violating or failing to comply with this Ordinance shall be
guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
Subd. 2.: Key Boxes. Where property is protected by an automatic alarm system, a
protected access to or within a structure, or access to an area on that property is unduly difficult
because of secured openings and where immediate access is necessary for public safety, life
saving, or firefighting purposes, the fire chief may require a key box to be installed in an
approved location. The key box shall be of the type approved by the fire department and shall be
the expense of the landowner.
a) Contents. The key box shall contain:
1. Keys to lock points of ingress whether on the interior or exterior of such
buildings.
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CHAPTER V – BUILDING, LAND USE & REGULATIONS
2. Keys to lock mechanical equipment rooms.
3. Keys to locked electrical rooms.
4. Keys to elevator controls.
5. Keys to other areas as directed by the fire chief.
6. It shall be the responsibility of the business owner to maintain a current
key in the key box at all times.
b) Waiver. The owner of every building of every property defined by Section 56.06,
Subd. 1 shall either assure that a key box is installed and maintained in an
approved location by the Fire Chief for the City of St. Joseph or shall provide the
St. Joseph City Administrator a written letter dated and delivered between
December 1 and December 29 of each year indicating that they have not installed
a key box pursuant to this Ordinance and that in the event of any response by the
City or its representatives, they shall waive any claim for damages or trespass.
c) Penalties. If the key box is not installed and a waiver is not received, the land
owner shall be subject to a petty misdemeanor following failure to either install
the key box or provide the City with a written waiver after ten (10) days written
notice. A second offense within the same calendar year shall be punishable as a
misdemeanor.
Section 51.07: COMPLETION DATE. With respect to any construction, alterations,
remodeling or other work for which a permit is required hereunder, the proposed work for which
a permit is issued shall be completed in its entirety within one year after issuance of the building
permit. If in one year after making application for a building permit, the work is not completed,
the applicant may request the Planning Commission to grant an extension for up to one year in
length. In the event of a violation of this provision, in addition to other remedies provided
herein, the City may proceed to fully or partially complete the permitted work, or remedy any
unsafe or unsightly condition, and assess the cost thereof, plus interest at the rate of eight percent
per annum against the property in question.
Section 51.08: WITHHOLDING OF PERMITS. The City of St. Joseph shall withhold
building permits from any contractor, property owner or other applicant who
a)has any pending violations with respect to the building code as adopted by the
City of St. Joseph, any developer's agreements to which the City of St. Joseph is a
party, or other violation of the Code of Ordinances of the City of St. Joseph;
b). The City shall also withhold building permits from any applicant who has had 3
or more violations of the building code, St. Joseph Ordinances, or of a developer's
agreement with the City of St. Joseph within one year of the application for the
building permitpermit; or
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CHAPTER V – BUILDING, LAND USE & REGULATIONS
c)Has not met the general requirements for City approvals under Section 14.06 of
the St. Joseph Code of Ordinances.
Permits shall be withheld until all violations are remedied.
Section 51.09: CONSTRUCTION TIMES. Construction activities which result in noise
audible on property other than that on which the activities are occurring shall be prohibited
between the hours of 79:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Section 51.10: PENALTIES/ENFORCEMENT. Any person who violates any of the
provisions of this ordinance is guilty of a misdemeanor. The City Building Inspector shall be the
enforcement officer of this ordinance.
Updated 6/2003 – Section 51.04
Amended 1/2007 – Sections 51.06-51.10
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