§ 160A-411. Inspection department.
Part 5.Building Inspection.
§ 160A‑411. Inspectiondepartment.
Every city in the State ishereby authorized to create an inspection department, and may appoint one ormore inspectors who may be given the titles of building inspector, electricalinspector, plumbing inspector, housing inspector, zoning inspector, heating andair‑conditioning inspector, fire prevention inspector, or deputy orassistant inspector, or such other titles as may be generally descriptive ofthe duties assigned. The department may be headed by a superintendent ordirector of inspections. Every city shall perform the duties andresponsibilities set forth in G.S. 160A‑412 either by: (i) creating itsown inspection department; (ii) creating a joint inspection department incooperation with one or more other units of local government, pursuant to G.S.160A‑413 or Part 1 of Article 20 of this Chapter; (iii) contracting withanother unit of local government for the provision of inspection servicespursuant to Part 1 of Article 20 of this Chapter; or (iv) arranging for thecounty in which it is located to perform inspection services within the city'sjurisdiction as authorized by G.S. 160A‑413 and G.S. 160A‑360.Such action shall be taken no later than the applicable date in the schedule below,according to the city's population as published in the 1970 United StatesCensus:
Cities over 75,000 population July 1, 1979
Cities between 50,001 and75,000 July 1, 1981
Cities between 25,001 and50,000 July 1, 1983
Cities 25,000 and under July1, 1985.
In the event that any cityshall fail to provide inspection services by the date specified above or shallcease to provide such services at any time thereafter, the Commissioner ofInsurance shall arrange for the provision of such services, either throughpersonnel employed by his department or through an arrangement with other unitsof government. In either event, the Commissioner shall have and may exercisewithin the city's jurisdiction all powers made available to the city councilwith respect to building inspection under Part 5 of Article 19, and Part 1 ofArticle 20 of this Chapter. Whenever the Commissioner has intervened in thismanner, the city may assume provision of inspection services only after givingthe Commissioner two years' written notice of its intention to do so; provided,however, that the Commissioner may waive this requirement or permit assumptionat an earlier date if he finds that such earlier assumption will not undulyinterfere with arrangements he has made for the provision of those services. (1969,c. 1065, s. 1; 1971, c. 698, s. 1; 1977, c. 531, s. 5.)