Building services provider helps Ohio county establish its own building code department

Sandusky County, Ohio, has taken control of some of its building code-related processes from the state by setting up a building code department with the help of the private sector.

On Nov. 16, SAFEbuilt announced a partnership with Sandusky County that is helping the county establish its own commercial/industrial building code department, according to a news release.

“Commercial and industrial building codes are very important because they ensure that architects and contractors are designing and building their structures as safely as possible,” Kay E. Reiter, president of the Sandusky County Board of Commissioners, said in the release. “Safety and the well being of residents and employees is the ultimate goal.”

The new partnership will let Sandusky County manage its permitting and plan review for commercial and industrial buildings, according to the release. Previously, the state handled these tasks.

SAFEbuilt is also implementing a cloud platform for the county called CommunityCore Solutions, which streamlines departmental functions through web and mobile tools, the release notes. This will allow the county to utilize online permit and plan submissions and provide real-time status updates.

“Commercial development is critical for communities,” SAFEbuilt Managing Director of Business Development Steve Nero said in the release, “This enables Sandusky County to be more developer-friendly and an appealing partner for those that want to quickly get projects off the ground and keep them moving forward.”

SAFEbuilt is hiring local staff and building code specialists to support the new department, according to the release.