Building Inspector - City of St. Joseph, Michigan

Dr. Donald K. Moely Director St. Joseph Municipal Band

Dr. Moely has completed 33 years as Director of the St. joseph Municipal Band. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee, followed by his Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Music Education from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Moely served as Director of Bands at Winona State University, IN Winona, Minnesota. During his term there he developed the Symphonic Band this was followed by the position of Chairman of the Music Department, and Director of Bands at Lake michigan College, where he directed the Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Show Choir, taught brass lessons and piano classes in the electronic keyboard lab. Dr. Moely received several outstanding commendation awards for his leadership in the college's music program. During his work there Donald and Eloise Moely received the Bernard Radde Award given annually by the College Board of Trustees to outstanding contributors to the development of Lake Michigan College. He directed a European music tour featuring the college's Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Show Choir. Dr. Moely continued his post Doctorate studies in trumpet and music education administration at North Texas State University and received a Sabbatical leave from the college to study trumpet and orchestral conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg Austria. He recently retired as the choral director of John Adams High School in the South Bend Public Schools. Donald and Eloise Moely are the parents of a daughter Donelle, son Michael (Laura) and grandson Matthew living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

"Serving the St. Joseph audiences takes a different form this season with prepared concert videos each Sunday and holidays during this 2020 summer season. We encourage our fine audiences to tune into our videos during this adapted season. We look forward to seeing you again in person at the beautiful scenic setting of the City of St. Joseph John E. N. Howard Band Shell."

Elections

Michigan Election Law provides that elections must be held on only four (4) predetermined dates throughout the year:

The 2nd Tuesday in March

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in May

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in August

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day.

The Inspection Department processes all permits and performs all inspections for Building, Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing activities within the City. The Department processes all Rental registrations & inspections and carries out Property Maintenance code enforcement. In accordance with the Michigan's DHHS directives, during the COVID-19 pandemic City Hall currently remains closed to the public. Staff is working both remotely and in the field and, in the office as needed. At the Broad Street entrance to City hall contractors and home owners alike can find paper copies of most the relevant application forms. Links to all permit applications are also listed below. The public may continue to call 269-983-1212 to speak with staff about Inspection Department questions or email staff using the link below.

When submitting an Application please make sure it is administratively complete. This includes a thorough Site plan for most building permits and fence & shed permits, payment in full and a signed application and contact information. The City has a secure 24/7 drop box located at the Broad Street entrance for submission of all applications. Administratively complete applications are typically issued within a week, however, this turn-around time depends on the complexity of the project and the completeness of the application. Work cannot begin until a building permit has been issued and received by the applicant. If you plan is impacted by City Zoning, Sign Ordinances or the Land Division Ordinance, please use this link https://sjcity.com/government/departments/zoning to view all relevant information such as the Zoning Ordinance & Map.

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Building Official:
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Building Inspector
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Joan Ross

Inspection Department Administrator
Code Enforcement Officer:
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Address: 700 Broad Street
Phone: (269) 983-1212
Fax: (269) 985-0347

Citation Implementation Notification from LARA - Attention all individuals licensed/registered as residential builders, maintenance & alteration contractors, electricians, plumbers, mechanical contractors, and boiler tradesmen please read this important notice from LARA.

Inspection Department

St. Joseph enforces the following code editions:

2015 Michigan Building Code
2015 Michigan Residential Code
2017 Michigan Electrical Code Part 8 (NFPA 70 2017)
2015 Michigan Mechanical Code
2015 Michigan Plumbing Code
2015 Michigan Energy Code
2009 Uniform Fire Code
2015 International Property Maintenance Code

Building Permits must be obtained from the Inspection Department before beginning any construction, remodeling, mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work. Purely cosmetic (non-structural) changes such as painting or flooring, may not require a permit.

Please be sure to include ALL necessary documentation when submitting plans for review. For Building Permits, please be sure to include a full size set of blueprints and a digital copy. Site plans are required for most building permits.

Aerial Photographs

To obtain an aerial "birds-eye" view of any parcel in Berrien County use Berrien Co. Beacon Maps. This county GIS data base provides basic information on any city parcel. Once linked in to Beacon Maps the user will need to go to the upper left corner and hit the "Search" button, then enter the address under "Address Search", then select the "Map" option (upper left). If the user wishes to see lot dimensions, etc., use the "Layer List" dropdown menu on the left side.
Please be aware there is some 'drift' in property lines as the photographic imagery is taken from aerial fly overs. While this tool is helpful, the most accurate way to determine property line boundaries and dimensions, for a Site Plan for example, is to obtain a Survey from a licensed Michigan surveyor.

If you have any questions about these topics, please contact the City and staff will be happy to help you.

Applications, Forms and Processes - (Fillable Forms)

Building Permit Application with Fee Schedule
- Homeowner Building Permit Policy
- When do you need a building permit?
- Site Plans -- A simple Explanation
- Sample Site Plan
  A Site Plan must be submitted for Building, Fence & Shed permits which shows both existing and proposed conditions of the site. The Sample Site Plan explains the information typically requested and how to depict it on the drawing.
- Required Submittals for NEW Residential Construction Building Permit Applications
- Zoning Table for Article V of the Ordinance
- Residential Sheds – A 3-step process to obtaining a shed permit

To view the Building Permit Fee Schedule, please click on it. To view the City entire Fee Schedule, please click on it.

Fence Regulations

Permits are required for the construction of fencing on all properties in the City. If repairing an existing fence, please contact the Inspection Department to determine if a permit is required.

Please remember that only completed Fence applications with the required site plan and the $40 application fee will be processed. Please allow 7 days for processing and issuance of a permit. No work can start until the permit has been received. Working without a permit will increase costs and delay the project.

To learn more about the fence regulations and permit process see the information below:

Rental Program and Permits

Administration, scheduling, and inspection of all rental properties is processed through the Inspection Department:

Property Maintenance Program

The Property Maintenance Program is designed to be implemeted over a rotating 6-year period, with different neighborhoods of the City being inspected each year. Within each Focus Area the Code Enforcement Officer inspects every property and identifies those which have deficiencies, as defined by the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC, 2015 Edition).

Individual inspections may also be made outside the Focus Area rotation when needed.

The City Commission adopted the IPMC under Section 8-96 of the Code of Ordinances. It is the stated intent of the IPMC to “ensure the public health, safety and welfare insofar as they are affected by the continued occupancy and maintenance of structures and premises. Structures and premises that do not comply with these provisions are required to be altered or repaired to provide a minimum level of health and safety.”

Documents

Summary of the 2020 Property Maintenance Program – Focus Area 6

Focus Area Map of the Entire City

To view the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) please click this link https://codes.iccsafe.org/public/document/IPMC2015

Property Maintenance Board of Appeals (PMBOA)

2021 PMBOA & CBOA Meeting Schedule

PMBOA Rules of Procedure

Applications, Forms and Processes - (Fillable Forms)

PMBOA Application – 2020 FOCUS AREA 6

PMBOA Application – HEARING REQUEST

PMBOA Application – 75-DAY EXTENSION REQUEST

Property Maintainance Issue Complaint Form

Neighbor to Neighbor Program

For specific questions about the Property Maintenance Program please contact Joan Ross at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.