The Building Department employs a Property Maintenance Correction Officer whose primary responsibility is to run the City's Exterior Maintenance Program. The City is divided into sections and inspections take place within these sections. The homeowners are notified of the maintenance violations and are given adequate time to make corrections. Many programs exist to assist low to moderate income families in making these corrections.

The main goal of the Exterior Maintenance Program is to ensure that our housing stock maintains its high value.

If you would like to inquire if your home is in the target inspection area for this year, contact Bob Lyons (440) 899-3423 and leave a message. Our inspectors spend most of their day in the field, but will return your call promptly.

 
Sewer Correction Program:

The Sewer Correction Program was developed and instituted by staff members of the Building Department. The main objective of this program is to remove as much extraneous water from residential sanitary laterals. The City is divided into 32 main sections and a number of subsections. These subsections contain anywhere from 50 to 200 homes. One section is assigned to each of the 3 Sewer Maintenance Officers.

As a quick overview, the Sewer Maintenance Officers will prepare a file on each home in their assigned test area. Ownership information and a photo of the home are placed in this file. A general information letter is mailed to all the residents in the test area notifying them that their area is to be tested and gives them a contact name and phone number for any questions. The testers will place a liquid tracing dye in the storm system around the house for 2 reasons. First, to make sure you are correctly hooked to a storm connection in the street, and second to ensure that none of the dyed storm water appears in the sanitary line. Most blockages in a storm or sanitary line are easily cleared by a plumber snaking out these two systems. If a blockage was detected on your property, the City would request that you have your lines snaked by a plumber. When the plumber is completed, the City will retest. If the blockage cannot be removed by a plumber, the City has the capability to televise and record the storm and sanitary laterals to try to identify the problem. Time limits are given for repairs, and if the resident has to hire a contractor to make the needed repairs, the City will work closely with the contractor to ensure the repair is made correctly and at the lowest possible cost to the resident.

By removing this extra water load from the sanitary system, the City achieves two things. First, it reduces the possibility of basement flooding, and second it reduces the City's costs to treat sewage at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

This is a proactive program and has demonstrated great success in the reduction of basement flooding. All 6,300 homes in the City will be tested using this method. If you have any further questions you may contact one of the Sewer Correction Officers at (440) 899-3481.