Fall 2006 - City of Coral Springs

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features A Day in the Life In the Building Division, any day can be a hectic one It’s 7:25AM and there is a long line of applicants already waiting for the doors to open at 7:30AM. It’s a typical day in the Coral Springs Building Division and as the Building Services Supervisor, Maryellen Serra has a full load of responsibilities. A plastic toy firefighter’s hat sits on her desk and I ask her what’s the story behind it. “I gave everyone in the department one because in addition to our regular tasks sometimes we have to put out some fires along the way,” said Serra, laughing. There is more to building than sweat and sawdust. Whether you are planning on building a custom home, putting up an addition over the garage or remodeling the kitchen, the Coral Springs Building Department must be taken into account. “A great rule of thumb is if the job costs more than $1,500, a permit is required,” said Serra. For homeowner’s protection, Building Department staff enforces the Florida Building Code by providing plan review, field inspections and administrative functions for every permit that is processed. Since Hurricane Wilma hit last year, the Building Department has been flooded with permit applications, with a large amount of them for roofs and shutters. City staff also worked with the City Commission on creating a temporary emergency ordinance for metal roofs, and residents have until December 1, 2006 to get their applications in. Almost a year has passed since Hurricane Wilma slammed South Florida, and the Building Department is still not caught up with permit requests. More than 15,000 permits have been processed since January alone. Staff is working diligently to reduce wait times to a maximum of 5 working days for roof permits and 15 working “We want homeowners to know what’s going on with their permits, when a contractor brings it in and when it’s ready for pick-up,” said Building Services Supervisor Maryellen Serra. days for all other permits. “By the time the department catches up with the after effects of last hurricane season, another one gears up again,” said Serra. “It’s a never ending cycle.” Serra has been with the city for almost six years. She spent three years in the Community Development Department and was later promoted to Building Services Supervisor in 2004. Prior to working for the City, Serra worked in the hotel industry for 10 years. Her experience in working with people is a great benefit for the City. Serra recalls when she first started working in the building division. “The first thing I did was check if my home had any open permits,” she said. She didn’t have one, but two. “I was devastated to find out the pool contractor and the screen enclosure contractor did not complete the inspections required for the permits to close,” said Serra, “Therefore, as a Coral Springs resident and because of my personal experience, I feel it’s important to educate homeowners with the information they need to arm themselves against such problems.” At 9AM, she heads over to the conference room to have their weekly staff meeting. An hour later, she heads back to her office and checks her voicemails and e-mails. A knowledgeable resident left a message asking if all of his inspections passed before paying his contractor for the job. “I love calls like this…this is exactly what residents should do,” she said. According to Serra, a 4 • Coral Springs • Fall 2006 Visit coralsprings.org
The Life of a Permit 1. Application is submitted along with required paperwork . 2. The building permit staff reviews application for completeness and accuracy. 3. If something is missing or incorrect, the contractor and/or owner/builder is asked to make corrections and resubmit. 4. Accepted permits are given a number for tracking purposes. 5. It is then plan reviewed according to code. 6. Application is given to permitting staff to enter status . 7. It is then reviewed by the discipline, such as electrical, plumbing, etc. and the status is entered in the system. 8. Once approved, staff creates the permit, invoices the fees and builds the inspections into every permit. 9. Contractor and property owner are notified that the permit is available for pick-up at City Hall South. 10. Work can now begin on the project. 11. Inspections are scheduled online or on an automated system. 12. Homeowner can make final payment to contractor once inspections are completed and the permit is closed. 6 1 2 features 9 4 homeowner should always check the status of their permit before paying the contractor in full because if the job wasn’t done properly, it is hard to get the contractor to come back and finish the job. In addition to her daily tasks and supervising her staff, Serra is in the process of developing and hiring two more employees for the new Customer Care Call Center starting this fiscal year. At 12:17PM, she interviews a possible candidate for the Customer Care Center. The interview goes well, but it’s still too soon to make any decisions. “Ideally, we’re looking for someone with call center experience, as well as a permitting background,” she said. “It’s going to be a hard to find a candidate with that specific background.” The goal of the Customer Care Center is to provide increased customer satisfaction and a consistent serviceoriented experience. Residents, property owners, and commercial businesses with questions about permitting, plan review and inspections will be able to speak with a Customer Care Representative. In addition to answering general permitting information, the Customer Care Center will relay any specific inquiries to the proper office. “The Customer Care Center will serve as a single point-of-entry to the Building Division to improve communications with our customers,” said Serra. It’s 4:14PM and the front office has gotten noisier. It’s now filled with applicants dropping off and picking up permits before the office closes at 4:30PM. Serra hears some commotion and decides to check it out. A resident seems to be upset, and is raising his voice at the front desk employee. His face is flushed and he’s asking why his permit still hasn’t been approved. Meteorologists are predicting a hurricane is coming our way, and he’s concerned about his home. Serra decides to interject and see if she can help. “I know you’re upset, but your application was returned to your contractor two months ago and he has not yet returned it to us,” she said. Although the resident is still upset, he realizes his contractor is the one that has been failing him. Early this year staff began notifying residents when a contractor applies for a permit just to keep them in the loop. “It’s just another part of the education process,” said Serra. It’s important for homeowners to be involved in the permitting process. “We want homeowners to know what’s going on with their permits, when a contractor brings it in and when it’s ready for pick-up.” Homeowners can check the progress of an application by visiting coralsprings.org and clicking on “E-Coral Springs” in the top menu bar. Click on “Building Services” and select “Building Services Online.” By entering your application number, you’ll be able to view the status, as well as any comments relating to the application. Another busy day has flown by. “I enjoy coming to work because I never know what the day has in store for me,” said Serra. To find out the requirements for applying for a building permit, visit coralsprings.org/building, stop by the Building Division at 9530 West Sample Road, or call 954-344-1025. Watch CityTV Channel 25 Fall 2006 • Coral Springs • 5
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Fall 2006 - City of Coral Springs

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