1. Inspectional Services
City of Worcester
Department of
Inspectional Services
Amanda Wilson, Lee Hall & Phil Salmon

2. Inspectional Services
Our mission is to provide this community with building, housing and sanitary inspections to include approved permitted documentation through exemplary customer service. These various functions are performed by trained/certified employees with specialized expertise utilizing current technology.

3. Divisions Building and Zoning Building construction permits
Gas/Plumbing permits
Electrical permits
Zoning
Regulatory Inspections
Enforcement

4. Divisions cont. Housing and Health Inspections
Housing/Nuisance Enforcement
Lead Paint Poisoning Prevention
Food Protection Program
Air, Water and Hazardous Materials
Weights and Measures
Enforcement

5. DIS Overview 26 field Inspectors More than 34,000 Inspections
14 Housing/Lead Inspectors
1 Social Worker
More than 34,000 Inspections
More than 12,000 Permits

6. Are you the Board of Health?
NO! But
We perform the public health regulatory inspections, such as restaurant inspections, water testing, lead paint inspections

7. Housing Enforcement Laws 105 CMR 410.000 STATE SANITARY CODE
Minimum Standards of Fitness for Human Habitation
Local Ordinances
Unregistered vehicles
OCC
Nuisance
Graffiti
Clothing Donation Boxes
Foreclosure
-Public Health Regulations I-XVIII
Transporting offensive substances
Non permanent chemical toilets

8. Authority
No person shall occupy or let to another for occupancy any dwelling unit for the purposes of living, cooking, sleeping and eating which do not comply with CMR

9. Authority
To protect the health, safety and well being of the occupants of housing and of the general public, to facilitate the use of legal remedies available to occupants of substandard housing and to provide a method of notifying interested parties of violations of conditions which require immediate attention.
In order to properly carry the responsibilities inspectors are authorized to enter, examine, or survey at any reasonable time such place as they consider necessary to conduct such examination or survey
If any owner or occupant or other person refuses, impedes, inhibits, interferes with, restricts or obstructs entry and free access to every part of the structure, operation or premise where inspection is authorized is sought the inspector may seek a an administrative search warrant or revoke or suspend any license or permit regulation under the Sanitary Code

10. What do we look for? Exterior Conditions Structural Conditions
Trash, overgrowth of vegetation
Unregistered vehicles
Posting of the owner’s contact information
Structural Conditions
Roof, soffit, eaves
Siding, railings, stairs, decking
Locks, lighting
Windows, screens
Is there a condition where someone can get injured at the property?

11. What do we look for? Interior Conditions
Fire protection-smoke detectors, carbon monoxides
Heat, hot water, potable water, electricity, gas
Kitchens- stoves, sinks, cabinets, counter tops, flooring
Bathrooms-sinks, toilets, tubs, mold
Pest infestation
Floor, doors, ceilings, walls

12. Interior Conditions cont.
Light fixtures, outlets
Egress obstruction
Trash barrels
Are there enough for the occupant until final collection?
Basement
Asbestos
Cross metering of electricity
Curtailment of utilities

13. Deferred Maintenance foundation deck Home extermination
for rats (didn’t work)

14. Enforcement Order
I've been issued an order from your office, now what?
Immediately make any emergency repairs needed and contact the inspector
Contact the tenant
Obtain the proper permits needed
Contact the inspector!
The tenant isn't paying the rent, I don’t want to fix the problem. It doesn’t matter. Sorry!
Did we say communicate with the inspector?

15. Deferred Maintenance Water leak Furnace Missing outlet cover
Missing smoke detector

16. How can I avoid an Enforcement Order?
Be Present – know what is going on at your property, the only way you can do that is to be there
Be a good neighbor
Communicate with your tenants
Respond to your tenants

17. Housing Court
So you didn’t comply with the order and now you have to go court…..
Do I need an attorney?
If you own the property in an LLC – YES
Preliminary Injunction
Contempt

18. Lead Paint Letters of Compliance
How do I know if my house has one?
Post
Compliance
Assessment
Determination
PCAD – what is it?

19. Lead Paint cont.
An order to correct a lead paint violation, now what?

20. Contact Information
25 Meade Street, Worcester Ma 01610
main number
facsimile
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

21. Customer Service 508-929-1300 24/7 reporting for non emergency issues
In case of an emergency dial 911

22. 508-929-1300 Customer Service 24/7 reporting for non emergency issues
In case of an emergency dial 911