Rohnert Park Municipal Code Ch. 15.04 General Provisions

Footnotes:

--- (2) ---

Editor's note— Ord. No. 989, § 2, adopted Oct. 28, 2025, repealed former Ch. 15.04, §§ 15.04.010—15.04.080, and enacted a new Ch. 15.04 as set out herein. The former Ch. 15.04 pertained to similar subject matter, and derived from Ord. No. 971, § 2, adopted Nov. 22, 2022.

A. Excepting California Building Code Appendix J—Grading, which is administered by the city engineer, and State Fire Marshal regulated sections of California Building Code and California Residential Code, which is administered by the fire code official, whenever the term "local administrative authority" or" authority having jurisdiction" is used in the codes adopted by Chapters 15.04 through 15.34, excepting Chapters 15.28, in reference to a local official charged with the responsibility of carrying out the regulations adopted by said code, such local official shall be the building official. Said building official shall have all authority given to such official by said code.

B. "Fire Code Official" is used in this chapter, it shall mean the fire marshal or his/her designee.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)

Unless superseded and expressly repealed, references in the city's forms, documents and regulations to the chapters and sections of the past adopted regulations of the Rohnert Park Municipal Code, Title 15—Building and Construction and any prior versions of the California Building Standards Code shall be construed to apply to the corresponding provisions contain within the currently adopted Rohnert Park Municipal Code, Title 15—Building and Construction and the 2025 California Building Standards Code.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)

A. All applications for permits required by Chapters 15.04 through 15.34, with the exception of Chapter 15.28, shall be made to the building official in any form and detail, including any required plans, established by the building official.

B. All applications for permits required by Chapter 15.28 shall be made to the fire code official in the form and detail, including any required plans, required by the fire marshal.

C. The city council may establish fees, by resolution, for permit applications.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)

A. Applications for refunds must be made in writing to the building official within one hundred eighty days of the date the fee is paid. All [applications] made after one hundred eighty days will be rejected.

B. One hundred percent of a fee erroneously paid or collected may be refunded.

C. Ninety percent of the plan review fee may be refunded when an application for a permit for which a plan review fee has been paid is withdrawn, cancelled, expires or becomes void before any plan review effort has been expended. No portion of the plan review fee shall be refunded when any plan review effort has been performed.

D. Ninety percent of the building, plumbing, electrical, and/or mechanical permit fee may be refunded when a permit for which some or all of these permit fees have been paid is withdrawn, cancelled, expires or becomes void before any work was done and before any inspections are performed. No portion of these fees shall be refunded when any work was done and/or any inspections have been performed.

E. The building official may authorize the refund of all or part of a fee in order to correct an error by the department. The details of such a refund shall be retained in project file.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)

A. Application for a fee adjustment must be made in writing to the building official within thirty days of the date the fee is paid.

B. The building official may authorize the adjustment of all or part of a fee in order to correct an error by the city. The details of such an adjustment shall be retained in project file.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)

A. Any and all portions of work shall be complete and free of correction notices and or violations prior to the expiration of the permit or certificate authorizing said work or occupancy.

B. The building official is authorized to serve a notice of violation or order on the person responsible for the erection, construction, alteration, extension, repair, moving, removal, demolition or occupancy of a building or structure in violation of the provisions of this code, or in violation of a permit or certificate issued under the provisions of this code. Such order shall direct the discontinuance of the illegal action or condition and the abatement of the violation.

C. Any person who violates a provision of this code or fails to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who erects, constructs, alters or repairs a building or structure in violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the building official, or of a permit or certificate issued under the provisions of this code, shall be subject to penalties as prescribed by law.

D. In addition to any other penalties that may be provided at law, any person, firm, corporation, or other entity violating any of the provisions of Chapters 15.08 through 15.34, or any of the provisions of the codes, as amended, adopted by reference in Chapters 15.08 through 15.34, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both, unless deemed an infraction by the citing officer or prosecuting authority in the exercise of enforcement discretion. Penalties for offenses deemed an infraction shall be the maximum amounts authorized under Government Code Section 36900. In the discretion of the citing officer or prosecuting authority, penalties other than as set forth above may be applied to an offender for violations of Chapters 15.08 through 15.34 where a more specific penalty provision authorizes the imposition of such other penalties.

E. Every violation shall be deemed a separate offense for each day or portion thereof during which such violation continues.

F. In addition to applicable penalties, any and all portions of work completed without required permits shall be subject to fees for any additional plan review required and plus additional inspection fees.

G. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, mutilate, deface or conceal any notice or order including, but not limited to, a stop work order, posted by the building official or an authorized representative. Any unauthorized removal or tampering shall constitute a violation of this code and shall be subject to the penalties provided in this section.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)

A. In order to hear and decide appeals of orders, decisions or determination made by the building official and the fire marshal, relative to the application and interpretation of this code, there shall be and is hereby created a board of appeals. The board of appeals shall be appointed by the city council and shall hold office at its pleasure. The city council may establish fees to recover the costs associated with these appeals by separate resolution.

B. The board shall adopt rules of procedure for conducting its business and shall render all decisions and findings in writing to the appellant with a duplicate copy to the building official.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)

Any unpaid fees and fines shall be subject to the same collection measures outlined in Chapter 1.24 of the Rohnert Park Municipal Code.

(Ord. No. 989, § 2, 10-28-2025)