PART-TIME CODE ENFORCEMENT ? YOU BET !
before you start the work . The building permit application is available on our website at www . brentwoodboro . com .
When you ’ re filling out the application , make sure that you also have plans for what work you want to do and have a drawing that you can provide as supplemental material for our Code Enforcement . This may sound intimidating , but it doesn ’ t need to be exhaustive . Plans for a shed , for example , can be as simple as a sketch of your property with a drawing of where you want the shed , the dimensions of the shed , and how far off your property line the shed will be . Plans will , of course , need to be more descriptive depending on how intensive your project is . Building an addition will be a lot more complicated than building a shed , so our Code Enforcement will need to see details of your planned project before issuing a permit . If you ’ re not sure if your project needs a permit or what extent of plans you ’ ll need , you ’ re welcome to reach out to the Code Enforcement Administrative Assistant for more information at 412-884- 1500 ext . 118 .
Another frequent notice that goes out is for trash . This one may sound like a no-brainer , but you might be surprised how many violations get issued for it ! The Borough ’ s trash ordinance states
“ Except when placed at the curbside for collection , no plastic bags may be stored in any exterior premises ” and “ Except when placed at the curbside for collection , all reusable containers must be stored behind the front building line of the structure from which the materials placed in said reusable container are generated .” What that translates to in layman ’ s terms is this : all trash in plastic bags must stay indoors or in a trash can with a tight-fitting lid , and if you have a trash can outside make sure it ’ s located behind the building line , preferably out of sight where possible . No one wants to see or smell a line of trash cans along the outside of someone ’ s house , and the only time any trash should be outside is after 5 PM on your collection day .
The reasons for our trash ordinance are plentiful . Trash left outside draws rodents , insects , and sometimes even larger visitors like raccoons . In the summer heat , it can generate various off-putting odors , and no one wants to look at bags of trash or the contents of a ripped bag thrown around someone ’ s property . It ’ s one thing to walk down a Brentwood street on trash day , but imagine the sight and the smell if a property looked like that all the time ! Thus , for those reasons and many others , our Code Enforcement is particularly
Around Brentwood
strict with issuing notices for trash lying around on people ’ s properties .
Despite common perception , Code Enforcement ’ s purpose is not to spend all their time at the magistrate ’ s office pinning fines on people , and they don ’ t hold grudges , pull punches , or play favorites . At the end of the day , our letters have one purpose : to enforce compliance with the Borough ’ s adopted property maintenance code . Our Code Enforcement receives a lot of vitriol for what they do , and hardly a day goes by without an irate resident calling in to the Borough for having received a letter for one of any number of minor violations . However , our Code Enforcement does also receive a lot of praise for continuing to keep Brentwood a beautiful place to live and for giving our residents somewhere to turn to when they spot something that needs to be corrected . When it comes to cutting down on problem properties that are left vacant , unmaintained , and uncared for , our residents appreciate what our Code Enforcement does to keep their neighborhood nice and neat and keep their properties safe for themselves and others . rentwood
CITY BRIEFLY OF MCKEESPORT BRENTWOOD NEWS
cKeesport
PART-TIME CODE ENFORCEMENT ? YOU BET !
Our Code Enforcement has always worked diligently with Brentwood ’ s residents to resolve outstanding code violations , address questions with building permits , perform review of dye tests and camera tests , and conduct occupancy inspections , among a multitude of other tasks to help keep Brentwood beautiful . However , residents who have been keeping their ears to the ground may have heard that our building inspector , Ralph Costa , was looking at retirement after a great many years of dedicated service . He has since decided instead to stay on with Code Enforcement as our part-time building inspector and in-house International Property Maintenance Code expert . We are of course tremendously pleased to retain someone with his level of construction expertise and multitudinous certifications on our staff !
How can a community with as many people as Brentwood still look this good with part-time Code Enforcement ? Although Ralph has gone part-time , that ’ s no reason for us to slow down ! Our Code Enforcement team is spotting more violations and issuing out more letters than ever before . This is because the Administrative Department and the Department of Public Works have been taking over some of Code Enforcement ’ s duties to lighten the load , using a state-of-the-art tracking system to receive and review violation information and anonymous complaints , determine what the nature of the violation is and if it warrants a violation notice , and follow up on issued notices to see if the violation has been resolved .
While Ralph has limited office hours , our office is still willing to assist our residents with any questions they may have on all things code-related and anything concerning building permits , occupancy inspections , dye tests , camera tests , and property transfers . Anyone with questions is welcome to call the Borough ’ s main line at 412-884-1500 and follow the prompts to be directed to the department secretaries for assistance .
BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL ❘ FALL 2023 67