RESOLUTION 93-20777 RESOLUTION NO. 93-20777
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH,
FLORIDA, URGING THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF METROPOLITAN DADE COUNTY
TO AMEND ORDINANCE NO. 93-14 WHICH
REQUIRES THAT MUNICIPAL STRUCTURAL PLANS
EXAMINERS BE LICENSED STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
AND FURTHER REQUIRES THAT CERTAIN PLANS
MUST BE SEALED BY A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER,
BY DELAYING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE
ORDINANCE TO OCTOBER 1, 1993.
WHEREAS,
on March 2 , 1993 the Board of County
Commissioners of Metropolitan Dade County enacted Ordinance No.
93-14 which contained amendments to the South Florida Building
Code which
amendments are to become effective on May 2 , 1993 ;
and
WHEREAS, said amendments include provisions which require
that
onlya licensed structural engineer may serve as a
Municipal Structural Plans Examiner; and
WHEREAS,
previouslycertified general contractors and
'
architects were permitted to serve as MunicipalStructural
Plans Examiners ; and
WHEREAS, many of the Municipal Structural Plans Examiners
currently employedby
municipalities in Dade County are
certifiedgeneral eneral contractors or architects; and
WHEREAS, the
Cityof Miami Beach currently employs five
persons who perform the duties of Municipal Structural Plans
Examiners,, one of which is a licensed structural engineer and
g
four of which are
either engineers or experienced certified
general contractors; and
May2 ,
WHEREAS,
the 1993 effective date of Ordinance No.
93-14 does not enough enou h time for the City of Miami Beach
and other Dade
Countymunicipalities to reorganize their
building departments, employ em to necessary additional engineers and
budget for these changes; and
WHEREAS, if Ordinance No. 93-14 becomes effective on May
2 , 1993 , numerous construction projects will be delayed due to
the lack of qualified Structural Plans Examiners in municipal
building departments; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 93-14 also requires that permits
for construction projects over $15, 000 be signed and sealed by
a licensed engineer, where currently an architect may sign and
seal such plans: and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that this amendment will add
between $1, 500 and $10, 000 to the cost of building or
rehabilitating a single family home and will also substantially
increase costs for multi-family residential and commercial
construction throughout Dade County; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 93-14 will significantly increase
the cost of plans processing for the City of Miami Beach and
for other municipalities in Dade County; and
WHEREAS, a committee of Dade County Commissioners is
Pg
lannin to meet soon to hear and discuss information regarding
the effects of Ordinance No. 93-14 ; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and the City Commission of the City of
Miami Beach believe that due to the significant impact of
Ordinance No. 93-14 on the ability of municipal building
departments to continue to meet the needs of their
municipalities and due to the need for municipalities and the
private sector to have adequate time to prepare for the
economic effects of this Ordinance, it is imperative that the
effective date of the Ordinance be delayed until October 1,
1993 ; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that The Mayor
and City Commission hereby urge the Board of County
Commissioners of Metropolitan Dade County to amend Ordinance
No. 93-14 which requires that municipal structural Plans
2
Examiners must be licensed structural engineers and further
requires that certain plans be sealed by a professional
engineer, by delaying the effective date of the Ordinance to
October 1, 1993 .
PASSED and ADOPTED this 21st d- • of April , 1993.
ATTEST: .-
MAYOR
! '131101k40%e ==____
CITY CLERK
(Requested by Commissioner David Pearlson)
SWS:scf:disk4\lic-eng.res
April 14, 1993
FORM APp1OVED
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By 62e,
Date s ±/y-�3
3
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
(J:;I
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH FLORIDA 33139
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER TELEPHONE: (305) 673-7010
FAX: (305) 673-7782
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM NO. 03_93
•
TO: Mayor Seymour Gelber and DATE: April i l 8, 1993
Members of the City Commission p
FROM: Roger M. Carat
City Manager
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO DADE COUNTY ORDINANCE 93-14
SUBJECT:
RECOMMENDATION:
The administration recommends that the City Commission urge the
County Commission to amend Ordinance No. 93-14, Section 201. 2 (5)
labeled as Certification of Structural Plans Examiner, by delaying
the effective date of May 2nd, 1993 to October 1st, 1993, and
further review the impact and implications of this section of
ordinance on the operational capabilities of the Municipal Building
Departments.
BACKGROUND:
As a result of the devastation of Hurricane Andrew, the Board of
Commissioners of Dade County passed and adopted Ordinance 93-14 on
March 2, 1993 .
Section 201.2 (5) of the said ordinance has set forth the new
requirement for certification of structural plans examiner.
It requires municipalities to hire a Structural Engineer for the
position of Structural Plan Reviewer. Currently South Florida
Building Codeaccepts persons holding qualifications as an
Architect, Engineer or a General Contractor with five years of
experience within jurisdiction of South Florida Building Code to be
certified as a Plans Examiner.
This ordinance has created a severe financial hardship for .
Municipalities in hiring of a structural plans examiner. Effective
date of this ordinance falls within current Fiscal Budget Year and
makes it impossible to arrange and adjust the budget for the new
additional personnel requirements. This would also limit the
Building Department in the selection of the qualified personnel
with the current compensation range and creates additional cost to
obtain a permit without improving the quality of the process.
Hiring a structural engineer to check the design will not ensure
the quality of workmanship and materials used as it was witnessed
in South Dade by destruction of several major commercial
developments which by the way were all reviewed by the County's
certified structural plan reviewers.
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AGENDA
ITEM
A LL23
DATE
page 2
The new requirements of the certification of structural plans
examiner also poses the question of liability for structural
adequacy of the design. It burdens the municipalities with
liability of the design adequacy of the construction plans. It
also assumes a higher qualification of the engineer working for the
Municipality over the design engineer.
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5
VAJUTAk L
RESOLUTION NO. 93-20777
0
Urging the Board of County Commissioners
of Metropolitan Dade County to amend
Ordinance No. 93-14 •
IF:
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