A. 
No owner or authorized agent shall hereafter erect, construct, enlarge, shore, underpin, repair, improve, convert, or otherwise alter any building or structure in this county without first obtaining a separate building permit for each such action or structure from Columbia County planning and building; provided, that there shall be exempted from the requirements of this section buildings or structures lying within any incorporated city or town within this county which already requires such permits.
B. 
To obtain a permit the applicant shall fill out a blank permit application to be supplied by planning and building. The applicant shall include thereon:
1. 
The permittee's name and address, along with the physical address of the project location and the registered owner's names (if applicable).
2. 
A legal description of the property on which the building or structure is located or will be located.
3. 
A general description of the nature of the proposed work.
4. 
The estimated value of the services and materials to be used in the proposed work, including labor.
The permit form may be signed by the permittee, or his authorized agent, who may be required to submit evidence to indicate such authority.
C. 
Prior to issuance of the permit, the accuracy of the legal description included thereon shall be verified by the county assessor. Upon complete compliance and full payment of the required building permit fee, the building official shall sign the permit and shall issue the original thereof to the applicant.
D. 
The building official shall promptly transmit the records electronically so the assessor will have immediate access.
E. 
Any violation of this chapter shall be subject to the provisions of CCC Title 19, Code Enforcement.
(Ord. 55C §§ 1 – 5; Ord. 2015-02 § 2; Ord. 2017-04; Ord. 2017-06)
When a building permit is applied for in an area which has 30 inches or more of annual rainfall, and/or has a questionable soil type or slope, the following criteria shall prevail:
A. 
The Columbia County planning director shall:
1. 
Prepare an environmental checklist of the impacted area;
2. 
Prepare a topographical map of the area showing the exact location of the proposed construction; and
3. 
Determine the density of existing dwellings within a one-half-mile radius of the proposed building site. Said density shall be marked on the topographical map.
B. 
The director of environmental health of Columbia County shall:
1. 
Compile necessary data (soil types, degree of slope, annual rainfall, depth of highest water table, water supply, and other information deemed to be pertinent); and
2. 
Propose a sewage disposal system for the proposed location or shall recommend that no permit be issued.
C. 
The planning director and the director of environmental health shall analyze the above-mentioned information and data and, together, shall either approve or deny the building permit.
D. 
If deemed necessary, the planning director may, at his discretion, require a geo-tech report on the project site or soil capability report.
(Res. 77-06; Ord. 2015-02 § 2)
Building permit fees relating to this chapter shall be established by the Columbia County board of commissioners by resolution.
(Ord. 2016-01 § 5)
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Prior legislation: Ords. 93-03 § 7 and 98-02 § 7.