MUNICIPAL CLIENT SERVICES

Vital can provide:

  • Permanent day-to-day operations that include a variety of code enforcement, building inspections, or small plan reviews.

  • Short-term and custom specialty engagements for:

    • Code enforcement of specific violation types, problem properties, or initiatives and projects.

    • Help with departmental continuity during staffing transitions in inspectional or plan review areas.

    • Help with backlogs of building inspections, code cases, and plans reviews or inspections and administrative close outs for expired permits.

    • Help with model (building) code adoption or updates.

  • Long-term strategic operational guidance or help that includes staff training and departmental assessments.

Permanent day-to-day operations

  • Agreement and contract options are available for any one or a combination of any of the following field and technical services: “code enforcement and property maintenance”, “building inspection”, and “small plan review”.

  • While discussion and agreement is necessary to determine and fully understand the desired scope of service and the ability to accommodate such, this has been the historic cornerstone of our services.

Short-term and custom specialty engagements

  • This is one of the most underrated services available because it can happen on your timeline with the benefit of addressing difficult to plan for issues. We can help you cope with these varied atypical and infrequent concerns.

  • Do you need Transitional / Temporary help needed to maintain continuity of services? While an organization is seeking permanent personnel replacement or transitioning staffing levels, duties, etc. it is a hurdle that every organization faces from time to time and tough to cope with, Vital can help.

  • Do you have special projects, violation specific enforcement, or need routine monitoring of problem properties? These can be time consuming and detract from daily duties of full-time or leaner staff operations, Vital can help.

  • Do you have a Backlog building inspections, code cases, or plan reviews to catch up on? Do you have expired permits without resolution? These are common occurrences for most community development or building departments, Vital can help.

  • Do you have model Code Adoption or Updates to implement? Sometimes code integration or interdepartmental coordination is difficult, Vital can help.

Long-term strategic operational guidance

  • Seminars and Training. Informal positional, divisional, or departmental operational training with a specific municipality’s objectives and goals is available. It can be scaled up or down to accommodate client attendance and incorporate client supplied or directed goals. Different themes are available: Customer Service for Internal and External Clients, Documentation Methods for Active Analog or Software Platforms and Archival Records, Inspections - Preparation, Execution, and Documentation (this includes both code enforcement and building inspectors).

  • Departmental Assessments. While no one likes to be tested or rated or assessed, it can be a great self-reflection tool. Review or assessment of a community development or building department operations, staffing, objectives, or goals can lead to a refined strategy for success or help to refocus in achieving a department’s mission or vision. Summary reports are provided with follow up meetings available. Vital led or facilitated departmental discussions with staff are also available.

MUNICIPAL CLIENT FEE NOTE:

There are different types of professional service agreement options and packages (e.g. part-time hourly without patrol, part-time hourly with proactive patrol, simple assigned inspections or investigations, short-term engagements, custom or combination options) available to meet each client’s cost level or level of service desired and the different factors affect cost options and packages. Examples include, but may not be limited to:
  • Use of municipal client vehicle versus Vital vehicle use for proactive patrol option.
    • ADDITIONAL NOTE: It is recommended to provide Vital personnel with municipal apparel or identification if proactive patrol or unannounced inspections or investigations actions are requested or desired.
  • Vital personnel direct input into client software platforms versus inspections report submissions (via email or analog methods).
  • Vital personnel to provide formal correspondence for code actions.

PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES

Vital can provide:

  • Commercial Property Sales Transaction Inspections

    • Service available for both a Seller and Buyer.

  • Commercial Property Pre-Rental Inspections

    • Service available for both a Prospective Tenant and Landlord.

  • Commercial Property Maintenance Safety Inspections

    • Service available for a one-time inspection or (reduced costs) for regular recurring agreement or contract.

  • Municipal Code Analysis and Interpretation

    • Service available for both Residential and Commercial clients.

Commercial Property Sales Transaction Inspections

  • These general safety and property maintenance compliance inspections include summary reports and are based on a combination of International Property Maintenance Code standards and, if possible and desired, local ordinance requirements where reasonably applicable.

  • This service is available to both sellers and buyers.

    • Why is this inspection valuable?  While there is currently no State of Illinois regulation or requirement for commercial property transactions in the same manner for residential property transactions, there is still significant value in assessing the condition of a property.  If you own or manage a property, identifying unsafe, insanitary or non-compliant conditions (and addressing) them can help with the sale. Conversely, if you are a buyer, knowing these same conditions can better help you to understand what additional costs could be involved with acquiring the property or simply confirm a level of code compliance.

Commercial Property Pre-Rental Inspections

  • These general safety and property maintenance compliance inspections include summary reports and are based on a combination of International Property Maintenance Code standards and, if possible and desired, local ordinance requirements where reasonably applicable. (Similar to the Sales Transaction inspection above.)

  • This service is available to both prospective business tenants and landlords.

    • Why is this inspection valuable?  While many municipalities require a business license or registration inspection process in order to obtain a certificate of occupancy, there is still significant value in assessing the condition of a property from an advocate perspective with with a certain level of detail and time that only a third party can reasonably offer.  If you own or manage a property, identifying unsafe, insanitary or non-compliant conditions (and addressing) them can help with the rental. Conversely, if you are a prospective tenant, knowing these same conditions can better help you to understand what additional costs could be involved with leasing or renting the property.

Commercial Property Maintenance Safety Inspections

  • These one-time or regular interval general property maintenance safety inspections include summary reports and are based on a combination of International Property Maintenance Code standards and, if possible and desired, local ordinance requirements where reasonably applicable.

  • While this service is available for a one-time inspection, it is recommended to be regular or recurring for maximum benefit.

    • Why is this inspection type beneficial?  It can help to identify unsafe or insanitary conditions thereby keeping employees and guests safe and properties code compliant.

    • Property owners or managers should also check with their insurance carriers to see if there is a benefit (or discount) to having these regular safety inspections.

    Municipal Code Analysis and Interpretation

  • These Building and/or Zoning code analyses or interpretations can help facilitate your project or request.

  • A typical example of the service is:

    • We begin with a meeting or discussion to identify the scope of the project or request. The client may then need to provide basic documents (e.g. Plat of Survey indicating all current conditions; Preliminary Architectural, Building, or Engineering Plans, if available or further discussion as necessary for a deeper understanding of the proposed scope work. At this point, additional questions may arise and then a clarification or other documentation or information may be needed to accomplish the task. Sometimes consultation with municipal staff is needed to clarify code language, intent, or processes. Ultimately, Vital will provide a summary report, outline, or rudimentary drawings to demonstrate to findings.

  • This service is available for both residential and commercial construction projects or variance requests

    • Why is this service important to some projects or variance requests?  It helps to clarify what you can or cannot do with a project or property. It can also help to ascertain or identify a municipality’s willingness or ability to work with the alternative allowances of some codes, subjective criteria of hardship standards, possible flexibility in the process, or relief available.

PRIVATE CLIENT FEE NOTE:

Different factors affect the cost of services and inspections. Examples include, but may not be limited to:
  • For Municipal Analysis and Interpretation - scope of the project, municipal code sections to analyze or interpret, level or municipal contact desired by client.
  • For Commercial Inspections - size of a property, size of a building, property or building limitations or exclusions, recurring inspection reduction.