pennsylvania

44

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY

BUREAU OF OCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

July 30, 2015

1111.
Cie N

Mr. Willis Shrauder

BCO Borough Steelton
123 North Front Street
Steelton, PA 17113
Dear Mr. Shrauder:

My office received information regarding improper enforcement of the Pennsylvania

Construction Code Act (PCCA) (P.L. 491, 35 P.S. 7210.101 et. seq.) or the Uniform
Construction Code (UCC) in Steelton Borough, Dauphin County. As a result, the Department
conducted an investigation under the authority of Section 105(a) of the PCCA and 403.104 of
the UCC.
Our investigation revealed several building permits issued by uncertified individuals, as
well as a lack of inspections being performed as required by the UCC on both residential and
commercial properties.
I have attached letters outlining our findings and results of our investigation. Additionally,
attached is a list of permits issued by the Borough between March 9, 2015 and July 6, 2015, the
time which the previous Building Code Official's (BCO) certifications were expired, or she had
concluded her employment with the Borough. The Department requires that you review this list
and determine which of those projects needed a UCC building permit based on the UCC and
Steelton Borough's UCC amendments. A follow-up inspection must be conducted on each of
these projects to determine compliance with the UCC. Furthermore, the Department needs to be
notified periodically of your progress until you have completed this task.
Please consider this letter a reminder that as the designated Building Code Official you are
responsible for the management, supervision and administration of the UCC in Steelton Borough.
Although the purpose of this letter is to educate you on what was discovered, it should be taken
seriously and you should work to ensure compliance with the UCC.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Should you have any questions regarding
this report, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (717) 787-1291.

2/
-PR
/
1
6
Ron F. Englar, BCO
UCC Field Operations Manager
cc:

File
T. Acri, Mayor, Borough of Steelton
J. Wright, President, Borough of Steelton
Bureau of Occupational & Industrial Safety 1 UCC Inspection Division
651 Boas Street, Room 1624 1 Harrisburg, PA 17121 717.787.12911F 717.346.12331 www dli.state.paus
Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Program

pennsylvania
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY

4111

BUREAU OF OCCUPATIONAL & INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

Certification
07/30/15 UCH
Ms. Sylvie A. Zell
6816 Fishing Creek Valley Road
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Re: Complaint Investigation
Steelton Borough
Steelton, PA
Dear Ms. Zell:
Under authority of Section 105(a) of the Pennsylvania Construction Code
Act (PCCA) (P.L. 491, 35 P.S. 7210.101 et. seq.) and in accordance with Section
403.104 of the Uniform Construction Code (UCC), the Department performed an
investigation concerning the enforcement and administration of the UCC
in Steelton Borough, Dauphin County.
The following issues were found regarding the enforcement and
administration of the Uniform Construction Code when you were the Building
Code Official for Steelton Borough:
Finding No. 1: You managed, supervised, and administered building
code enforcement activities in Steelton Borough after your certification
expired on March 9, 2015 and until you were no longer employed by the
municipality.
401.3. Certification required.
(a) A person may not perform a plan review of construction documents,
inspect construction or equipment, or administer and enforce the Uniform
Construction Code without being currently certified or registered by the
Department in the category applicable to the work that is to be performed.
401.7. Certification category specifications.
(18) Building code official.
(i) Manages, supervises and administers building code enforcement
activities. The Department, municipality or a third-party agency that
operates an enforcement program under the act will employ at least
one person certified or registered as a building code official.
Bureau of Occupational & Industrial Safety I UCC Inspection Division
651 Boas Street, Room 1624 1 Harrisburg, PA 17121 1 717.787.12911F 717.346.12331 www.dli.state.pa.us
Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Program

Certification

#11111116

Page 2
07/30/15 UCH
(ii) Duties include management of building code enforcement
activities, supervision of building inspectors or plans examiners,
issuing building permits, occupancy permits, notice of violations and
orders to vacate, and initiation of prosecutions.
Finding No. 2: A building permit (#02161) was granted to Arcelor Mittal,
and the plans in the file were not stamped or notated. There is no record
that the plans were reviewed.
403.43. Grant, denial and effect of permits.
(c) A building code official shall stamp or place a notation on each page of
the set of reviewed construction documents that the documents were
reviewed and approved for Uniform Construction Code compliance before
the permit is issued. The building code official shall clearly mark any
required nondesign changes on the construction documents. The building
code official shall return a set of the construction documents with this
notation and any required changes to the applicant. The permit holder shall
keep a copy of the construction documents at the work site open to
inspection by the construction code official or an authorized representative.
Finding No. 3: The work commenced on permit #02161, and you failed
to provide a construction code official to perform inspections ensuring the
construction complies with the approved permit and the UCC.
403.45. Inspections.
(a) A construction code official shall perform inspections to insure that the
construction complies with the approved permit and the Uniform
Construction Code.
Finding No. 4: There are no inspection reports or approved plans
maintained for permit #02161.
403.85. Release, retention and sharing of commercial
construction records.
(a) A building code official shall keep records of all applications received,
permits issued, reviewed building plans and specifications, certificates
issued, fees collected, reports of inspections, notices and orders issued for
all commercial buildings and structures under the Uniform Construction
Code. A building code official shall retain these records as long as the
related building, structure or equipment remains in existence.

Certification # OWL
Page 3
07/30/15 UCH

This letter serves as formal warning concerning serious deficiencies in the

performance of your duties as a Building Code Official. It will be added to your
UCC certification file. Should actions of this nature continue, we may initiate
enforcement action that could result in refusal to renew your building code official
certification.
Should you have any questions regarding this report, please do not hesitate
to contact my office at (717) 787-1291.

Ron F. Englar, BCO

UCC Field Operations Manager
cc:

File
T. Acri, Mayor, Borough of Steelton
J. Wright, President, Borough of Steelton
W. Shrauder, BCO, Borough of Steelton