COVID-19 Update for Builders from the City of Ames
The City of Ames is committed to doing our part in protecting our employees and customers during the Covid-19 Pandemic. On Thursday, March 19th, the City of Ames closed the City Hall to customers. Staff continues to provide services through phone and email.
The Inspection Division works in close contact with contractors, tenants, landlords, homeowners and business owners on a regular basis. Our goal is to continue as many services as possible without compromising the health and safety of our community and employees. We feel the following changes help achieve that goal:
Permitting:
Permits will be accepted through our self-service portal, by fax, by mail or by placing them in the drop box on the East side of City Hall.
Payments can also be made through the portal, by phone, by mail or by placing a check in the drop box on the East side of City Hall.
Approval of permits does not guarantee an inspection will occur prior to May 15th.
Rental Inspections:
Rental Inspections have been suspended through May 15, 2020. The Inspector assigned to your inspection will contact you to set up a new inspection date and time after May 15th.
If you have been directed to submit permits, certifications, photos, or other documents to complete your inspection, you may continue to do so.
New rental applications will still be accepted, but the initial inspection will not occur until after May 15th.
Pre-sale inspections will not be conducted until after May 15th.
Code enforcement will continue as normal with the exception of person to person contact. All correspondence regarding violations will be made via phone or email.
New Construction:
Inspections for new construction (non-occupied spaces) will continue as normal.
Accompanying contractors shall maintain a 6’ separation and refrain from participating in the inspection process if they have Covid-19 symptoms such as fever, chest congestion, etc. If an inspector has any reason to believe a contractor or other person accompanying the inspector is symptomatic, they can postpone the inspection.
Interior Inspections of Occupied Homes:
Contractors may still call in for interior inspections (remodels, water heaters, etc.) with the understanding that we may not be able to accommodate all inspections. The inspector will determine if there is a possibility of doing a photo or video inspection. This is not a guaranteed option and could be limited based on the type of inspection needed, but we do want to have the ability to keep construction progressing.
Any inspections that cannot be conducted through photo or video will be postponed through May 15th.
These new processes are effective beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020 and are subject to change as we continue to learn more about Covid-19. Our goal is to continue to provide exceptional service while keeping the safety our employees and community a top priority. Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate this unprecedented situation.
Now is a great time to begin utilizing our self-service portal if you haven’t already done so! The portal can be accessed here: https://energov.cityofames.org/EnerGov_Prod/selfservice/AmesIAProd#/home.
Please contact our Administrative Services Staff at 515-239-5153 or by email at inspections@cityofames.org with any questions regarding the portal or the inspection and permitting processes.