An administrative official to be known as the zoning administrator, designated by the city council, shall administer and enforce these zoning regulations. The zoning administrator is authorized to act through aids and assistants. In the performance of his duties, the zoning administrator may request the assistance of any appropriate officer or agency of the city.

He shall investigate or cause to be investigated promptly complaints of violations, reporting his findings and actions to complaints, and shall use his best endeavors to prevent violations or to detect and secure the correction of violations. If he finds that any of the provisions of these regulations are being violated, he shall notify in writing the person responsible for such violation, indicating the nature of the violations and ordering the action necessary to correct it. He shall order the discontinuance of illegal use of land, buildings or structures; removal of illegal buildings or structures or of illegal additions, alterations, or structural charges; discontinuance of any illegal work being done; or shall take any other lawful action authorized by these zoning regulations necessary to ensure compliance with or to prevent violation of these regulations.

The zoning administrator shall maintain written records of all official actions of his office with relation to administration, and of all complaints and actions taken with regard thereto, and of all violations discovered by whatever means, with remedial action taken and disposition of all cases; and the same shall be a public record.

3.3.1.1 Reserved.

3.3.1.2 Zoning action on building permits. The zoning administrator shall be responsible for determining whether applications for building permits as required by the building code of the city are in accord with the requirements of these zoning regulations, and no building permit shall be issued without written certification that plans submitted conform to applicable zoning regulations. No application for building permit shall be approved by the zoning administrator for the erection, moving, addition to, or alteration of any building or structure except in conformity with the provisions of these zoning regulations, unless he shall receive a written order in the form of an administrative review, interpretation, special exception, or variance as provided by these zoning regulations, or unless he shall receive a written order from a court of competent jurisdiction.

3.3.1.3 Application for building permit. All applications for building permits shall, in addition to containing the information required by the building department, be accompanied by plot and construction plans drawn to scale, showing the actual shape and dimensions of the lot to be built upon; the exact sizes and locations on the lot of buildings already existing, if any; the exact size and location on the lot of the building or buildings to be erected or altered; the existing use of buildings on the lot, if any; the intended use of each building or buildings or parts thereof; the number of families the building is designed to accommodate; the location and number of required off-street parking and off-street loading spaces; exact location of trees protected by article VIII; and such other information with regard to the lot and existing and proposed structures as may be necessary to determine compliance with and provide for the enforcement of these zoning regulations. The application shall be accompanied by a survey of the lot, made by a land surveyor or engineer licensed in Florida; all property stakes shall be in place at the time of application.

3.3.1.4 Exemption of building permit. If the work described in any building permit is not begun within 180 days from the date of issuance thereof and diligently prosecuted to completion, said permit shall expire. It shall be canceled by the building official and written notice thereof shall be given to the persons affected, together with written notice that further work as described in the canceled permit shall not proceed unless and until a new building permit has been obtained.

3.3.1.5 Construction and use to be as provided in applications; status of permit issued in error. Building permits or certificates of zoning compliance issued on the basis of plans and specifications approved by the zoning administrator authorized only the use, arrangement, and construction set forth in such approved plans and applications, and no other use, arrangement, or construction. Use, arrangements, or construction different from that authorized shall be deemed a violation of these zoning regulations.

Statements made by the applicant on the building permit application shall be deemed official statements. Approval of application by the administrative official shall in no way exempt the applicant from strict observance of applicable provisions of these zoning regulations and all other applicable regulations, ordinances, codes and laws.

A building permit issued in error shall not confer any rights or privileges to the applicant to proceed with construction, but the city shall have the power to revoke such permit if actual construction has not commenced.

3.3.1.6 Improvement of property prohibited prior to issuance of building permit. No site work, grading, improvement of property or construction of any type shall be commenced prior to the issuance of a building permit or site work permit where character or construction requires such permit under these zoning regulations.