These regulations shall be enforced by an inspecting officer appointed by the city council. It shall be a violation of these regulations for any person to change or permit the change in the use of land or buildings or structures or to erect, alter, move or improve any building or structure until a building permit has been obtained under the following conditions.

1.1. Building permits.

Building permits will be issued in accordance with the Southern Standard Building Code as amended and adopted by the mayor and city council of the City of Columbus.

1.2. Certificate of occupancy.

No vacant land shall be occupied or used, except for agricultural uses, and no building hereafter erected, reconstructed, altered or enlarged shall be occupied or used until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the inspecting officer.

(1)

Certificate of occupancy for a building: Certificate of occupancy for a new building or the alteration of an existing building shall be applied for coincident with the application for a building permit, and said certificate shall be issued within three (3) days after the request for same shall have been made to the inspecting officer after the erection, reconstruction, alteration or enlargement of such building or part thereof shall have been completed in conformity with this ordinance and the building code referred to in Article IX, section 1, paragraph 1.1 of this ordinance. Pending the issuance of a regular certificate of occupancy, a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued by the inspecting officer for a period not exceeding six (6) months during the completion of alterations or during partial occupancy of the building pending its completion. Such temporary certificate shall not be construed as in any way altering the respective rights, duties or obligations of the owners or of the city relating to the use or occupancy of the premises or any other matter covered by this ordinance, and such temporary certificate shall not be issued except under such restrictions and provisions as will adequately ensure the safety of the occupants. Request for a certificate of occupancy for any change in the use of a building shall be made in writing at least ten (10) days in advance of such change and shall be issued within three (3) days after such request, if the new use is in conformity with the provisions of these regulations.

(2)

Certificate of occupancy for land: Certificate of occupancy for use of vacant land, or the change in the character of the use of land as herein provided, shall be applied for before any such land shall be occupied or used, and a certificate of occupancy shall be issued within three (3) days after the application has been made, provided such use is in conformity with the provisions of these regulations.

(3)

Certificate of occupancy for a legal nonconforming use: Certificate of occupancy shall be required for all legal nonconforming uses. Application for certificate of occupancy for such nonconforming uses shall be filed within twelve (12) months after the date of the third of three publications in each of three (3) consecutive weeks (the first of which publications shall be after the effective date of the ordinance) in a legal newspaper in Lowndes County, which publication shall include the text of this subparagraph and shall be five (5) columns wide and ten (10) inches long, which applications shall be accompanied by affidavits of proof that such nonconforming uses were not established in violation of this ordinance, or any previous zoning ordinance.

Certificate of occupancy shall state that the building, or proposed use of a building or land, complies with this ordinance. A record of all certificates shall be kept on file in the office of the inspecting officer, and copies shall be furnished on request to any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in the building affected. (No fee shall be charged for a certificate of occupancy.)

No permit for excavation for any building shall be issued before application has been made for certificate of occupancy.

In case any building or structure is erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, repaired, converted or maintained, or any building, structure or land is used in violation of this ordinance, the city, in addition to other remedies, may institute any appropriate action or proceedings to prevent such unlawful erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, conversion, maintenance or use, to restrain, correct or abate such violation, to prevent the occupancy of said building, structure or land, or to prevent any illegal act, conduct, business, or use in or about such premises.

Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate the terms, conditions or provisions of this zoning ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction therefor shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00). Each day the violation continues thereafter shall be a separate offense.

The city council may, from time to time, on its own motion, or on petition from a property owner, or on recommendation of the planning commission, amend the regulations and districts herein established. Every such proposed amendment shall be referred to the planning commission for recommendation of action thereon to the city council. No change in regulations, restrictions or district boundaries shall become effective until after a public hearing held in relation thereto before the city council, at which parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard. At least fifteen (15) days notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in an official paper or paper of general circulation in Columbus, Mississippi, and Lowndes County. The action of the city council shall be final, subject to appeal as herein provided. For each petition for amendment to the zoning regulations, a deposit of twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be required by persons requesting such change, to pay the cost of legal publication.

The mayor and city council may, at its discretion, establish any special conditions or restrictions on a property that are felt to be in the best interest of the citizens of Columbus. These special conditions or restrictions must be specifically outlined to the property owner at the time that they are enacted.

All annexation of land to the city shall be in an A-1 Agricultural Zone, unless otherwise classified by the city council by amendment to this ordinance after required public notice and hearing.

It shall be the policy of the city council to declare their intentions relative to the classification of the property to be annexed prior to annexation.

When the provisions of this ordinance and the provisions of other ordinances both apply, the provisions of the greatest restriction shall govern.