Except where herein otherwise stated, the provisions of this Chapter shall be administered by the Zoning Administrator.

The Zoning Administrator is hereby empowered in performance of its functions to enter upon any land in the City for the purpose of making inspections, examinations and surveys or to place and maintain thereon markers, notices or signs required to effect provisions of this Chapter. The above-authorized person shall be required to present proper credentials upon demand when entering upon any land or structure for the purpose of this Section.

The Zoning Administrator shall have the power to grant certificates of zoning compliance, building permits and to make inspections of buildings or premises necessary to carry out his/her duties in the enforcement of this Chapter.

It shall be improper for the Zoning Administrator to approve plans or issue any permits or certificates for any excavation or construction until he/she has inspected such plans in detail and found them to conform with this Chapter, nor shall the Zoning Administrator vary or change any terms of this Chapter.

If the Zoning Administrator shall find that any of the provisions of this Chapter are being violated, he/she shall notify in writing the person responsible for such violations, indicating the nature of the violation and stating the action necessary to correct it. He/she shall order discontinuance of illegal use of land, buildings or structures; removal of illegal buildings, structural changes; discontinuance of any illegal work being done; or shall take any other action authorized by this Chapter to insure compliance with or to prevent violation of its provisions.

The Zoning Administrator shall require that all applications for certificates of zoning compliance shall be accompanied by plans and specifications including a plot plan for the site in duplicate drawn to scale. The City Engineer shall retain the original copy for his/her files.

The certificate of zoning compliance signifies that, in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator, the existing or intended use, building or structure complies with all provisions of this Chapter.

It shall be unlawful to change a type of use of land, to change the type of use or occupancy of any building or structure or to extend any use on any lot on which there is a non-conforming use of structure until a certificate of zoning compliance has been issued. Where a building permit is required, application for a certificate of zoning compliance shall accompany or precede the application for a building permit. (In all other cases in which a building permit is not required, the application for a certificate of zoning compliance shall be made prior to the date when a new or enlarged use of a building or lot or part thereof is intended to begin.)

Applications for certificates of zoning compliance shall be made to the Zoning Administrator.

It shall be unlawful to commence or to proceed with the erection, construction, reconstruction, conversion, alteration; enlargement, extension, razing or moving of any building or structure or any portion thereof without first having applied in writing to the City Code Official for a building permit to do so and a building permit has been granted therefor. Primary responsibility for securing the necessary permits shall be the property owner's. However, if the property owner should contract part or all of the proposed work, it shall become the responsibility of the person or firm hired to ensure that all required permits and approval have been secured prior to any work being initiated.

Blank forms for building permit applications shall be provided by the City at the City Code Enforcement Officer's office for the use of this applying for permits as provided in this Chapter. Any permits issued by the City Code Enforcement Officer shall be on standard forms for such purpose and furnished by the City Code Enforcement Officer. There shall be a separate permit for each building or structure to be constructed, altered or erected except for accessory buildings which may be included in the permit for the principal building when construction is simultaneous.

Any building permit under which no construction work has been commenced within six (6) months after the date of issuance of said permit or under which proposed construction has not been completed within one (1) year of the time of issuance shall expire by limitation.

A permit may be revoked by the City Code Official at any time prior to the completion of the building or structure for which the same was issued when it is apparent that there is a departure from the plans, specifications or conditions as required under terms of the permit, that the same was procured by false representation or that any provisions of this Chapter are being violated.

Written notice of such revocation shall be served upon the owner, his/her agent or contractor or upon any person employed to work on the construction of the building or structure for which such permit was issued via a stop work order which shall be posted in a prominent location and thereafter no such construction shall proceed.

In case any building or structure is erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted or maintained, or any building, structure or land is used in violation of Sections 89.010 to 89.140, RSMo., or this Chapter or other regulation made under authority conferred hereby, the Board of Aldermen, in addition to other remedies, may institute any appropriate action or proceedings to prevent such unlawful erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, maintenance, or use, to restrain, correct or abate such violation, to prevent the occupancy of such building, structure or land, or to prevent any illegal act, conduct, business or use in or about such premises. Such regulations shall be enforced by the Zoning Administrator who is hereby empowered to cause any building, structure, place or premises to be inspected and examined and to order in writing the remedying of any condition found to exist therein or thereat in violation of any provision of this Chapter or regulations made under authority of Sections 89.010 to 89.140, RSMo.

The owner or general agent of a building or premises where a violation of any provision of said regulations has been committed or shall exist, or the lessee or tenant of an entire building or entire premises where such violation has been committed or shall exist, or the owner, general agent, lessee or tenant of any part of the building or premises in which such violation has been committed or shall exist, or the general agent, architect, builder, contractor or any other person who commits, takes part or assists in any such violation or who maintains any building or premises in which any such violation shall exist shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) and not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each and every day that such violation continues, but if the offense be willful on conviction thereof, the punishment shall be a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or by imprisonment for ten (10) days for each and every day such violation shall continue or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

Any such person who having been served with an order to remove any such violation shall fail to comply with such order within ten (10) days after such service or shall continue to violate any provision of the regulations made under authority of Sections 89.010 to 89.140, RSMo., in the respect named in such order shall also be subject to a civil penalty of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).