Nonresidential property owners are required to maintain and keep up the exterior of their premises, so that the appearance of their property does not negatively impact the immediate neighborhood. The premises, including drainage facilities, must be maintained in good repair and appearance in compliance with 156.301. Building occupants must maintain, in a clean and sanitary condition, those premises or portions which they occupy and/or control.

Mentor's Property Maintenance Inspector enforces and administers the provisions of this code. If you have specific questions, calls (440) 974-5740. You can also e-mail the Community Development Department with a request for service. If you have a concern on a specific property, please provide the correct address so staff can better serve you.

Fire Code Enforcement
Code enforcement is the enforcement of all local, state, and national safety codes that relate to life safety. The Fire Prevention Bureau is responsible for code enforcement of all existing structures except for residential facilities. All commercial, industrial, and public buildings are subject to fire inspections, as well as multiple occupancies such as hotels, motels, apartments, and care facilities. There are several different types of inspection programs that are overseen by the Fire Prevention Bureau.

COMPANY INSPECTIONS:
These inspections are conducted by the on-duty fire crews and they usually consist of commercial, industrial, and public buildings. Each occupancy that falls into this program is inspected once a year. This accomplishes several things: the fire crews become familiar with the occupancy's layout and business owner(s), and reduces the loss of life and property by identifying fire and life safety violations.

AUTOMATIC FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM INSPECTIONS:
These types of inspections are monitored by the Fire Prevention Bureau. Every occupancy that has an Automatic Fire Suppression System is required to inspect the system and fill out an inspection sheet every six months. If the system is due for its five year test, a licensed contractor is required to complete the test.

NEW CONSTRUCTION OR OCCUPANCY:
The Fire Prevention Bureau is responsible for conducting the inspection of new businesses and all construction projects. Once this is accomplished, it is then assigned to an inspector and inspected on an annual basis.

Mentor Ordinance 94 adopts the "Building Officials and Code Administrators' Edition of the Fire Prevention Code, 1999" for enforcement. The Fire Prevention Code is broken down into three major categories:

Part A contains seven chapters of administration, definitions, and precautions against fire, open flames or burning, fire protection systems, means of egress, and emergency planning and preparedness.

Part B consists of 15 chapters of "Operation and Maintenance of Equipment, Process and Occupancies."

Part C contains 22 chapters of "Material Handling," primarily all types of hazardous material requirements.

The Fire Prevention Code is supplemented by the National Fire Protection Association Standards, as well as the "Ohio Building Code."

Fire Inspectors conduct inspections and document any violations on a "Hazard Warning Notice." Dependant upon the severity of the violations of the code, a re-inspection date is scheduled. The goal is that all violations are corrected "forthwith." If an owner/occupant refuses to correct the violations, the case would then be forwarded to the prosecutor for legal action. Violations of the Fire Prevention Code are considered a second degree misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of $750 fine and/or up to 90 days in jail.

The Fire Prevention Bureau can be reached by calling (440) 974-5768 or (440) 942-8796. The fax number is (440) 974-5706.