(A)

(1) A board of township trustees may adopt local residential building regulations governing residential buildings as defined in section 3781.06 of the Revised Code. No regulation shall differ from the state residential building code unless the regulation addresses subject matter not addressed by the state residential building code or is adopted pursuant to section 3781.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) The board may adopt regulations that are necessary for participation in the national flood insurance program and that do not conflict with the residential and nonresidential building codes, governing the prohibition, location, erection, construction, or floodproofing of new buildings or structures, or substantial improvements to existing buildings or structures, in unincorporated territory within flood hazard areas identified under the "Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973," 87 Stat. 975, 42 U.S.C.A. 4002, as amended, including, but not limited to, residential, commercial, or industrial buildings or structures.

(B)

(1) Regulations or amendments may be adopted under this section only after a public hearing at not fewer than two regular or special sessions of the board and upon an affirmative vote of all members of the board. The board shall cause notice of a public hearing to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the township once a week for two weeks immediately preceding a hearing, except that if the board posts the hearing notice on the board's internet site, the board need publish only one notice of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation if that newspaper notice includes that internet site and a statement that the notice is also posted on the internet site. Any notice the board publishes or posts shall include the time, date, and place of the public hearing.

(2) The proposed regulations shall be made available to the public at the board office.

(C)

(1) The board of township trustees may create a building department and employ personnel it determines necessary to administer and enforce any local residential building regulations or existing structures code the board adopts pursuant to this section. The building department may enforce state residential and nonresidential building codes the board of building standards establishes pursuant to Chapter 3781. of the Revised Code if the department is certified pursuant to section 3781.10 of the Revised Code to enforce those codes. Upon certification of the building department under section 3781.10 of the Revised Code, the board of township trustees may direct the building department to exercise enforcement authority and to accept and approve plans pursuant to sections 3781.03 and 3791.04 of the Revised Code for the classes of buildings for which the building department and personnel are certified.

(2) To administer and enforce any local residential building regulations, or existing structures code and the state residential and nonresidential building codes, the board of township trustees may create, establish, fill, and fix the compensation of the position of township building inspector to serve as the chief administrative officer of the township building department . In lieu of creating the position of township building inspector, the board may assign the duties of the inspector to an existing township officer who is certified pursuant to division (E) of section 3781.10 of the Revised Code.

(D)

(1) The board of township trustees may enter into a contract with any municipal corporation or board of county commissioners for the municipal corporation or board of county commissioners to administer and enforce local residential building regulations or existing structures code in the township or to enforce the state residential and nonresidential building codes in the township if the building department of the municipal corporation or county is certified to enforce those codes.

(2) Any municipal corporation or board of county commissioners may contract with a board of township trustees to administer and enforce local building regulations or an existing structures code in the municipal corporation or county and, if certified, to enforce the state residential and nonresidential building codes in the municipal corporation or unincorporated areas of the county.

Effective Date: 08-22-1995; 04-15-2005; 05-27-2005 .