§ 160A‑413. Joint inspection department; otherarrangements.
A city council may enter into and carry out contracts with anothercity, county, or combination thereof under which the parties agree to createand support a joint inspection department for the enforcement of State andlocal laws specified in the agreement. The governing boards of the contractingparties are authorized to make any necessary appropriations for this purpose.
In lieu of a joint inspection department, a city council may designatean inspector from any other city or county to serve as a member of itsinspection department with the approval of the governing body of the other cityor county. A city may also contract with an individual who is not a city orcounty employee but who holds one of the applicable certificates as provided inG.S. 160A‑411.1 or G.S. 153A‑351.1 or with the employer of anindividual who holds one of the applicable certificates as provided in G.S.160A‑411.1 or G.S. 153A‑351.1. The inspector, if designated fromanother city or county under this section, shall, while exercising the dutiesof the position, be considered a municipal employee. The city shall have thesame potential liability, if any, for inspections conducted by an individualwho is not an employee of the city as it does for an individual who is anemployee of the city. The company or individual with whom the city contractsshall have errors and omissions and other insurance coverage acceptable to thecity.
The city council of any city may request the board of countycommissioners of the county in which the city is located to direct one or morecounty building inspectors to exercise their powers within part or all of thecity's jurisdiction, and they shall thereupon be empowered to do so until thecity council officially withdraws its request in the manner provided in G.S.160A‑360(g). (1969, c. 1065, s. 1;1971, c. 698, s. 1; 1973, c. 426, s. 64; 1993, c. 232, s. 3; 1999‑372, s.3; 2001‑278, s. 2.)