Brockport's code enforcement officer wears many hats

Helping assure life safety issues and making certain buildings are up to code during construction projects are a couple of the many tasks that Brockport's code enforcement officer Scott Zarnstorff tackles on a daily basis.

"I wear a lot of hats," Zarnstorff said.

Zarnstorff said during the winter months he averages about 50 home inspections a month but during the upcoming summer months he anticipates that number will double. "We do a lot of inspections for construction projects, both new homes and commercial projects," he said. "I also do a whole host of safety inspections."

In his position with the village, Zarnstorff is charged with making sure dwellings within the village meet safety codes as set forth by the village as well as New York state safety requirements.

Habitability requirements and fire inspections comprise a lot of his daily tasks, he said. Toward that end, Zarnstorff has been working with SUNY Brockport officials on putting together a program aimed at educating students about fire safety. "It's going to take a lot of work and cooperation but the students need a daily reminder of fire safety issues," he said. "Simple things like proper use of extension cords, keeping batteries in smoke detectors and the proper use of candles, need to be kept in the forefront of the students' minds."

While officials encounter many housing safety concerns throughout the course of their rounds, student housing in the village is a major source of concern, Zarnstorff said. "Education, on a daily basis, will help the situation," he said.

The problems in the student housing sector came to light several months ago when Zarnstorff conducted certificate of occupancy inspections of homes within the village. Many problems, such as smoke detectors without batteries or disconnected smoke detectors, nonfunctioning carbon monoxide detectors, ashtrays and candles placed in unsafe areas came to light during the inspections, he said.

Inspections are conducted every three years, he said. The concerns arise in the times between the inspections.

Zarnstorff said the implementation of the program will take some time to put together and will be a work in progress. A brochure and periodic stints on the SUNY television station may help Zarnstorff get the word out on fire safety.

Toward the safety end of the spectrum, Zarnstorff said the village may look to issue a quality rating system to owners of student housing. "It will be like a hotel star rating system," he said. "We could issue a preferred student housing list based on the criteria established."

The rating system may become an incentive to landlords to achieve higher levels of housekeeping in order to achieve a higher rating. "We need a good consideration of what would constitute a rating ... we would need people to go through the homes and inspect them."

Zarnstorff said he is in favor of the ratings but it would need to be taken out of the government auspices. "We would need to set up a housing council or housing board made up of tenants, landlords and possibly college officials," he said.

The collaboration between village and college, Zarnstorff said, is a positive step in the direction of being able to offer quality housing to students.