Gerald Plock Associates, Inc. 101 E. Park Blvd, Suite 600, PMB 634 Plano, Texas 75074 Phone: 1-866-748-7704 GeraldPlock@GeraldPlockAssoc.com

The City of Norfolk, Virginia is located along the southeastern shoreline of Virginia along the Atlantic Ocean. Bounded on the north by the Chesapeake Bay and the west by Hampton Roads harbor, Norfolk is 90 miles southeast of Richmond and 185 miles southeast of Washington D.C. With 140 miles of shoreline around the city, there is no escaping the water in Norfolk; the city’s waterways are an undeniable part of the city. The City of Norfolk has a population of approximately 234,403 residents. In addition, Norfolk is the commercial and cultural hub of Hampton Roads with 40,000 to 50,000 commuters traveling into the city daily.

The area’s economy has remained strong due to the number of government and military facilities and the diverse employment opportunities. Norfolk’s unemployment consistently remains below the national average.

For nearly 400 years, the Virginia Waterfront region of coastal Virginia has thrived because of the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay and vast network of rivers and creeks. Norfolk is one of the world’s busiest port cities where tugboats are seen daily guiding ships and barges in to the harbor. Naval Station Norfolk is the largest naval installation in the world and is homeport to more than 100 ships and submarines.

In addition to the vast waterways, Norfolk area residents and visitors can enjoy an array of cultural and recreational activities. The Virginia Waterfront City of Norfolk is recognized for its thriving cultural environment and its strong support of the arts. The City’s arts are inclusive and diverse, much like the city itself. Exceptional museum collections, spectacular annual cultural events and critically acclaimed performing arts companies bring Norfolk and the 50-mile Virginia Waterfront region recognition on the national and international cultural scene.

Norfolk also enjoys a vast amount of city attractions along the bustling harbor. The international port of Hampton Roads, one of the largest, naturally deep, ice-free harbors in the world is located here. The Waterside, overlooking the Elizabeth River, is a hub for restaurants and entertainment. Music, arts, and cultural events are also found along the Elizabeth Riverfront in Town Point Park. Other city attractions include the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the century old Virginia Zoo, Armed Forces Memorial, Nauticus - the National Maritime Center, and much more. The centerpiece of downtown revitalization, MacArthur Center, opened in 1999, and contains over one million square feet of stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues. In addition to MacArthur Center, the Waterside festival marketplace continues to attract millions of visitors each year and is a major element of the City’s comprehensive downtown waterfront development. The 12,000 seat waterfront view Harbor Park, home to the Norfolk Tides "AAA" baseball team of the New York Mets.

Norfolk’s mild climate and lush landscape make it an inviting place to live and visit. All summer long, Ocean View Beach Park, the city’s Chesapeake Bay beaches, provide a hub of activity with concerts, festivals, swimming, boating, and a variety of family activities. Within an hour of the city are the colonial attractions, major theme parks, museums, golf courses and beach resorts of Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Virginia Beach.

Education is important to Norfolk’s residents. There are 35 elementary, 8 middle and 5 high schools in the public school system. Twenty-four auxiliary facilities exist including alternative learning and early-childhood centers. The City is home to Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk State and Old Dominion Universities, and Virginia Wesleyan College. Tidewater Community College, a part of Virginia’s community college network, has located its fourth and newest campus in downtown Norfolk. Many curriculums are offered, including both graduate and undergraduate degrees ranging from engineering and electronics technologies to business and international studies.

Military activity has a strong influence in Metropolitan Norfolk. The Norfolk metropolitan area has one of the largest concentrations of military activity in the nation. Known as the "Pentagon by the Sea", Norfolk remains the site of the world’s greatest concentration of permanent naval installations.

In addition to Military personnel, private industries have made Norfolk their home. Norfolk is home for the 10 of the major private employers including Newport News Shipbuilding, Sentara Health System, Farm Fresh Inc., PepsiCo, Riverside Health System, Anheuser Busch, Inc., Smithfield Foods, Food Lion, Inc., Colonial Willamsburg Foundation, and Lillian Vernon. Manufacturing jobs is the largest industry where area residents are employed.

Area residents also take comfort in the amount of health care facilities available in Metropolitan Norfolk. There are eight hospitals with over 1,800 beds and 5 specialty care centers.

Norfolk operates under the Council-Manager form of government. The City Council establishes policy for the city, approves the budget, levies its taxes, and appoints the City Attorney, City Clerk, City Manager and the High Constable. The Council also appoints members to the School Board, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Planning Commission and other boards and commissions, as well as city representatives to regional and other boards and authorities. The City Council is comprised of seven-members, headed by the Mayor. Council Members are elected by district on a non-partisan basis for four-year staggered terms. The next election is 2002.

The City Manager is appointed by the City Council for an indefinite period of time and is responsible for the day- to-day administration of the City. The City Manager has the authority to appoint and remove the heads of all departments and all-subordinate officers and employees of the City not otherwise provided for in the City Charter. The current City Manager, Regina Williams, was appointed in 1999. Ms. Williams has a very distinguished background serving in local government. Prior to coming to Norfolk, Ms. Williams served as City Manager in San Jose, California and Assistant City Manager in Richmond, Virginia.

Mission

• Oversee construction, safety, maintenance, and damage assessment for the protection of the public and the well being of our citizens.
• Guide the City’s economic and physical objectives by developing, recommending, and implementing policies that guide the future of Norfolk.
• Facilitate the enhancement of housing, community development, neighborhoods and transportation by developing and maintaining the evolving general plan of the city.

• Enhance the City’s quality of life through the enforcement of land use, construction and environmental regulation.

We accomplish our mission by:

• The organization is customer service driven with a problem-solving orientation. We service all of our customers and maintain the public trust.

• We stress community partnerships to solve problems. We understand the importance of bringing together differing points of view to solve community problems creatively.

• We stress community partnerships to solve problems. We understand the importance of bringing together differing points of view to solve community problems creatively

• We constantly look for ways/opportunities to improve ourselves. This is a learning organization and in doing so, we improve the quality of public services delivered to our residents.

All department functions are consolidated into a Director’s Office and two functional divisions, the Division of Planning and the Division of Construction Services. The Director’s Office provides overall management of the departmental programs. Within the Division of Planning include Environmental Services, Zoning Services, Neighborhood Services, Transportation Services and Development Services. The current Planning Director is Ernest Freeman, AICP.

The Division of Building and Construction Services provides coordinated administration and enforcement of all codes and regulatory standards related to new construction. The Code Official leads a staff of 42 employees and manages and annual budget of $1,558,223 (FY02). A Deputy Code Official, an administrative, financial and records management staff support the Code Official. The Deputy Code Official (currently vacant) oversees the day- to –day activities of functional teams representing the various trades: plumbing, mechanical, electrical/elevator and building and permits. Each team of code specialists has a designated Team Leader. The Division issued approximately 14,200 building permits last year.

The City of Norfolk by State mandate enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, which uses as its referenced documents the BOCA National Code. International Plumbing Code, International Mechanical Code and the ANSI A117-1 Standards for Handicap accessibility and use. Single-family structures can be designed and constructed to the C.A.B.O. "One and Two Family Dwelling Code." All electrical work must be designed and installed in compliance with the National Electrical Code. These codes are available for city customers at all public library locations. An Owners/Business Manual is published by the Division of Building Construction Services and is available at no cost. In all cases, zoning approval is required before a permit can be issued. In every case, the permit authorizes the work to be done, but does not guarantee that the work complies with the code. An inspection is required to assure code compliance.

The Division of Building and Construction Services works closely with several other city departments on code related matters. The Property Maintenance Bureau of Neighborhood and Leisure Services Department is charged with inspecting all property within Norfolk. Properties are inspected on a routine and complaint basis. Those found uninhabitable or damaged beyond repair are cited and slated for demolition once the appropriate due process has been afforded the property owner. It is the responsibility of the Property Maintenance Bureau to ensure code compliance. Similarly, it is the responsibility to the Fire Department and Public Health Department to ensure compliance with the life safety code and health codes respectively.

The Code Official is expected to provide strong leadership for staff and employees and have a proven record of success in managing and supervising employees.

As a member of the Planning Departments management team, the Code Official is expected to participate in the development of department wide goals, plans and objectives. The Code Official is expected to develop and maintain strong working relationships with other City departments. Importantly, the Code Official is also expected to work closely with State and National Officials from BOCA. The Code Official is also participates in various special studies in the Planning and other City departments.

The Code Official needs to be visionary in style and capable of galvanizing staff understanding and support for a shared vision of the Division. Responsibilities and expectations need to be clearly communicated to employees. The Code Official will be expected to hold staff accountable for performance. The ideal candidate will be supportive of management training throughout the organization.

The Code Official is expected to maintain knowledge of the current trends, literature and technology in building codes and related disciplines. It is essential that the Code Official establishes and maintains ongoing communications and effective working relationships with the building industry. The Code Official is expected to represent the Division of Building and Construction in an appropriate manner with customers of the department, City Council, City Manager, businesses and professional organizations.

Requirements include graduation from an accredited college/university with a bachelor’s degree with major coursework in architectural design or structural engineering and at least five years experience as a licensed Architect or Engineer, or five years experience as a Certified Building Inspector through any of the model code groups (BOCA, ICBO, SBCCI) and at least six years progressively responsible management experience. Additional requisites include: Valid Virginia State Certified Building Official (CBO) within one-year of appointment; Certificate of Competency from State Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) as Virginia Certified Inspector and Plans Examiner within three years of appointment; General background in computer automation processing of permits, inspections and records management; Qualification for clearance through a background check for appointment as Norfolk Special Police Officer.

The salary range for the position is $55,927-$98,432. Since the City of Norfolk is interested in obtaining the best possible candidate for the position of Code Official, the compensation package will ultimately depend upon the qualifications of the candidate to whom an offer is extended. It will include an excellent package of fringe benefits. The successful candidate will become a member of City of Norfolk Municipal Employees Retirement Fund. The retirement system is considered one of the best in the country. The City contributes approximately 11.38% of the employees base salary to the plan (no matching contribution by the employee is required). The vesting period is five years. Employees may also voluntarily participate in a deferred compensation program (457) by the ICMA Retirement Corporation. The successful candidate must establish residency in the City of Norfolk within 6 months of appointment.

Home | Who We Are | About Gerald Plock | Who We Serve | Diversity
Associates | Current Positions

© 2001 Gerald Plock Associates, Inc. No part of this site may be reproduced (either electronically or in printed form) without written permission of Gerald Plock Associates, Inc.