Its official — City has new Building Official

Mark Knight, Director of the Planning and Building Department of the City of St. Augustine, reported to Historic City News that with the start of the new fiscal year, and retirement of Nick Andrade, the City welcomes William Franke to the position of Building Official.

Knight said Franke received certification from the State as a building code administrator on September 28th, making him able to be promoted on October 1st.

Franke is not new to the City — or to the Planning and Building Department where he has served as a Building Inspector since November 2007.

Franke, who previously worked as a Building Inspector for Putnam County and St. Johns County, as well as a private firm, has been responsible for supervising inspections and permitting at the City.

Andrade worked with Franke as he studied for certification from the International Code Council as a Commercial Electrical Inspector and Commercial Mechanical Inspector; then again when he obtained standard approval from the State of Florida Building Code Administrator’s and Inspector’s Board as a Building Code Administrator.

According to information provided by Knight, Franke has experience in all aspects of Code administration; including interpretation and enforcement of the International Codes, various local municipal codes and ordinances, state, and federal laws pertaining to the construction industry, contracting, licensing, zoning, flood plain development and maintenance, land use and development, local electrical authority, and City Utilities.

Employees held a “Going Away” party for Andrade last weekend. Knight says with Franke’s promotion and assumption of Andrade’s responsibilities, the department is short-handed by one inspector.