Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3781.20 – Municipal and county boards of building appeals

(A) The board of building standards may certify municipal and county boards of building appeals to hear and decide appeals from adjudication orders pertaining to the enforcement of this chapter and Chapter 3791. of the Revised Code and any rules adopted pursuant thereto. Any board of appeals that has been certified by the board of building standards may contract with any municipal corporation or county certified to enforce this chapter and Chapter 3791. of the Revised Code to provide for appeals from adjudication orders arising from the certified municipal corporation or county.
(B) A certified local board of building appeals has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide all adjudication hearings arising from rulings of the local chief enforcement official concerning the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 3791. of the Revised Code and any rules adopted pursuant thereto. The local board may establish reasonable fees, based on actual costs for administration of filing and processing, not to exceed one hundred dollars, for the costs of filing and processing appeals and shall keep a full and complete record of all of its proceedings; these records shall be open to public inspection.
(C) The local board of building appeals shall consist of five members, except that a municipal board may consist of more than five members if so provided by the charter of the municipal corporation, or any amendment to the charter, adopted prior to October 13, 1983. One member shall be an attorney at law admitted to the bar of this state, one shall be a registered architect, one shall be a registered professional engineer, specializing in structural engineering, and one shall be a registered professional engineer specializing in mechanical engineering, except that a municipal board need not have an attorney as a member if no attorney member is required by the charter of the municipal corporation, or any amendment to the charter, adopted prior to October 13, 1983. Each of these four members shall be licensed to practice his profession in this state, and shall be a person of recognized ability and broad training who is experienced in problems and practice incidental to the construction and equipment of buildings and structures. One member shall be a representative of organized labor who is knowledgeable as to the construction and equipment of buildings and structures. Members shall be appointed for five-year terms, except that original appointments shall be for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years. Each member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which he is appointed. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. Any member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of his term until his successor takes office or until sixty days have elapsed, whichever occurs first.
(D) Certification shall be upon application by the county or municipal corporation to the board of building standards. The application shall set forth both of the following:
1. (1) The resolution, ordinance, or charter provision establishing the local board of appeals and making or providing for the making of appointments to the board;
2. (2) The dates of appointments, terms of the board members, and professional requirements and experience necessary for membership.
(E) Upon reviewing the application, the board of building standards shall certify the local board if it finds all of the following:
1. (1) The applicant political subdivision has a building department that is certified pursuant to section 3781.10 of the Revised Code and such certification is not through a contract with another political subdivision;
2. (2) The local board is established pursuant to local resolution, ordinance, or municipal charter;
3. (3) The local board's membership meets the requirements of this section. The board of building standards shall certify county and municipal boards of building appeals in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and shall schedule a hearing on an application within sixty days after receiving the application. A certification may be revoked on petition to the board of building standards by any person affected by the local board of building appeals, or by the board of building standards on its own motion. Hearings shall be held and appeals permitted, on any proceedings for revocation of certification, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.
(F) Local boards of appeals certified pursuant to this section have the same powers to reverse or modify orders of the local enforcement official and to grant variances as are conferred on the board of building appeals by section 3781.19 of the Revised Code including variances and exemptions from the requirements of section 3781.108 of the Revised Code. Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant to a municipal or county board of building appeals any authority to prohibit the use of materials or assemblages that have been licensed for statewide use pursuant to section 3781.12 of the Revised Code.