Las Vegas City Ordinances, March 31, 1933 to October 25, 1950, lvc000014-182

EMERGENCY ORDINANCE ORDINANCE No. 273 AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE PRESCRIBING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF DEFENSE HOUSING. The Board of Commissioners of the City of Las Vegas do ordain as follows: WHEREAS, a state of war exists between the United States of America, and Japan, Germany and Italy; and WHEREAS, the prosecution of the war requires that certain essential metals and other materials be reserved and made available primarily for military uses and only secondarily for civilian uses such as the construction of dwellings; and WHEREAS, for the reason the War Production Board, created by executive order of the President of the United States on January 16, 1942, has issued a "Defense Housing Critical List" of critical materials which are essential to the construction and equipment of housing, and WHEREAS, certain housing construction in communities located in areas designated as "defense housing areas" by the War Production Board is eligible for priority assistance under preference rating orders issued by the War Production Board, but only for the materials and products listed in said "Defense Housing Critical List" and only in much limited quantities and for such limited uses as are therein specified; and WHEREAS, the City of Las Vegas is located and included in such a "defense housing area" and it is in the interest of public health, safety and welfare that the city be in a position to secure the construction of essential housing for defense workers and others; and WHEREAS, the city wishes to cooperate in every way with the federal government in the prose­cution of the war effort, now therefore, in the interest of national defense and as a war emergency measure, NOW THEREFORE, Section 1. Definitions. The following terms shall, for the purpose of this ordinance, have the meaning indicated in this section: (a) "Building Code" shall mean and refer to any ordinance or ordinances, both singly and collectively, relating to the construction of buildings and to the installation of plumbing, heating and ventilating equipment, and electric wiring. (b) "Building official" shall mean the officer or other person charged with the ad­ministration and enforcement of the building code of the city, or his duly authorized representative. (c) The term "Construction" shall include the construction, alteration, expansion, remodeling or repair of buildings. (d) "Defense housing" means a project for. the construction of one or more living accomodations and related community and utility services for which a preference rating order has been issued by the War Production Board to facilitate the acquisition of critical material. (e) "Defense Housing Critical List" means the list of materials as issued by the War Production Board, effective February 24, 1942, and subsequent amendments thereto and revisions thereof. (f) "Critical material" means an item which is produced for the construction of equipment of buildings and which is subject to priority, allocation or limitation control by the War Production Board. (g) "Non-Critical material" means an item which is produced for the construction of equipment of buildings and which is not subject to priority, allocation or limitation control by the War Production Board. Section 2. Suspension of Code Provisions. For the duration of the present state of war between the United States of America and Germany, Italy and Japan, or until this ordinance be sooner repealed, building permits as now required by the ordinance of this city may be granted for defense housing construction although the drawings and specifications there­for do not conform to the requirements of the building code insofar as said code relates to the use of critical material, subject to the following terms and conditions: (a) In all cases where the building code requires the use of a critical material for a particular construction purpose and the use of such material for that purpose is not per- mitted by the Defense Housing Critical List, there may be substituted therefor such materials, and in such quantities, as are specified in or limited by the Defense Housing Critical List; Provided, That where the Defense Housing Critical List allows a choice of materials for a particular construction purpose, the building official within his discretion may determine which alternate material shall be used. (b) In cases where the building code requires a critical material for a particular con­struction purpose and where the same or another critical material is not eligible for such purpose under the Defense Housing Critical List, the building official may permit the use of any non-critical material which will, in his opinion, provide the best available substitute. (c) Nothing herein shall be construed to authorize the granting of a building permit for any proposed construction not conforming in all respects to the requirements of the building code if the building official finds that such proposed construction will create a nuisance or will endanger public health, safety and welfare: Provided, That such findings shall be reduced to writing and shall be recorded and filed with the City Clerk, subject to public inspection at all times said Clerk's office is open to the public.