Enforcement by code inspectors; citations.

(1)(a) The governing body of each municipality may designate its agents or employees as code inspectors whose duty it is to assure code compliance. Any person designated as a code inspector may issue citations for violations of municipal codes and ordinances, respectively, or subsequent amendments thereto, when such code inspector has actual knowledge that a violation has been committed.

(b) A person designated as a code inspector may not initiate an investigation of a potential violation of a duly enacted code or ordinance by way of an anonymous complaint. A person who reports a potential violation of a code or an ordinance must provide his or her name and address to the governing body of the municipality before an investigation occurs. This paragraph does not apply if the person designated as a code inspector has reason to believe that the violation presents an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare or imminent destruction of habitat or sensitive resources.

(2) Prior to issuing a citation, a code inspector shall provide notice to the violator that the violator has committed a violation of a code or ordinance and shall establish a reasonable time period within which the violator must correct the violation. Such time period shall be no more than 30 days. If, upon personal investigation, a code inspector finds that the violator has not corrected the violation within the time period, the code inspector may issue a citation to the violator. A code inspector does not have to provide the violator with a reasonable time period to correct the violation prior to issuing a citation and may immediately issue a citation if the code inspector has reason to believe that the violation presents a serious threat to the public health, safety, or welfare, or if the violation is irreparable or irreversible.

(3) A citation issued by a code inspector shall state the date and time of issuance; name and address of the person in violation; date of the violation; section of the codes or ordinances, or subsequent amendments thereto, violated; name of the code inspector; and date and time when the violator shall appear in county court.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any person designated as a code inspector to perform any function or duties of a law enforcement officer other than as specified in this section. A code inspector shall not make physical arrests or take any person into custody and shall be exempt from requirements relating to the Special Risk Class of the Florida Retirement System, bonding, and the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, as defined and provided by general law.

(5) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the enforcement pursuant to ss. 553.79 and 553.80 of the Florida Building Code adopted pursuant to s. 553.73 as applied to construction, provided that a building permit is either not required or has been issued by the municipality.

(6) The provisions of this section may be used by a municipality in lieu of the provisions of part II of chapter 162.

(7) The provisions of this section are additional or supplemental means of enforcing municipal codes and ordinances. Except as provided in paragraph (1)(b) and subsection (6), nothing in this section shall prohibit a municipality from enforcing its codes or ordinances by any other means.