Code Enforcement
Ada is director of a building department in a big city. Because of budget concerns, the city has been unable to hire a sufficient number of qualified engineers to perform building inspections. This makes it difficult for the inspectors to do a good and thorough job. At the same time, a new and tougher building code was adopted by the city. While this code promotes greater public safety than the last one, it also contributes to the difficulty inspectors have doing a good and thorough job.
Ada sets up an appointment with the City Manager to discuss her concerns. He indicates that he is quite sympathetic to Ada’s concerns and would be willing to issue an order to permit hiring additional code officials for the building department on the condition that Ada agrees to permit certain specified buildings under construction to be inspected under the older, less rigid enforcement requirements. He tells her that the city is seeking to encourage more businesses to relocate into the city in order to provide more jobs and a strengthened tax base. In this connection, he wants Ada’s support on a city ordinance that would permit certain specified buildings under construction to be “grandfathered” under the older existing enforcement requirements and not the newer, more rigid requirements now in effect. Ada agrees to concur with the City Manager ‘s proposal, and the he issues the order to permit the hiring of additional code officials for the building department, which Ada believes the city desperately needs.
Case Study Number and Name
Introduction Give a brief review of the case, including the main characters.
State the Ethical issue or problem. Who is/are the “moral agent(s)” in this case? Who is/are the
doer(s) of the action(s) in question ? There can be more than one.
Was what they did illegal? What ethical system were they
following? What philosophical school of thought is that most
aligned with?
Kohlberg stage of Moral Development What stage of Moral Development is each of the main Moral Agent at? What actions, statements or indicators make you think they are in that stage?
As the Moral Agent(s) did they: (Address each actor identified above)
Act with integrityProvide a high standard of serviceAct in a way that promotes trust in the profession or office Treat others with respectTake responsibility
What would you have Done? Would you be content for your actions to be made public in the newspapers or on the internet?
Alternative Actions What are some other actions they could have taken in this situation?Are these optionsin line with ASPA or ICMA codes of Ethics?