Oct
14
In full disclosure, this was an item I had worked on while I was employed by the County.
The main idea is to reduce duplication and have one place builders can go for building inspections. The County and each municipality have their own building inspection department that enforces the same state code. Centralizing the administration could give cost saving and level of service benefits.
This has been discussed at the staff level at all the jurisdictions. This has been given the go ahead at the political level to explore the issue further. It will now be presented to the building community via the HBA on October 22nd.
A main issue, if this were to go forward, is at what level of service would the new consolidated service perform? Each of the participating entities had an idea of what they were willing to pay and receive for their locality. Some discrepancy was anticipated–one community may be willing to endure longer waiting periods for inspections if it meant a cost savings, just as another community might feel opposite. A new standard would have to be developed and agreed upon.
I think this is exactly the kind of proposal that needs open discussion. It is an opportunity to support the building community. I believe we need to ensure that any new consolidated service is at the highest level of service–ensuring minimal waits and optimum quality (i.e. training and equipment) of inspectors. A high level of service in this government function serves to encourage development.
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