AGENDA DATE: 11/1/2017
TITLE:
Title
Building Inspector Request
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Mid-year request for additional building inspector in response to increased workload and recent Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating of the building inspection program
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Walker, Graham, Dellinger
PRESENTER (S): Mark Graham
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Douglas C. Walker
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this agenda item is to request the Board authorize Community Development to increase staffing by one Full Time Employee (FTE) who will serve as a building inspector. This request is in response to a much higher workload than anticipated when the FY 18 budget was developed, as well as a recent review of the Building Inspections program by the ISO indicating a lower rating of our program is likely without additional staff being put in place.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Quality Government Operations: Ensure County government's capacity to provide high quality service that achieves community priorities
DISCUSSION: 1) Recent Building Activity Reports and Community Development data (Attachment A) demonstrate the workload for the building inspectors has significantly jumped in the last two years. Staff is not seeing any evidence this trend is changing. It is also noted that permit fee revenues have significantly increased and exceeded budgeted amounts by about $282,000 in FY16 and $362,000 in FY17.
2) The ISO performed a review of the Building Inspections program in spring 2017. The last ISO review was done in 2013. This information is used by many insurance companies for setting rates with both commercial and residential structures, based on the measured effectiveness of the County's inspections program. If the County's score drops, many property owners would see their insurance costs increase. While the County has always received scores that are comparable to its peer communities, preliminary results su...
Click here for full text