Monticello considers interlocal agreement with Blanding for emergency building inspections

The Monticello City Council reviewed an interlocal cooperation agreement proposing that Blanding City provide backup and emergency building inspection and plan-review services for building permits within Monticello city limits. The draft agreement, included in the council packet, sets an initial charge of $300 for the first two hours of an inspection request, $125 per hour thereafter, and $150 per building-permit plan review. Invoicing would be monthly and Monticello would remit payment within 30 days. The agreement states it is entered into pursuant to Utah Code 11-13-1 (Interlocal Cooperation Act) and would take effect on execution by both parties.

The document describes the scope of services as structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections, plus plan review and plan adjustments; inspections may be performed in person, virtually, or by submitted photo documentation at Blanding’s inspector’s discretion. The agreement asks Monticello to provide reasonable advance notice for scheduling so Blanding can group inspections when feasible. It also says Monticello would not be required to reimburse Blanding for mileage or travel costs. The draft includes standard terms for indemnification, termination on 30 days’ written notice, and a clause that nothing in the agreement waives governmental immunity under Utah law.

Why it matters: Monticello currently relies on internal inspection capacity; the agreement would create a formal backup source for inspections and plan reviews, potentially speeding permitting when Monticello staff are unavailable. The terms set a per-event and hourly pricing structure and make clear the agreement can be ended by either party on 30 days’ notice.

The agenda packet included the draft interlocal cooperation agreement but the meeting transcript contains no roll-call vote or formal approval language. The council considered the item under the header “Consider for Approval: Emergency Building Inspector Services with Blanding City (discussion/action).” Because the transcript does not record a vote or motion, this article reports the proposal and the contract terms as presented in the packet; no outcome is asserted.

Next steps and implementation considerations include execution of the agreement by both municipal officials and coordination on scheduling and invoicing. The draft names Mayor Trevor Olsen for Blanding City and Bayley Hedglin for Monticello as signature lines; the agreement becomes effective on signature and remains terminable on 30 days’ written notice.