Council backs limited‑term city inspector plan, asks for two‑year term and no net FTE increase

Orting — The City Council on Wednesday directed staff to prepare a standalone agenda bill to fund a limited‑term public works construction inspector, with councilors asking that the position initially be limited to two years and that there be no net increase in the city’s full‑time equivalent (FTE) count.

Public works committee materials and staff discussion said the city has relied heavily on outside consultants to perform construction inspection services for large projects — notably the pedestrian bridge — and that bringing a construction inspector in‑house could reduce costs and improve coordination across multiple active projects. Staff estimated the fully loaded cost for a dedicated in‑house inspector at roughly $137,000 annually; exact pay and benefits would depend on recruitment and whether an existing qualified staff member is reassigned.

Council members raised concerns about adding a permanent FTE and suggested alternatives: (1) a limited‑term appointment for up to two years to bridge the current work surge; (2) redeploying an existing qualified staff member if feasible; or (3) structuring the position so there is no net gain in FTEs by backfilling duties elsewhere. “I would rather see a way to find a way to offset that,” one councilor said, echoing a common theme in the finance committee about controlling long‑term staffing growth.

Action: The council instructed staff to prepare the budget amendment as a standalone item for the Sept. 24 meeting, and members indicated support for a two‑year limited term and for a requirement that the executive branch not increase the overall FTE count without council approval. The council also asked staff to describe how the inspector’s time would be billed across multiple projects and to show projected cost savings compared with ongoing consultant fees.

Why it matters: The city faces multiple, concurrent capital projects that require inspection resources. Councilors said an in‑house inspector could reduce reliance on higher‑priced consultant hourly rates and improve continuity of inspections, but they want to avoid creating a permanent position without clear, sustained workload.

Next step: Staff will prepare a standalone agenda bill for the Sept. 24 meeting that specifies term length, funding source, whether the role is a reclassification or new hire and how the city will ensure no net FTE increase unless subsequently approved by the council.