Area Plans Director Liz told the County Council at a budget hearing that the office is short staffed and that the shortage is slowing permit reviews, increasing inspection delays and has a downstream effect on the county's insurance ratings. "We are trying to do five people's jobs with three," Liz said, noting the office frequently closes its public desk and that one staffer was the only person in the office the morning of the meeting.

Liz said the department budget request includes a 2.5% salary uplift to keep pace with inflation and one line for a new, fifth position intended to handle code enforcement, tall‑grass complaints and serve as a cross‑trained backup for the building inspector. She described the fifth position as a mix of fieldwork and front‑desk coverage that would reduce overtime and limit permit delays: "They'll spend about 50% of their time out in the field…[and] cover lunch hour at the front desk." The director said the new position would be trained to perform simple electrical inspections and other duties now bottlenecked when the inspector is absent.

On inspections the director reported problems with the third‑party contractor the office has used to fill inspection duties: the county has received complaints about missed inspections and inconsistent enforcement, and the office is meeting with another, higher‑cost contractor to seek a more reliable vendor. Liz also said contractors from out of state struggle with local addressing and travel time across a largely rural jurisdiction that can be 22 miles across, making contracted inspections inefficient.

Liz also briefed the council on a planned software change. Cityforce, the office's permit software, was acquired by a company branded as Iwerks (iWORKS). She said the county accepted a transition contract and will share costs 50/50 with the city: "We're looking at a total cost between these two jurisdictions of between 15 and 17,000 a year," she said, adding there may be unpredictable data fees during implementation. Liz said iWORKS provides GIS integration for parcels, an improvement over the old system, and warned that remaining on legacy Cityforce could become more expensive if jurisdictions wait until the vendor closes support.

Council members asked Liz to prioritize among raises, benefits and the additional position if funds are limited. Liz recommended hiring the fifth position before awarding raises, saying sustained overload risks losing existing staff and increases liability: "That fifth position would both do more for liability and for staff quality of life than giving them a 3% raise," she said.

The discussion also noted that shortages in inspection capacity affect the county's insurance review and could increase insurance costs for residents, because reviewers penalize jurisdictions where review staff carry excessive workloads. Liz said the county will likely be downgraded at the next insurance review because of the current inspection staffing shortfall.

Council members requested the office continue to supply updated recruitment timelines and cost estimates for contract alternatives and the new software implementation.