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Lake Forest Park extends Safe Built contract for building services to maintain inspections and plan review
Summary
Council approved Resolution 25-20-10 to extend and amend the professional services agreement with Safe Built Washington for interim building official services through March 2026 with an increased not-to-exceed amount.
The Lake Forest Park City Council on April 10 approved Resolution 25-20-10 authorizing the mayor to sign an amendment and extension to the city’s professional services agreement with Safe Built Washington. The amendment extends interim municipal building-services coverage through March 2026 and increases the contract’s not-to-exceed authority to $120,000.
Mark Hoffman, the city’s Community Development Director, told the council the change responds to the retirement of the city’s building official last October and to a recent consultant notice that the existing contractor was approaching the current contract cap. “We put that in place. That existing contract … runs through the end of this year,” Hoffman said, adding that Safe Built can fill the interim role while the city continues recruiting for a permanent building official.
Council members discussed timing and fiscal responsibility. Hoffman said the expense is primarily covered by permit fees and that categories not recouped by fees would be offset by unspent salary money from the vacant position. The council agreed to waive the usual three-touch rule to permit action at this meeting because an upcoming invoice and continuity of inspection services created a time constraint.
One council member summarized the financing point: if the city hires a permanent building official before the contract extension is fully used, the city will not be required to expend the full authority. The council then moved and seconded the main motion to authorize the extension; the resolution passed unanimously.
The amendment covers plan review, inspections, and building-code interpretation services provided on an as-needed basis. Staff said services will continue while recruitment for the permanent position proceeds; the city is also considering a longer-term backup arrangement by RFQ. No additional programmatic changes or new permit fees were proposed at the meeting.
The council’s actions included a motion to waive the three-touch rule and the subsequent approval of Resolution 25-20-10. The city directed staff to continue recruitment and to manage contract expenditures against permit-fee revenue and salary savings.
