City staff and the building commissioner presented a package of proposed revisions to the building department ordinance to the Public Works & Property Vacation Committee, describing changes across fees, definitions, inspections, contractor registration and new state law implementation.

Jenna Thoreau, City Attorney (presenting), said the draft ordinance updates permit fees to account for inflation and align with comparable municipalities, increases the minimum fee in several places from $40 to $60, and retains a cost-based fee tied to the International Code Council for new buildings. Randy James, Building Commissioner, explained that the department is an enterprise fund that covers operations through permit revenue and that the scalable fee structure (for remodels and renovations) remains the same while the minimum fee was raised.

Staff described changes to the definition section that narrowly adopt state and model-code definitions to avoid local divergence, and an interpretation guide pointing to the administrative code for undefined terms. The draft also clarifies inspection and enforcement procedures, aligning citation and reinspection cadence with the zoning ordinance and describing stop-work and cease-and-desist order requirements (written order, posting and stated reasons). The ordinance adds a structured process for abandoned construction projects and clarifies that inspections can proceed whether or not a permit was obtained, consistent with the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission rules.

On contractor registration and discipline, staff said the draft replaces a multi-member board with an examiner to process registrations, clarifies application and exam requirements for electrical and mechanical registrations, and incorporates state-mandated factors for suspension or revocation tied to criminal convictions. Thoreau said the list of disqualifying convictions and the consideration factors (nature of the offense, time elapsed, rehabilitation evidence) were developed to mirror state law; the statute caps certain disqualification periods at five years except for enumerated exceptions.

The draft also adds provisions to implement Indiana House Bill 1005 (effective Jan. 1, 2026), which allows private providers to perform plan reviews and inspections for certain residential (class 2) work when the city requires such reviews or inspections. Thoreau and James said the city will not accept private-provider work until the law takes effect and that the ordinance includes the statutory eligibility and a maximum $100 fee the city may charge when a private provider is used.

Committee members asked about coverage for jurisdictions the building department serves; James said the fee schedule applies across South Bend and to other appointed jurisdictions (Osceola, Roseland, Lakeville, North Liberty and county jurisdictions that contract for the building department’s services). Committee members also asked about how the city would handle contractors accused of fraud; staff said suspension or revocation can only be considered on the basis of convictions and following the statutory factors, and that criminal or civil referrals remain the appropriate remedies for fraud allegations.

Thoreau said the office could be ready to file the ordinance in one or two meetings, and the committee indicated they could either schedule another discussion or proceed to filing; no formal action was taken at this meeting.

If filed, the ordinance would require additional committee review and formal votes before changes take effect; staff identified several follow-up tasks, including aligning permit application forms with ordinance fee tables, codifying demolition notice and waste-handling procedures in coordination with engineering, and finalizing the examiner qualifications and processing steps for registrations.