Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Building Inspections And Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board creates full-time building inspector position funded by permit fees
Summary
The Chippewa County Board approved a midyear request to create a full-time building inspector position in Planning and Zoning, to be funded solely by increased Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) fees and subject to removal if fees are insufficient.
The Chippewa County Board approved a midyear request to create an additional full-time building inspector in the Department of Planning and Zoning, with the position to be funded entirely from building inspection fees.
Planning and Zoning Director Doug explained the workload behind the request: about 200 new construction permits are issued annually, and the department averages roughly 13 inspections per building, producing about 2,600 UDC inspections a year. That workload and 48-hour inspection response obligations, combined with aging staff and vehicle mileage, were cited as reasons to create a second in-house inspector.
Director Doug said the county previously used contracted inspectors but found in-house staff better for direction and management. The new position is a midyear request to allow overlap and training with the current inspector, Fred Henkel, who has been with the county since 2015. The resolution specifies the position will be eliminated during budget review if fee revenues prove insufficient to cover its costs.
The board approved the resolution. Planning staff said program expenses (salaries, vehicle maintenance) are paid from fees and the department uses a non-lapsing fund to smooth revenue/expense timing across years.
