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Elgin adopts new contract and flat fees for fire inspections; owners to request reinspections
Summary
Council approved a services agreement with Watkins Group Consultants LLC for fire code inspections and adopted fee updates that set a flat reinspection fee and make annual inspections the city’s responsibility.
The Elgin City Council approved a new services agreement with Watkins Group Consultants LLC to continue third-party fire code review and inspection services and adopted changes to the city’s fees that establish flat fees for inspections and reinspections.
City staff presented the contract and fee changes; in open discussion Mister Perry described the contract as covering plan reviews and annual inspections on a time-and-materials basis, with the city moving to a flat-fee structure for inspections. Perry said the city would continue to require a property owner to request a reinspection and pay the reinspection flat fee to receive a passing inspection report.
Under the updated approach, the council record shows a flat reinspection fee of $163.88. Staff described that fee as inclusive of travel time and report preparation and said a typical inspection invoice averages about an hour and a half of work "from soup to nuts." Businesses will still be able to show a certified third-party inspection if that third party meets the city’s statutory requirements; staff noted that, to date, the city has not seen many businesses hire outside inspectors.
Council members and downtown business representatives asked about enforcement and whether inspections could be refused. Perry replied that inspections can be refused and that the city has directed staff not to pursue enforcement actions in certain situations; he said council had decided to place more of the reinspection onus on property owners to request and pay for reinspections.
The council moved and seconded the measures and recorded affirmative votes from Council member Caroline, Rodriguez, Dennis, Frazier, McShane and Kosnowski, and Gibson, among others; the motion carried.
The contract and fee changes will be posted on the city website and city staff said they will notify downtown businesses directly. The council did not provide a breakdown of how the fee revenue will be applied to the city budget during the meeting.
