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Building department reports steady permit activity; staff churn and elevator repairs cited
Summary
Building and zoning planner Terry Palmer reported year-to-date permit totals similar to 2024, several staffing additions, and new elevator repairs that may affect the department’s budget.
Terry Palmer, Iron County’s building and zoning planner, told commissioners on Sept. 20 that the county’s building permit activity this year is largely in line with 2024 but noted personnel changes in the department and an unexpected elevator repair that may affect the department budget.
Palmer said the county issued 406 regular permits year-to-date in 2025 compared with 416 in 2024. Commercial permits are up (40 in 2025 vs. 25 in 2024) while dwelling permits were slightly lower (101 in 2025 vs. 119 in 2024). He said the department completed roughly 2,564 inspections so far in 2025 and about 450 plan reviews.
On staffing, Palmer said the office has added a part-time administrative assistant, Ellie Navarro (started Aug. 1), and a code enforcement officer, Riley Westwood (started Sept. 2). Palmer also thanked office staff, including Crystal (last name not stated), for adjusting to recent turnover and for working with auditors to improve tracking. He said inspectors Trent and Nate are close to completing residential and commercial certification sequences and that Brett Hamilton has joined planning to help meet new state regulatory requirements.
Palmer flagged an active elevator modernization at the county building. “They did not tell us upfront some of the things that needed to be done,” he said, describing new work and additional parts that have been ordered; half the cost has been paid but a final price was not available at the meeting. “I wish I could say we could just totally disable it, but we can’t,” Palmer added, explaining the county must keep the elevator in service while the work is scheduled.
Palmer also outlined maintenance activity at the fairgrounds, clinic parking improvements and planned digitization of old planning files to improve records and inspections tracking. He said the office is reviewing old permits to identify outstanding inspections and to clean up records.
Palmer concluded that department activity is steady and that he expects to have a firm cost estimate for the elevator work in the coming weeks.
