Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Permits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Crook County planning and building officials report staffing strain and several large projects under review
Summary
Community development staff told commissioners they are managing steady permit volumes while facing licensing gaps for A-level inspectors; staff flagged a large warehouse pre-application and ongoing cell-tower and TSP work.
Community development and building staff told Crook County commissioners they are processing steady permit volumes but face staffing and certification gaps for certain licensed inspectors, a situation staff said could strain regional intergovernmental support.
John and Randy from Community Development reported about 1,200 permits issued year-to-date, with 170 homes under construction and steady inspection workloads. Randy said the department is managing many commercial plan reviews and about 1,000 on-site inspections per month.
Randy and other staff outlined a staffing shortfall in A-level licensed trades (electrical, plumbing, fire suppression). Randy said one experienced staffer is currently out and another senior retiree is working part time; maintaining coverage for A-level inspections is challenging, and neighboring jurisdictions have also lost certified staff. The county is pursuing B-level training for existing staff and establishing intergovernmental support agreements to cover immediate needs.
On projects, staff said they expect a pre-application meeting next week for a large warehouse project "across from Facebook" and that Meta-related server testing (glycol-cooled servers) and cold-storage facilities are part of ongoing discussions with applicants. Planning staff also reported that a military overlay review has passed through the appeal period and that the transportation system plan (TSP) will come before the planning commission next month. Cell tower applications in Powell Butte and in Canyon are in the queue and may require future public hearings.
Commissioners and staff discussed the feasibility of adding a residential plan examiner position if part-time coverage for plan review is no longer available. Staff warned Tri-County services could be stretched if additional certified inspectors are not found.
The presentation was informational; staff did not ask for immediate budget changes at the meeting but indicated they might return with a personnel request if coverage cannot be sustained.
