Building official Jay Taylor defends practices amid complaints over inspections and supervision

Councilors and members of the public aired concerns about building‑department operations and personnel matters tied to Jay Taylor, identified in the meeting as the city’s building official, and Taylor addressed complaints about inspections, permit scheduling, use of the PLL permitting system and historical supervisory actions.

Several speakers recounted internal complaints and past personnel actions. A speaker who said they had previously filed a written complaint read an excerpt and urged the council to consider workplace treatment; they said they had seen conduct they called “unprofessional behavior” by Amanda Thomas and referenced a signed complaint dated Dec. 24, 2022. Another council member said they had told Taylor in 2024 they were prepared to support termination if necessary, and noted HR and the city attorney had previously been involved in disciplinary discussions.

Taylor described the city’s dilapidated‑structure and condemnation processes and disputed some characterizations of his work. He said the dilapidated‑structure program “was where we'd go out and beat the bushes talk to the homeowners and give them an opportunity” and that condemnation “comes after the dilapidated structure” if an owner does not act. On permit and inspection practices, Taylor acknowledged historical shortcuts early in his tenure—allowing roofers to begin work before a formal city office opening if contractors called to confirm they would obtain permits—and said that practice was stopped more than a year ago: “We stopped doing that, over a year ago.” He also said he had not always used the PLL permitting software to its full potential early on and that he later learned to record inspections in the system after field work.

Taylor answered questions about scheduling and workload, saying inspectors sometimes had 30 minutes to travel, inspect and return, which he and others described as tight for outlying jobs. He told the council that training and better scheduling were ongoing efforts and that some staff “did not fully understand how it works” with the PLL system. Taylor said he had obtained conferences and training but had to secure some certification materials independently.

Council members discussed whether Taylor had been properly evaluated and whether the department had done annual performance reviews. Staff said most departments are required to perform annual reviews and that the administration had recently pushed to resume documented evaluations; one staff member said all employees in the affected department had an annual review. Council members differed about whether prior warnings and performance issues constituted grounds for termination or whether Taylor should be retained and supported to improve; one councilor stated that, based on HR and the city attorney’s earlier review, there was cause for termination, while others urged patience and additional corrective measures.

No formal disciplinary action or vote occurred during the work session. Councilors asked staff and HR to ensure documentation is in order and to continue following HR procedures for any personnel decisions.