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Commissioners direct supervisor to review building-inspector conduct after complaint about warrantless inspections
Summary
The county agreed to have the building inspector's supervisor review complaints that an inspector entered or looked into private property without advance notice while performing permit verification; staff said permits grant entry but recommended adding courtesy-notice language and standard operating procedures.
A local resident complaint prompted the Board to direct the building-inspector's supervisor to review whether the code inspector followed correct procedures when inspecting a property.
A property owner reported that the county building inspector attempted to open doors and looked through windows while performing a permit verification. County staff and the owner discussed that a homeowner'pulled owner-builder electrical permit authorizes an inspector to enter property to verify work, and the building official said he had observed signs of additional work and wanted to verify safety before releasing power.
Several commissioners and observers said a courtesy phone call prior to inspection is good practice even when the permit grants access; others noted that the permit form the owner signs gives inspectors the legal right to enter and inspect. Commissioners asked county staff to review standard operating procedures for the building department and advised the inspector's supervisor (county staff) to handle the complaint and return with recommended SOP language.
Ending: County staff agreed to confer with the building official, review permit language and consider adding a requirement for courtesy notification on permit forms and to draft SOPs for the department; no disciplinary action was announced at the meeting.
