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Commission creates community development director role; hears developer bonding and stormwater inspection procedures
Summary
The commission approved creating a community development director position to replace the in-house building official for most duties while contracting certified building-official functions, and reviewed subdivision improvement estimates, bonding deposits and state stormwater (UPDES) requirements discussed in relation to local development.
Presiding Commissioner, Planning Commission presiding officer, said the commission would replace the current in-house title of building official with a community development director and rely on contracted certified building-official inspectors for certificate-of-occupancy functions required by state code. "The state has a state ordinance that requires a building official to have certain certifications," Presiding Commissioner said, explaining that the city's current building official, Ted Nicholson, lacks some required certifications and that certified functions will be provided by contracted inspectors (example given: Sunrise engineers inspectors).
The proposal would change the in-house title to community development director; the contract inspector would issue certificates of occupancy, temporary occupancy permits and certificates of completion. The commission moved and voted to approve creation of the community development director title and the related administrative arrangement; the final authority and any contracting details will be handled by city administration.
In the same meeting staff presented work estimates and required deposits for a subdivision improvement package for Bellevue (phase 2) being developed by a new owner and a contractor identified as Rhino Development. Staff said the city's older subdivision ordinance requires Planning Commission and City Council review of an engineer's cost estimate and improvement list. The city also requires a deposit equal to 6% of the estimate for inspection (durability) and 10% for a warranty/bond that the city can draw on if repairs are needed within the warranty period. Staff initially cited those two deposits as totaling about $50,000 but corrected the figure to approximately $79,000 (about $50,000 and $29,000 quoted in discussion).
Commissioners also discussed stormwater permitting and monitoring tied to subdivision work. A commissioner explained the relationship between a local SWPPP (stormwater pollution prevention plan) and the state's UPDES permit process; developers must provide UPDES documentation as part of subdivision approval and the city has a contract inspector who performs periodic site visits. The commission discussed inspection frequency options; staff said many cities perform inspections every two weeks or require inspections after defined storm events, and that the city's contract inspector can issue notices or close sites for noncompliance.
No public commenters attended the hearing. The commission recorded the approvals and directed staff to proceed with the administrative steps required to implement the staffing title change and to confirm bonding/deposit details with the developer under the existing ordinance.
