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Council approves reciprocal inspection services agreement with Brookfield and backup contract with North Shore Inspections
Summary
The council approved a two-way reciprocal inspection agreement with the city of Brookfield and a contingency contract with North Shore Inspections LLC for trade inspections; staff said the Brookfield arrangement should reduce costly last-resort inspection expenses.
The Common Council approved two inspection-related contracts on June 17 to ensure the city meets statutory inspection timelines when staff are absent.
Community development staff explained the city has an existing one-way agreement to provide inspectors to Brookfield and revised that to a reciprocal, two-way contract so each municipality can assist the other when short-handed. Jennifer, the presenting staff member, said the Brookfield agreement will allow the city to use Brookfield inspectors at the city’s cost rate (reported as about $52 per hour — staff salary and benefits), instead of relying on more expensive private contractors whose typical rates were cited as $92 to $250 per hour.
Council also approved a contingency contract with North Shore Inspections LLC to serve as a last-resort backup for trades inspections; staff described that firm as expensive and intended to be used sparingly to meet state statutory inspection timelines (state law requires inspections within 48 hours except plumbing, which is 24 hours). Both contracts were approved with direction allowing the city attorney to make final language tweaks before execution.
Council members asked how frequently the city expects to use outside contractors. Jennifer said typical usage is limited — she estimated roughly four to five weeks per year of fill-in work under normal staffing conditions, with the expensive contractor used only as a last resort. The motions to approve both contracts included authorization for the city attorney to finalize language; the Brookfield contract vote passed unanimously and the North Shore contract passed 12–1.
