Warren County building and zoning officials outline staffing, revenue and service expansion

Ray Drafft, director of building and zoning, and Michael Gladwell, chief building official and deputy director, told the Board of Commissioners that the county's building and zoning operation has 16 employees and generated roughly $2.5 million in gross income in 2024, returning about $1 million to the general fund.

Drafft described the department's daily operations and outreach: a staffed customer counter, one-on-one appointment service, an automated permitting website and field inspections. He said the department issued approximately 342 zoning permits and held four hearings in the most recent reporting period and that the most common recent zoning applications are for accessory structures. "Everybody's building pole barns," Drafft said, and he added that chickens are the most frequent violation.

Gladwell described recent changes to the building plan-review process that he led, saying standardization reduced rework in the field and that jurisdictions contracted with the county now follow a single review standard. Commissioners asked about revenue sources and timeliness: Drafft and Gladwell explained revenue comes from application and permit fees and inspection charges tied to a county fee schedule. By statute the county has up to 30 days to complete plan review; Gladwell said commercial reviews typically run about three weeks and residential reviews are generally completed within a week.

The officials also said county inspectors complete about 75 inspections per day across contracted jurisdictions and respond to emergency calls. The department serves five townships (Washington, Turtle Creek, Franklin, Union and Harlem) and several municipalities under contract, including the cities of Franklin and Lebanon and the Village of Butlerville; Gladwell said they also provide services into parts of Clinton County, including Hillsborough and Wilmington, under contract arrangements that save those jurisdictions from hiring separate building departments.

Commissioners and staff discussed workforce continuity, certification and training; Drafft and Gladwell said the department's average tenure is about five years, with a range from six months to 26 years of service. Officials said recent retirements and promotions have driven internal change and that the department continues training to maintain a pipeline of certified inspectors.

Commissioners thanked department leaders for the work and positive community relationships and asked staff to continue monitoring permit volumes and staffing as the county's contracted work grows.