Evansville City board debates standard wording for recommendation letters used in licensing

The Evansville City Board of Construction and Roofing Examiners spent a portion of its meeting discussing inconsistent recommendation letters submitted with license applications and whether the board should require a specific wording standard. Board members said many submitted letters are templated, lack explicit wording such as "I recommend," or are missing a clearly legible notary, and they discussed options to reduce administrative delays.

Board members expressed differing views on how strict the requirement should be. Some said a clear, explicit statement within the body of a recommendation letter—phrases like "I recommend" or "I highly recommend"—should be required so the board can reliably treat the document as a formal recommendation. Others urged caution, noting the practical difficulty of policing form text and suggesting the board seek legal advice before changing requirements.

Members suggested possible remedies: adopt a simple standard form letter for recommenders to use; add clearer instructions to the board's online application materials; or ask legal counsel whether titling a document "Letter of Recommendation" is sufficient or whether the board may lawfully require a specific sentence in the letter body. Staff reported recurring instances where letters were copied or incomplete, and board members asked staff to consult legal counsel and report back with recommended language or a standard form.

No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; the board directed staff to seek legal guidance and to return with recommendations at a future meeting.