Contractor tells council two‑year wait for a 112‑sq‑ft Circle K shed; cites electronic‑only submittal and poor communication

A contractor addressing the Lafayette City Council during public comment on Aug. 5 said he has attempted to obtain a building permit for more than two years for a small shed at a Circle K property and asked council for guidance.

"We have been attempting to obtain a building permit for the last 2 years and 2 months of your planning department," the contractor, who identified himself as Paul Eckert, told the council. He said he submitted documents beginning May 20, 2023, but received virtually no response for months and that staff correspondence on the file was inconsistent.

Eckert said he had a meeting with planning staff, during which staff members claimed they had sent numerous emails to him; he said staff could produce only two emails and he challenged the accuracy of staff statements. He told council that a planner named Lauren Victor told him in March 2024 she was reviewing the application and would respond in a week or two, and that later another planner, Stephen Williams, denied an application had been filed.

Eckert said he offered to supply large hard‑copy plan sheets (24x36) when staff said electronic submittals were illegible, but he was told the city would accept only electronic submissions. He says the delay has cost him money and strained his relationship with Circle K, and he delivered a binder of chronological records to City Clerk Lehi Beck for staff review.

The proposed work described in Eckert’s statement was a 112‑square‑foot shed at the Circle K station on West South Boulder Road (site address described in testimony as near 201 or 225 West South Boulder Road). Council and staff accepted his binder and said staff would follow up; no vote or formal enforcement action took place during public comment.