Bluff council advances temporary building-permit ordinance, reviews contractor proposal after San Juan County withdrawal

Bluff Town Council considered an emergency measure March 11 to give the town legal authority to issue and manage building permits after San Juan County ceased offering permitting services. Town Manager Erin Nelson briefed the council on a two-page ordinance drafted to create a building-official role and to reference the Utah construction code and International Building Code (IBC) as the regulatory framework.

The measure is intended as a stopgap so Bluff can process permits for the coming building season while staff and council develop a more detailed, Bluff-specific building code and department structure. Nelson told the council the draft is short and “probably just kind of gives us the town the authority to issue building permits and manage them,” and that more detailed provisions — for example on inspections, plan review and code cross-references — will need to be added before a permanent program is in place.

Why it matters: the withdrawal of county permitting created an immediate operational gap affecting builders, homeowners and projects already in process. Council members repeatedly raised enforcement, code references, plan-review and inspection frequency as issues that affect public-safety outcomes and town liability.

Key details and next steps

- Ordinance purpose and code references: The draft ordinance designates a building official and references Utah construction code and the International Building Code. Staff noted Utah’s code references the IBC and that multiple model codes (electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas and energy codes) used by San Juan County should be considered for transfer or explicit citation in Bluff’s ordinance.

- Stopgap staffing proposal: The council reviewed a proposal from Kristen Bushnell (formerly a county permitting official) and Corey Coleman (a building inspector in the Moab area) to provide a temporary “package deal” of services. The two-page proposal lists monthly retainer amounts (Kristen Bushnell: $500/month; Corey Coleman: $1,000/month) and presents inspection/administrative services as an emergency, interim solution. Nelson said the town should meet them in person to clarify scope and fees before making a commitment.

- Fee schedule and financing: Nelson reminded the council that fees for permits should cover costs, not generate revenue, and that the proposed contractor fee structure differs from the draft master fee schedule. The council is preparing a public hearing on the amended master fee schedule, scheduled for March 18 at 4:15 p.m., and will accept public comment during the required notification window before adopting fees.

- Inspection logistics and standards: Council members discussed options for separate or combined roles (building official vs. building inspector). Staff said some municipalities use a single certified inspector for both inspections and issuing permits on a temporary basis, while others separate heavy administrative work (issuing permits) from field inspections. The council emphasized that inspection frequency, phased inspections (footing, foundation, mechanical/electrical/plumbing and final), and plan review must be defined so problems are caught during construction rather than after.

- Local code specifics and exemptions: Participants discussed aligning Bluff thresholds with existing local land-use rules. The draft referenced an exemption for detached accessory structures of 300 square feet or less (not including electrical, plumbing or mechanical). Council members noted Bluff’s planning code contains a 250-square-foot threshold in some places, and one member recalled 200 square feet in another spot; staff said those thresholds should be reconciled so the building ordinance and land-use code align.

- Enforcement and penalties: The draft includes criminal- and civil-enforcement language (class B misdemeanor for some violations, civil penalties) and tools such as withholding certificates of occupancy or business licenses and doubling permit fees for work begun without a permit. Council members supported strong enforcement provisions tied to public-safety concerns.

- Related agencies and services: Councilors asked staff to check whether San Juan County has also moved any public-health inspections (septic, restaurant inspections) and to contact Dennis Shumway or the Southeast Utah public health contacts to determine whether those services will continue or must be assumed locally. Staff also noted limited local inspection capacity in the county and in nearby towns, increasing the town’s reliance on contractors if the county does not resume services.

- Site-plan and plan-review responsibilities: The council discussed whether site-plan and construction-plan review should remain with Planning & Zoning (PNZ) or be shifted to the building department. Staff recommended a joint work session with PNZ to clarify which reviews the new building department will assume and to update internal ordinance references that now point to PNZ.

Council direction and timeline

No formal motion or vote was taken at the March 11 work session. Staff and council agreed on these follow-ups: (1) meet with the Bushnell/Coleman proposers to clarify scope and fees; (2) prepare a more detailed, Bluff-specific ordinance that defines roles, inspections and plan-review requirements; (3) post the contractor proposal and draft ordinance materials on the town website for public review; and (4) hold a joint meeting with Planning & Zoning (staff proposed March 20 for a joint review) and proceed with the publicly noticed March 18 fee hearing to collect comment on a draft master fee schedule.

What was said (selected excerpts)

Town Manager Erin Nelson: “This is a pretty short ordinance that probably just kind of gives us the town the authority to issue building permits and manage them.”

Council member Lou Anne Hook (referring to another municipality’s ordinance): “It just says the codes adopted. Building code, the International Building Code, as adopted by the state is hereby adopted as the official building code for the city subject to section 9.1 0.3 of this chapter.”

Clarifying details from the meeting

- Contractor proposal retainer amounts on the two-page proposal: Kristen Bushnell $500/month; Corey Coleman $1,000/month (proposal packaged together by the proposers). - Code materials San Juan County referenced (for staff review): 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) with appendix E; 2018 IRC appendix Q; 2020 National Electrical Code; 2018 mechanical and plumbing codes; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (residential and commercial provisions noted by county); 2018 existing building code; 2005 manufactured home installation standard; 2006 Utah wildland-urban interface code; local ground-snow-load maps (transcript cited a 24-inch value for Spanish Valley/Bluff, 36-inch elsewhere). These were discussed for possible transfer or explicit citation in Bluff’s ordinance. - Small-structure exemption discrepancy: draft 300 sq ft (not including utilities) vs. planning-code references heard at meeting of 250 sq ft or 200 sq ft; staff will reconcile. - Inspection timeframe reference: state/legislative changes discussed during the meeting require inspection scheduling within three days or providing a list (staff said Bluff will be subject to the new three-day timeline and must plan accordingly).

Community impact and next steps

The council framed the matter as urgent for public-safety reasons and to avoid delaying the building season. Staff will post the draft ordinance and the contractor proposal to the town website, gather more information from the proposers, and coordinate a joint work session with Planning & Zoning to finalize which functions move to the building department and to reconcile code references and fee structure before the town adopts a permanent program.