Bluff City board hears proposal to contract Johnson City building inspector for inspections and code-enforcement work

The Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen heard from Doug White, identified in the meeting as a building inspector for the city of Johnson City, who has permission to assist Bluff City as a contract building inspector and to provide expertise on code-enforcement matters.

In the discussion the board described a compensation arrangement based on a percentage of fees rather than a salary. A board member summarized his recommendation for a fee-split approach: "He would get 3 fourths of any fees collected," the board member said. Councilors discussed whether the city manager's job description covers code enforcement and whether the contract inspector's duties would include code-enforcement work.

Board members asked practical questions about hours, whether the inspector would perform code-enforcement functions in addition to inspections, and whether the arrangement would require a separate salary or remain fee-based. The town manager and staff said the details would be worked out and further discussion would occur under new business.

Why it matters: Contracting a building inspector is a potential near-term way for the town to access technical inspection capacity without adding a full-time salaried employee. The fee-split model raises questions about predictable costs, scope of services and whether some code-enforcement responsibilities remain with the city manager's office.

Next steps: Council directed staff to include the topic under new business for further discussion and to prepare a draft agreement clarifying duties, hours, compensation and whether code-enforcement responsibilities remain under the city manager's job description.