DeKalb commissioners refer disputed building-inspection policy and fee schedule to Government Services Committee

DeKalb County commissioners voted to refer the county's draft building-inspection policy and permit-fee schedule to the Government Services Committee after members found inconsistent fee figures in meeting materials.

Commissioners reviewed a timeline showing that the county adopted the 2018 residential and commercial building codes in March, advertised for a building inspector in April, and in June approved a contract with Davey Horton to provide inspection services. The employment agreement included compensation described in meeting materials as "a rate of 65 percent of the cost of applicable building permits issued." The one-page policy presented to the commission referenced an attached Exhibit A fee schedule.

Members flagged a discrepancy between the Revenue Research Committee minutes and the fee sheet presented in the workshop: the committee minutes list $0.75 per square foot for residential permits and $1.00 per square foot for commercial permits, while the handout discussed in the workshop showed $1.00 per square foot for residential. Commissioners said the inconsistency needed to be resolved before the county publishes or enforces a fee schedule. They also raised administrative questions about whether the county has budget authority or a mechanism to issue refunds to applicants who paid an incorrect fee.

Rather than adopt the policy at the meeting, the commission approved a motion to send the policy, fee schedule and related documents back to the Government Services Committee for consolidation and a recommendation to the full commission. The motion was made from the floor, seconded and passed by voice vote.

The referral keeps the existing inspection arrangements in place while the committee prepares a single, clear policy that the commission can vote on at a future meeting. Commissioners noted the draft policy is intended to be reusable regardless of which code edition the county adopts in the future, and asked that the consolidated document include the inspector's compensation language, the adopted fee rates (including separate remodel rates), and clear instructions on administrative handling of previously issued permits.

Questions remaining after the vote included whether the County's resolution adopting the codes (which referenced fees "as recommended" from the Revenue Research Committee) must be amended if the committee recommends a different fee, and what administrative steps are required to correct previous transactions should the committee adopt a lower fee than some permits were charged.