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Contractors and state senator urge review of Dade County code-enforcement and inspector qualifications
Summary
Sen. Colton Moore and a licensed contractor told the Dade County Board of Commissioners they are concerned that the county's enforcement officer has been performing inspections and signing permits without required state credentials.
Two speakers used the citizen-participation period to urge the county to review local code-enforcement practices and inspector qualifications.
Sen. Colton Moore (presenting as a private citizen) described multiple instances in which Environmental Protection Division agents attended property sites after the local issuing authority flagged alleged land disturbances. He said his open-records review indicated the local issuing authority (identified in the public comment as Stacy Stevens) had been signing electrical permits without state electrical certification and in some cases acting beyond the scope of a licensed inspector’s qualifications. Moore urged the commission to reevaluate the county’s current approach to code enforcement and permitting.
A local licensed contractor, Steven Schaffer, told commissioners he had discussed permitting expansion with the county’s enforcement official and was concerned that the county planned to expand permitting and inspection responsibilities (including electrical, plumbing and framing) while the inspector lacks required state licensing for those inspections. Schaffer suggested the county require state-licensed inspectors before rolling out home and construction permitting beyond limited inspections, and proposed allowing homeowner self-builds to proceed with appropriate disclaimers while requiring licensed contractors for specialized trades.
Commissioners did not take immediate action during the public-comment period, but the matter was raised during workshop discussion; one commissioner asked that job descriptions for the enforcement role(s) be presented at next month’s meeting so the board can clarify duties and required qualifications.
