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Commission hears introduction to ordinance requiring upfront third‑party inspection fees (Bureau Veritas)
Summary
Planning staff introduced an ordinance amendment to require customers to pay third‑party inspection fees up front and permit a 10% administrative pass‑through for inspections handled by Bureau Veritas after the city lost an in‑house inspector; item was introduced and will return for formal action.
The commission heard an introduction to a proposed amendment to Kingsville’s Code of Ordinances (Chapter 15) to formalize use of third‑party inspection services and require upfront payment of third‑party inspection fees.
Planning staff explained the city has an existing contract with Bureau Veritas to perform plan reviews and inspections when workload exceeds local capacity and that the city currently lacks a dedicated inspector. Under the proposed language, inspection fees would be collected up front from customers and the city would pass through Bureau Veritas charges while retaining a 10% administrative fee to cover handling and scheduling costs. Staff said core responsibilities — permits, service additions and final certificates of occupancy — remain under the building official’s authority.
Commissioners asked for clarification about whether customers would pay both city and third‑party fees; staff said the practice is to collect a single fee from the customer and then compensate the third party from those receipts so customers would not pay separate amounts. Staff also said the change prevents inspection costs being borne by the general fund and speeds review and inspection turnaround times. The item was introduced and will return for formal consideration.
