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Council approves new inspection-fee brackets and directs staff to pursue procurement options
Summary
Facing a state requirement for certified inspectors, staff proposed raising some inspection fees and pursuing third‑party or virtual inspection contracts; council approved fee brackets and authorized staff to begin ordinance/procurement steps for third‑party services, with a final adoption to return to council.
City staff told the council the state has told the city it must use certified inspectors for plumbing, electrical and HVAC work and outlined options for compliance: hire certified inspectors on staff, contract with third‑party providers, or use virtual inspections that pair local staff with a remote certified inspector.
"The other, is to hire these people on staff. We can't afford to hire people with masters... The easiest... is to have a third party company that does it for lots of other cities," Speaker 5 said, and presented sample fee comparisons: current residential inspections at roughly $50 versus third‑party providers charging about $90. Staff proposed raising certain fees to about $100 so the city could cover third‑party fees and a modest administrative amount.
Council discussed service response times and whether outsourcing would displace existing staff duties. Speaker 3 moved to approve the proposed fee bracket and Speaker 6 seconded; the motion was advanced and staff was directed to draft an ordinance and procurement documents and return to council for final approval. Some council members expressed support for fees but skepticism about outsourcing implementation details.
No final contract was signed at the meeting; the council approved fee brackets and authorized staff to proceed with ordinance drafting and procurement steps that will return for council approval.
