Commission hears repeated calls for countywide commercial fire and life‑safety inspections

Multiple speakers urged Holmes County to institute a standard inspection program for commercial buildings after public commenters and board members said they observed violations such as locked fire escape doors, blocked electrical panels and obstructed egress.

Richard Wilsey, a longtime planning‑board member and public commenter, told the commission he had seen padlocked escape doors and blocked electrical panels in local businesses and said the county should “start the process on getting a standard of inspection for life and fire safety in our businesses in Holmes County.”

Keith Bennett, the county building official, reported that he had spoken with the State Fire Marshal’s office, which confirmed that while inspections are required under state code, enforcement is not a high priority for the state due to limited manpower. “They do not have the manpower to enforce that regulation,” Bennett told the board. He said an annual inspection tied to business licensing could be feasible and recommended an inspector checklist with a correction period for findings.

Board members discussed scope (commercial properties open to the public versus home‑based businesses), frequency (annual vs. multi‑year for lower‑risk sites), who would perform inspections, and how enforcement would be tied to business licensing. John Feeney, county planner, said the review process lets department heads recommend specific requirements and that public safety is the motivating factor, not punitive enforcement.

Commissioners asked staff to draft a plan and bring back a cost and operations estimate; staff said they had already put together a starting plan and would present it for review via email and at a future meeting.

Next steps: staff will return with a proposed inspection program and associated budgetary implications.