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Clermont County staff to discuss winding down Brown County commercial inspections contract
Summary
Facing workforce constraints and rising local inspection demand, Clermont County building-inspection staff recommended meeting Brown County officials and the Ohio Board of Building Standards to plan a transition if the county reduces contracted commercial inspection services that it has provided for ~20 years.
Chris McClintock, director of Clermont County Economic Development's Building Inspection Division, told the commissioners the division has performed commercial permit review and inspections in Brown County under contract for about two decades but is now stretched by local growth and statewide workforce shortages. McClintock said staff issued roughly 197 permits for Brown County in the prior year and that sending inspectors to Brown County consumes time ("window time") that reduces capacity for inspections inside Clermont County.
McClintock said the county must notify Brown County in writing and consult the Ohio Board of Building Standards if it reduces or terminates the contract, and recommended a cooperative approach to allow Brown County time to replace services (either by hiring, outsourcing to firms such as IBI, or other arrangements). He said permit-fee receipts from Brown County were roughly $70,000 in 2023, which likely does not cover the full cost of inspection and permit-processing staff time.
Commissioners instructed McClintock to review the contract details, meet with Brown County commissioners to discuss a timeline, and return with recommendations for a smooth transition so neither county is left without inspection coverage.
