County names John Graves lead inspector for 2026; APC asked to review decades-old permit fees
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
County Commissioner RJ Donovan told the area plan commission that John Graves will serve as lead building inspector for 2026 (sharing the role with Payne Smith), and requested the APC recommend updated building-permit fees that have not been raised since 1975.
At the Jan. 8 meeting, County Commissioner RJ Donovan announced that the commissioners selected John Graves as the lead building inspector for 2026 and said Graves and Payne Smith will share responsibilities for the first 50 inspections.
"The commissioners have selected, John Graves, which you guys all pretty much know. He will be our building inspector, for 2026," Donovan said. He added that Graves will lead inspections in 2026 while Payne Smith will take a lead role beginning in 2027 as he gains experience.
Donovan asked the Area Plan Commission to review the county’s permit-fee schedule and recommend increases. Staff told the panel that many fees have not been updated since 1975 and that permit revenues should be adjusted to make inspection services self-sufficient and to reflect that a home build typically requires multiple inspections while simple structures (such as pole barns) require fewer.
The commission discussed possible conflicts of interest and recusal if an inspector has a personal connection to a project; members agreed an inspector could recuse and the alternate inspector would take the matter, or the county could hire an outside inspector if needed.
Why it matters: the appointment centralizes inspection leadership and the fee review could change the cost of permits for homeowners and contractors. The commission will prepare a fee recommendation for consideration by the commissioners.
Next steps: staff will assemble comparative fee tables and return recommendations to the APC before the next meeting.