Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Building Location Permits topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chiefs urge clarification of building-location permit workload and scope
Summary
Chief Jeff Armstrong told commissioners many small building-location permit (BLP) reviews are unnecessary under IDAPA and are creating a customer-service backlog; he plans to meet county planning staff to clarify scope and reduce delays.
Bonner County’s fire chiefs and commissioners discussed the county’s building-location permit (BLP) workload and whether the process requires revision to avoid unnecessary reviews.
Chief Jeff Armstrong said he inherited a heavy BLP review workload and that many small projects — decks, chicken coops, lean-tos — should not require his signature under state rules. “Anything over 5 acres, all the requirements for fire access are exempt in the IDAPA,” Armstrong said, and he proposed clarifying scope so routine, small projects are not funneled to fire chiefs for review.
Armstrong told attendees he has a meeting scheduled with county planning staff and the new planning director to review the scope and authority issues he raised. As a short-term measure he said he sent a letter on file to reduce repetitive submittals and to streamline customer service for builders and residents.
Why it matters: Armstrong said the current process is causing 2–3 week delays for sign-offs, imposing time and travel burdens on residents and potentially discouraging compliance. He proposed two paths: the county could narrow the scope that reaches fire chiefs, or the county could in-house education and permit triage so small projects do not require chief sign-off.
The meeting closed with officials agreeing to pursue collaborative solutions with county planning and to communicate clearer guidance to the public about when a BLP is required and how exemptions under IDAPA apply.
