Resident urges clearer inspection protocols after contractor ordered her crew to clear neighbor's weeds

Julie Goldhammer told the Cave Creek Town Council on May 5 that a contractor inspector who performed a required hot-work inspection on a permitted fence replacement instructed her crew to clear weeds on a neighbor's property in order for the welding to proceed.

Goldhammer, who identified herself as a Cave Creek resident, said the inspector arrived without visible identification, began directing her crew and described the neighbor's yard as a fire hazard. She said the town informed her the inspection could not be scheduled on a Friday because town staff work a four-day week and that the eventual inspector was a contractor, not a town employee.

"If inspections are outsourced, residents shouldn't be delayed by the town staff schedule," Goldhammer said, adding that the town has "no weed enforcement code" and that she felt compelled to trespass to clear the neighbor's weeds to comply with her own permit. She requested three changes: making contractor inspectors available outside the town's four-day staff schedule; requiring inspectors to introduce themselves and wear visible identification; and reviewing ordinances related to weeds and fire hazards.

Mayor Robert Morris asked staff to follow up. A staff member (S10) said the town would look into Goldhammer's complaint and follow up with her directly.

Why it matters: Goldhammer's account raises questions about how the town manages outsourced inspections, the communication residents receive about who is performing inspections, and whether the town's ordinances provide adequate tools to address neighbor-owned fire hazards that affect permit compliance. The complaint prompted an explicit staff follow-up commitment during the meeting.

What comes next: Staff indicated they will investigate Goldhammer's concerns and follow up with her; no formal action or ordinance change was taken at the May 5 meeting.