Commission adopts ordinance to create city building department and approves AGS contract

The Big Rapids City Commission voted to adopt an ordinance that would rescind county building authority and establish a city building department, including a construction board of appeals and required statutory elements.

Brad, the city attorney, explained that the ordinance’s effective date is tied to state approval: “The effective date of the ordinance ... will be effective upon publication or upon the state committee approving the ordinance itself,” he said.

Commissioners also approved a contract with Associated Government Services (AGS) to provide plan review and building-inspection services and appointed Nick Kek as the city’s building official. Michelle, who led the staff presentation, said the city would contract for inspections and plan review while designating a building official as a W-2 city employee. “We interviewed a couple people and went with a company called AGS,” Michelle said. “They would do all of our building inspections and plan reviews. They have a building official on staff, Nick Kek, who would be our building official.”

Under the proposed fee arrangement presented to commissioners, AGS would receive fees tied to plan review and inspection work while the city would retain a 15% administrative fee to cover staff processing. Staff emphasized the requirement that the building official must be a W-2 employee of the city even when contracting inspection services.

Commissioners voted in favor of the ordinance and the related resolutions to contract with AGS, appoint the building official, create the appeals board and adopt the fee schedule. Brad noted that if the state committee does not yet approve the ordinance the county’s building authority remains in effect until state approval is received.