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Building inspections chief describes permit, inspection and plan-review work; fees, staffing and training highlighted
Summary
Kenny Tatum, the town's chief building official, described the inspections and permitting department's role enforcing state building codes, processing permits, conducting trade inspections and managing plan review for large projects; he stressed training needs and the multi-trade inspector model.
Kenny Tatum, the Town of Hope Mills' chief building official and director, summarized the inspections and permitting department's mission: enforce North Carolina building codes and local ordinances, review plans, issue permits, collect fees and perform inspections at key construction milestones.
Tatum told the board the department is structured as a "multi-trade" jurisdiction where inspectors cover four of five trades (building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing, excluding the fire trade). He noted the technical complexity: the department refers to roughly a dozen major code books and many subordinate code references and that achieving multi-trade inspector certification takes years of training and field hours.
On fees, Tatum said each permit has a specific fee approved by the council and described a standard $25 technology fee applied to all trade permit applications to pay for software. He noted the town sets fees competitively with neighboring jurisdictions and that some permits (for large commercial projects) can take weeks of plan review.
Tatum described routine volume and variability for inspections and plan review: some days may have a handful of inspections, others dozens; large plan reviews can require weeks and multiple revisions. He argued the department's workload and technical demands support the case for sufficient staffing and training investment.
The board did not vote on staffing or fee changes at the special meeting; Tatum fielded questions about trade manuals, training and inspection fee schedules and said the department aims to remain customer focused while enforcing safety standards.
