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International Falls City Council approves temporary contract with KAM Inspection for building official services
Summary
At a 5:30 p.m. special meeting, the International Falls City Council unanimously approved an independent-contractor agreement to retain KAM Inspection (Kelly Myers) as the interim building official after the previous official's resignation; the agreement is intended as a short-term measure to allow permit issuance and inspections under the Minnesota State Building Code.
At a special meeting that began at 5:30 p.m., the International Falls City Council unanimously approved an independent-contractor agreement to retain KAM Inspections certified building official, Kelly Myers, to provide interim building official services after the previous official resigned.
Administrator Betty Bergstrom told the council the city has 15 days under state statute to appoint or contract for a building official after a vacancy and that the city enforces the Minnesota State Building Code. Bergstrom said the draft agreement with KAM Inspection is intended as an interim "stop-gap" so the city can continue issuing permits and conducting inspections for projects already underway. "This is necessary in order for us to do any building permits and um inspections and anything of that nature within our community right now," she said.
Bergstrom also flagged a correction in the draft contract: section 4B should read that the contractor would receive "50% of the plan review fees" for large projects, not the entire fee. She said the clause follows common local practice where plan reviews for large projects are time-consuming and the contractor receives part of the fee in addition to the contracted amount.
Councilors discussed the arrangement as short term. One councilor said a limited, contracted official could "step down" responsibility later once a permanent staffer is hired and that the city had considered other firms on a list provided by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry but that International Fallss remote location (about 100 miles from other providers) makes rapid inspections harder. Councilors also noted a risk raised in the meeting: if a contractor accepts too many towns, the state could refuse additional allocations, which members described as a "wonky" part of the process.
Councilor Wegner moved to accept the KAM Inspection contractor for building inspection services; Councilor Buller seconded. The mayor opened the floor for final remarks, councilors thanked staff for the rapid work, and the council approved the contract unanimously; the transcript does not specify a numerical vote tally. The mayor then adjourned the meeting.
The contract is presented as a temporary measure while the city explores longer-term staffing or recruitment for a permanent building official.
