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Resident tells council she felt targeted by building-inspection action
Summary
A new Palmer resident told the council that a building inspector confronted her at home during a roof repair, recounted an inspector's remark about being 'from New York,' and said she received multiple fines despite paying outstanding taxes and sewer charges immediately; council said personnel follow-up is required outside open session.
At the start of the meeting a resident who identified herself as St Morasa described a troubling encounter with what she believed was a town building inspector after she recently purchased a home on Lake Thompson.
St Morasa said she and her roofer replaced a dilapidated roof after closing on the house in March, and that the building inspector came while the crew was working and ordered the job stopped because of outstanding taxes and an unpaid sewer bill she said she had not yet received. She said she and her roofer paid the outstanding charges within an hour but that the roofer finished the work to avoid storm damage and later received a $300 citation. Two days after finishing the job she said a second inspector came to her door, loudly demanding when the roof had been completed.
St Morasa recounted that the inspector told her, "you're from New York, you might not understand how things work up here," and said she felt that characterization—plus subsequent notices totaling about $1,700—was punitive. "We bought a little house on the lake ... we just want to feel a part of the community," she said.
Council members expressed sympathy but noted personnel matters cannot be adjudicated in open session. The chair and town staff asked St Morasa to provide copies of the violations and documentation so the town manager could investigate privately. Town Manager Brad Brothers acknowledged the need to hear both sides and said staff would follow up outside the public meeting.
The council did not take formal action on the complaint during the meeting and directed staff to handle the matter as a personnel/administrative issue requiring confidential review.
