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Council weighs contracting chief building official duties to Summit County amid revenue concerns
Summary
Council discussed legislation to assign Barberton’s chief building official (CBO) duties to Summit County; members noted the city has lacked a CBO since last June, that Norton’s departure erases roughly $200,000 in permit revenue, and that a county presentation is planned.
Council members discussed a proposal to have Summit County provide chief building official (CBO) services for Barberton after several months without a permanent local CBO. The request, presented by Councilman Chris Doll, would transfer the CBO function to the county while keeping local property-maintenance inspectors in the city’s employ.
Councilor Stoll said the county has offered to provide the service and recommended inviting county representatives to explain the advantages and compare county services with private contractors. Service Director Todd Shreve confirmed the city has had no permanent CBO since June and that routine permits are still issued locally while CBO-level inspections would be handled by the county office, likely from a Norton satellite.
Finance comments focused on revenue implications: Mr. Foreman said the city brought in roughly $400,000 in permit revenue last year and estimated about $200,000 of that was attributable to Norton; councilors warned the city will lose Norton-derived revenue if Norton stops using Barberton’s building department arrangements and said outsourcing carries both salary and technology costs.
Council voted to call the legislation out of committee and asked staff to schedule county representatives to present implementation details and timing; members also debated whether emergency language was needed because the county MOU runs only through May 31 and a swift decision might be required to avoid a lapse in CBO coverage.
