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Council approves intergovernmental agreement to share building inspection resources; staff says department is fee‑funded and was recently understaffed
Summary
Council approved an intergovernmental Building Evaluation Support Agreement to allow jurisdictions to share plan‑review and inspection services; building officials said the department is 100% fee‑funded, handled 3,713 inspection trips in 2025 and was understaffed for part of the year.
Steve Koper, community development director, and Alicia Bloomfield, the city’s building official, asked council to approve an intergovernmental agreement that joins West Linn to a statewide mechanism for trading building permit, plan‑review and inspection services among jurisdictions.
Bloomfield described staffing shortfalls last year—she said the department operated with two employees for half of 2025—and the operational pressure that created. "The building department is 100% self funded," she said, noting fees rather than the general fund pay for building services. Staff argued the Visa/IGA model reduces reliance on third‑party consultants when the department is thin and gives the city access to peer jurisdictions for technical back‑up.
Councilors asked technical questions about electrical permitting and potential liability; staff said Clackamas County performs electrical permits in the area and that good‑faith inspections under state licensing limit municipal liability. The council moved and unanimously approved the IGA.
