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Resident accuses Dunsmuir building official of inflating permit valuations
Summary
A resident told council he found a permit valuation nearly double his contractor’s quote and alleged the city’s building official benefited from a contract-based compensation arrangement; council asked staff and the city attorney to follow up.
Jake Grama told the Dunsmuir City Council during public comment that when he visited City Hall to pay a permit fee, he saw a permit valuation of $70,000 while his contractor’s quote listed an actual job cost of $37,000.
"So James McIntyre blatantly doubled the the cost of that to raise the permit fee for my client," Grama said, adding that McIntyre’s contract includes a base salary plus a percentage of permit revenue that could encourage inflated valuations. Grama urged the council to review permit records and suggested a Freedom of Information Act request to determine whether other applicants were overcharged.
Another resident corroborated that permit applicants are asked to report project cost at the counter and said simply firing a single inspector would not address systemic process problems. Councilmember Kaczmer asked the city attorney to examine whether it is legal for an inspector to change a contract valuation in a way that increases permit fees; the city attorney said he was not prepared to answer immediately and asked for factual documentation.
Mayor Clermont and the city manager acknowledged the allegation and told the speaker they would gather information. No formal finding or investigation result was announced at the meeting.
