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Council approves temporary budget transfer to reestablish local building department and hire inspectors
Summary
City Manager Frank Chiapetti described plans to reestablish permitting and inspections as a stand-alone Building Department, hire in-house electrical and plumbing/mechanical inspectors, and retain permit fees locally; Council approved a fourth-quarter budget transfer with one no vote.
City Manager Frank Chiapetti told the Council the city had recently hired a Certified Building Official and is proposing to separate permitting and inspections from Planning and Development to form an independent Building Department that would hire in-house electrical and plumbing/mechanical inspectors rather than rely on State inspectors who visit infrequently.
"The plan involves retaining permit fees locally to fund salaries and other departmental needs and aims to consolidate all required steps in one location for more efficient customer service," Chiapetti said. He gave a corrected fourth-quarter fiscal impact of $158,000 for the proposal and said the move is intended to reduce delays and improve contractor coordination.
Chief Financial Officer Patty Holland described the budget review process and said the General Fund currently has sufficient funding to cover the proposed impact for the quarter, but that detailed cost projections would be finalized for the upcoming budget meeting. Council discussion covered rental options for a new facility, permitting fee data gaps, the city charter's provisions about inspectors and the importance of securing a new CBO to preserve local inspection services.
Councilor Ron Molina moved to approve the building department budget transfer for the fourth quarter of 2026; Councilor Linda Garcia seconded. Roll call: Molina, Garcia, Piano and Mayor Marc DePauli voted yes; Councilor Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu voted no. The motion carried.
