Cassville contracts new building inspector
June 17, 2015
Charlea Mills
After six months without an official building inspector, the City of Cassville hired Roger Day of Better Products to assess future building projects within the city limits.
The Cassville City Council approved using Day as a consultant for building inspections when they passed a resolution at their meeting on Monday, June 8. Day’s contract is effective July 1 through June 30, 2016.
Cassville moved to make the decision after their former inspector informed them of his retirement. Larry Angel, a contractor from Berryville, Ark., contracted for the city for four years. Public Works Director Steve Walensky has been approving building permits since Angel’s retirement toward the end of last year.
At Monday’s meeting, Walensky said, “Roger has been providing that guidance for and filling that role for us in recent months, and we’re glad to have him.”
A few council members questioned why the city did not hire someone locally for the position, but according to Walensky, no local contractors were interested, so he began checking with other cities in southwest Missouri to see who they used for their inspections.
Mayor Bill Shiveley pointed out to the council that none of the local contractors were certified for the position and there can be conflicts of interest since they would be inspecting plans of competing construction companies.
It was by contacting a variety of other cities that Walensky received the recommendation to use Day for Cassville.
Prior to passing the resolution, alderman Jon Horner asked, “With Roger being in Republic, is that going to be an issue with out residents and contracts with him being out of town?”
Walensky assured that council that that was not the case. He said, “I’ve been taking photos with my phone and it’s been sufficient at times when he isn’t here. It’s worked fine. For bigger projects, we’ve explained the situation and asked for notice prior to them needing an on-site inspection. It’s worked well.”
Alderman Terry Heinz stated, “For the first time in Cassville history, we have a truly qualified man doing the inspections. I think the old days of walking in the door and saying, ‘I need a building permit today’ are gone. It may be a day or two, but it’ll be worth it.”
Walensky said that he initially reached out Day in January after Angel’s retirement, but the official decision to enter into the contract was not until the June meeting and goes into effect July 1.
Day’s responsibilities as building inspector will remain the same as the inspector before him. His primary function is to do plan reviews and inspections as well as ensuring that all plans are 2006 International Building Code compliant.
Walensky said that Day will possibly assisting with two new projects, as well. He plans to have Day reevaluate the building permit fees charged by the city to see if they are comparable to other cities locally and review current ordinances as they relate to standard building codes.
Walensky said, “The building permit fees have not been changed in a long time, so we want to make sure that they are set at the right rate and in line with other areas.”
All of Day’s charges will be paid out of planning and zoning funds in the 2015 budget. Revenue from building permit fees go into that account, as well.
Charlea Mills
After six months without an official building inspector, the City of Cassville hired Roger Day of Better Products to assess future building projects within the city limits.
The Cassville City Council approved using Day as a consultant for building inspections when they passed a resolution at their meeting on Monday, June 8. Day’s contract is effective July 1 through June 30, 2016.
Cassville moved to make the decision after their former inspector informed them of his retirement. Larry Angel, a contractor from Berryville, Ark., contracted for the city for four years. Public Works Director Steve Walensky has been approving building permits since Angel’s retirement toward the end of last year.
At Monday’s meeting, Walensky said, “Roger has been providing that guidance for and filling that role for us in recent months, and we’re glad to have him.”
A few council members questioned why the city did not hire someone locally for the position, but according to Walensky, no local contractors were interested, so he began checking with other cities in southwest Missouri to see who they used for their inspections.
Mayor Bill Shiveley pointed out to the council that none of the local contractors were certified for the position and there can be conflicts of interest since they would be inspecting plans of competing construction companies.
It was by contacting a variety of other cities that Walensky received the recommendation to use Day for Cassville.
Prior to passing the resolution, alderman Jon Horner asked, “With Roger being in Republic, is that going to be an issue with out residents and contracts with him being out of town?”
Walensky assured that council that that was not the case. He said, “I’ve been taking photos with my phone and it’s been sufficient at times when he isn’t here. It’s worked fine. For bigger projects, we’ve explained the situation and asked for notice prior to them needing an on-site inspection. It’s worked well.”
Alderman Terry Heinz stated, “For the first time in Cassville history, we have a truly qualified man doing the inspections. I think the old days of walking in the door and saying, ‘I need a building permit today’ are gone. It may be a day or two, but it’ll be worth it.”
Walensky said that he initially reached out Day in January after Angel’s retirement, but the official decision to enter into the contract was not until the June meeting and goes into effect July 1.
Day’s responsibilities as building inspector will remain the same as the inspector before him. His primary function is to do plan reviews and inspections as well as ensuring that all plans are 2006 International Building Code compliant.
Walensky said that Day will possibly assisting with two new projects, as well. He plans to have Day reevaluate the building permit fees charged by the city to see if they are comparable to other cities locally and review current ordinances as they relate to standard building codes.
Walensky said, “The building permit fees have not been changed in a long time, so we want to make sure that they are set at the right rate and in line with other areas.”
All of Day’s charges will be paid out of planning and zoning funds in the 2015 budget. Revenue from building permit fees go into that account, as well.
