Culver could soon change the way it charges for building inspections.
A special work session meeting was held to navigate a problem the Marshall County Commissioners have with the inspection process. Currently, a flat fee of $50 is being charged, but is not repaid if multiple inspections are required.
Comparing to the current setup, Town Council President Ginny Bess Munroe says it’s important that any changes should include an inspector that’s readily available.
“It is their job so that they have to be available during business hours…[if] a contractor could only get a permit guy on the weekends or an inspector here, a lot of contractors don’t work the weekends. I could see that being a real problem,” says Munroe.
In working with Marshall County, officials with the Town of Culver have developed a few alternatives to help Marshall County better sustain the service while generating sufficient revenue for Culver as well.
Marshall County suggested billing the inspection fees and then disbursing Culver’s fees after the fact. Other options include Culver hiring their own inspector, or changing their fees.
Culver Building Commissioner Russ Mason says there’s another option that includes hiring a new person to perform two positions.
“You would have one person that would do everything,” says Mason. “They would do the permits, managing the ordinance, and also do the inspections.”
Culver believes it has a relatively high number of construction and renovation projects compared to towns of similar size.
The changes are being suggested due to a new automated system that many Marshall County communities have already agreed to sign onto. Because Tuesday’s meeting was a work session, no action was taken.
