LG Contractors Voice Concerns Over Inspection Changes

A big crowd of construction contractors and business people packed the La Grange City Council Chamber Monday night. They were there to voice concerns about recent changes involving permitting and building inspections. Several of them spoke during the public comment period at the meeting.

Back in April, the City hired the Austin-based company ATS Engineers, Inspectors and Surveyors to conduct building inspections and plan review for the City. Previously, those duties were handled by the assistant city manager along with an in-house building inspector. The City hired ATS following the resignations of those two individuals.

“When someone leaves, it creates a burden and some turbulence to fill that position,” said local architect Brad Cutright. “In the case of a small business, we just work harder and make less money. But in the sense of government, that cost can be transferred to the citizens. That’s exactly what I’m talking about when we subcontracted building officials and outsourced for the City of La Grange. My request tonight is for this governing body to make a strong and concerted effort to bring the building and inspection services under this roof of city hall.”

Cutright said he understands why the City needed to outsource building and inspection services when the two officials resigned their positions. However, he said outsourcing building review and inspection services has led to increased cost and delays.

“It’s very difficult for an owner or contractor to keep a project on budget when a reasonable time for plan reviews is delayed,” Cutright said. “It’s important plan reviews are expedited.

Cutright said he will soon close his business, so he has “nothing to gain or lose.”

“But the general contractors, mechanical and electrical contractors, and particularly the homeowners and small businesses really have everything to lose,” Cutright said. “Moreover, I don’t want to forget, the economically distressed owners, if they need upgrades and repairs, they are especially hurt. I know the City Council does not want that to happen.”

Cutright said he does not believe the City needs to hire someone with “15 years of experience or a PhD in building science.”

“We don’t have complicated buildings in La Grange,” he said. “We don’t need to overthink the qualifications.”

Business owner David Kleiber of Kleiber Tractor and Equipment spoke next, saying that he has been trying to complete some small projects for his business.

“I went to contractors, and a lot of them don’t want to do any business in the City of La Grange anymore,” Kleiber said.

“This is driving up my costs,” he said. “It’s the cost of this, and (we’re) having less competition in La Grange, because a lot of the contractors don’t want to continue this way.”

Local contractor Deviro Yanis spoke about a recent project he was hired for, a small deck. Yanis said he recently applied for an 8x16 ft. deck with handrails and no roof.

“Nothing fancy, we’re just tearing out the old deck and building a new one in the same spot,” Yanis said. “When I opened up the plan review, I was floored. For the 8x16 deck with just a few mounted handrails, it was going to be $65 for the permit itself plus three inspections. One inspection for the footing pre-pour. I guess they’re going to stand there while we set posts in the ground. A second one for the framing inspection, and a third for the final inspection. So for this 8x16 deck, it was going to be $65 times four, which is $260.”

Yanis said he completed a 150 sq. ft. addition. The City only required two inspections, which cost a total of $100. On another job, Yanis said he built 50 feet of fence, skirting around a house and a 200 sq. ft. deck. The permitting and inspection fees for that job were only $91, and the City only required one inspection.

“We love our community,” Yanis said. “I would really hate for fly-by-nights to come in and start doing projects basically halfway and taking something from our community.”

As for his recent deck project, Yanis said the customer decided to hold off for now after learning about the fees.

Local plumber Daniel Cernoch said communication was much better when the City handled permitting and inspections in-house.

“When we had an inhouse building inspector, we could talk through some of the remodeling issues,” Cernoch said. “That’s one of the things we’re missing now.”

Local contractor Erik Johnson said he submitted a permit application on May 22 for a 24x24 ft. carport.

“Here it is June 23, and I just finally got my permit,” he said.

Johnson questioned the increased fees and number of inspections.

“How much of this money is staying in town, or how much of it is going to Austin?” he asked.

City Manager Jack Thompson told the Record after the meeting that the City does not keep any revenue from the fees, saying they are a “pass-through” cost that only covers what ATS charges.

“I don’t know why Frank and Gabe needed to go,” said another local contractor, Tim Scarborough, referring to former assistant city manager Frank Menefee and the former building inspector Gabe Huelsebusch. “Frankly, it’s none of my business. But I do know that within the context of what serves this town and community best is to hire an in-house inspector.

“When we outsource away some as important as a building inspector, it chips away at our town,” Scarborough added.

HVAC contractor Robert Beck saidATS demands much more documentation and detail than the City ever required in the past.