Building Division Update

On June 25, 2024, City Council discussed a plan for the Building Official recruitment timeline.  At that time, there was support to expand contracted services with Rum River Consultants (RRC) to provide Building Official duties.  In addition to the Building Official duties, RRC would continue to provide support inspection services and aid in the training of one of our employees, Mr. Thomas Knight, to become the City's Building Official.  The intent at the time was to train Mr. Knight over the next year to become the City's Building Official on or about July 1, 2025 and to backfill Mr. Knight's vacant Building Inspector/Plans Examiner role on or near April 1, 2025.

Since that meeting, other personnel changes have occurred. The Permit Technician II resigned in August 2024 and staff received a letter of resignation from the City's only Building Inspector/Plans Examiner, Ms. Lindahl, last week.  Even with the personnel changes experienced, staff have been able to review and issue building permits in a reasonable timeframe.  The goal to process permits is two weeks for residential and approximately four weeks for commercial. 

Current staffing levels in the Building Division include a full-time Assistant Building Official, a part-time Permit Technician (20 hrs./week) and a part-time Building Administrative Assistant (28 hrs./week). Note that the 2025 Preliminary Budget includes a request to increase the Building Division Administrative Assistant to full-time.  Vacancies include two full-time Building Inspector/Plan Examiners and the Permit Technician II.  Filling the Permit Technician II role is on tonight's City Council consent agenda. 

Staff have reviewed the current strategy of staffing the Building Division and have recommended changes as shown below.  

Up to 20 minutes.

The Building Division has an adopted budget that does not account for the unanticipated needs for the level of contract support work needed to meet permit review and inspection guidelines.  However, due to a continued high number of building permit submittals, it is reasonable to assume that the actual 2024 permit revenue will exceed what was budgeted.

Staff highly recommends expediting Mr. Knight's promotion to Building Official effective October 5, 2024.  This would allow a reduction in planned expenses for RRC Building Official contracted duties by switching to an advisory role.  In turn, while recognizing permit review timeframe goals, staff would increase RRC support inspection services to offset our vacant Building Inspector roles.  In summary, the staffing recommendation for the remainder of 2024 would be as follows:

• Promote Thomas Knight to Building Official effective October 5, 2024
• Recruit for two Building Inspector/Plans Examiners, with anticipated start dates of early December 2024 (to fill the roles left vacant by Thomas Knight and Trisha Lindahl)
• Hire the approved full-time position of Permit Technician II, start date October 14, 2024
• Continue Permit Technician (20hrs./week - No changes)
• Continue Building Administrative Assistant (28hrs./week - No changes at this time)
• Retain RRC for advisory Building Official questions, as needed
• Retain RRC for support plan review and inspection services to meet plan review and inspection timeline goals, as needed
• Rehire Ms. Lindahl as a temporary employee to conduct building permit plan reviews, 14 or fewer hours per week, as needed, not to exceed December 31, 2024

There are two cases on tonight's consent agenda, as follows:

1. To hire Ms. Lindahl as a temporary employee, 14 or fewer hours per week, as needed but not to exceed December 31, 2024, to conduct building permit plan reviews  
2. To promote Mr. Thomas Knight to Building Official

If the City Council does not support the above listed actions, the case(s) will be pulled from the agenda.

Based on discussion.