(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake City Council Thursday evening heard concerns from contractors and the general public over the city’s code enforcement for construction, electrical and plumbing.
Joe Vanderlaan, President of the Northwest Iowa Homebuilder’s Association, said that group supports the city’s efforts on code enforcement, but called for some changes. Things the group wants addressed include fee structures and the ways they are calculated; the number and types of fees required for simple repair and maintenance projects; cost versus benefits to homeowners and the city; administration of the codes and the qualifications of the personnel doing the inspections; the budget for the code administration and inspections; and the department’s position of encouraging homeowners to apply for their own permits thus eliminating the need for registered contractors.
Tom Ritzer, a plumber, feels the codes should have been phased in. He feels the city was in a rush to get them implemented a year ago. Ritzer said the added cost of getting permits is a burden for residents. And he said it’s also costing contractors. Ritzer said he spent 10-thousand dollars in training so he would be able to do work in Spirit Lake. He says contractors are being forced to pass that cost on to customers.
The meeting was organized by councilman Kevin Bice. He told KUOO news comments and input from the session will be carefully reviewed by the council and city staff and they’ll start examining areas where changes could possibly be made.
