Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
Hurley — The Iron County Comprehensive Planning/Land and Zoning Committee agreed Tuesday to try and continue its uniformed dwelling code program by seeking a new contractor rather than turning the program over to the state.
Last month, former zoning administrator Tom Bergman told the committee that the county’s current inspector, Rick Clem, would no longer be serving the county beginning next year.
As inspector, Clem is responsible for inspecting the private residential structures being built in the county to ensure they meet the proper building code requirements.
Bergman said Clem’s workload had become too much to continue serving the county along with the other communities he worked in.
New zoning administrator Erika Roeder told the committee Tuesday that any work Clem begins before his contract ends will be completed.
“If he starts anything between now and Jan. 1, he has to finish out those contracted services,” Roeder said.
Going forward, the county had two options — seek proposals for someone else to perform the contracted inspection service or repeal the county’s ordinance and allow the state to assume the responsibility of finding an inspector.
Roeder said the county’s ordinance also covers new additions, whereas the state would only inspect new homes.
The process of finding a state inspector would be very similar to the county bidding out the service, according to Roeder.
“Once the state takes over, they just put it out for bid. They don’t actually do the inspections, they do their own bidding process,” Roeder said. “We just don’t have to deal with (the bidding process) would be the only difference (if the state takes over).”
The county is likely going to review submitted bids two weeks after the request for contracted services is posted.
In other action:
—The committee also agreed to advertise for a new assistant zoning administrator. The position is vacant after Roeder was promoted to replace Bergman as administrator.
—The committee also discussed whether to consider pre-fabricated metal structures covered with either canvas or plastic should be considered an accessory building and whether they would require a permit. No action was taken as more discussion will take place at future meetings.
