Agenda - Council Work Session - 06/25/2024

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CC Work Session Meeting Date: Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Title: Building Official Recruitment 2. 1. 06/25/2024 Information Purpose/Background: Since early May 2024, the City has contracted with Andy Schreder, Rum River Consultants (RRC), to be the City's designated Building Official. This was due to the resignation of the former Building Official. During this time, Mr. Schreder has worked closely with the Community Development Director and the City Administrator to assess the operations of the Building Division and provide insight from his decades of experience on how the City should proceed forward. In addition to the insight from Mr. Schreder, existing staff have recommended operational adjustments that have increased the division's efficiency. The current staffing levels within the division include a vacant Building Official, two full-time Building Inspectors, a $34.56 hr./ 34 hrs per week Permit Technician, a $32.92 hr/20 hrs per week Permit Technician and a $27.14 hr/28 hrs per week Administrative Assistant. Over the past several years, we have also brought in supplemental building inspector services during the summer building months. With additional efficiency improvements to be implemented over the next year, the staffing level in the Building Division is close to what it needs to be. The recommendation to replace the Building Official is to promote Thomas Knight, Building Inspector, to Assistant Building Official. Mr. Knight would remain in this role for approximately one year to receive targeted training by RRC to assume the full role of Building Official on or near July 1, 2025. During this time, the Building Inspector position would remain vacant, but it would be supplemented by services from RRC. The vacant Building Inspector position would be filled on or near April 1, 2025. The reason for the vacancy in this position stems from the low likeliness of hiring an experienced building inspector that would require little to no training. Furthermore, the position would not be filled until sometime in September, which is nearing the end of the busy construction season. By hiring the position to start near April 1, 2025, that would allow for about one month of time to train a new person on our operational procedures, software, etc. prior to the building season typically beginning in May. Timeframe: 15 minutes Funding Source: 2024 Financial Impact RRC Building Official Duties (30hrs./week, June - December) + $85,500 Thomas Knight, Asst. Building Official (July - December) + $3,358 RRC Building Inspector Services (June - December) + $98,800 RRC Building Inspector Services Paid from 2024 Budget (January - May) + $15,805