Interim City Manager Charlie George said in an effort to improve the Building Department's performance and customer service that building inspections and construction plan reviews would be handled by an outside company.
"For some time, as most people know, the department has struggled with providing a high level of customer service and efficiency with these tasks that our community deserves. To resolve these issues and to improve our relationship and services to the community I want to make a change to the operation of the building department's organizational structure to utilize qualified and certified private providers to perform my inspections and plan reviews. We're already doing that now."
George said using an outside provider would eliminate three positions within the Building Department.
Joe Payne, Inc. of Tampa has been assisting the building department with inspections since 2020 when the city could not accommodate the number of permit and inspection requests.
"I'm confident that this recommended change will improve our relationships with the citizens and contractor community and will re-establish the quality and customer service our citizens deserve," George said.
Vice Mayor David Sturges, who owns a construction company, said the reorganization was "well needed and long overdue."
Sturges said the move reduces the city's costs and improves the skills and experience necessary to keep construction projects on time.
"I have taken four to eight calls a week since taking this job regarding the building department," Sturges. He said he's been told it's "atrocious to deal with our building department."
Commissioner James Antun said he was told by a neighbor that a building inspector said "he was looking for reasons to fail his process." Antun said he has heard repeated similar comments and favored the reorganization.
Concerns about the Building Department reached its apex in April 2021 when the City Commission held a workshop to address overwhelming complaints over the department's performance. The Chamber of Commerce had conducted a survey which demonstrated how poorly the building department was doing its job.
In reporting on the workshop, the Fernandina Observer said "The threads about the Building Department that ran through the complaints could be categorized as disrespectful interpersonal dealings, length of time required to process a building permit, fees, “by the rule interpretations” of code in every circumstance, and widespread fear of reprisal for bringing complaints forward. Complainants also expressed frustration with the linear nature of permit processing, advocating that plans be reviewed concurrently by all reviewing authorities."
The city took action following that workshop including customer service training for building department employees. But despite that effort, the problems still persisted.
If there were problems with the building department, was the department head held responsible? In most private sector jobs, that is what happens.
Sounds like the Building Department was doing it's job. Perhaps that's why Sturgis wants to "privatize" it.