Building plan gets over 90 attendees

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 | 9:53 a.m.

More than 90 people have attended two workshops held since late August to discuss a controversial plan to ease strain on overworked county building inspectors by shifting some of their work to private companies, County Building Official Ron Lynn said Tuesday.

Commissioners approved the change last month, although county officials and representatives from unions and building inspectors are still working to spell out guidelines for the new category of worker, Lynn said.

More than 60 representatives from the unions, engineering firms, and the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association turned out for the first meeting on Aug. 30, he said. A second meeting Sept. 15 drew another 30. The new rule gives the county authority to hire independent building inspectors. Under an earlier version, the developers would have directly hired and paid for the inspectors.

Guidelines to prevent conflicts of interest and to establish a fee scale for the new inspectors is expected to come during the next meeting in November, Lynn said.

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