by Leah Justice
New structures being built at White Oak Development have caused Polk County to seek more qualified inspectors.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday, June 16 and approved an agreement with Rutherford County to provide level three building and fire marshal inspections.
Polk County Interim manager Marche Pittman said everything is happening so fast at White Oak and the county received a request for a level three inspection.
Polk building inspector Steve Jones said one building has three levels and a 400-seat stadium, requiring a level three inspector, which he is not. Jones said it wouldn’t be worth hiring a level three inspector in Polk County for just a few projects and state statutes allow counties to enter into local agreements with other counties for inspections.
Polk County attorney Jana Berg told commissioners of a few changes Rutherford County would like to see in the draft agreement. The agreement was changed prior to Polk adopting it to say that applicants for level three inspections will fill out paperwork and pay fees to Polk, which will transfer the documents to Rutherford County.
Also, the draft was changed to say inspectors performing inspections in Polk County will be employed or acting on behalf of Polk County, not Rutherford County, meaning Rutherford County is not liable for any claims made against inspections in Polk.
“Rutherford County agrees to direct its building inspectors and fire marshal to provide level three building inspection and fire inspection services, including all level three building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire inspections within the jurisdiction of Polk County,” states Polk County’s agreement.
“In providing services under this agreement, Rutherford County will be administering and enforcing the requirements of (1) the North Carolina State Building Code and all volumes, appendices and amendments thereto, and (2) the North Carolina State Building Code: Fire Prevention Code and appendices as they pertain to all level three building inspection and fire inspection services. In the event that enforcement of the code requires legal proceedings, such proceedings shall be instituted by Polk County. All costs of such proceedings shall be paid by Polk County.”
The agreement is for one-year and renewable up to 10 years and allows Rutherford County to perform level three inspections anywhere in Polk County.
Pittman said the Rutherford County Board of Commissioners has called a special meeting for next Monday to consider the same agreement.