City hears second reading of fee proposal

The Sidney Chief Building Official Brad Rowan appeared before the members of the city council on May 28 for the second reading of the proposal to adopt the 2012 edition building, plumbing and mechanical/international fuel and gas codes 1694, 1695 and 1696.

Rowan said during the May 28 meeting that he has received only positive responses from people about raising the fees and some people even asked why it hadn’t been done before. He added that “everybody thinks that we ought to raise them, also thinking we didn’t raise them enough.”

At the May 14 city council meeting, Rowan explained that the new fees will be a challenge for, but that the codes haven’t changed much. But he feels that it will weed out the shady people out of the area. He added that the new codes will make projects easier and that everyone will be playing on the same field.

Also during the May 14 meeting, Rowan explained that the plumbing fee will be increased by $15 the mechanical fee will go up $20. He added that it just makes it “worth my while to go out and do an inspection.” Rowan also said that with the new fee schedule, in the first year his department would be self-sustaining and they wouldn’t have to pull anything out of the general budget.

Once again, no one made a motion to suspend the statutory requirements requiring the ordinance be read by title on three different dates. With that, the ordinance must be read a third time.

The next reading will be during the next city council meeting which will be held on June 11 at 8:00 p.m. in the City of Sidney offices.