BEULAH -- Layoffs may be imminent in Benzie County's Building Safety and Code Enforcement Department as the agency continues to lose money during the state's economic lull.
The county board this week voted to waive about $20,000 in rent for the county building department. The department is slated to lose $30,000 this year from a substantial decline in building permits and the related revenue, county Administrator Chuck Clarke said.
"Building permits are down about 13 percent. Electrical and mechanical, about 30 percent," he said.
Over the past two years, county officials have drawn from a fund balance to support the department's $400,000 annual budget. Meanwhile, the county is discussing a possible partnership with Manistee County to provide its southern neighbor with code enforcement.
Manistee County commissioners recently voted to table Benzie County's $220,000 contract proposal until after the upcoming elections. That leaves Benzie officials the chore of finding ways to balance the building department's budget.
"We obviously have to cut $30,000 or so out of the budget, maybe $50,000," Clarke said. "We might be looking at a reduction of staff without a program in Manistee."
With the exception of a couple townships, state inspectors currently issue permits in Manistee County, but a local, contracted service could be faster and more convenient for area contractors, said Thomas Kaminski, Manistee County administrator.
Manistee County likely will review details of the proposal, including the history of Benzie County's building department, after the beginning of the year, Kaminski said.
"I think this was just a broad proposal at this point that would have to be refined," he said. "There are a lot of questions we would have."
Benzie County commissioners last year formed a committee to investigate citizen complaints against the building department, as well as communication and management concerns.
Clarke scheduled staff meetings to address both internal and external communication problems, which remain an issue in the department, he said.
Building department head Steve Haugen said building permits have steadily declined, but inspectors remain busy with code enforcement duties. Staff cuts would put the department in a bind by forcing those who remain to take up the slack, he said.
"Just because we have a slow period doesn't mean we don't have to keep up with the code enforcement," Haugen said. "What we do is required by law."
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