Officials: Augusta needs more inspectors

An unseen consequence of Augusta's booming economy is a dearth of city building inspectors, officials told an Augusta Commission committee on Tuesday.

Worse, with a new state law beginning next month that greatly shortens the amount of time cities can take to review plans for new developments, the city needs to hire more fast and pay them better, officials said. The pay raise can be covered from department reserves but a fee increase over time should make up any extra costs, officials with the Planning Department said.

Mayor Hardie Davis is also urging commissioners to set priorities as part of next year's budget process as a way of focusing city services on higher goals.

Since 2016, the city's Building Division has lost 13 inspectors "for the most part due to salaries," Planning Director Rob Sherman said. Two more are set to depart at the end of the week, Deputy Director Carla Delaney said. The problem is the city gets them in at a starting salary, gets them trained and certified and then it takes about two years to get to the next salary level, Sherman said.

"During that time, they find they can go elsewhere" and make more money, either in the private sector or another agency, he said. While the city can speed up that process, it also needs to start them at a higher rate to aid in recruiting and retention, Delaney said. The department, which has worked with Human Resources and Finance on this, is looking to raise that starting salary from just under $40,000 to $43,500 and adjust the new two levels up as well, she said.

"We are in a pretty dire situation and we're trying to stave off the loss of people," Delaney said.

Those vacancies will be acutely felt starting July 1 when a new state law gets implemented that imposes strict new timelines on how long the city can take to review proposed plans. The new law requires the city acknowledge and declare the plans complete within five days of receiving them or a developer can hire their own private reviewer and then only pay half the normal fee, which on commercial projects fluctuates depending on their cost.

In addition to salary increases, the department is proposing three new positions, including another person to review plans, Delaney said. Currently, the city only has one person reviewing commercial plans, she said.

The department can pay the differences initially from a reserve fund – "we are very fortunate we have a reserve fund,' Delaney said – but over time will cover those increase through raising the fee. The department proposed raising the amount 40 percent over four years beginning next January. The city's current fee schedule is about 200 percent below what Columbia County charges, Delaney said.

Davis and others urged the department to move more quickly.

The state law demands "immediate action," Davis said. "It is incumbent on this body to take swift action on this today."

In fact, Davis said, the fee should be raised over two years instead of four and the city shouldn't wait to begin, urging action within 120 days. The need for inspectors is a consequence of "the state's fastest growing economy" here and the commission needs to act, he said.

Commissioner John Clarke said the biggest complaint he's heard from builders is "we didn't have enough inspectors. And they were having to wait" on projects. Mayor Pro Tem Sean Frantom, who broached the subject earlier this year, urged the department to begin raising fees Oct. 1 instead.

"I'm just excited we're going to finally move this forward" on recruiting and retaining more inspectors, he said. After the committee approved it and sent the salary increase and fee plan to the full commission with a two-year fee increase beginning Oct. 1, Commissioner and committee chair Mary Davis told the department, "Let this industry know we've made those changes."

Davis also urged the commission to start thinking about what priorities they want as they look to have "a government that is efficient, a government that is effective." And then to use the budget to put money into those priorities. He suggested some they could consider such as a safe city, "a city of opportunity that works for everyone.

Another priority could be a livable and sustainable city" that is more accessible and with alternative transit available. Setting priorities "says that the dollars will go with what we say we're committed to," Davis said.

It was just a "framework for conversation" and Frantom suggested a workshop soon to discuss it. Interim Administrator Jarvis Sims said the city is working on a survey for commissioners to give their priorities, which will be available at the full commission meeting next week, and the city is also working to identify best practices from other cities. The workshop will occur after that data is collected. 

In other action Tuesday, the Augusta Commission and its committees:

• Voted to ratify an Authorization letter that allowed a subcommittee to meet with emergency ambulance provider Gold Cross EMS and draft a new contract with major points the two sides agreed upon. Mayor Pro Tem Sean Frantom, who was trying to get clarification on where things stood, said later he was told the attorneys will now meet and any final contract will have to come back to the commission for approval;

• Heard about the city's plans to aid the 2020 Census as part of the Complete Count effort. Marcus Campbell, chief of staff to Mayor Hardie Davis, said training actually began in 2018 and continued this year and the city is now identifying diverse members for its Complete Count committee. The city still needs to open an office and decide on a strategy and Davis said prior efforts in 2000 and 2010 received an allocation, which was $60,000 in 2000. The mayor's office will be getting the information to the commission soon, he said.

• Discussed improvements to Riverwalk Augusta, including potential misting stations, but took no action. Commissioner John Clarke said it is a "50/50 shot" whether a drinking fountain is working down there and Ron Houck interim director of Recreation and Parks, said repairs are awaiting parts but hopefully will be ready soon;

• Approved allowing Augusta University to use Augusta Economic Development Authority to use tax exempt financing to refinance $26 million in debt to get a better rate. The move does not obligate the city or state for any of the debt;

• Approved a maintenance agreement with Georgia Power to maintain lights at several major intersections, such as Interstate 20 and Washington Road.

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