County to seek building inspector; company cites  Keweenaw growth as reason for terminating post EAGLE RIVER ’Äì Northern Consultants, Inc., Keweenaw County’Äôs building inspection and permitting agency, announced recently the company will no longer do inspections for county building permits. They will, however, continue to apply for and administer rental housing rehabilitation grants for Keweenaw County through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).   Rapid growth may necessitate county employing its own building inspector   At a March 29 committee meeting with the Keweenaw County Commissioners, township supervisors and one assessor, Northern Consultants President Ray Gerhart attributed the company’Äôs decision to the present growth rate of Keweenaw County.   ’ÄúWith the growth the county is experiencing we feel it would be in the best interest of Keweenaw County to bring the building permitting in-house and actually have a county employee as the building inspector,’Äù Gerhart said.   He added Northern Consultants’Äô workload has expanded considerably while their staff has not.   The United States Census results issued this week show Keweenaw County has experienced a 35.3 percent growth in population in the past ten years ’Äì from 1,701 persons in 1990 to 2,301 in 2000. New residential developments have posed some problems for assessors and township supervisors who do not always receive notices of new buildings to be assessed.   Eagle Harbor Township Supervisor Jim Boggio (right) listens to public comments at a recent Eagle Harbor Township meeting. Also pictured are, from left, Richard Lantz, trustee; Jeane Olson, clerk; and Bruce Wagner, deputy clerk. The Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR) is providinga new Keweenaw County Ownership Map like the one pictured here to each township for use in land use planning. (Keweenaw Today file photo) Eagle Harbor Township Supervisor Jim Boggio said he agreed with Gerhart that the county should hire a county employee as a building inspector to avoid possible conflict of interest. Boggio noted Gerhart is cooperating and helping Keweenaw County Zoning Administrator Jane Pelto write the job description, which (Boggio expects) will be posted.   ’ÄúThe problem is there’Äôs been too much turnover in building inspectors,’Äù Boggio said. ’ÄúThe county needs to get a good inspector and try to hold on to him.’Äù   Boggio and other county officials said they found the meeting fruitful because of the communication between the County Board of Commissioners and the township supervisors. Officials agreed that from now on township supervisors will receive copies of building permits as soon as they are issued so that the townships will be involved from the beginning of new development rather than when it comes to assessing it.   ’ÄúI was glad to hear that because quite often I get information after a development has been built,’Äù Boggio said. ’ÄúI thought it was a productive meeting ’Ķ It showed a lot of cooperation between the commissioners and the townships. They all have the same concern and are working to better the situation.’Äù   Allouez Township Supervisor Bill Luokkanen  Bill Luokkanen, Allouez Township supervisor, said he liked the idea of a county employee as building inspector.   ’ÄúIt would put more teeth into the zoning,’Äù he said.   Luokkanen also noted this informational meeting showed communication opening up between the County Board and the township supervisors and signs of a willingness to work together for the future. He said the idea of supervisors receiving copies of the building permits would put more local control on building.   ’ÄúI think that’Äôs very important,’Äù Luokkanen said. ’ÄúYou can be more aware of building that’Äôs going on; your assessor can be aware of it; you can keep an eye on it to see that it’Äôs being done properly ’Ķ If you’Äôre unaware of what’Äôs happening it’Äôs hard to be involved with it.’Äù    Keweenaw County Board Chairman  Frank Stubenrauch Frank Stubenrauch, Keweenaw County Board chairman, said he wasn’Äôt sure whether or not the county would be required to advertise the building inspector position but they would accept and consider letters of interest.   ’ÄúIt’Äôs my understanding that U.P. Engineers (U.P. Engineers and Architects, Inc.)  will be sending us a letter of interest, but we haven’Äôt received it yet,’Äù Stubenrauch said Friday. ’ÄúThey do have a lot of expertise in this.’Äù   However, Lac La Belle resident Diana Jones, who attended the Thursday meeting, saw Northern Consultants’Äô announcement as an opportunity for Keweenaw County to direct its own future.   Diana Jones  ’ÄúI do feel that while it may not be apparent to the county at this time, Northern Consultants’Äô resignation as building inspectors gives Keweenaw County the opportunity to develop a county position which would readily address most of the concerns discussed at the committee meeting,’Äù Jones said. ’ÄúOverseeing building permits and inspections empowers the county to gain control of its future and enables it to determine zoning requirements are met before issuing permits.’Äù   Keweenaw County Commissioner Don Keith According to County Commissioner Don Keith, the purpose of the committee meeting was to discuss opportunities to improve the building permit system and communication throughout Keweenaw County and to discuss what should and can be done to make the tax rolls more equitable and up-to-date.   ’ÄúThe township supervisors and boards should be aware of proposed construction before permits are issued,’Äù Keith said.   He noted the meeting was very informative, with the input from the townships and the public.   ’ÄúThere was a lot of give and take, a lot of discussion,’Äù Keith said. ’ÄúI’Äôm regretful that we’Äôre going to lose Mr. Gerhart and Northern Consultants as our building inspector and permit issuer, but a real opportunity exists for someone out there, and I’Äôm looking forward to working with that person whoever he or she may be.’Äù   Keith said Gerhart was ’Äúvery cordial and cooperative.’Äù Gerhart will continue to do the building inspection until Keweenaw County can hire someone and will help that person get established in the position, which requires certification by the State of Michigan.   Northern Consultants to pursue state rehab grant for rental housing   At public hearing preceding their meeting on building permits and assessment, the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners received public input on the proposed application for a $150,000 Rental Rehabilitation Program Grant from MSHDA.   Gerhart said Northern Consultants would apply for the second grant and continue to administer it. He said the current grant of $200,000, which expires in March, 2002, is 75 percent expended, with funding available for three more rental units.   ’ÄúThe need is there,’Äù Gerhart said. ’ÄúWe’Äôre just now advertising (and) we’Äôre getting applications.’Äù   According to census figures, 60 to 80 rental units in Keweenaw County need rehabilitation. The maximum amount of MSHDA grant money allowed per unit is $14,999. The owner must match up to $5,000 ($1 for every $3 of MSHDA money), and this is a five-year forgivable loan. The grant allows landlords to improve the structure (to a maximum cost of $20,000) so that tenants have good housing that is not substandard.   Stubenrauch said the County Board recently approved applying for the second two-year grant, but the purpose of the hearing was to take public comments.   Click here for What's New at the Keweenaw Liberty Library for more detailed information on the 2000 Census and Keweenaw County ...    Click here for the U.S. Census Bureau reports ...                                                                          ’Äì Michele Anderson                                                                          March 31, 2001