Michigan’s gasping economy claimed another victim last week when Springfield Township was forced to permanently close the doors to its building department Dec. 1.
All open permits, as well as future requests for permits or inspections, will be handled by Code Enforcement Services (CES), a private Independence Township firm specializing in ordinance enforcement, inspection, construction plan review and related services in the municipal market.
‘The building department was not financially self sufficient,? said Springfield Township Supervisor Collin Walls. ‘This comes as no surprise to anyone who knows or has been watching the construction industry.?
Two years ago, the building department, which provides construction permits and inspection services as required under Michigan Building Codes, issued about 80 permits for single-family homes, said Walls.
At that time, the township employed a full time department head, clerical staff, building inspector, and a part time ordinance enforcement officer.
Only ten permits have been issued thus far in 2007, however, with a parallel reduction in commercial and industrial development, as well.
The township was forced to lay off employees and slash office hours’the building department was only open Tuesdays and Thursdays during the last six months’to keep pace with the down-sliding economy.
Although outsourcing will nudge the department’s sole remaining employee, Leon Genre from township payrolls, Genre was offered a position with CES and will continue working in Springfield Township, and other communities, as well.
In a letter sent to holders of about 400 permits, Walls wrote that while the economy’s effect on construction is ‘obvious and disastrous,? changes in township building department administration should result in minimal inconvenience to builders and homeowners.
All active files will be transferred, and officials are asking that questions and permit applications be directed to CES as Springfield Township staff will no longer be able to assist with building-related inquiries.
‘It sounds harsh and it’s not how we like to do business,? said Walls. ‘We like our staff to be as helpful and cooperative as they can be.?
However, directing all communication to CES will reduce the confusion during the transition period, he said.
CES began around 2001 as an outgrowth of Carlisle/Wortman Associates, Inc., a multi-disciplinary firm serving as long-time municipal planners for Springfield and Independence Townships, and the City of Clarkston. The company also provides the same or related services’community master planning, zoning studies and ordinance preparation, recreation planning and design, and environmental planning’to dozens of other communities on an ongoing or contractual basis.
CES, said Carlisle/Wortman founder Dick Carlisle, was born when communities began requesting help with code enforcement, particularly zoning and other types of nuisance codes.
From there, he said, the company expanded to include municipal services such as building code consulting and enforcement and industrial construction plan review.
In the last year or so, as community governments have been forced to downsize, CES began hearing from municipalities who simply could not afford to maintain a building department, he explained.
‘These functions still need to occur, yet communities are losing money on a regular basis,? said Carlisle.
‘From a private standpoint, we felt there was a real market opportunity to provide this function contractually.?
The City of Lake Angeles was the first to turn its building department over to CES, followed by Shiawassee County, and Northfield Township, and, as of Dec. 1, Springfield Township.
Discussions with other communities are also in the works, said Carlisle, noting privatized inspection services are common in other areas of the county.
CES will charge the township a retainer to maintain the service, but charge fees on an as-needed basis, therefore keeping costs in check, Carlisle said.
Although the new facet of CES is just getting off the ground, and Carlisle said a glitch or two was to be expected, he was confident that the service would ultimately benefit struggling Michigan communities.
‘We’ll be able to provide a comparable and hopefully, as we go along, an improved quality of service,? he said. ‘but in a more cost effective manner.
CES is located off M-15 north of Dixie Highway at 6410 Citation Drive, Suite E, in Independence Township. Hours are Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
A 24-hour answering machine is available for requests and questions. Call 248-625-8480, or fax 248-625-8455.
Building permit forms can still be downloaded from the Springfield Township website at www.springfield-twp.us.