Sky Won’t Fall Because Building Department Got Axed

I would like the chance to address some of the fears and concerns that have arisen from the inflammatory reports about the Board of Commissioners’ action of Jan. 15 in regards to elimination of the Building Department and subsequent changes in Bonner County, i.e. no more costly permits or inspections.

First, ours is not the only county in Idaho with a similar policy. Boundary and Idaho counties’ are much the same, as are several others. Many Idaho jurisdictions have not adopted building codes and inspections. Counties in Montana do not have authority to enforce the Uniform Building Code; only cities are permitted to do so. Homes still get built, financed and insured in these places.

Every fear that has been bandied about can easily be addressed. Many things have been said that have no basis in fact, but rather, are designed for the purpose of fearmongering. It all boils down to what level of so-called protection we believe county government can actually provide.

I believe private property ownership is sacred. A man’s home is his castle, with minimal intrusion allowed by government. When we allow government to regulate away these rights in the name of protection, we are the losers.

Some have told me building codes protect lives. I think the recent experiences with the heavy snowfall addresses this statement. Building codes did not keep the roofs from caving in but they may have given people a false sense of security. How much regulation would it take to ensure that nothing like this could ever happen? We all know the answer to this rhetorical question. The only things that can really protect us in this world are good common sense and the good Lord.

Some have said that building codes protect folks from unscrupulous contractors. I have seen nothing to support this. I don’t think a dishonest person will become honest from reading the Uniform Building Code. No one should hire a contractor unless they are comfortable with their expertise and honesty. Get references.

Some have said building codes protect contractors from competition from fly-by-night operators. Again, no facts or figures support this. Furthermore, it’s not a legitimate function of government to stifle competition. I spoke with one very reputable builder who told me he was speaking with a number of his builder friends, most of whom were very upset over the changes. His question to them was very apropos: “What, are we going to start building inferior buildings now?” Of course not.

Apparently, the fear of some is that some landowner with lower standards (a yo-yo, in the words of one building official), will build a “shack” next door. There are several things we should keep in mind: Building codes do not address appearance or conformity; a shack is in the eyes of the beholder; and restrictive covenants can require conformity and appearance standards. If you drive around Bonner County you will find there are currently so-called shacks out there that the building codes have not prevented and never will prevent.

Concern has been expressed that insurance rates will skyrocket due to the proposed rating system of building departments throughout the state. Please understand, if and when the rating system is done by insurance companies, it will be a way for the insurance company to possibly offer a discount much as fire district ratings are supposed to do. It has nothing to do with raising rates. Do we want to give up more of our freedom to maybe save a buck?

Another scare tactic that has been pushed is that there are 9,000 permits active that the county will have to refund fees on. First, I don’t know where the figure came from but I suspect thin air. The total number of building permits issued from fiscal year 1976 through fiscal year 1996 was 10,493 (those figures are from a chart supplied by the Bonner County Building Department director). It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the 9,000 figure is suspect. It is very clear on building permit applications that any project not worked on for a period of 180 days is automatically canceled. The only provision in UBC for refund of fees is in the event that work is not commenced within 180 days of issuing the permit, in which case 80 percent of the fee may be refunded. Obviously, someone is throwing out dubious figures for the media to use to misinform county people.

Idaho law allows counties to levy fees to pay for services that would normally be paid by property taxes. These fees cannot be used to pay for items not directly related to the execution of those services. The Bonner County Department of Building and Safety has been spending these fee dollars on unrelated items such as equipment for the tactical rescue team.

Also, fees collected cannot exceed the budget amount. In other words, the county cannot make a profit from building fees, yet it has (again, going by building department chart figures).

I ran for county commissioner because I have a strong commitment to bring government back into its proper and limited role. Naturally, I began looking at and evaluating areas of our county government that were particularly at odds with my philosophy. I promised to do my best to reduce regulations and taxes, if elected. I am a man of my word.

I was sworn into office with an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Idaho and its laws. I plan to do so without apology.

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