Town seeking new building inspector

Saying it’s a “little fish in a big pond,” Belgium Town Chairman Tom Winker and both trustees agree the municipality should get new building inspection services at its July meeting.

The town has been with SAFEbuilt of Waukesha for at least a decade. The company has bigger clients than the town, Winker said.

The town has one new home under construction as of July, he said. Winker said building inspector Tom Mortimer told him he could handle that project, so the town isn’t in a hurry to switch services.

Options include using state services, which the town did years ago and nobody supported.

“It didn’t work out well. It really became kind of a disgrace as a township that we were letting them do it,” Supr. Bill Janeshek said, lamenting the slow speed of service.

Finding a similar company or hiring a local resident are other options.

“The big thing with any of this is you have to have the liability insurance,” Winker said.

Otherwise, the town could be liable for damages such as a fire, he said.

A resident inspector would be  advantageous, Winker said.

“When you have somebody local, at least the people know who to call,” he said.

SAFEbuilt’s contract ends Aug. 19.

Winker said he would continue to discuss the issue with Town Zoning Administrator Charlie Parks.