“Third party” building official approved

Notwithstanding the hiring freeze, one Oconee County department is going to get help.  County Council last night said yes to the hiring of James Wright as a code enforcement officer.  It went further by making a financial commitment to augment the county’s department of building and codes by contracting a Spartanburg County company to provide third party building official and commercial plan review services.  The county’s building official will now be part of RCI of SC in Pacolet, South Carolina and is to be compensated at a rate of $85 dollars an hour .  Other fees are to be paid RCI for commercial plan reviews and, if needed, inspection services.  Council acceded to this after hearing Amanda Brock, the county administrator, say that a previous council had practically dismantled the county’s building and codes department and now building projects such as Epoch and the Newry Mill are of such magnitude that the remaining building and codes’ staff can’t keep up.