08/22/1977 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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August 22, 1977 Mr. Arlan LeTourneau appeared before the Council protesting the cost of a building permit. He presented the Council with copies of a permit for a garage and a fireplace and compared the costs to the building permit costs for the installation of a deck. He also objected to the pre- inspection charge levied by the Building Inspector. Mr. Zelinka arrived at 8:35 P.M. Mr. Mobley said the building was completed without a permit and is in violation of the State Building Code. This code also sets the pre - inspection fee and all charges are acc- ording to this code. Part of the cost is the pre- inspection fee and part is for a build- ing permit. Mr. Mobley said he had made five trips to that home and found no one home at any time. He had redtagged the sturcture with no results and had felt the only way to get action was by a court summons. Mr. LeTourneau said he did the constructionon the 28th of May and did not get a ticket until the 6th of August. He admitted building without a permit but said he did not know a building permit was necessary. He still felt he was being overcharged for the permit. Mr. Mobley listed the violations in building the garage, the fireplace and deck and said he would not withdraw the complal nt. Mr. Karth and Mr. McLean had done some computations on the square footage and arrived at a figure of $13.65 for the permit instead of $21.00. Mr. Karth moved to reduce the permit fee to $13.65. Seconded by Mr. Schneider. Motion carried with Mr. McLean and Mr. Zelinka abstaining. Mr. Locher pointed out the complaint signed against Mr. LeTourneau was for failure to ob- tain a building permit. Mr. LeTourneau admitted this but said he would not get a permit because he felt he was being overcharged. Mr. Locher said the Council could make a recommendation to Mr. Mobley the same as to a Police Officer. Mr. McLean felt the court costs are too much for the little that would be received but felt the reduced building permit fee and the reinspection fee is fair. Mr. Schneider moved to recommend to the Judge to dismiss the case. Mr. Zelinka seconded the motion. Motion carried with Mr. McLean abstaining. Mr. Karth said the fee of $13.65 plus a pre - instection fee of $15.00 is the amount due. The Council agreed and Mr. LeTourneau left a check in that amount with the Clerk. Mr. Locher said that some communities have the stipulation that if a building is started without a permit the fee is doubled. He thought perhaps the Council might want to study this provision in order to support the Building Inspector. Mr. Marlin Hansen felt he had had some of the same problems with the Building Inspector. He felt Mr. Mobley is too harsh and antagonizes people. Mr. Mobley felt this is the first time a Council had intervened with a citation. This citation was written according to State Law and he will not hold hands with people who break the law - he will help and advise. Mayor Bohjanen called the Public Hearing on Carole's Estates to order at 9:30 P.M. Mr. Locher read the notice of publication as it was published in the Forest Lake Times.