DARKE COUNTY — Darke County has brought building regulations services back under local administration, a move county commissioners say will keep permitting revenue in the county and make the construction process more convenient for contractors and residents.
Darke County Commission President Matt Aultman said the return has been a goal for several years and fits into a broader effort to support business growth, housing and property redevelopment.
“We’ve worked for many years to bring building regulations back to Darke County because we feel that Darke County taxpayer money should stay in the county that they’re paying it from,” Aultman said.
The transition brings services previously handled through Miami County closer to the people using them. Aultman said the county retained the same fees and computer systems to help make the change as seamless as possible.
The county also hired two Darke County residents who previously worked with Miami County’s building inspection team.
Brent Fourman will serve as chief building official, while John Philby was hired as a building inspector. Elise Karns will provide administrative assistance and help residents and contractors navigate the permitting process.
Aultman said the department’s location near the health department is another significant part of the change. The county also plans to locate zoning services there, allowing applicants to obtain zoning, building, and health department permits within a few feet of one another.
“So it’s a one-stop shop,” Aultman said.
Bringing the departments together should reduce travel between offices and help employees resolve questions more quickly, he said.
“If there’s a misunderstanding between the departments, you have three people within feet of each other,” Aultman said. “They can talk and work it out so we can minimize problems.”
Creating space for building regulations required a series of other office moves, contributing to the time needed to complete the project.
Aultman said the county first had to prepare new space for the job center and relocate it. That allowed space to be prepared for the board of elections, whose move then opened room for building regulations.
The sequence took about three years, he said, while the overall plan had been under discussion for three to four years.
The return also supports the county’s broader development goals. Aultman credited Susan Laux with playing an instrumental role in the project and said building regulations services complement the county’s grant efforts.
Commissioners also hope to establish a county land bank in the future to help return houses and other properties to usable condition.
“That way, we can bring houses and properties back up to livable conditions,” Aultman said.
He said those efforts could help make Darke County a more attractive place for people to live and businesses to locate.
Financially, Aultman said retaining permitting fees was an important consideration. He cited uncertainty about the future of property taxes as another reason commissioners are looking for opportunities to keep locally generated revenue in the county.
“We’re just trying to bring some of our potential income back to our county from permitting fees and things like that,” he said.
Finding qualified employees was another key step. Aultman said the credentials required by the state for a chief building official limit the number of eligible applicants. Two people applied for the position.
Fourman brought experience as an electrician and as a member of Miami County’s building inspection team, along with the licensing needed to serve as Darke County’s chief building official.
Aultman said having a local chief building official also helps the county respond when emergencies create a need for building inspections, including tornado damage, flooding, or electrical service torn from a home.
Philby also previously worked for Miami County and was hired after the county advertised for a building inspector.
A department website is available to help applicants access permitting information and materials, Aultman said. Along with retaining familiar staff members, fees, and computer systems, the county intends to ease the transition.
“It’s going to be the same as dealing with Miami County,” Aultman said, “but you’re going to be dealing with Darke County and Darke County folks.”
