News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Multiple citizens spoke out during the White County Commission’s Monday meeting, concerned about county building inspector Brett Nash.
Commissioner Becky Golden broached the subject, stating that various citizens in and out of her district had shared complaints about the inspector’s actions and attitude in regard to his job. Golden said the biggest complaint was that Nash refuses to help or inform people when they fail to pass an inspection.
“They would ask him, ‘Show me what I’m doing wrong,’ and he would say, ‘Nope. Just call me tomorrow. Call me whenever,'” Golden said. “And I’ve had people tell me that they’re not going to build in White County because of that fact.”
Local builder Todd Hutchins said Nash changed the building codes without the proper authority when they failed an inspection from Nash about two weeks ago. Hutchins said he has dealt with many different codes inspectors, but has never seen one act in this way.
“We ask him to bring the codes book,” Hutchins said. “He did. He looked it up. He was in the wrong, but instead of talking, you know, ‘Hey, I’m sorry,’ he told us that he had the authority to change any code that he felt like.”
Commissioners said Nash should appear at the next steering committee meetings to address the issues. Resident Tracy Fowler said Nash has been illegally charging residents for unnecessary agricultural building permits.
“We owe our citizens money back, and y’all should be as mad about this as I am,” Fowler said. “And I’m not even a county official like y’all.”
Fowler said Nash needs to be monitored more closely to ensure accountability.
“There’s no reins on him,” Fowler said. “He is making up his rules as he goes. We have nothing adopted in White County. He is supposed to be going by the 2018 IRC building codes.”
Resident Brice Murphy said he has gotten more assistance for his projects in White County from the Putnam County codes inspectors than from Nash.
“I’m building in Putnam County,” Murphy said. “I was going to buy more lots here, build more houses here. I’m going to build in Putnam County just ’cause it’s easier and I get more money for the houses over there. I don’t have to do all this extra steps and time and all that stuff. I’ll just over there and get more money. So it discourages me from building houses in White County.”
