News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
White County continues to explore the possibility of implementing a local codes enforcement system.
County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson said county commissioners have voted to fund $80,000 for the program.
“The county commission formed a committee to look into this,” Robinson said. “The first action this committee took was like, ‘We’re not going to beat our heads together and waste our time with coming up with a plan if the county commission isn’t going to fund it.’ That’s what happened. The county commission agreed to fund this program if it’s implemented. So now the committee will go back and start looking at a structure for this.”
The committee will look at adopting codes for buildings and health and safety. Robinson said it’s something the county commission has pushed around for several years.
“Building codes are already in place in White County, but they’re enforced at the state level,” Robinson said. “So we’re looking at doing this at a local level instead of a state level. The health and safety codes part of it is something that’s being kicked around. Basically, whether we should, and if we should, what we should try to control.”
Robinson said he supports a set of building codes, but he’s more hesitant to get behind the health and safety aspect of the proposal.
“It depends on how crazy it gets,” Robinson said. “There are some things that I do think need to be regulated, especially when we’ve got burnt structures and properties that are dangerous. But when it comes to farmland, tractors, and equipment, that starts to get on the iffy side.”
Robinson said enforcement fees would likely offset the recurring cost for implementing the program. Any final decision coming from the committee will have to be voted on by the full county commission.
