Supervisor: Building inspections an issue in Snyder County
Feb. 8—MIDDLEBURG — Adams Township Supervisor Daniel Kuhns described an uncomfortable encounter he had with a neighbor while explaining the need to obtain a building permit to close a carport on their property.
"People in general are becoming more confrontational," Kuhns told the Snyder County commissioners Tuesday of the frosty response when he knocked on his neighbor's door and handed a blank permit to the homeowner's son.
"I brought them the permit to their house so they wouldn't have to go to the office. He slammed the door hard on me," he said.
Confrontations with the public prompted some staff at Central Keystone Council of Governments (CK-COG) with concealed carry permits to arm themselves at work. The CK-COG handles building inspections in Adams Township in Snyder County and numerous other municipalities in Snyder, Northumberland, Union, Montour, Perry, Centre and Lycoming counties.
Following articles in The Daily Item, the CK-COG's insurance carrier informed the agency in December that it would drop liability coverage if they did not prohibit employees from being armed while on the job.
While the practice of allowing armed inspectors to carry out their duties has been dropped, CK-COG officials continue to look for ways to protect themselves and suggested Kuhns ask county officials whether sheriffs' deputies could escort them on some jobs where a confrontation may occur.
That's what led Kuhns to meet with the commissioners earlier this week and share his experience.
Snyder County Commissioner Joe Kantz said he would speak with County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania officials about the legality of allowing Sheriff John Zechman or his deputies to escort building inspectors conducting duties on behalf of municipalities, but said he doubts the department's insurance company would permit it for liability reasons.
Kantz said he doesn't support the practice.
"If (inspectors) know they may have a problem, could it be that they created it?" said Kantz, questioning how they are conducting themselves completing building inspections and enforcing building codes.
The role of the sheriff is to provide courtroom and courthouse security and serve papers, county Solicitor Robert Cravitz said.
In Union County, Sheriff Ernie Ritter does provide an escort to some job sites when CK-COG requests it.
"We're not going to step in, but we'll be there for them if they need us," said Ritter. "We'll do it for anyone who is affiliated with the county; the COG, Children and Youth, code enforcement."
The CK-COG was also a topic of discussion at Monday's Selinsgrove Borough Council meeting.
Council member Christian Schlieder said he'd like the municipality to consider allowing other certified building inspectors not affiliated with CK-COG to work in the borough.
His suggestion came a month after Selinsgrove resident and architect Rocky Baer asked borough officials to allow property owners to get a second opinion from other state-licensed building inspectors due to the difficulty in dealing with CK-COG inspectors.
Baer told the council that he has been required by CK-COG to do more work than necessary on some renovations within the borough which has cost home and business owners more money.
In a prior interview with The Daily Item, Rodney Neitz, the director and building code official at CK-COG, said the agreement the agency has with Selinsgrove and 48 other municipalities prohibits the use of any other building inspector.
"The Central Keystone COG's bylaws require member municipalities to only allow the CK-COG to enforce building code regulations as part of the membership agreement when joining the COG," he said.
Schlieder said he met recently with a group of about 50 people, mostly Selinsgrove business owners, who expressed support for having another certified building inspector do the work.
"I'd like to consider another company that will allow competition," he said.
