The Fremont County Board of Commissioners has decided to allow Colorado State Electrical and Plumbing inspectors to maintain office space rent free in the Fremont County Administration Building as a service to local citizens. Fremont County was notified recently by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies that as a budget cutting move, all leases of office space for the plumbing and electrical inspectors were being terminated with counties across Colorado.
When the Board of Commissioners learned that the inspectors would be required to work out of their homes and vehicles a concern was raised about the inconvenience that would create for local citizens. Citizens acquiring Fremont County building permits often walk across the hall to contact the state plumbing and electrical inspectors. Having ready access to the state inspectors is also a convenience for Fremont County’s Building Official and inspectors who coordinate a lot of the paperwork involved with building permits.
For Fremont County the office space lease has meant an income of $5,880 per year. Despite the loss of the rental income the Board of Commissioners decided it is of more value to have the state inspectors maintain their office space in the Administration Building as a convenience for local residents and county staff.