2022 City of Shakopee Budget

95

Budget Impact: Shakopee's Inspectors are in the field whether it is a beautiful summer day or it’s twenty degrees and snowing. They work with everyone from homeowners to house builders to large industrial builders. Their number one goal is to ensure residents are safe in their buildings while also providing great customer service with timely inspections. The city went 100% paperless in 2019, which allowed plans to still be submitted during COVID and technology and safety practices allowed inspections to continue without missing even a day. With people home all the time, many began projects that had been delayed. The city experienced record permit numbers for decks and fences in 2020. 2021 has maintained the record pace as new single-family permits set records. In 2021 the city implements a new portal for all permits and licenses for the city. This investment of more than $300,000 has allowed inspectors to inspect more properties through automation and routing. The City was awarded a Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Building Official Training Grant that will provide $65,000 of annual funding per year for 2 years to hire a new Building Official. This allowed the city to add an additional inspector and added another inspector that has substantial single family permit review experience, allowing inspectors to spend more time in the field. The City Council also began discussions in 2021 concerning passage of a Property Maintenance Code and an Apartment Rental License and Inspection Program. This program, if implemented, would require licensing and inspections of any rental property that are not located within an owner-occupied residence.

EMPLOYEES

PERCENT OF GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES

8.1

8.1

7.1

7.1

Building Inspections 4.3%

Actual 2019 Actual 2020 Budget 2021 Budget 2022

Number of Employees (FTEs)