ACRIMONY MUSTN'T GUIDE CITY INSPECTIONS DISPUTE

A dispute between people in the building trades and the city of Cape Girardeau inspection office, brewing for some years, has recently boiled over. The suggestion here carries out the metaphor: like you do with any boiling pot, you tend to it and then get on with your business. The recent discord should neither be ignored nor made too much of. We recognize no vast need to overhaul the current set of building codes or revamp the way inspections are handled, only the need for builders and inspectors to have a better understanding of one another's jobs.

Frustration with the city inspector's office has been fodder for local coffee shop discussion for some time and reached a zenith of sorts with a recent city hearing held to air complaints about the office. The hearing seemed a questionable exercise initially but, in aftermath, appears constructive; builders brought their complaints into a public forum and city inspection personnel have, in subsequent news reports, acquitted themselves well of the points raised.

We would weigh the developments with these questions:

Is the city inspection office laden with bureaucracy? There are no government offices anywhere free of red tape. Codes are established and implemented for the common good, not just the people who work most closely with them, so some chafing is inevitable. However, in a survey conducted by this newspaper, an overwhelming number of people in the local building trades favor the BOCA set of standards adopted by the city.

Is the process too slow for getting a building permit? This is a hard call to make because of the unavoidable "apples and oranges" comparisons it inspires. Is Cape Girardeau slower than Carbondale in this regard? It's just hard to judge. What Cape Girardeau has, however, is an 11-point checklist applicable to building plans; if the checklist is satisfied, the permit is issued. If the plans are incomplete or showing code violations, there is a delay. There are no rule changes at the last minute.

Along with this, it might be noted that the inspector's office, like the line at a fast-food restaurant, experiences some periods that are more busy than others. Should the city hire more inspectors to turn over the permits more quickly? The office is short one funded position at this time and we urge the city to get that position filled. Beyond that, it is a matter of budget consideration on staffing, of what can be gained for how many dollars spent.

As another note, we agree with the office's decision to document when applications are filed and when contractors pick them up.

Are some inspectors arbitrary or inflexible in their decision making? When there is a list of codes to abide by, flexibility should not be a trait we value. The codes are in place as minimum standards and most local builders are far exceeding those standards anyway. When variances are sought, a group of professionals, the Board of Appeals, reviews them; the group was formed in January of 1990 but has met only a handful of times because there has been little demand for its services.

Still, the inspector's office is staffed with humans, and humans have their mercurial moments. If inconsistencies are found in inspection procedures, they should be reported to the office supervisor and dealt with on a case-by-case basis, not with some wholesale reform.

This whole recent episode should not dissolve into acrimony and has shown no signs of doing so. At worst, we have learned more about the difficulties of builders and city inspectors in doing their jobs. City growth will not be commanded by the mannerly relationship of these two sets of people there are too many other factors involved but civility, mutual respect and a clear understanding of the rules would benefit all involved in this important work.