2/3/1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Commissioner Adams brought up the occasional problems experienced by homeowners in obtaining loans because of existing utility liens, and Director Pinto commented that it is not a county requirement that the lien be called at that time. If the bank agrees to allow continuation of the payments, the County will OK refinancing or subordination of impact fees. State statutes require that the liens be recorded. County Attorney Vitunac commented that Paralegal Lea Keller, of his office, has been very successful in dealing with banks on this issue and suggested that this information be communicated to affected utilities customers. Inspection of Construction Projects Chief Inspector Dan Burton reviewed the inspection process and general responsibilities of the Inspection Division: INSPECTION DIVISION by Daniel M. Burton, Chief Inspector The inspection staff currently consists of four inspectors, including myself. All the inspectors have an extensive background in the methods and practices of utility construction. The combined years of experience of the inspection staff exceeds 45 years. The inspection staff's workload has increased dramatically over the last ten years due to our rapidly expanding system and new development throughout the County. In my ten years of service with the Utilities Department, I've seen the amount of construction projects increase from only 3 or 4 projects to over 20 projects under construction at any one time. This project load has been very consistent over the last six years. As inspectors we interact with all services within Utilities on a broad range of concerns, which include project coordination and management, project review, customer service, and on many other related Utility matters. The role of a utility inspector varies greatly, depending upon the situation. Although the actual project inspection and testing is very important, another role of an inspector which is equally important is that of public relations. The inspectors in most cases may be the only representative from the County the customer sees and has direct contact with. In this role, the inspector interacts with the public/customer concerning many different aspects of the project. We firmly believe that keeping the customer informed and being concerned with their problems, questions, or complaints greatly contributes to the successful completion of any utility construction project. The inspection staff conducts inspections and testing on all in- house utility projects as well as all private development projects to insure concurrence with all Indian River County Utilities and State of Florida requirements. Inspectors assist and advise the Utilities engineering staff of any revisions needed concerning Indian River County Utility standards and specifications. Once any project in our department has been issued a permit, County inspectors conduct a pre -construction meeting with the owner/developer, contractor, and engineer of record. These meetings are held to discuss the project, make any necessary changes, and review shop drawings and materials. 43 FEBRUARY 3, 1997 RUSK p ; H qd