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Trumbull commissioners to vote today on adding new position
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The Trumbull County commissioners are expected to vote today on whether to create a new position in the county building inspection department to continue to give more attention to building-code enforcement.
Mike Sliwinski , chief building official, said building inspector Nick Massacci has shown an aptitude for bringing additional contractors and homeowners into compliance with building codes over the past year or so, and Sliwinski wants to give Massacci that job full time.
Another building inspector would be hired to take Massacci’s place, meaning the department would grow by one more employee.
“I’ve been here 10 years. One thing is clear, we need enforcement,” Sliwinski said. “It’s a problem that needs to be fixed.”
Sliwinski said now that the word is out that Massacci is taking enforcement seriously, the department has received at least $100,000 more over the past year or so in building fees.
Massacci earns $23.78 per hour as a building inspector; his salary would be $23.29 per hour as an administrative enforcement specialist, a nonunion position.
Sliwinski acknowledges that the union has expressed concern about creating a nonunion position. Sliwinskiis still writing a job description for the position.
Massacci received an interim building official certification March 3, 2017, which will expire March 31, 2019.
If he’s not able to upgrade to a full certification by March 31, 2019, he would not be allowed to continue in his current job, Sliwinski said. The new job would not require a certification.
Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said he agrees with Sliwinski’s recommendation to create the position. “It’s a revenue-generating position,” he said.
Commissioner Frank Fuda said he supports creation of the job if it pays for itself, but he wonders why the two other inspectors don’t handle code enforcement since it’s part of their job.
Fuda said when an employer raises his or her expectations, it can lead to workers being more productive.
“We need to do more with less,” he said.
Commissioner Dan Polivka said he is trusting Sliwinski’s recommendation that creating the position is a good idea.
He and Fuda said they will want to monitor the revenue being generated by the department to see whether the additional payroll is justified by additional fee collection.