SILER CITY — Building permit activity is increasing in Siler City and with the town understaffed to meet demands, Chatham County personnel are handling the town’s building permits and fire inspections.
Chatham County Fire Marshal Thomas K. Bender will meet with Siler City business owners next week to review procedures for building permits and fire inspections as the county takes over those duties in Siler City.
From 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28 ,at Jordan Matthews High School auditorium, 910 E. Cardinal St., the fire marshal will present information about Chatham County’s building permit/inspection procedures and fire inspection procedures as the county begins conducting those procedures in Siler City.
“We can feel the economy picking up in various measures, and one of them is increased building permit activity,” Siler City Town Manager Bryan Thompson told the News + Record. “We’re experiencing, and have been in recent history, development picking up.”
For decades, Siler City’s now-retired Building Codes Administrator Charlie McLaurin, who was certified in all aspects of building inspections and fire inspections, handled the town’s permitting needs.
But efforts to hire someone to replace McLaurin — with his multiple qualifications — have proven challenging, Thompson said.
“It’s not the easiest candidate to find,” Thompson said.
As such, the Siler City Board of Commissioners entered into an agreement with Chatham County for county personnel to perform those inspections as the town continues to realize increased building permit activity and as the search to hire in-house inspectors continues.
Siler City residents will still be able to apply for a permit at Siler City Town Hall. Fees paid will go directly to the county because its staff will be performing the work.
The arrangement between the town and the county is “temporary in nature, but there’s no set clock on it,” Thompson said.
Siler City and Chatham County have a 12-month agreement, but that can be amended at any time, or extended.
“The goal is that we’re providing a service that’s both necessary and desired, whether it’s in-house or contracted through the county,” Thompson said.