Who put up a portable shed in his back yard without first obtaining a city building permit? And what should the city do about it? That was a major topic of discussion at the October city council meeting. (Well, no, that is not quite correct because the name of the owner remained a mystery to members of the audience.) If you remember from my blog of October 15, steps had been taken to omit the owner’s name or address from the city council’s meeting agenda; and, to top that off, the city clerk, mayor and council members did not mention the owner’s name, even once, during their lengthy discussion of this matter. Why were they so reluctant to reveal his name?
Let’s put an end to the mystery right now. The name of the owner of the portable shed is Randy Deevers, and he lives at 107 N. 4th Street. In case you are not aware, Randy is running for Mayor against the present incumbent, John Johnston. Oh, by the way, Mayor Johnston was presiding over the October council meeting.
Randy was not aware that a building permit was necessary to erect a portable shed in his backyard. But he did visit with the Mayor several days prior to starting the construction of the shed. He told the Mayor of his plans and asked him if he had to notify city hall. According to Randy, the Mayor replied that he did not believe a building permit was required for a portable building. Two months later when this matter was discussed at the city council meeting, it turned out that council members also were not aware that a permit was required. One council member even admitted that in the past he had installed portable sheds on his own property without permits.
However, the City Clerk and city workers are well aware that building permits are required for all buildings whether they are principal or accessory structures. The City Clerk is designated as the official responsible for issuing all the building permits and the city workers assist her, when necessary, by verifying whether the locations of the buildings meet the required set back distance from property lines.
In early August, Randy laid a rock foundation for his shed (the location site was between his garage and the alley). About a week later he started building the shed and had it completed and painted by the following week. In the two-week period he was working on the shed, he noticed the city workers, Mayor and City Clerk each driving by several times and looking at the building as it was being constructed. Randy moved various items into the shed for storage around August 18. He was glad to have the extra storage space and thought he had done everything correctly. A few days later, he received a letter from the City Clerk stating: “You need to come in and get a building permit before you start to build … and make sure your setbacks are correct.” He was also instructed in the letter to “do no further construction until you bring me a drawing …”
Why did the city officials wait until Randy had completed the construction of his shed before sending him the letter? As these officials and city workers were driving by watching him work on the shed, they could have easily stopped and let him know that he needed a building permit. The Mayor was certainly aware that Randy was building a shed and had told him (before construction started) that he did not believe a building permit was required. Obviously, the Mayor was mistaken; but once he had learned that, indeed, a permit was required, he should have notified Randy.
After receiving the letter, Randy went to City Hall to talk with the City Clerk. (To be continued in tomorrow’s blog.)