Board would recommend building code adoption

By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Hillsboro City Council heard a suggestion Tuesday that the city create a Board of Building Trades, to help determine what building codes the city adopts in the future.

Mayor Delores Dalke, City Administrator Larry Paine, and Building Inspector Ben Steketee previously discussed the concept, Paine said in a memo to the council.

The memo suggested a board of six residents, including members representing the general contracting, plumbing, heating/cooling, and electrical fields. The other two members would be selected from the general public.

The board’s duties would include recommending the city adopt specific building codes, reviewing building codes annually, and hearing appeals of decisions made by the building inspector.

Paine urged the council take no action for the time being.

In other business:

• Bob Watson was elected council president.
• June Shreve was appointed to Hillsboro Community and Planning Commission.
• Mellisa Batterton was appointed to the playground committee.
• Paine will try to arrange for a board training session with author Mike Conduff sometime in July, because council members had conflicts in June.
• Police did a good job resolving an illegal parking situation a resident called about, council member Byron McCarty said.
• The planned road and gas lines at Hillsboro Business Park have been mapped out, Paine said.
• Repairs to Ash Street will begin Monday.
• The council met in closed session for 10 minutes to discuss personnel at McCarty’s request. No action was taken on return to open session.

The next council meeting will be 4 p.m. May 18.