Along with the many changes to the Fayetteville budget adopted July 17 was a recommendation of another kind. The City Council on a 4-1 vote agreed to take over all permitting and inspections in the West Fayetteville area that primarily includes Pinewood Atlanta Studios.
As with a number of other fluid issues, such as the ongoing controversy about consolidating city and county fire services and the current impasse on automatic aid, the City Council voted to dissolve the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Fayette County and transition West Fayetteville permitting and inspection activities to the city.
Fayette County, followed by the City Council on July 17, agreed to a 90-day extension to the current IGA which splits permitting and inspection between the city and county.
“It has and will be a good relationship,” said City Manager Joe Morton, adding that, “We will have to work out the details of the agreement.”
The county had recently requested a three-year extension to the IGA to assist with its departmental budgeting for staff. City staff had previously recommended that the council approve a three-year extension of the existing IGA.
Per the existing agreement, the county provides building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire safety, and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) inspections and compliance for the city. In exchange for these services, the county receives 75 percent of the building permit fees collected. The city continues to inspect sewer/stormwater requirements, parking, landscaping, signage and architectural elevations, as well as full site plan review prior to construction and collects 100 percent of any associated fees in these areas.
The item on the July 17 agenda had Councilman Ed Johnson as the lone opposing vote. Johnson after the meeting said that, while not opposed to the measure, he believed the city could “ramp up much earlier” than the 90-day period.
