City contracts with county for building inspections

Building inspection services in Willoughby Hills will now be done through the Lake County Building Department.

Lake County commissioners Oct. 5 approved the agreement following the Sept. 28 approval from Willoughby Hills City Council.

The agreement is the same as the one made between the Lake County Building Department and the city of Willowick in March 2016.

“(Lake County Chief Building Inspector) Dave (Strichko) has done a nice job of offering our

services to municipalities that want to embark on a partnership,” Lake County Administrator Jason Boyd said.

“This is no cost to the city of Willoughby Hills. Essentially, their residents and businesses assume our fee schedule, which in comparison to the city of Willoughby Hills is quite equal.”

Boyd said Willoughby Hills will maintain its property maintenance, zoning and nuisance issues internally.

“(Strichko) and his qualified

crew will be enforcing the building codes of the state of Ohio,” Boyd said. “We’re out there doing commercial stuff anyway, so it seems to make sense for both parties.”

The Lake County Building Department was awarded the 2016 David A. Smith Building Department Award for Innovation. The award is presented annually by the Ohio Board of Building Standards to an Ohio certified building department that has “demonstrated exemplary customer service, dedication to public service and has furthered the board’s mission and goals.”

The new agreement went into effect immediately.