Building department chief seeks to restore clerk to full-time status
KINGSTON, N.Y. >> A parttime clerk in the city’s Building Safety division could become a full-time employee to help with an increased workload within the department.
Steve Knox, the city’s building safety director, told the Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee on Wednesday, Aug. 14, that 2018 was probably the busiest year his department had experienced. He said the department issued about 750 building permits last year, but so far this year has issued 800, with more than four more months to go.
Knox also said his department has been receiving an increasing number of requests under the state’s Freedom of Information Law.
The department currently has one full-time clerk and a parttimer, Knox said. He said he would like to increase the part-time clerk’s hours to full-time. Knox said the move would cost $29,028 for the remainder of the year, with $16,028 of that coming from the city’s contingency fund. The rest of the money would come from the department’s current budget, he said.
The committee ultimately moved forward a resolution authorizing the part-time clerk to be changed to full-time status. That resolution requires approval by the full Common Council, which meets again next month, to take effect.
A full-time clerk had been cut from the department in early 2018 and was later replaced with a parttime clerk.
“What it has done, not having the staff, the second position full-time, has kind of slowed up our rental property inspections,” Knox said. “So, our rental property inspections are down right now because we just don’t have the time to get them scheduled.”
Knox said restoring the second clerk to full-time status would allow his department to get back on track with inspections. Knox said his department is required to inspect each rental property within the city every two years.
Last year, the department did 581 rental property inspections, Knox said. So far this year it has done 276, he said.