To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Bryan Weimer, Director, Public Works and Development (PWD)
Prepared By:
prepared
Greg Bragdon, Building Division Manager, PWD and Rebecca Doane, Support Services Division Manager, PWD
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Subject:
title
1:00 PM *Building Contractor Licensing Program Updates
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is requested to provide feedback on proposed changes from the Public Works and Development Department (PWD) to the Building Contractor Licensing Program (Resolution No. 180258), as well as concurrence to bring the changes forward at a BOCC hearing.
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Background and Discussion: Public Works and Development Department (PWD) is proposing changes to the Building Contractor Licensing Program (Resolution No. 180258). PWD staff believe these changes are needed in order to better align this program with International Code Council (ICC) requirements and to clarify and streamline other program requirements, including license duration and fees.
Attached to this report is the current Building Contractor Licensing Program (Resolution No. 180258) with changes shown via a strikethrough for proposed deletions and red font for proposed additions. The primary changes being proposed are to clarify the types of contracting work that fall into the license categories of Class A, B, C, and D. These changes will align our license types with ICC guidance and certification requirements. The clarification and re-designation of some license types will result in higher fees being required for certain licenses as follows: Solar Contractors will see a change in annual fees from $84.00 to either $180.00 or $360.00. Some Mechanical Contractors will retain the current fee of $180.00, while some will see an increase to $360.00. Retaining Wall / Fence Contractors will have an annual fee of either $180.00 or $360.00 (New License). Roofing Contractors will see a change in annual fees from $84.00 to either $180.00 or $360.00. Plumbing Contractors will see no change in fees. Electrical Contractors will see no change in fees. Contractors going from Class D to Class C will see a change in annual fees from $84.00 to $180.00. While some contractors will see an increase in fees as noted above, this change is due to their specific license type being designated to the appropriate category based on the work performed, not due to an increase in the fee itself. Staff are recommending these re-designations to better align with ICC certification and other requirements, which we believe better meet the spirit of this program to ensure that all contractors operating in unincorporated Arapahoe County have the applicable certifications and required experience to engage in the business.
Another change being proposed is to have all licenses expire one year from the date of application or renewal. This will eliminate the current requirement of all licenses expiring on December 31. Additionally, all fees paid will be for the one-year rate, which will eliminate the current requirement of pro-rating fees depending on the month of application. This will simplify the application/renewal process and reduce confusion/frustration on the part of customers. PWD staff have evaluated the current fee rates and are not recommending an increase at this time, as the current rates are sufficient to cover the costs of administering the program. Per the provisions of the resolution, PWD staff will perform another review of the fees in two years to determine whether an increase in fees should be recommended to the BOCC at that time.
The proposed effective date of these changes is August 30, 2022. This aligns with the date that the new Contractor Licensing electronic application and tracking program is expected to go live in Accela. PWD and IT staff have been working on this project with the goal of fully integrating contractor licensing information into the Accela system to improve efficiency in tracking this information and relating it to permits being issued.
Alternatives: An alternative is to implement no changes to the Building Contractor Licensing Program; however, PWD staff do not believe that is a good alternative as the changes being recommended are needed to provide clarity and to better align with ICC guidelines.
Another alternative would be to increase fees for this program; however, PWD staff do not believe that the costs of administering the program warrant a fee increase at this time.
An additional alternative would be to implement other changes to the program; however, PWD staff are already recommending changes to all aspects of the program that we believe are needed at this time, but certainly would consider additional changes at the request of the BOCC.
Fiscal Impact: The fiscal impact to these changes is expected to be largely budget neutral. There is no change to the fees themselves, although some license types are changing to different fee levels as noted above, and all licenses will now be charged an annual fee rather than a 1.5-year fee as is currently done in some cases. We anticipate minimal revenue changes as a result of these proposed program changes and will be monitoring it closely after it is implemented
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: PWD staff are recommending BOCC support for the proposed changes, with the next step being adoption of the revised resolution at an upcoming business meeting, as well as public outreach through the County website on the proposed changes to allow for public comment/input prior to the business meeting.
Concurrence: County Attorney’s Office concurs with PWD staff recommendation.
Resolution: Attached is a copy of the draft resolution.