Sandusky County commissioners favor local plumbing inspections

jackson@sanduskyregister.comSandusky County's commissioners have agreed to support using the Erie County Health Department for commercial plumbing inspections, rather than state inspectors from Columbus.The proposal is being made by Sandusky County's health department. The health board is expected to give final approval of the plan during its July 18 meeting.Commissioners Dan Polter, Charles Schwochow and Terry Thatcher didn't vote on the proposal Tuesday morning after Scott Thom, director of the Construction Program Division of the Erie County Health Department, explained that their endorsement wasn't formally necessary.Commissioners agreed, however, to send a letter to the health department endorsing the plan.Thom said endorsement seemed like a good idea, as the health department and other facets of county government work together."This was more of a professional courtesy," he said. Officials are hoping that conducting commercial plumbing inspections with local experts will speed up completion of these projects. During a June 20 health board meeting, more than one person described having to obtain the help of a local state representative to get approval of projects from state plumbing officials. Thom said after the health board signs off next week, he'll have to notify the state about the change and work out details of the transition."It will probably take a few months," he said.Area contractors told the commissioners they support the change."Sometimes, in Columbus, we kind of get lost in the shuffle," said Scott Warner, owner of Warner Mechanical Corp. "We would like to see more of a local presence.""This is long overdue," said Rick Evans, who has a plumbing, heating and air conditional business in Fremont. "Hopefully, it goes into the residential side, too."Schwochow said he'd like to see enforcement of other local building codes made local, too.After Tuesday's meeting, commissioners gave Thom a tour of the old concrete jail cells in the bottom of their building, which are no longer used.