ICC eNews

	ICC Member News

	Providing support to Members and customers across the country and around the globe

—*ADVERTISEMENT—

Some links may take you outside of the Code Council's website. ICC is not responsible for the content and privacy practices of outside websites.

Gresham's Eric Schmidt Named Oregon Building Official of the Year	Good Hope (Ala.) Hires Building Inspector, Passes Building Ordinance
Bluffton Promotes New Chief Building Official

Gresham's Eric Schmidt Named Oregon Building Official of the Year

Eric Schmidt, the building official and community development director for the city of Gresham, is this year's winner of the Building Official of the Year award given by the Oregon Building Officials Association. The award is the highest honor given by the association, which supports Oregon's building officials, who protect public safety by enforcing state and municipal building codes, issuing construction permits, and conducting commercial and residential inspections.

Schmidt's strong and steady leadership earned him the 2014 top award, according to Terry Whitehill, vice president of the Oregon Building Officials Association and plan review section manager for Portland's Bureau of Development Services. Whitehill said Schmidt, co-chair of the association's legislative committee, was particularly effective representing the association before the Oregon Legislature this spring and helping the association hire a new management company. "Eric steps up to any challenge that gets thrown at him," Whitehill said. "He is creative, a skilled listener, and always gets to a good solution."

Read more at the Portland Tribune

Bluffton Promotes New Chief Building Official, Community Development Manager

The town of Bluffton has promoted two staff members to new positions. George Owens has been promoted to chief building official and Kendra Lelie has been promoted to town planning and community development manager.

Owens, of St. Helena Island, had worked as a commercial, residential and fire safety plan examiner for the last six years. In his new position, Owens will supervise the administration of building and construction codes, permits, facilities management and standards for construction procedures.

Lelie, a Bluffton resident, had served as the town's principal planner. As the planning and community development manager, Lelie oversees the town's Comprehensive Plan implementation, the administration of land planning, zoning, development review, historic preservation review, affordable housing initiatives and special projects.

Read more at the Beaufort Gazette Online

Good Hope (Ala.) Hires Building Inspector, Passes New Building Ordinance

In a proactive effort to accommodate for the city's recent spurt in development, Good Hope's council has hired a parttime building inspector and enacted a new building ordinance. The new inspector, Clint Singletary, has been a plumbing contractor for 30 years, and he is also a licensed homebuilder.

"I applied for this job to help the community," Singletary said. "It's also an opportunity to be involved with something I haven't had a chance to before."

Since the being chosen as the new inspector, Singletary has helped the city council draft its new building ordinance. "I helped with the ordinances so that our building department can provide safety, health and consistency to the community," he said. "We need building standards so no shoddy contractors can come in and do a poor job."

Read more at the Cullman Times

—*ADVERTISEMENT—