Lakeville City Council votes to outsource electrical inspections
The Lakeville City Council voted 4-1 tonight to contract for electrical inspection services with an outside party, effectively laying off the person serving an in-house role.
The move toward contracting with Steven Kletschka, who currently does inspections for Faribault, Minn., will save the city about $77,000 over the next two years, said Finance Director Dennis Feller. Declining permits and the need for trimming the budget led the city staff and the Council to seek this decision. Until 2004, the city contracted with the state for inspection services.
Council Member Matt Little was the dissenting vote, citing a concern about compromised customer service and public safety associated with the move. Mayor Mark Bellows said the decision is a matter of whether one is biased toward the public or the private sector.
A more comprehensive report is forthcoming.
-Aaron Vehling, Thisweek Newspapers
