05-23-11 415PM
The health and safety of communities will be at risk if Contra Costa County lays off up to one-third of its building and grading inspectors by the end of the month, said officials representing public workers Monday at a news conference.
The news conference took place in front of a blighted house with boarded windows, graffiti and tall weeds – and example of what is happening in neighborhoods without inspectors, according to Rollie Katz of Public Employees Union Local 1.
Katz said his workers will speak to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Contra Costa County Administration Building, 651 Pine St. in Martinez.
Katz will hold a news briefing at 9 a.m. before the meeting.
The blighted property may be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/63133121@N03/?saved=1.
According to Katz, the property is one of many that pose a health and safety risk to the community should Contra Costa County lay off a third of the county’s building and grading inspectors May 31 – even though money is in the budget to fund them.
The county has already reduced the number of inspectors by about 25 percent over the last three months through attrition and retirements.
“We are concerned about the public’s safety,” Katz said. “Blighted, illegally modified and out of compliance properties will go months without being inspected.” He added that the daily case load for building inspections will nearly double the national average, increasing to 70 (from 30) for code enforcement inspections.
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