Nashville’s codes department has been understaffed for years, compared to the city’s skyrocketing development, officials say. But this week the city budget added 35 new staff, which inches the department closer to where it should be.
Since 2000, the value of construction growth went from $1.3 billion to over $5.3 billion, which keeps the codes department busy and overworked. In that same time span, the department only added 19 people.
During a May budget hearing, the former department head projected 1,600 more building permits than the last two fiscal years.
With the boost in new staff, residents and developers will feel the boost in new staff, says assistant director of permitting Brady Rich.
“On the front end, we’re going to have more zone examiners,” Rich tells WPLN News. “That means that their questions on what they can do with the property will get answered quicker. We’ll get some more plans, examiners, which that means the plan reviews will go faster.”
Over the past two decades, building permit valuations went from about $1 billion to $5.6 billion.
Codes has done what it can with limited staff to improve service times by streamlining processes and technology. The department launched a rental car program to reduce turnaround time on build and trading inspections. It’s also added a third-party review policy to help speed up the process of approval on larger commercial projects.
Still, a spokeswoman for Codes says the department believes the new hires could help improve service.
Codes has faced several speed bumps that led to understaffing. In early 2020, the department hoped to get10 new employees, but the local government tightened its purse strings during the COVID-19 pandemic. That caused a one-year delay in filling the gap.
Staff are also leaving for more lucrative jobs in the private market. The city will be doing a pay study to look more into this.
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