Leelanau County officials are working out an agreement with the state Bureau of Construction Codes that may allow the county Building Inspections Department to continue conducting inspections and issuing building permits.

Based on a recommendation from bureau director Henry Green, the state Construction Code Commission earlier this year decided to withdraw authority for conducting inspections and issuing building permits from Leelanau County because the county had allegedly failed to adequately enforce the state construction code. The county has since appealed the Construction Code Commission’s decision.

County administrator David Gill, county building inspection department head Robert Meyer, and county attorney John McGlinchy met in Lansing last week with Green and other bureau personnel for a "compliance conference." Gill explained that the conference represented a first step toward Leelanau County regaining clear authority for retaining its Building Inspections department and issuing building permits.

Gill reported that during the conference, county and state officials discussed steps Leelanau County will need to take to prevent a state takeover of the county department. Gill said he expected the Bureau of Construction Codes to complete a draft agreement that will be reviewed by county officials sometime in the next few weeks. He said it could be several more weeks before both the county and the Bureau of Construction Codes reach and sign a formal agreement on how to proceed. In the meantime, the county Building Inspections department remains open for business with its formal appeal pending before an administrative law judge in Lansing.

The Bureau of Construction Codes conducted a "performance evaluation" of the Leelanau County Building Inspections department in November 2007 after a complaint was filed by the former head of the department, Robert VanDyke. Gill fired VanDyke in June 2007, and VanDyke has since filed a "Whistleblower Protection Act" suit against Gill and Leelanau County. VanDyke has alleged that county officials prevented him from adequately enforcing the state construction code.