Ernest O'Gaffney wants an initiative on Christian County ballot in 2007
Ernest O'Gaffney, who says last year he unknowingly purchased a home that sits above a sinkhole, will gather signatures for a building-code initiative to be put on the county's ballot in 2007.The lack of building codes perpetuates "a situation where anyone with a pickup truck and a hammer can build a home without any inspection whatsoever, except for the septic tank, thus stripping the public in the unincorporated areas of the county of any protection as to health and safety whatsoever," O'Gaffney wrote in a letter to the county Board of Commissioners.
Man pushes for building codes
Ernest O'Gaffney wants an initiative on Christian County ballot in 2007.
John Taylor
News-Leader
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People who move to unincorporated areas of Christian County don't really know what they're getting when they buy a house, and that needs to change, a Billings man said.
Ernest O'Gaffney, who says last year he unknowingly purchased a home that sits above a sinkhole, will gather signatures for a building-code initiative to be put on the county's ballot in 2007.
The first step is to get it on the ballot. ... Once it gets on the ballot, we're confident people will vote for it," he said.
The lack of building codes perpetuates "a situation where anyone with a pickup truck and a hammer can build a home without any inspection whatsoever, except for the septic tank, thus stripping the public in the unincorporated areas of the county of any protection as to health and safety whatsoever," O'Gaffney wrote in a letter to the county Board of Commissioners.
Gene Johnson of Billings says he supports O'Gaffney's effort.
Johnson moved to Billings from Durango, Colo., in October 2005.
Anytime there is a heavy rain, the crawl space under his house floods with water.
Johnson said that problem possibly could have been avoided if standards were in place when the house was built.
Since inspections were not required for framing, wiring, plumbing or anything else, he has no idea what future surprises await him.
"I think the house is probably pretty good ... but you really don't know what's in the walls or the foundation," Johnson said.
A lack of building codes in unincorporated areas is not unusual in southwest Missouri. Greene County is the only county contiguous to Christian County that has building codes.
Costs
Christian County Presiding Commissioner John Grubaugh said the commission would consider the issue if there is public interest.
"The County Commission isn't against doing what the will of the people is," he said.
Grubaugh said commissioners held public hearings on building codes three years ago, but only three to five people would show up at those meetings.
"We didn't get any interest at that time," he said.
To enforce building codes, the county would have to hire two or three more people and buy an equal number of vehicles for those new employees to drive. Fuel and maintenance costs of those vehicles would also have to be considered, Grubaugh said.
"To hire the qualified inspectors, we have to run the numbers," he said.
O'Gaffney suggested the county charge a fee based on square footage. For example, if the fee were 17 cents per square foot, a building permit for a home of 1,500 square feet would cost $255.
He said he would work to get the building-code issue on the ballot in a scheduled election, since a special election would cost residents more.
Christian County Clerk Kay Brown said election dates for 2007 are Feb. 6, April 3, June 5, Aug. 7 and Nov. 6.
However, there would not be enough time to gather signatures and get them certified for either the February or April election, she said.
Brown said she was not sure how many signatures O'Gaffney would have to collect. She said state law is open to interpretation, and she wants to get a legal opinion from county Prosecutor Ron Cleek before positing a number.
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