Bradenton Beach is working to maintain its permitting and inspection process following the suspension of building official Darin Cushing.
On Feb. 6, the city commission met to discuss the impact of Cushing’s suspension, which began Jan. 22.
City attorney Ricinda Perry said at the Feb. 6 meeting that the suspension was not contributing to permitting delays that could hinder rebuilding efforts.
The meeting also dealt with concerns about enforcing a flood damage prevention ordinance without a building official in place.
Perry said the city was continuing to process permits and inspections and was coordinating with Holmes Beach for assistance.
The suspension followed controversy surrounding Cushing’s approval of a permit for a tiki hut at the Drift-In on Bridge Street.
During a Jan. 16 commission meeting, Perry argued that the permit should have undergone a public hearing and been classified as a major development due to concerns about city-owned easements and the size of the structure.
Cushing, who works for SAFEbuilt Inspection, a corporation that provides building code enforcement, inspection and permitting services to municipalities, defended his decision on social media, where he asserted the permit was issued correctly and expressing concerns about pressure to retract his approval.
M.T. Causley, a subsidiary of SAFEbuilt, manages building official services for Bradenton Beach under a contractual agreement.
Before the controversy, Cushing had been overseeing inspections and permits following the devastation caused by Helene and Milton, hurricanes that hit the state in September-October 2024. The city was one of the hardest-hit locations on the Gulf coast with an estimated 95% of homes and businesses experiencing damages requiring extensive repair work, rebuilding and demolition efforts — work that falls mostly under the purview of the building department.